What Is A Corbel and 6 Uses In Your Home

What is a corbel? Basically, it is nothing more than a piece of architecture. Usually, it is a piece of masonry that sticks out of the wall. Believe it or not, corbels have been used for thousands of years by builders for a variety of reasons. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence that the Romans and the Greeks used corbels when constructing buildings.

During the Middle Ages, corbels were actually created to help fortify the castles and to provide an extra layer of defense for the castle occupants. Mostly, corbels held a table which could be lifted and used to drop hot liquids onto the people attacking the castle.

Over the years, the corbel has become less functional and more decorative. Today, the architectural feature is used to liven up new construction or used when renovating older structures. Perhaps you have never actually seen a corbel used and are wondering where and how modern day builders use this feature.

• You may even be thinking abut incorporating such features when re-decorating or building your dream home. Here are some places where corbels are used today.They are utilized in fireplaces. To be more specific, they are most commonly used in fireplace mantles. Corbels can be rustic or they can be ornately carved. Of course, it just depends on the homeowner's taste as well as the style of the decor in the home. When used like this, the piece is most likely used for decoration.
• Under counter tops. Believe it or not, this architectural piece is commonly used to support heavy counter tops and provide a bit of structural integrity. This is especially true today where granite and other heavy materials are used to create kitchen counter tops. In such cases, corbels are primarily functional instead of decorative.
• They provide support for curtain rods and valances. When used in such a way, corbels are both decorative and functional. They can be used to hang the curtain rods for the curtains, or they can be used to support the valance rods. In either case, there are a number of ways to incorporate this attractive architectural piece into your window design if you wish to do so.

 

•  Corbels are used to support cabinets. In this regard, they once again are primarily functional and go behind the cabinets to help attach them to the wall. The pieces can be especially helpful if you will be filling the cabinet with heavy materials.
• They can be used in the eaves of the roof. In this regard, corbels can be decorative and add visual interest to the roof. This is especially true if the house is in a traditional style or if the roofing is made from heavy materials like tin, wood, or terra cotta. In this instance, the structural pieces may be made from wood or from other materials.
• Corbels can be used on exposed ceilings or rafters. This decorative feature can be used to add architectural interest to the ceiling of a home or for extra support, if the home is quite old. In the majority of cases, they will probably be made from timber or wood.

Of course, these are just a few examples of the many ways that these architectural pieces can be used in your home. Your builder or interior designer can give you more examples as well as ideas for tastefully using corbels in your home.

Five Essential Pieces For Your Living Room Decor

A living room should be a social room. Modern living rooms often point toward an oversized TV, but when company comes the living room becomes a conversation room. To facilitate good conversation, it is important to decorate accordingly. Good decor will prompt conversation when needed and act as a soothing background when socializing takes center stage. There are endless possibilities when it comes to decorating a living room, but here are five basic tips that will help you get started.

1.) Lamps
Lamps are often overlooked when it comes to design. They are ubiquitous and because of that there importance is often underestimated. But a couple of stylish lamps can make a room. And if the lampshades aren't stylish, wrapping some contact paper around them is an easy and inexpensive trick.

2.) Prints

Many big box retailers carry a huge variety of framed prints. They are inexpensive and sometimes disregarded by professional designers. But if you take the time to sort through the huge collections you are bound to find something worthy of your new living room.

3.) Drapes

Custom drapery is expensive there is no two ways around it. However, many retailers carry a large supply of stock window and door treatments that will match nearly any decor. Stroll through enough aisles and you're bound to find something that will set off the color in your walls and round out the perfect living room decor.

 

4.) Pillows

Throw pillows are a great way to introduce noticeable accessories. Two simple cushions upholstered with the right style fabric will match the walls, drapes and other accessories in the room and give the decor that professional touch.

5.) Glass

Glass can include a number of accessories. The most common pieces are vases, and these can be found in thousands of styles, shapes, sizes and colors.

Lend the Vibes of Nature to Your Rooms, With Artificial Arborea

Artificial trees are a great way to add a touch of nature to the large concrete interiors of your hallways and reception halls. They provide a subtle distraction from the endless geometric shapes of your building interiors and lighten up the landscape as well. And most importantly Artificial Arborea induces a calming effect on your impatient guests and visitors making their stay more comfortable and pleasant.

The decoration for all seasons

Artificial Arborea are available in all shapes and sizes making it easier to utilize them for any kind of interior landscape design work. Whether you need to adorn the hallway with 8 foot tropical trees or add subtle hints of greenery to the corners and pathways with small bushes, with these professionally crafted artificial trees, you should have no trouble doing them. Also they are very lightweight and can be easily transported and moved around, making interior landscaping much more enjoyable.

The perfect addition to any interior

Unlike live plants that require plenty of sunlight and maintenance, Artificial Arborea doesn't require any attention at all. And this factor is especially important when you are planning to place them in large sized malls or entrance lobbies of hotels, where regular maintenance work will be both impossible and a nuisance. They don't require any watering or leave off any smell, making them suitable to be placed anywhere in the building. Also as there is no soil or live flowers, they do not attract insects or bugs either, making them perfect to be placed inside guest room and accommodations.

A risk free interior

The leaves of the Artificial Arborea are made out of the highest quality silk material that perfectly imitates the original colors of the natural plants. Also the stem and the trunk are manufactured with real wood, specific to this tree which makes for a flawless visual display. Also there are plenty of other reasons why an Artificial Arborea is perfect for your hotel or mall. For instance

• The leaves of the artificial trees are made out of a fire retardant material that doesn't catch fire easily, making the use of such artificial decorations much safer.

• The material used in the manufacture of the this great product are UV resistant and resist color fade, which enables you to display the bright green theme of your hotel all year round.

• The life sized replications and the intricate crafting, work well to merge with the interiors of the building enabling them to adapt to any interior landscape.

• Also any festive decorations can be mounted on them without the risk of a fire hazard, making them ideal for any type of interior decoration.And the number of uses for the Artificial Arborea just keeps on going. In fact it would only be hard for someone to think of reasons for not actually utilizing such amazing decorations.