When you are setting out to buy corbels for your home, there are a number of factors that you should consider for your project to be a success. Corbels are available in an array of different sizes, colors, and styles; your choice of corbel will depend on the look and feel that you are going for, as well as where it will be installed, and what purpose it will serve.
To start, consider what style corbel appeals to you based on your existing décor. If your home is more traditional, you may want to choose a corbel that has clean lines, like a mission corbel. If you are going for a more whimsical feel, you can choose from an array of elaborate designs and richly ornamental constructions, like a floral corbel. For a home that has a modern feel, you may want to opt for an acanthus style corbel; these corbels often have a leaf-like decoration built into their mold that is both elegant and understated. You can also choose a style of corbel to achieve a desired look; for example, to spice up an otherwise plain décor, you could pick a more ostentatiously styled corbel. Likewise, a classic and simple corbel might a suitable contrast to a room that is already quite lavishly decorated. In short, the diverse array of styles that are available make corbels appropriate for any existing décor; your particular choice will depend on the effect you wish to achieve, as well as your own personal taste.
Wood Shelving Brackets
Wooden corbels are a popular choice for their appearance, versatility, and durability. In particular, wood corbels are complimentary to homes with hard wood flooring to bring together a room. Wooden corbels can also be painted or stained to match existing wood or simply achieve any desired shade. For homes that have a more rustic feel, wood corbels can be painted and then be made to look weathered; if you are going for a polished look, you can give wood corbels a beautiful sheen with easy to apply gloss finishes.
On a more practical note, another way you should narrow down your choice of corbel is based on the function that you want it to serve. Corbels can be used not solely for decorative purposes but also to provide structural support to wall fixtures, ceilings, cabinets and countertops, to name a few. The sturdy construction and flat top of certain corbels is ideal for use as a shelf. Other corbels that are slimmer and rounded at the top cater more to decorative purposes than functional use. Regardless of whether you are installing a corbel purely for decoration or for structural support, corbels should always give the visual impression of serving a functional purpose.
In deciding what size corbel you should purchase, utility is also a determining factor. If you are installing a corbel to support a fixture, such as a kitchen counter, it is important that the corbel be at least half of the depth of the structure that it will support. For use of corbels to provide reinforcement for shelving, pick a corbel that is at least two thirds of the depth of the shelf. Corbels that will be used to support a more substantial fixture such as a structural beam require a corbel that is as wide as the beam, or at least no less than one fourth of the beam's width.