Yes, Corbels. They just don’t make them like they used to. In all seriousness, I am going to be sharing how we used corbels in our home to add character and charm to our entries and overall room décor. What are corbels? Corbels are a type of bracket you could say, either a solid metal or wood piece that holds up corners used structurally or decoratively in architecture. They are typically used on the exterior of buildings. They can be found many times in craftsman style architecture, which is the same style as our home seen below. This is what inspired me find a way to add these beauties to the interior of our home as well. I love the exterior details and wanted the interior to have some of those same elements to add more character. I didn’t want our home to feel so new with stark white trim all around, and this element added just the right amount of that lived-in element and softened the entries nicely. It’s amazing how such a small addition can add such warmth to a space.
Believe it or not I found these on Amazon and knew I had to buy them even before the house was finished. I will share the link with you below. I scoured the internet and was going to go for the Hobby Lobby faux wood hollow pieces until I finally stumbled upon these beauties. For the size and material, I really think these are a good investment if you are wanting to add a little something to your larger entryways but don’t want to spend a lot. These are solid cedar and I am telling you- opening the box was like heaven when that cedar scent filled the room. These were a bargain compared to other options researched at $29 each for the solid cedar 16″ long and 3.5″ wide brackets and can be used in the interior or exterior of a home.
Mounting these in the entryways was the trickier part, since these come with no pre-drilled holes or hardware. Our method is not the only way to do it of course. I liked the thought of having the hardware showing when it was finally mounted to add to the overall look. Thankfully my father-in-law helped us with the installation and finding the best hardware for mounting which made the end result exactly what we had in mind. We used Hex Lag Screws, 1/4 in. X 1 1/2 in. with a coordinating washer. These screws are typically used in heavy duty outdoor wood projects like fencing/deck construction and can be found easily at your local hardware stores. We knew we didn’t want the stainless steel look in the final project, so we were actually able to use black spray paint on the screws and washers. Baking them after painting in the oven at 250 degrees for 10 minutes made the paint more durable when it came to installation. My father-in-law also pre-drilled the holes in the corbels using his drill press so that there would be less chance of the wood splitting so close to the edge upon installation. Also, he carefully measure the angle drilled so that the washer/bolt head lay as flush to the surface of the corbel as possible and using the drill press ensured that each angle drilled was exactly the same. Depending on how you decide to mount, if it’s using larger hardware like we did or long wood screws that you prefer to cover with wood filler, I still highly recommend pre-drilling the holes before installation to save time and stress! When mounting these you can hold them centered against the trim and use painters tape to make sure they stay in perfect position. The corbels themselves were left unfinished and in their natural state. That cedar was just too gorgeous to cover up! You can of course finish these any way you choose. Thanks again, Randy, for your hard work on these!
You will find that when you start searching for corbels there are tons of different shapes, materials, and sizes to fit any interior or exterior style. This may seem like a small addition, but it adds a ton of character. Find a way to make it your own, and make those main entryways pop!
Love, love, love! Beautiful!
Thanks so much, Debbie! I appreciate that!