The way to Decorate Using a Weathervane

Weathervanes were consistently functional items — but never utilitarian. European Island had one weathervane, highly visible to the steeple of this church, but American settlers lived far apart and weathervanes became a folk-art kind, with each homestead, farm coastal home creating its own symbol to track the wind.

Rooftop to Firebox

Antique weathervanes are collectibles and eventually become eye-catching sculptures when mounted on a mantel. Roosters may look country, but their origins are spiritual. During the Middle Ages, Catholic churches needed to display a weathercock on the steeples by papal decree to remind the faithful that Christ was betrayed three times by Peter until the cock crowed. The amount of old rooster weathervanes could be partly attributed to the churches that used the symbol. But you may as easily search for more prosaic rooftop sculptures to your mantel. Kennels and estates owners needed dog weathervanes; fishing villages featured whales and mermaids; patriots loved eagles; and stables owners announced their inventory with horses. Showcase one verdigris copper weathervane.

Gallery Wall

Cover the wall above wainscoting with a group of weathervanes associated with theme or visual appeal. Your state farmhouse front door opens into a welcoming foyer painted rich lotion with a few handmade wood furnishings. Over a long seat, hang your collection of pigs, roosters, cows and horses. The shiny white walls of a beach home or wooded cabin come alive with a spouting whale, a couple mermaids, a snowy egret or a ship under full sail. Contemporary custom weathervanes might be gilded, copper-clad or brightly painted. Display shiny, newer vanes on a richly coloured wall of sapphire blue, barn red, charcoal gray or russet.

Light Fantastic

A weathervane adds charm over the dining table as a chandelier. Wire a dimmable light and place the weathervane in order that the mounting sphere is beneath the arrows pointing to the four directions. The vane’s figure enhances a maple farm table slab of glass in a modern dining room filled with folk art.

Form Plus Function

A weathervane’s flat shape functions when you mount the vane on a wall as a clothes horse or towel rack. A whale weathervane can hold a wet beach towel and maintain dry ones handy. Mount a vane atop silver or brass hooks for jackets in the hall or bathrobes in the bedroom.

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