Corbels Guide

Corbels have been cropping up in designer magazines for the last couple years as a popular decorating tool. But if you asked a most home owners what decorative corbels are, chances are they wouldn’t have a clue.

A corbel is a bracket supporting or giving the appearance of supporting a heavy load above. In effect a corbel can either be decorative or structural.

As architectural styles have developed through time, the level of decoration on a corbel has changed accordingly. In medieval times corbels often appeared in the shape of humans or mythical beasts. Gargoyles seen at Notre Dame are examples of decorative corbels rather than having a structural purpose. Some were cast as biblical figures to illustrate tales to the congregation that was unable to read. Continue reading “Decorative Corbels, A Simple Guide”