The Use Of Water In Home Decor
People the world over have a natural attraction to water, and it
is not only because drinking water is essential to our survival;
nor because it is very important for cleanliness. Water has a
fascination that causes millions of people to visit, or want to
live by, the sea, waterfalls, lakes and large ponds.
Both moving and still water are not just attractive to the human
eye, but seem to have a therapeutic value. Moving water in
particular is said to give off negative ions, which help to
negate all the positive ions generated by modern living and can
be harmful to our well being. Whatever the reasons, though, the
fact is that people love water in nature. Closer to home, they
like to bring those effects into their own gardens with water
gardens, waterfalls, ponds and fountains.
What about within the home itself? Many of us bring nature and
gardens into our home with plants, and decorative plant pots. It
is therefore only one small step to bring in water features too.
Water can, and does, play a very useful role in home decor; not
on the grand scale in the average home, although it can do in a
country mansion or more palatial home, but in miniature and in
imaginative and decorative ways.
There are three main ways to use water features as home decor:
Indoor Waterfalls
By having an indoor waterfall in the home, you can bring to your
home the sound of running water, which has such a relaxing
effect. However, an indoor waterfall can do far more for your
home. There are so many varied designs now, using quite a
variety of materials, that you should be able to find a feature
waterfall for the home that suits your decor, whether modern,
traditional, or olde worlde.
There are basically two types of indoor waterfall: wall hanging,
and free (or floor) standing. So, as far as the placing of the
waterfalls is concerned, you have plenty of choice to fit in
with your interior design. They come in many sizes, too, from
very small right up to a very grand size of 6 feet plus in
height and width. For the larger wall hanging waterfalls, you do
need a substantially built wall on which to fix them. However,
they can and do look very impressive; and the larger the size,
the more potential you have for the sounds of flowing water.
The materials and finishes used can be chosen to fit in with
either a modern or more traditional decor. Some of the most
popular frames are stainless steel and copper, with a range of
finishes to give either a shiny modern look, or an antique look
with an aged finish. As in natural waterfalls, natural stone is
often a feature of the indoor equivalent, as are pebbles. Slate,
in many colours, is especially effective in indoor waterfalls.
Indoor Fountains
Indoor fountains are much like the waterfalls in terms of
materials used. In fact, the names waterfall and fountain are
often interchangeable when it comes to home decor. However, what
you probably imagine as a water fountain can be found, and are
often available in table top size. These can be very small, but
still a delightful use of flowing water in the home, whether
used on a table as a centrepiece, or as an ornamental feature on
a sideboard.
Designs of the table top fountains can be quite delicate, and
utilize decorative materials, such as jade and bamboo, in some
unique ways. These table top fountains can go well in even a
small modern home.
Fish Aquarium
While many people keep an aquarium because they like fish, and
do so as a hobby, there is also a lot of potential to use an
aquarium as a home decor feature. The sound of the water comes
from the bubbling of the filter, while much additional movement
and colour comes from the fish themselves. When you add some
attractive lighting to the tank, you can create a very soothing
water feature for the home.
As with fountains and waterfalls, an aquarium can be in a very
wide range of sizes, free standing or built into a wall. The
maintenance, of course, is much higher than for that of a
waterfall or fountain, but you may well consider that worthwhile
for all the pleasure the fish may bring.
If you have space, there is no reason why you should not combine
all three of these types of water features. They are all
attractive in their own way, and can complement each other in a
larger home.