Railings have a rich and varied history.
Choosing a railing style for your home is personal preference, but all railings must meet building codes. Historical railings often don't meet these codes because of newer height requirements. If your railing is pre-existing, it may be protected by your community's historical society, although many iron railings that existed before World War II were cannibalized as scrap for the war effort. Choosing a historical railing for your home certainly adds a hint of nostalgic beauty to your property. Does this Spark an idea?
Gothic
Gothic railings are often heavily ornate.
Gothic railings gained popularity in the 1800s and are heavily ornate. The iron pickets are usually set close together and are often capped with spikes or fleur-de-lis, due to heavy French influence. The designs are endless, with scrolling and beautiful artwork incorporated into the railings.
Victorian
Victorian railings are easily recognized for their detail.
You can lend your home a Victorian flair by mimicking the railings that were popular in that era. Made of either wood or iron, they were typically white-washed and heavy on craftsmanship and detail. The brackets in a wood railing may have been neweled, squared off or even curved for added texture. Iron work was often lighter weight and finer than the Gothic style.
Old South
Antebellum homes were large and imposing.
The Antebellum plantation homes of the Deep South feature a wide array of railings, but the most recognizable are the homes with towering columns surrounding them. The railings of either wood or iron stretch between the colonnades, often on multiple stories of the home. Some of these majestic houses and their railings date to the late 1700s. This is an excellent historical railing idea for imposing homes.
Tags: your home, either wood, either wood iron, Gothic railings, heavily ornate, historical railing
