Category: home improvement

While not too many examples of wrought iron as home decor pop immediately to mind, they certainly exist. Take the weathervane, for example. A weathervane of wrought iron can be used to decorate the outside of a house. It becomes a functional piece (showing wind direction), but also offers a stylish accent to your home. Another common example of wrought iron home decor is in trivets containing iconic representations of cats, birds and other farm animals and symbols. Some homes display these types of collectibles hung on walls or placed on shelves.

Why Wrought Iron?

These items are appealing because of their simplicity. As mentioned above, they are iconic, meaning a cat is represented strictly by the shape of a cat. Wrought iron home decor avoids clich d items like a white Persian cat looking serenely at the camera; the wrought iron cat is austere and timeless, while the color image is usually dated somehow.

When you walk into your grandmother s house can you tell which paintings and pictures on the wall are the oldest, or belong in a particular decade? In old photo albums, you can always tell which pictures were taken in the 70 s – not just by the clothes but by all the orange, tan, yellow and olive green. Wrought iron home decor does not date itself with trends or fads; it is absolutely timeless.

Where the Inspiration Came From

In many European countries, wrought iron is a common home decor material. However, there is a drastic difference: most European wrought iron can be found on the outside of houses, not on the inside.

The weathervane is a good example of this, but weathervanes are not the most common example of exterior wrought iron home decor. Wrought iron decorations were a popular item to find on the outside walls of the home. Expecting to see cats on the outside of houses when you visit Paris next year? Actually, European wrought iron decoration is geometric, not iconic.

European houses frequently have wrought iron lines on their exterior walls. Stripes, you mean? No, the lines don t go the length or the width of the wall; they are simply line fragments placed on the wall here and there. Instead of using geometric patterns, the iron was most often placed at what seems to the naked eye to be random spots; from looking at wrought iron home decor in Europe, it is obvious that the definition of symmetry is not the same as the American definition.

Keywords: Home Improvement, Home Decor

When you think about the Old West, what are some things that come to mind? Cowboys and saloons are a given, but what about the Native Americans? While you could decorate your house with cowboy regalia, Native American art is a beautiful way to add some western home decor.

Dreamcatchers as Western Home Decor

One of the most popular Native American art items one can purchase is a dream catcher. Constructed in various shapes, with the middle resembling a spider web and the sides with feathers and beads, dreamcatchers are meant to catch bad dreams.

When it comes to making a dreamcatcher part of your western home decor, the best place to put one is the bedroom. However, people have also been known to hang it in the middle of a front window. Dreamcatchers can be quite small, or they can be quite large, so when choosing one, be sure that you have the wall space to properly display it.

Sweet Grass Baskets as Western Home Decor

A perfect example of how artistic the Native American culture is are their beautiful hand woven sweet grass baskets. As western home decor, you will find that sweet grass baskets can be placed anywhere, depending on their size.

These baskets are often placed, for example, on mantelpieces. Sweet grass baskets are becoming more and more hard to find, as there are few who know how to make them anymore, so to own one is to truly own a special piece of Native American art.

Native American Pottery and Collector s Plates as Western Home Decor

Perhaps the most popular form of Native American pottery is that made by the pueblo. Their pottery is colorful, and a great centerpiece for any coffee table. Collector s plates depicting Native American warriors are also quite popular, and are often seen adorning the wall of a family room.

More Ideas

There are many more examples of Native American art that you can choose from when looking to have your home feature Western home decor. Check the internet to see if there are any powwows that will be in your area, as that is where many interesting pieces can be found.

Additionally, you can also purchase Native American art directly from the websites of many Native American artists. The prices for Native American art vary greatly, but when it comes to Western home decor, they are truly valuable and beautiful examples.

Keywords: Home Improvement, Home Decor