Antler lamps are wonderful for enhancing western home decor. So much more than average home lighting, antler lamps add charm to your environment. If you have a mountain cabin or southwestern home, the rustic character of antlers with their unique shapes and variations in natural color will give your area the unique old west style you desire.
Ranch owners as well as those designing modern log homes have used antler lamps for years as the beautiful rustic lighting to complete their ranch style home design. Because of the natural shape of antler lamps and chandeliers there is a unique beauty in the antlers themselves that wonderfully goes along with any variety of ranch style furniture. There is something dynamic about antler lamps that combines all the elements and gives off a sophisticated country feel within the room. Antler lamps have a unique quality about them that easily enhances rustic beauty in any environment.
Antler lamps also go along with many other rustic elements in home interior design. In the Northern states or "north woods" antlers may be put on snow shoes and complimented with rawhide lamp shades to fashion beautiful wall sconces. The light colored wood and rawhide lacing of the snow shoe, along with the leather binding and pleasant glow of the rawhide shade, make it a wonderful harmony. Weather you prefer to adorn your antler lamp with rustic light rawhide shades or western style dark rawhide lampshades, the choice is yours and the result will be beautiful.
Smaller antler chandeliers are sometimes made from whitetail deer antlers while large chandeliers may have many tiers of huge elk antlers. Weather your area is large or small an antler chandelier will enhance western decor.
In Jackson Hole, WY the downtown is embellished with arches made from Elk antlers. It is certainly one of a kind and you can create the same rustic look with antler lamps. Small lamps can be made from whitetail deer antlers while large chandeliers may have tiers of elk antlers with rawhide lampshades. One of the most sought after lamps is made with moose antlers, recognizable with their broad dark palms and beautiful dark rawhide lamp shades.
Throughout the year, groups and associations like the Boy Scouts will search for the prized sheds. If you ever find antler sheds in the wild, it is a thrilling event. Antler lamps bring that same spirit in your home and can change your home's atmosphere in a most exciting way.
Antlers are available in different qualities that are graded like rare coins. The best quality is awarded an "A" grade. The grading criteria, indirectly, has to do with the amount of time the sheds lie on the ground before found. The longer they are left on the ground, the more they lose their quality. Newer antler sheds will be a darker brown color. Sheds that are not discovered quickly will begin to fade in the sun until they are a chalky white. Another reason they loose their quality is because of chew marks from small rodents and stains from wet ground or moss.
There are also varying forms of making the antler lamps themselves. Some lamp makers simply glue 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 glue, screws and lacing, with the holes sealed for a natural look. Better quality lamps will almost always use rawhide lamp shades.
Each antler is slightly varied than any other, so each antler lamp is a unique treasure and works wonderfully for rustic lighting. Try antler lamps with rawhide lamp shades in your home to create true rustic charm and to give it that warm, inviting look and feel that everybody loves.
