Bring it on Inside: Wrought Iron End Tables

In the sultry summers of central Virginia, I spent most of my childhood eating dinner outdoor on the patio. Mom had a lovely set of wrought iron outdoor furniture, and we'd luxuriate on the back porch, enjoying the summer fare and listening as the evening hush fell on the neighborhood.

As an adult, choosing the décor for my own home, I was astonished when decorator friend of mine suggested a pair of wrought iron end tables to go with the deep wine colors and rich woods of my living room. I'd always thought of wrought iron as being furniture for the outside!

Just showed how naive I was about interior decorating, I can tell you. I didn’t want my living room to look like a patio. I wanted grace. I wanted elegance. I didn't want some hunk of old iron in my living room!

My friend, knowing how stubborn I am, started taking me to furniture stores and showing me websites. I did not believe the amazing variety of wrought iron end tables that really do bring out the beauty inside your home.

My own living room, in its dark wines and dark woods, cried out for wrought iron end tables. I just didn’t know it. I found a lovely, graceful set with wrought iron shaped as climbing, twining ivy supporting a round glass top. It brought the whole look of the room together in a way that just has to be seen to be believed.

But what if you just don't have an inner Morticia, and don't really like the idea of Gothic Revival infesting your home?

You can find wrought iron end tables to suit almost any taste and décor. Like it rustic? Go for a heavier, plainer look. Feeling a wee bit like gay Paris? Go for light and graceful. Wrought iron is so strong that what looks like a delicate latticework can be as sturdy as thick beams.

One of the best things about wrought iron end tables is the ease of care. I coated them with a light bit of wax when I first got them (stolen from my gearhead husband's garage) and all I've had to do in the years since is dust occasionally. That initial light coating of wax keeps any moisture out and prevents oxidation perfectly. After a good dusting and a swipe at the fingerprints on the glass top, mine look as lovely as when I first placed them in my home.

When you next look for decorating ideas, do check out what wrought iron end tables can bring into your home.