Simple elegance is one of the key trends in kitchen cabinetry design today. And, one of the easiest ways to bring a touch of simple elegance and style into today’s kitchen is by adding corbels to the design. As fabulous as they are functional, the corbel has a rich history. A quick visit to Wikipedia and we learn that , “the word “corbel” comes from Old French and derives from the Latin corbellus, a diminutive of corvus (a raven) which refers to the beak-like appearance.Similarly, the French refer to a bracket-corbel, usually a load-bearing internal feature, as corbeau (a crow).
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any overhanging weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a “tassel” or a “bragger.’ The corbels carrying balconies in Italy and France were sometimes of great size and richly carved, and some of the finest examples of the Italian “Cinquecento” (16th century) style are found in them. Taking a cue from 16th-century practice, the Paris-trained designers of 19th-centuryBeaux-Arts architecture were encouraged to show imagination in varying corbels.”
We’ve looked to a number of these stunning architectural styles to find the inspiration for the wide variety of corbel designs we offer. Contact us today to find out how we can help bring a touch of simple elegance to your kitchen environment.
