The luxuriousness of tapestries enhances any type of home dcor, instantly transforming a plain wall into a doorway. Through it you can see back into time, into the fantasies of others long since gone, with images of unicorns and dragons blended with the more commonplace flowers and birds. Other tapestries depict more mundane events - a mother cradling her child, or a girl gathering rosebuds while her suitor looks on. Foxhunts and harvests are portrayed with equal care, vivid shades of russet and green against a backdrop of golden fall leaves and autumn sunlight.

Tapestries for the Rich

In times past the only ones able to afford such sumptuous flights into the realms of fancy were the royals. Kings, dukes and counts were the only ones with coffers so full they could bear the cost of outfitting their castles with heavy wall hangings to keep the drafts out and the warmth in. Churches also could use the tithes and support from noblesse and commoner alike to cover their cathedral walls with heavy brocades and woven religious scenes.

Tapestries have been a sign of wealth and importance since man first set hand to loom. One with the ability to afford weavings other than those necessary to clothe his body and make his bed was by definition a man of means, and to be able to afford a brightly colored drape of cloth for artistic effect was a sign of high stature, wealth and power. Tapestry weavers were often honored n a level with famous painters and sculptors, and part of the castle retinue with workshops within the castle walls.

These walls were adorned with the fruits of their labors, and the pride each master took in his work was clear. The high quality both of the artwork, the materials used and the workmanship applied are still evident today. There are still tapestries around that originally were woven in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Many famous works have been successfully restored to their former glory, and new finds are still possible at any time. Todays methods of restoration allow for an almost perfect repair of the original hangings.

Tapestries for the Not so Rich

In later years, the invention of the modern loom allowed tapestries to be mass produced, making them much more affordable. The average landowner or merchant could afford them, and so tapestries came to the middle class. They were heavily used in the Americas after colonization, as settlers mimicked the styles of London and Paris. Tapestries were used as wall coverings, room dividers and bed hangings which could be draped and tied up out of the way when not in use.

Today tapestries are used in studios, lounges and corporate offices to create a sense of warmth and familiarity. There is no such thing as a cold or sterile environment if there is a tapestry on the wall! Tapestries are incredibly tactile - people feel drawn to reach out and touch them, relishing the feel of warp and weft under their fingertips and marveling at the way the pattern emerges.

For residences, tapestries uniquely change the space they are in, making a home into a castle. One in the living room over a couch or behind a modernistic sleek entertainment stand offers a relaxed feeling. Another can be hung opposite the bed, so its restful pattern can soothe you to sleep and greet you at the start of each new day. Bright vertical ones in the dining room or the entry can give you a jolt that energizes you and puts you out the door right foot forward ready for the day.

What a Tapestry can do for You

A house isnt a home until you decorate it, and it doesnt become your castle until you infuse it with your own sense of style and personality! Tapestries are the perfect vehicle for this type of self expression. You can go for the soft peacefulness of angels in the bedroom, enjoy a riotous floral design in the den and sport a cocky barnyard rooster in the kitchen. There are wall hangings of all different sizes and shapes, to cover the biggest wall or fit in the tiniest nook.

Surprise the eye with color and texture in an unexpected place, and dont let yourself be held back by preconceived ideas about coordination. A tapestry is a conversation piece - it should stand out, not fade into the background! You dont want a huge clash of design or color, but tapestries transcend a lot of boundaries and you can get away with a piece that might not exactly match the rest of the room if it makes the room uniquely yours.

Every persons home should be their castle. Make yours a sumptuous palace with the addition of tapestries to cover your walls and gladden your hearts!