Earlier in the week when I was searching online for a few more lights to add to my post on nautical rope lighting fixtures, I came across all sorts of creative ideas for using rope in home décor. I’m talking some seriously cool stuff such as suspending beds from the ceiling with rope, like in this fun kids bunk room:
Also check out {this gorgeous bedroom} designed by Caldwell Flake Interiors as well as {this bedroom} in the 2007 Coastal Living Idea House for more pics of rope-suspended beds.
For a similarly cool look but a more practical application, check {these pics} from the Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles 2008 Designer Showhouse – the rope-suspended porch swing is amazing!
Another creative idea is to incorporate rope into the design of your stairway. Check out {this amazing staircase} from House Beautiful where how Thom Filicia used heavy rope in place of a traditional railing. I love how it is wrapped around a large cleat and tied in decorative knot at the bottom of the stairs. Another amazing staircase with rope is {this one} designed by Ken Pursley in the rebuilding of a farmhouse in South Carolina.
Rope is also the perfect material to use for hanging a collection of lanterns:
Hanging pendant lighting with thick rope adds texture and interest to fixtures that wouldn’t look nearly as cool hung with a typical chain, as shown in {this farmhouse dining area}.
Morgan of The Brick House came up with the creative idea of making a rope wall in order to create defined areas in a large warehouse space without sacrificing the open feel:
Check out her tutorial and more pics of this amazing space {here}.
Another creative use of rope is seen in Traditional Home’s Alys Beach Designer Showhouse where hanging shelves were created using jute rope and driftwood – check it out {here}.
Restoration Hardware used a similar idea on a larger scale to make a creative display for pillows. I love how they used a pair of antique pulleys at the top – I may just have to attempt to DIY this for shelving in our bedroom…
To incorporate rope into your home’s decor on a much smaller scale, use Martha Stewart’s example of a rope towel holder and mirror – check it out {here}. Or make it really simple and pick up a pair of Restoration Hardware’s Dakota Rope Drapery Tiebacks:
Which idea is your favorite??
what incredibly creative ideas! I would love to have one of those extended beds in my house…talk about swinging to sleep every night…I don’t think i’d ever want to wake up!
I’d love to hear from someone who has actually slept on one of those swinging beds – I don’t know if it would be relaxing or nauseating 🙂
As a long time sailor, but recent fan of ‘driven by decor” (my first blog) I’d like to say that the gentle sway of the bed, along with salt air wafting thru the room, would be nirvana !
Thanks for the collection. I’m pinning it.
Glad you enjoyed the post Anna!
Thank you for posting this. I saw the rope shelves at Restoration Hardware a few months ago and forgot to snap a pic. The shelves are mounted to the wall and the rope is just threaded through the corners. Brilliant.
Oops – I mistakenly deleted this comment from “Captain Will” since it went into my spam comments – He has some great points so I wanted to make sure it got posted:
“To anyone who uses these (wonderful) ideas: Please make sure the connections are done by someone who knows what they are doing if you support people or weights overhead or precious posessions. Some of the knots shown are not safe. Use hardware of adequate strenth, and make sure any cieling connections go through the drywall and are firmly supported by the joists above! Note that at least one of the beds shown also has feet on the floor.”
Hi Kris – I have been collecting images of rooms with ropes also – been thinking about doing a blogpost on it. You have some images the same – and a few that I hadn’t seen before. nice post. You beat me to it!!!
Thanks,
Linda Leyble
Thanks Linda – I’d love to incorporate some of these ideas into my own home, wouldn’t you?!
Love the use of ropes for decorating…where do you find the really thick roping…I’ve looked everywhere!?
Thanks for sharing!
Lowes and Home Depot have rope of varying thicknesses but if you want something thicker than they sell, google “climbing rope” and you’ll find some. Also, a marine/boat supply store should have it.
A couple of add’l ideas for the nautical rope theme:
When you’re at a marine supply store, pick up a Ship’s Bell – they are made in different sizes – hang outside next to the back door so it can be used to call your family/guests to the waiting Shore Dinner. The rope pull can be made inexpensively (but with some time and effort) with designs perfected over many sea voyages by the sailors who wanted to dress up their ships with “fancy work”.
Books such as “The Marlinspike Sailor” get into the details of how to transform a small section of rope into something both beautiful and functional.
Same approach to make Stair Mats, rope handles for:Sea Chests (toy chests for the polywogs) and Rope Mats to hang vertically for either a play area or a privacy fence.
I wish you all “fair winds and following seas”.
Great ideas! Thanks John!
Love this site, where can I buy the rope lamps!!!
If you go to the post on rope light fixtures (http://www.drivenbydecor.com/2012/05/nautical-rope-lighting-fixtures.html), there are clickable links for where you can by each of the fixtures.
Love this…I added rope to an IKEA pendant. Great texture.