Choose Which Corbel Would Be Best For Your Project

First  consider what type of corbel will add distinctive details to your interior design.

Corbels are architectural elements that are typically made of wood, stone, or metal and are used to support or decorate structures such as shelves, countertops, mantels, overhang and archways. There are various types of corbels available, each with its own design and style for decorative embellishments.

Here are some common types of corbel that will provide visual interest and functional support:

Traditional Corbels:

These are classic decorative corbels with intricate designs and ornamental details, often featuring floral motifs, scrolls, or acanthus leaves which can be fixed to an interior wall.

Bracket Corbels:

These corbels have a triangular or L-shaped design, providing support from below. They are commonly used for shelves, countertops, and cabinets for decorative or functional purposes.

Mission/Arts and Crafts Corbels:

These corbels are characterized by clean, simple lines and often feature square or rectangular shapes. They are commonly seen in Craftsman or Arts and Crafts style home architecture.

Rustic Corbels:

These decorative corbels have a weathered or distressed appearance, giving them a rustic or antique look. They are often made from reclaimed wood and feature rough textures and natural imperfections.

Modern Corbels:

These corbels have sleek, minimalist designs and are often made of metal or glass. They are suitable for modern or contemporary interior styles.

Scroll Corbels:

These corbels have elegant, curved designs resembling scrolls or volutes. They add a touch of sophistication and are often used for decorative purposes for kitchen cabinets and Victorian era homes.

Animal-themed Corbels:

These corbels feature animal motifs such as lions, eagles, or dragons and often appeal to hobbyists. They can be highly detailed and are popular in certain architectural styles.

Custom Corbels:

If you have a specific design in mind, you can also have corbels custom-made to match your requirements. Custom corbels allow you to personalize the design, size, and material according to your preferences.

Select Your Material

Secondly ask yourself what material should your corbel be made of. Do you need metal, stone, wood or synthetic material and do you require a large corbel, medium or small corbel?

When purchasing corbels, you can find them at home improvement stores, architectural salvage yards, specialty woodworking or metalworking shops, and online retailers. It’s important to consider the material, style, size, and load-bearing capacity of the corbel to ensure it suits your specific needs and complements your desired aesthetic.

Metal Brackets and Corbels

Metal corbels can be shaped from cast iron, wrought iron, flat mild steel, angle iron or stainless steel. Each method has its own distinctive characteristics.

Cast Iron Corbels

  Cast iron shelf brackets can be both rugged and the most decorative embossed with detail and texture. www.castinstyle.co.uk   are a family firm based near Ironbridge in Shropshire, the site of the creation of the cast iron industry 350 years ago. Their range entitled, Born of Fire and Stone offers a vast choice of original patterns for cast iron shelf brackets and they provide bespoke service. Casting is made by creating the impression of the pattern into a sand mould. The sand is made of mixture of fine sand and oil to hold the finest detail. They can provide short runs of a given pattern.

A wide range of cast iron and cast brass brackets are available from yesterhome.com

Cast iron shelf brackets can also be fabricated from cast iron rod.  Round or square in cross section,  dimensions of 35mm to 200 mm.

Wrought Iron Brackets

The art of creating wrought iron brackets lends itself to providing delicate and highly attractive metal flourishes of scrolls and curls. Wrought iron brackets are provided with screw holes that are easy to fix through. Traditional hand forged brackets can be obtained from Tom Fell blacksmith at www.tomfell.com or your local blacksmith.

Shaped Mild Steel

Welded metal shelf brackets can be made in mild steel bar, angle iron or stainless steel.

Stainless Steel Corbels

Some stainless steel brackets are available from Etsy

Stainless steel corbels are welded from flat or square section. Stainless steel is more corrosion resistant than mild steel. It comprises an alloy with upwards  of 10.5% chromium. The chromium produces a thin layer of oxide on the surface of the steel that inhibits surface corrosion. Higher content of chromium improves corrosion resistance.

Additional metal elements such as Nickel, Molybdenum, Titanium and Copper, along with non-metal additions such as Carbon and Nitrogen are added to improve its malleability and strength. The degree of durability and corrosion resistance of the metal varies according to the content of these additives.

As a general rule 304 Grade stainless steel is for indoor corbel brackets and 316 Grade, with a higher degree of molybdenum content, for use in an outdoor or marine environment.

Stone Corbels

Natural stone corbels are obtainable for bespoke production from a variety of natural stone suppliers and will depend on the type of stone that naturally occurs in your area. Refer to your local yellow pages for stone suppliers and stone quarries. https://cumbrianstone.co.uk are

 Cast stone corbels, are made from reconstructed and reconstituted stone. A manufactured stone using natural stone materials as well as cement and specialised sand, mixed with colouring and hardening agents. The finished product has a look and feel similar to natural stone, and is just as durable and long-lasting, without striations or internal cracks which can cause natural stone to weather more quickly over time. Consider the dimensions required for your corbel to bond into existing stonework.  Cranborne Stone Corbels are designed to fit standard brick courses as decorative supports jutting out.  https://www.cranbornestone.co.uk/products/corbels/

Plaster Corbels

Moulded plaster corbels are available in a variety of sizes and design themes. By its nature, moulded plaster is primarily intended for decoration and less so to provide structural support. They can be used for arches, a doorway or pillar. For further advice contact Keaneys Ltd on keaneys.co.uk or British Mouldings in Norwich.

Wood Corbels

Wooden corbels are available in a variety of soft woods and hard woods. Wild Goose Carvings has the most comprehensive range of traditionally designed hand carved wooden corbels in UK. www.buycarvings.co.uk . Their in stock range features vintage corbels in a choice of woods for fireplace mantels, dining room shelving and delightful home decor. Each piece has been individually hand carved by a master craftsman in solid natural wood using a mallet and meticulously sharpened chisel.

Corbels can be for functional purposes providing additional support. They are also a great idea for a unique touch in interior decorating. The largest architectural corbels create an ambience by their sheer scale. Medium interior décor and fireplace brackets bring a feature focus to furniture and fireplace surrounds. Smaller detail corbel brackets are best used to subtly enrich joinery and wooden structures. Corbels should be placed below a shelf or overhang with an overhang one third of the total depth of the shelf or protruding structure.

Research Your Local Market

Depending on the scale of the project and the time available, you may want to seek out a second hand corbel from a local flea market, vintage upcycling shop, architectural salvage operator or car boot sale where you can come up with some great ideas. Have a check list in your pocket of a range of sizes you could work with and don’t forget to go armed with a tape measure,

Joinery contractors, bar, restaurant fitters and architectural specifiers fitters will want to go straight to professional suppliers for functional corbels and guaranteed goods.

There are a range of suppliers that can provide decorative or functional corbels from stock. Specialist woodcarving suppliers Wild Goose Carvings, www.buycarvings.co.uk have some amazing cost effective ideas and offer next day delivery as standard.

Etsy, eBay, Victorian Emporium and Dresser Mouldings all provide professional supply services.

  Challenge your creative juices and come up with a design of your own. Visit an historic stately home for inspiration. Make a drawing or plasticine scale model of the correct size corbel to what you imagine would suit. Find a local woodworking or wood carving specialist and discuss what they can offer within your budget.