Give old wrought iron a second life by using it in your home's decor.
It may have outlived its usefulness as fencing, but that old wrought-iron gate or railing isn't too decrepit to lend some style to the house. Whether you find them in a thrift store, a salvage yard or your own back yard, good pieces of wrought iron present design possibilities that go beyond just hanging them on the wall as art, although that is a charming use for them as well. Does this Spark an idea?
Headboard
Hang a wrought-iron gate or section of railing on the wall behind the mattress, and you have an instant out-of-the-ordinary headboard. The metal could complement any number of decor styles. A dark metal would look sophisticated in a room with a Tuscan theme and a natural palette of red, gold and green, for example. For a cottage-style room, find a gate or railing that was painted white in the distant past and has weathered into a shabby chic style, or re-create the look yourself by painting it white and then sanding off the paint in places that would naturally get the most wear.
Pot Rack
Either a railing or a gate can serve in the kitchen. Hang it parallel to the ceiling to create a pot rack that's also a conversation piece. Leave the metal as-is or paint it to better match your kitchen. With the addition of some hooks and pots and pans that look nice enough to display, the wrought iron can be useful once again.
Picture Display
Instead of simply hanging some wrought iron on the wall, use it as a backdrop for family photographs. Whether the photos are in similar or random frames is a matter of personal taste. Hang the gate or railing so that its bars are horizontal. Use simple S hooks to hang the photos, putting one end over one of the metal bars and the other end under the hanger on the frame, whether it's a sawtooth hanger or a wire stretched from one side of the frame to the other. Place the frames randomly, rather than in a line, for the most interesting look.
Garden Trellis/Ornament
The garden is another good place to give wrought-iron pieces a second chance. Sink a gate or piece of railing deep enough into the ground so that it won't fall over and use it as a trellis for growing vines or just as a beautiful addition to the landscape. Several pieces of railing could border a planting bed, keeping children and some pests out. Don't worry if the pieces don't match; different types and even heights of railings are less predictable and more interesting to look at.
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