Antler lamps are an excellent way to create western decor. Much more than average home lighting, antler lamps bring character to your environment. If you own a mountain cabin or southwest style home, the rustic appeal of antlers with their unusual shapes and variety of natural color will give your space the authentic rustic look you are hoping to create.
Rustic style home owners as well as those constructing modern log homes have used antler lamps for decades as the beautiful rustic lighting to complete their ranch style home decor. Because of the smooth curves of antler lamps and chandeliers there is a natural beauty in the antlers themselves that wonderfully enhances any type of ranch style furniture. There is something dynamic about antler lamps that combines all the elements and creates a sophisticated country look within the room. Antler lamps have a quality about them that distinctly adds rustic beauty in any environment.
Antler lamps also compliment many other western accessories in home decor. In the Northwest or "north woods" antlers may be attached to snow shoes and complimented with rawhide lamp shades to use as one-of-a-kind wall sconces. The light colored wood and rawhide lacing on the snow shoe, combined with the leather binding and warm glow of the rawhide shade, make it a fabulous combination. No matter if you prefer to compliment your antler lamp with rustic light rawhide shades or country style dark rawhide lampshades, the option is yours and the result will be stunning.
Smaller antler chandeliers may be made from whitetail deer antlers while larger chandeliers sometimes have several tiers of huge elk antlers. Weather your space is large or small an antler chandelier will enhance western decor.
In a small town in Wyoming, the center of town is adorned with arches fashioned from Elk antlers. It is definitely one of a kind and you can create the same spirit with antler lamps in your home. Small lamps can be fashioned from whitetail deer antlers while larger chandeliers may have tiers of elk antlers adorned with rawhide lampshades. One of the most distinguishable lamps is made using moose antlers, unmistakable with their great dark palms and beautiful dark rawhide lamp shades.
Throughout the year, clubs and organizations like the Boy Scouts will find the prized sheds. If you ever find antler sheds outdoors, it is an amazing occurrence. Antler lamps bring that same spirit in your home and can transform your setting's atmosphere in a most exciting way.
Antlers are available in varying conditions that are categorized like rare coins. The highest quality is given an "A" grade. The grading scale, indirectly, has to do with the length of time the sheds lie on the ground before found. The more time they are left exposed, the more they lose their quality. Newer antler sheds are a darker brown color. Sheds that are not found quickly will start to fade in the sun until they are a chalky white. Another reason why they loose their value is because of chew marks from small rodents and stains from wet ground or moss.
There are also different ways of making the antler lamps themselves. Some lamp makers use glue to hold the antlers together. Others may lash them together with rawhide thong for a western look. And some of the most appealing antler lamps may use a combination of being glued, drilled and screwed together, with the holes closed up for a natural look. Better quality lamps will almost always use rawhide lamp shades.
Each antler is a little varied than any other, so each antler lamp is a unique treasure and is great for western lighting. Give antler lamps with rawhide lamp shades room in your home decorating and you will love the results.
About The Author
Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and author offering free information online about using Antler Lamps for American Indian interior design. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com
