Typically when you think of wall coat rack, you just think of you only think of hanging coats, hats, and scarves. But coat racks can be a lot more than just a way to be more organized. They can also allow you to display your own, unique decorating tastes.
One of my favorite ways to play with coat racks is to display vintage clothing on them. Wall-mounted coat racks are perfect for displaying vintage hats and bonnets. And floor-mounted coat racks are great for cloaks, gowns, shawls and scarves.
Don’t be stingy when using coat racks as a decorating accent. True, you can pick up a generic wall-mounted coat rack for under $10 and a floor-standing one for under $30. But if your goal is to create an beautiful decoration, don’t expect a cheap one to have the effect you want.
Bent wood, rattan, wrought iron, or brass give you the best eye appeal in a floor-standing coat rack. And look for furniture-quality solid hardwood in wall-mounted coat racks. Don’t settle for poorly made coat hooks on your coat rack when you can easily combine the beauty of brass and porcelain or enjoy the classic beauty of wrought iron.
You can find wall coat racks with rosemaling, or other styles of aesthetic additions. These always add to your accent, as do such features as a plate rack or decorative shelf on top that enables you to exhibit other collectibles. And a mirror, whether etched or plain, on your wall-mounted coat rack is always a smart choice. Not only does it enhance the beauty of your accent, but it provides a much appreciated service to your guests of letting them glance at their reflection after coming in from outdoors.
Custom etched glass mirror coat racks are a natural option by having the mirror etched with your name or with a greeting to all. As for finding vintage hats or clothing for your coat rack, here are some places to try. Most more prominent cities have at least one vintage clothing store available. You can also find vintage clothing in many estate sales. And more and more second-hand stores gather vintage clothing donated to them into a special area. Or you can look for new vintage clothing and hats from merchants who specialize in supplying the participants of living history events with clothing and items from daily life of the eras these participants portray.
I’ve found Renaissance festivals and Civil War Reenactments to be especially useful sources of quality reproduction vintage clothing (and many other handy knickknacks useful for decorating).Both events attract a large number or merchants who specialize in reproduction vintage clothing and other items of those times. And you can find many of these merchants on the Internet, as well. Be aware, though, that while you can usually find a greater variety of items through these merchants in brand new condition, the prices for reproductions can be expensive because of the effort involved in faithfully reproducing construction techniques from a less industrialized era.
In looking for vintage hats to display on a coat rack, you can either go for a single era, or go diverse with vintage hats from a number of eras and styles. And don’t forget the eye appeal of including one hat in your collection that drapes a ribbon down beneath. Or consider dangling a vintage umbrella or cane from one hook to create a cascading effect from the items hung from your coat rack. And the hats you use don’t necessarily need to be formal. Some of the most effective hats I’ve found for decorating have been the well-worn, but extremely unique, vintage hats of everyday laborers.
For a floor-standing coat rack, avoid reproduction or vintage clothing that really needs a hanger for it to look most impressive. Look instead for cascading items such as cloaks, gowns, shawls, and scarves. Experiment with interweaving a colorful scarf or shawl among dark and elegant formal wear.
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment