Wood Corbels

Wood corbels have been a feature of homes since time immemorial. From plaster and stone of the Greek and Egyptians, to the hand carved corbels of today. They have served either decoratively to enhance a design or functionally to support weight. The name corbel comes from French, which in turn comes from the Latin, corbellus, or “raven,” named for its beak like shape. It played a large part in classical architecture, and can still be seen today in places like Rome and Athens.

Today, corbels are mainly restricted to furniture making where they still work either decoratively or functionally. They aren’t really present in contemporary design, but still feature heavily in traditional and American designs. Wood corbels can be used in furniture and kitchen design either as edging or to support counter tops and lids. They emphasize simplicity and craftsmanship while being pleasing to the eye. Hand carved corbels take skill to make, and therefore add significant value to a piece.

Wood corbels come in a variety of shapes and sizes in most of the popular wood types. This makes them simple to fit onto an existing piece or into an existing room design with the minimum of fuss. In a kitchen for example, small corbels can add decoration to cabinets and larger ones can support a counter top or shelf. They can turn a simple, functional design into something much more attractive, which is why they’re making a comeback.

The availability of ready-made, hand carved corbels is also a reason why they are becoming popular again. No longer do you have to employ a woodworker to build them to fit a piece. They can now be bought off the shelf and added to any piece of furniture you like. To support a simple shelf, the depth of the wood corbels should be at least 70% of the overall depth. For example, for a 8″ shelf the corbels should be at least 6″ deep. If the shelf is to support weight it’s necessary to choose a depth of 1” to 2” less than the shelf width. This offers much more in the way of support, and allows the shelf to carry more weight. This is especially useful in kitchen applications.

A wood corbel can be accentuated by staining it just enough to bring out the texture, or paint it to bring out the design. The look heavily relies on the existing style of the room or piece of furniture you’re working with. In some cases and with certain designs one finish may look better than another so plan before starting. Often, less is more, and you have to have your end result in mind to get the finish you want.

So once again, advances in technology means you don’t have to spend hours making a hand carved corbel. DIY stores have cottoned on to this demand and now stock a range of ready-made ones. Most will be molded, but for those with the budget, some can be hand-carved. It just takes imagination and basic woodworking skills to decorate your home or furniture the way you want. By finding the right tools for the job, and little shortcuts like ready-made wood corbels you can achieve a high-class look without the high-class price tag.