One of my favorite ways to add character to a home is to work older, architectural elements into the decor. During a recent visit to the flea market, I came across some old oars that had a great patina to them, and I thought they'd look great in a nautical themed room. The major challenge presented by these oars was how exactly to mount them. I wanted to hang them horizontally on the wall. While I could have simply screwed in 'eye' hooks and hung them from wire, I wanted something more creative, more nautical. My solution: use actual oar mounts. Why not? That's how they are mounted on a boat, so why not apply the same technique on my wall?
After some thought, I realized the oars needed to be a few inches off the wall which meant the oar mounts needed to be mounted on blocks of wood. Visually, this looks nicer than having them flat against the wall. Because I was working with a nautical theme, I decided to make the wood mounts out of mahogany which is a classic wood species used in boatbuilding.
I cut the blocks to size, then finished them with a few coats of high gloss varnish to give them an even more old-timey, nautical feel.
Once dry, I located the studs in the ceiling with a stud finder -- and after a little layout -- I pre-drilled holes in the blocks, then screwed them through the sheetrock and into the studs. From there, it was just a matter of screwing the mounts into the blocks, and voila! Thar' she blows!
From: Sheri | 7/31/11 at 12:59 pm
Hey BK,
I thought the old-doors-as-wainscoting was interesting, but of all your calls no one asked what about the holes for the handles! Do you just leave the holes in the doors there? was driving me crazy for two days!
Thanks
From: Brian Kelsey | 8/1/11 at 3:26 pm
Hey Sheri!
You have a few options...you can leave the holes, for a vintage (dare I say) 'shabby chic'look. You could also fill the holes, depending on the size. But one other option (and the way I have done it in the past) is to simply add a piece of trim (the full length of the door of course) that covers the holes. It doesn't have to be fancy, it could be as simple as a piece of 1x3". Hope that helps and thanks for reaching out!
-Brian