Decorating Ideas for the Horse Lover in You

I remember when I was a little girl that I had several ceramic horse statues in my bedroom. I loved horses to the point of even having horse posters on my walls instead of the latest cute celebrity or singer, which just to get a chuckle out of some of you, at this time would have been Shaun Cassidy or Leif Garrett. I have had other opportunities as I grew up to decorate with something more than just a few statues. Here's some suggestions to help others appreciate the horse lover in you when they come to visit your home.

Whether you're doing a single room or many rooms there are lots of ways to decorate. The easiest place to start is of course with some horse statues. If you have a nice breakfront (and for you younger folks, that's just a china cabinet) then you can display many more fragile pieces in there. Since you usually have some light in a china cabinet, then I just love to fill these with anything crystal and what better way than with a large chunk of crystal with a horse sketched into it. These are absolutely beautiful and would look great on display where some light would hit them. I've found these in several of the crystal shops located in any mall or find them online at places such as Crystal Fox Gallery.

Like to display lots of books? Then certainly check out these horse book ends at horse-gifts.com to keep your books upright with the help of your favorite animal. At this site you can find just about anything that has to do with horses. It's not a bad place to look for particular items and I didn't find anything on here that cost over $400. If you're looking for less expensive items, then this is the place to look. A great site for stuff to use in the kids rooms such as a rocking horse, horse slippers and more. I would certainly look here if you are on a budget since you can get statues for around $35 and even though they are resin electroplated in bronze, you're not exactly sacrificing beauty for cost.

Now for those of you that are looking for classier and expensive options for your million dollar chateau, then here's some ideas for you. One thing I noticed in a western decor shop in North Carolina was that they has a wood banister running up the stairs and around the second floor. It was made of cracked beautiful dark wood and they laid several horse afghans over the railings up top. I also always liked the idea of displaying a real saddle inside the house. This can be done as easily as throwing it on top of a horse blanket over a sawhorse. A great idea is to get one from Sears which is a Fulton Folding Sawhorse which is made of steel for only $18.00, then throw on a black or brown paint and toss on the saddle. You also may want to get a hold of some clean, unused tack to use as wall decorations. A rolled whip or lariat hung on the wall adds a touch of masculinity. It real easy to find all sorts of decorations and another site to try for a higher end scale selection is at the horseandhound.com site. You'll find kitchen accessories, dishes, glasses and more with horse themes to them. There's even an area which relates to the Kentucky Derby is you're more of an equestrian than a cowboy. Here you can go all out with mailboxes, door knockers and weather vanes. There is also a closeout section here where you can get great deals on discontinued items that are still perfect. Also, if you're just throwing an equestrian themed party for the horse lover in your family then you can get all equestrian themed items right here such as napkins, glasses, party platters and the list goes on and one.

Don't forget to pick up a couple throws also as they are great for decorating and adding a little extra to a plain sofa. I also like to use throws to drape over one corner of a piece of furniture, such as a entertainment center or dresses. They are also great to toss over the back and arm of a rocking chair.