The Brackets of Bedford
Dear Readers,
Since Hurricane Irene, we have been experiencing some major power and internet problems and are unable to post a new blog at this time. Please revisit one of our popular postings from last year.
I’m always thinking of new design ideas and I’ve been thinking a lot lately about decorative shelf brackets. Decorative brackets are useful elements that can add an architectural perspective to both inside and outside of a building. When I designed the interiors of my farm buildings, I asked my builder, Slavo Kormanik, to pay close attention to the brackets that I sketched for each room. I love the elegance those brackets have added. Please enjoy these photos of Slavo’s creations and of other beautiful brackets highlighting my rooms.
1 I like to maximize the use of space and this shelf, which runs along one whole wall in the kitchen, uses the area over the doors and pantry cabinets.
2 The kitchen shelf brackets are almost exact replicas of the brackets I found in the old Winter House kitchen when I bought this farm.
3 Over the kitchen sink are milk glass shelves that hold tea pots and spices. The brackets are old chrome.
4 A close-up of these useful brackets - I'm always looking for objects like this at antique shows and antique malls.
5 This milk glass shelf in the kitchen is supported by old bathroom brackets - enamel over iron.
6 I use similar brackets in bathrooms to hold hand towels, perfumes, and toiletries.
7 These brackets are nickel coated. Sometimes, I have old brackets that I find replated.
8 These large brackets hold a wide, heavy, marble shelf over my big bathtub - a great storage space for bath towels.
9 These brackets were replated beautifully.
10 The 'bracket' motif continues outside, as well. These giant brackets support this over-doorway roof, which protects the doors and openings from the elements.
11 I love these overhangs and wish I had put them over every uncovered doorway.
12 All of the eave rafters on the farm are finished off decoratively with, what appears to be brackets. This overhang is where I hang a large number of bird feeders.
13 a closeup of the fine workmanship
14 Sometimes I get lucky and come across old architectural elements, like these giant corbel brackets from an old Victorian house. I used them to hold up a serving counter in my lean-to garage.
15 The old paint lends great character to these brackets.
16 The counter can hold a great deal of weight because we hung the brackets on sturdy iron L hinges.
17 In the Tenant house, there are simple, elegant brackets supporting the mantle piece.
18 A closeup
19 In the kitchen, a great use of space was created by adding shelf brackets like these.
20 They were so wonderfully crafted by our carpenters.
21 Another milk glass shelf in the gym bathroom
22 These brackets are another example of enamel over cast iron.
23 There are new brackets to hold my exercise medicine balls, but there are also architectural brackets over the wainscoting.
24 This shelf goes around my entire gym and it's a handy place for water bottles, heart rate monitors, and yoga straps.
25 Such lovely detailing
26 Brackets also hold up the over-the-door canopies on the greenhouse ends.
27 These painted iron brackets were crafted with great expertise.
28 Old, wonderful, architectural salvage brackets, like these in my stable kitchen, are becoming increasingly difficult to find. These were hung very well and can hold heavy shelving, like this soapstone slab.
29 The carpenter's joy is evident in the detailing.
30 A different style of bracket on the other side of the room holds shelves, as well as counters.
31 This is a great design from the 19th-century.
32 Those same brackets are used here in a horizontal manner.
33 Gelbu and Dolma sit at this counter to eat their lunch.
34 Old iron brackets are great for shelves, like this over-the-sink shelf.
35 I always marvel at the intricate casting of such brackets.
36 This is the tack cleaning room, where all the neatly organized shelves are supported by carpenter created brackets.
37 Slavo Kormanik designed these lovely brackets and many of the other new brackets on the farm. I would simply make a sketch and he would execute it fancifully with his woodworking tools.
38 This shelving is in the tack room in the stable.
39 These shelf brackets are a very good example of what we call 'carpenter's joy.'
40 The design is a free expression of a carpenter's original woodworking skills - wonderful details.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
very beautiful Martha! Do I see a new line of product in the future? I love the way you maximize spaces.
Posted by: Barbara | September 2nd, 2010 at 12:17 am
Martha, I really like all the different brackets you have. I tried my hand a making a pattern for some one time, but it didn't turn out like I wanted it.
I didn't have a very good carpenter to make it the way I "dreamed" it.
I hope you're having a great week.
Gloria!!
Posted by: Gloria | September 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 am
Bracket-mania ...LOL
I hope to see a line of your brackets in my area!
Posted by: Gloria Brown, Winterport, ME | September 2nd, 2010 at 6:51 am
p.s. In photo #6 (bathroom), is that the same oval window that is shown in yesterday's photo #23? I love that window!
Thank you, Gloria
Posted by: Gloria Brown, Winterport, ME | September 2nd, 2010 at 6:57 am
Hi Gloria - You are right! That is the same window!
Posted by: Martha Stewart | September 2nd, 2010 at 7:13 am
I have old iron brackets that hold a shelf in my kitchen - that shelf holds 2 antique roosters and the old bells that my mom used to ring out the back door to call us kids in for dinner. Thanks for this post - I am now inspired to add more interesting brackets to my home!
Posted by: maria | September 2nd, 2010 at 7:27 am
Your brackets are amazing. I'd love to see a line of brackets similar to yours that I could buy.
Have you given any thought to that?
Posted by: Jeri Hill | September 2nd, 2010 at 8:23 am
What a great post. My father always made the prettiest brackets for every shelf that Mother decided she needed. It so adds a special touch.
Posted by: Judy | September 2nd, 2010 at 8:27 am
This is one of my favorite daily blogs yet! I love to see how Martha decorates her property and these fine details make the difference.
Posted by: Brian | September 2nd, 2010 at 8:36 am
Joy is where you find it and brackets are wonderful expression of life. Hope you enjoy Scandinavian capital. Our ancestors came from there and love Tellemark and great great grandfather of Ramberg, Norway even if he did not clear customs at Ellis Island but had to jump ship. What is all the fuss about 'illegal'?
Posted by: ann | September 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 am
Thanks for the great ideas for brackets Martha - love all the details!
Posted by: Doe | September 2nd, 2010 at 9:29 am
I hope to see an article in Living on this wonderful topic...your eye is so great as well as your explanations...thank you for the lessons today! More reason to love the farm!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | September 2nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
Often I feel like your blog is reading my mind...
Last night as I was counting down the last few days 'till our family vacation on the Acadian Peninsula; I started pondering where I could find antique corbels. Weird
Like you said, they are hard to find... so wish me luck!
Also, the "shelf" above the wainscoting... isn't that called a "plate rail" I'd be curious to know the true definition
Posted by: R. | September 2nd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Hi R. A plate rail is defined as a rail or narrow shelf fixed along a wall to hold plates, esp. for ornament or display.
Have a great vacation in Acadia and good luck antiquing!
Posted by: Martha Stewart | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:19 am
Hi Martha,
Wow, when you make up your mind to put brackets up, brackets it is and I love your brackets! I had been looking at some Victorian ones in this month’s issue of Living and wondered if I would like those. Well, they are nice but I like your carved ones better. I can just see the stores now – everyone will be looking for brackets including me! I like the long shelf in picture #1 that goes right over the door and I see you have 3 tagines I think they are called. I want that shelf for the family room that adjoins the kitchen. You really stirred up some big ideas today – this is a great blog. I wish we could have the awnings over doorways too but can’t because of fear of termites. We worry enough with wood fences.
~
Enjoy your trip to Sweden and I’ll continue to enjoy these pictures of brackets and all that the shelves hold. Call me nosy. Trish
Posted by: Trish | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:39 am
Thanks Martha, you are such a gracious blogger
~Rebecca
Posted by: R. | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:41 am
Hi Martha:
I love your use of brackets. Your amazing and this idea of brackets and shelving in so many wonderful places is superb. Your a genius at it. They are unique and different and just wonderful examples of gorgeous carpentry. It makes me feel that the old time carpentry workmanship has not died. There are still carpenters out there that do this. Simply wonderful.
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:44 am
That was wonderful, Martha.
I am inspired. Thank you
Posted by: Wanda | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:52 am
Hi Martha,
What an amazing collection of beautifully made brackets! They offer such an elegant look of fine craftsmanship. Our cabinetmaker made our kitchen shelf brackets and although they're quite simple in design, offer a nice detail to the open shelves.
Love visiting your farm, it's always so very inspiring.
Trina
Posted by: Trina | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:14 am
I love this post, I love looking at old architectural elements.
Posted by: Jonathan | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:25 am
Thank you for this post! I really enjoy reading your blog and this entry especially gave me some great organization ideas. The brackets you displayed are both utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing.
I've been a fan for years and I'm a Barnard alum as well. Your work has always been very inspiring for me. Thank you!!
Posted by: Skyler M. | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
I have also been thinking about brackets and corbals. I would like to find some nice sturdy but decorative brackets to hold a shelf in my kitchen. All I can find in the way of corbals are way too decorated and over the top. When you are thinking about your new line of kitchen cabinets etc for Home Depot, some nicely detailed shelf brackets would be a great additon to the line. Loved your selection of brackets and you're right, the craftsmanship is wonderful to behold.
Posted by: Ann | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:57 am
Martha,
You did have an article in Living a few years ago about shelving/brackets/corbels in a mudroom. I have saved the article in my files. It was in the Find of the month column. Unfortunately, I cut it up to fit my scrapbook and lost the publishing info.
Posted by: Lee | September 2nd, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Hi Martha, These photos of brackets inside and outside of your Bedford buildings are absolutely fabulous and very inspiring. Your builder did a terrific job creating the brackets you desired. Love seeing all of the things you stack on these shelves. Fun seeing your 'Clean' products also! Whenever I go to Home Depot to get some of your products, I always look at all of the wood shelving, brackets, etc. Thanks for this fantastic blog. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | September 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Great post today. You shared so many inspirational photos. I bought your Martha by Mail iron brackets and did a wall of shelving. It looks great and very practical for all my books. This would be a great line to add to Your Home Depot line. Looking forward to checking out your new cabinet line. Our beach house kitchen needs a major make over.
Posted by: Brian H | September 2nd, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Amazing brackets! I love the way you maximize spaces, very inspiring.
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | September 2nd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Excellent blog helping us appreciate what holds something up. We have some old cast iron sink supports/brackets similar to #34 picture. They ended up in the closet holding up a rod for lots of heavy clothing.
Now how about a hat rack for all the helmets?
Posted by: Margie | September 2nd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | September 2nd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Wow! They are all so pretty!
Posted by: Wendy | September 2nd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Witam . Ja nie potrafię tak ładnie urządzić przestrzeni ,skąd Pani ma takie świetne pomysły.
Pozdrawiam
Sylla Q Madam
Posted by: sylwia kasprowicz | September 2nd, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Enjoyed this blog. What a variety of brackets!
Posted by: Jan | September 2nd, 2010 at 4:44 pm
martha you amaze me!!! do you ever sleep and let your mind rest??
Posted by: linda alexander | September 2nd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Great post - really interesting...
Posted by: Marshall | September 2nd, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Martha, I have really enjoyed your blog----especially this week! I liked all your party pics, farm pics and the Brackets of Bedford!! Your blog is the first one I read in the morning and inspires me to do some home projects just like yours.
Posted by: David | September 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Well. This was quite wonderful. I spent alot of time perusing this bracket wonderland. What wonderful ideas!
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | September 2nd, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing so much of your farm and home. Enjoyed seeing the brackets as they are placed beneath shelfing in the context of the room and then closeups of each one. Once again you go to Martha for complete and definitive information/inspiration. Interesting that all of the wood work in the many rooms and buildings seemed to be painted in the same unusual color. Who would think grey but it works very well. Is that Bedford grey?
Posted by: TommyBoy | September 3rd, 2010 at 7:29 pm
My mom called me with a brass bell...the sort used in country schools 100-yrs-ago. Just one or two short clangs. But i heard it! Thanks Martha.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | September 6th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
What is it about brackets??? Women who love beautiful kitchens and all things cookery usually love brackets. As a kid i used to eye my mother's iron brackets. I still have some from her estate. (hi mom!). You have such a lovely daughter...wish you would include her in more posts for a mother/daughter pictorial. I hope you attend more Toronto, Ontario, Canada events in future. We loved you at Canada Blooms! Thanks Martha.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | September 6th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Have you seen the brackets at http://www.wroughtironcorbels.com, you would absolutely love them.
Posted by: Jill | November 30th, 2010 at 1:02 am
I guess I know where I was at this same time last year...sitting right here and looking at all the beautiful brackets you have.
Did you ever get more of the overhangs over your other doors? It's not too late.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | September 2nd, 2011 at 12:14 am
Hi Martha,
It is so hard to believe that it’s been a year since you blogged about brackets. I never did put a shelf up over the doorway in the kitchen area because there is no molding and the opening goes all the way up to the ceiling. I did put molding up in three bathrooms though after I papered below the towel racks with your wainscoting wallpaper from Home Depot. That was fun! Your shelves and brackets are great – I like the ones for your tea pots and spices. I could do those – maybe.
~
Have a great weekend in Jerusalem. Trish
Posted by: Trish | September 2nd, 2011 at 9:55 am
Hi Martha, First of all, thanks for those delightful tweets about your arrival in Jerusalem yesterday. Hope you are having a great time and say Hi to Chris. Sorry you are having so much trouble with electricity and the internet, but it is fun to see a repeat of a posting exactly one year ago that is about Yhe Brackets of Bedford. I love all postings that you share with us concerning anything having to do with 'living'! That's what it's all about! Seeing those brackets again reminds me of projects that I have been wanting to do at my home and of course Home Depot is a great place to go to get the products that I will need to add shelves to my kitchen and other areas. I am just assuming this, but did F&S do todays blog post before hurricane Irene? Got to go check it out again. Have a great day! The weather in Jerusalem is to be 85&65, sunny-sounds nice! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | September 2nd, 2011 at 10:14 am
Please lend your voice to help the plight of the poor NYC carriage horses...if they must be in the city they should only be allowed to work in Central Park.
As a fellow horse lover and native New Yorker I hope you will continue to use your influence to help the equines.
Thank you,
Deirdre
Posted by: Deirdre Brenner | September 2nd, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Oh, I can never get enough of these detail photos! I love brackets and other old-fashioned architectural elements. I have a pair of giant Victorian corbels very similar to those shown in photos 14-16, except mine have some old chipped brick-red paint on them. They are SO HEAVY that I have only used them decoratively. I would love to know how on earth they were hung and hold a stone slab.
Posted by: Barbara Gookin ~ Nantucket | September 2nd, 2011 at 12:33 pm
love the clean, comfortable look. but the details (sizes, shapes and progression of containers) pull it all together. Would expect no less. thanks for decades of impeccable work. Best, Peggy and Orchid Ladies
Posted by: Margaret (Peggy) Herrman | September 2nd, 2011 at 7:09 pm
Martha,
I'm headed your way (although you are in Jerusalem). Going to the US Open hoping to catch some great matches. I hope your trip is safe. Until next week. Take care.
Posted by: KLBrown | September 2nd, 2011 at 7:25 pm
Who knew brackets would be so artistic as well as being very useful.
Posted by: Lacy Province | September 2nd, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Need to renovate the kitchen and work area brackets will sure be helpful and space saving! I may check out some old house recyclers for some old brackets to copy.
Posted by: Amparo | September 3rd, 2011 at 4:19 am
To Barbara Gookin, Martha said they "hung the brackets on sturdy iron L hinges", but I, too, would love to know just how it was accomplished.
I have to re-hang a cedar tree about 13 feet across a room that takes the place of a wall, (I guess it would be called a beam), and think I could use the same idea...if I knew exactly what it was.
Martha, can you help us?
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | September 4th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Your Brackets are amazing, so many different styles. I need some shelves in my kitchen to hold collections and tools. Thanks for the ideas!
Posted by: Debi Skabelund | September 5th, 2011 at 5:44 am
Hi Martha,
I really loved this post, the details in the brackets are just beautiful. Also the crisp, clear white colour set off the shapes so wonderfully. I have a question, Why does the stable have a kitchen, what is it used for?
Erica. H
Posted by: Erica | September 6th, 2011 at 6:02 am
Oh, I can never get enough of these detail photos!Wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing so much of your farm and home.
Posted by: woodpartsgallery | November 8th, 2011 at 9:31 am