To make your home modern again!
Sounds Strange? No it isn’t. Although corbels and brackets were mainly used in old architecture, like colonial houses and public places, they are on it’s way back into our homes. Their usage got out of date about a century ago, the new construction of buildings (and furniture / shelfs / etc.) didn’t needed it anymore. People started to like the elegance of minimalism. But it came back late in the 1990′s. Not in the old fashioned way of covering buildings in curly and heavy corbels and plumb furniture overall, but in a combination from stylish slim with a decorative touch: decorative corbels and stylish brackets.
What are the differences between Corbels and Brackets?
They both have the same function; they are wooden or metal part that stick out off the wall and are designed to bear weight like wall shelfs, counter tops bars or even the walls in the old architectural buildings. So the main difference are the looks; Corbels are the more decorative plump ones and brackets are the more slim elegant ones.
So, why would you need them?
Well, for structural or decorative reasons off course. Depending on the weight you are going to let it bear, corbels used to be for the heavy things and brackets for the lightweight things. But nowadays the quality of both is much better so you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Just choose the style you like most. There is a huge variety to pick from.
What to look/watch out for when searching that new/antique corbel or bracket?
These three main features are important:
The first is the material: wood like maple, oak, cherry, birch and alder, marble which is quite heavy, ore the more modern way polyurethane which looks great and is very lightweight but isn’t suitable for heavy carrying jobs.
The second is the application: Like said before it is essential too look at their particular usage. Whenever you want to give support for a or a book shelve, then you shouldn’t take the polyurethane corbels. Look at the corbels depth, it should be about three-quarters the wide of the overhang it will back up. And they should be wide enough apart for good stability.
The last feature is the style you wish to give it. About every different imaginable style is possible, from simple elegance to complex tangled wood carvings or handcrafted wrought iron brackets.
Where to find them?
A good place to start looking is in my opinion always eBay or amazon.
DIY: How to put up a shelf with corbels or brackets