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Wrought Iron on the Inside
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst, and a stay-at-home mom.
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst,... More »
When I was a kid, my parents kept a dainty wrought-iron glass-topped dining table on our back patio. It had belonged my grandparents, long ago, and mostly sat next to the house, providing a surface for Capri Suns and the occasional outdoor snack.
When I moved into my first apartment, my mom and I had a new piece of glass cut for the top. We sanded away about 40 years of grime and added a shiny coat of white paint. Voila: I had a dining room table—a small one, but a cute, feminine table that was perfect for my first home.
These days, the table still resides with me: It's my desk. While its size made it tiny as a dining table, it's perfect as a desk—big enough for a few stacks of files, but not so big that I can't reach the paper clips without trouble.
The story of that dining table pretty much encapsulates my thoughts on wrought iron in general. Initially, it always seems outdoorsy—think balconies in New Orleans—but it's oh so appropriate for indoors, too:
When I moved into my first apartment, my mom and I had a new piece of glass cut for the top. We sanded away about 40 years of grime and added a shiny coat of white paint. Voila: I had a dining room table—a small one, but a cute, feminine table that was perfect for my first home.
These days, the table still resides with me: It's my desk. While its size made it tiny as a dining table, it's perfect as a desk—big enough for a few stacks of files, but not so big that I can't reach the paper clips without trouble.
The story of that dining table pretty much encapsulates my thoughts on wrought iron in general. Initially, it always seems outdoorsy—think balconies in New Orleans—but it's oh so appropriate for indoors, too:
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Wrought iron can serve a purely decorative purpose - I love the way it adds texture and interest to this wall.
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| Wrought iron beds are a romantic mainstay. They're obviously meant for the indoors only, but for some reason, I think of them outside, too - a romantic bed floating in an overgrown field of wildflowers. As a result, they bring a little of that fantasy inside. |
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| Of course, some wrought iron beds are less romantic and instead add a bit of country/industrial to a space. |
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by Tara Seawright
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| When I saw this room in Becky's Hamptons house tour ideabook, I fell in love. The spare lines of the iron furniture are perfect for an airy, but sophisticated beach home. |
by Oak Hill Iron
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Wrought iron is a great fit for railings - if it works outside, why wouldn't it inside? This leaf pattern is the perfect match for rustic wood walls and stone steps.
by Oak Hill Iron
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Iron doesn't have to be traditional, either. I love this railing, which reminds me of the Italian futurist paintings of the early 20th century.
And this fluid rail reminds me of Matisse's Jazz series.
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And it's perfect in warm, dark spaces.
by DSA Architects
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But as much as intricate wrought iron works, it's also great when it's simple. I really like the way it works here as a vanity.
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| I love the way this chair, likely a part of a patio set, works indoors next to bright colors. |
Ditto for this chair and bright wall.
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| Iron, of course, ultimately tells a story - a long history of industry and individuals who work with the metal. In this home, metal hooks hold instruments that surely have stories of their own - a great example of the "heritage" trend. |
Comments
FOCAL POINT STYLING Great ideabook!! Thanks for including my dining space in your post =) - Garden Style Dining...
3 years ago · Like
Kit Pollard It's gorgeous!
3 years ago · Like
katmeowrine Wrought Iron makes me think of the french elevator in my Grandparent's apartment in Stockholm. I'd go up and down it cause it was so cute. I found this photo online. This is exactly how my grandparents stairwell looked. The floors were all marble. 
3 years ago · Like
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Becky Harris Oh I love wrought iron. There was a store in my parents' home town years ago where they fashioned all sorts of cool tables from architectural salvage heat register covers and such, which used to be made into fabulous designs out of iron.
3 years ago · Like
Susan Jay Design beds & doors - wrought iron is a classic 
3 years ago · Like
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Susan Jay Design beds & doors - wrought iron is a classic
3 years ago · Like
Timeless Wrought Iron There are so many ways to incorporate wrought iron indoors for a timeless look. Great examples you gave here.
10 months ago · Like
momof5x I love the lift ( elevator ) idea, some people have a wooden door in front of the lift but I really like the idea of wrought iron continuing from the stairs, to enclose the lift. I wish I had seen this earlier!
4 weeks ago · Like
Ideabook published on Oct. 22, 2010.
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