Fitting a mantleshelf to a bare plastered chimneybreast?

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Is it going to look Odd?

We're having a woodburning stove fitted soon, and are ripping out our existing fireplace, which is a stoneclad monstrosity with an ornamental, non-functioning gas fire, and enlarging the fireplace to its original dimensions (it was bricked in to make it smaller) which isn't massive, but large enough for a small woodburner. The guys putting it in say there's a brick arch, part of the original fireplace, which they can expose, and we were then going to have the chimneybreast replastered and painted to match the rest of the room.

My problem is that the existing fireplace, naff though it is, does have a mantlepiece shelf and mirror above it, and I want to keep something like this. (Existing shelf is a boring slab of orange-varnished wood - nice!) Given that we're not going to have a new fireplace surround, or anything that a mantleshelf could sit on, will it look strange to have a wall-mounted shelf sort of floating above the woodburner, which will be partially tucked into the fireplace apperture?

I've been looking and looking online for a photo that shows this set-up and can't find one.

Sounds like our house. We haven't done this yet, but hoping to next year. And this is the kind of set up I'm hoping for - with a floating shelf. I googled 'wood burning stove floating shelf' and found lots of pictures.
Hope this helps!

Ok, will try searching for that! Thanks, Madcows!

Go for it, it will look lovely. I've seen some oak mantels/beams on eBay.

I've got one above wood burner; have a look at me photos to see

Wow, that looks fantastic, Pudden! Lovely. Do you find that a 'floating' shelf is good and sturdy, as opposed to one on more traditional brackets? I like your hearthrug too. We've decided to go for textured slate ('riven' slate as the poncy brochure calls it) but I like your much more rustic stone hearth.

To be honest if I were to do the mantle again I would have it set the other way round on brackets and partly submerged into the plaster. With the time, the weight of the oak beam coupled with shrinkage and heat from the fire has caused it to droop a little..nothing noticable...except by myself!

Hmm, I was wondering what effect the heat from the stove would have on a wooden shelf. But then traditional fireplace surrounds are wooden and are over a hot place. Presume if I get one off ebay or something, I'll have to make sure it's kiln-dried and as seasoned as possible.