Decorative Corbels - Just What Are They?

You have possibly seen in home decorating magazines decorative corbels being used, but may not really know what they are referring to. Here's a simple guide for you.

The definition of a corbel is usually given as a special type of bracket. A corbel can therefore be a structural one - actually holding something up - or it can just be decorative.

Corbels have been a traditional architectural feature going back as far as people have wanted to decorate their churches and homes. Over time there have been trends in their decoration.

A common form most people are aware of are corbels decorated with gargoyles. These little grotesque beings have often been used on churches either for pure decorative purposes or to illustrate lessons to people.

In the beginning corbels were usually made out of stone. But as time passed trends changed and they were also made out of other materials particularly marble, wood and resin. Wood was a popular medium as it allowed a craftsman to decorate them through his carving style.

The Victorian period of architecture saw a huge rise in the popularity of decorative corbels. This was a period where mass manufacturing started to allow builders to branch out a little in terms of style and decoration. No longer did everything have to be made by hand. So with less time and money being spent on building the shell, more effort was put into the decoration.

Today a corbel can add a touch of elegance or interest to any situation. Need something around your mantelpiece to set it apart? An option is to find a pair of corbels that suit the style of your room and use them to highlight the fireplace area. In this regard budget and imagination are the only limits.

There is a trend at the moment to use a single corbel or a pair of corbels on the wall to display or set off an object. For example placing a pair of matching vases upon a large corbel. Some smaller corbels work well as bookends.

For people restoring a period home a fitting solution to the decorative challenges is to use an authentic corbel from the era of their house. Often these can be found reconditioned or an auction site such as eBay.

Until now you may not have really known what corbels are or where they have fitted into architectural history. But hopefully this has helped explain their long history and maybe given you a few ideas for your decorating project.