Decorating With Table Runners

Creating your own style is all about looking at things in a different light. Find different purposes for everyday items and you just might create a beautiful piece of art that exceeds its original purpose. Incorporating table runners into your home dcor is a great way to personalize it. There are so many of these long rectangular table coverings that can be found everywhere from high end home stores to discount stores. If you find a table runner that you just have to have, you can find some way to use it, even if it's not traditional. Does this Spark an idea?

On the Table

The most obvious way to use a table runner for decorating is to place it on a table. If you have a nice, high-quality wooden dining table, you may not want to cover all that great natural wood grain. However, a bare wooden table is begging for some kind of dcor to accent it. Placing a beautiful table runner down the middle of it will create some visual interest on the table without hiding the warm woodwork. You can usually spend less money on a table runner than on a traditional tablecloth, and still get great quality. If you have a variety of table runners to choose from, they can be changed with the seasons and holidays. They also act as a protective barrier if you want to place a centerpiece on the table without having to worry about scratches and damage.

Furniture Protection

Table runners don't just have to be for a formal dining room table. You can also use them to decorate furniture like a coffee table, hallway table or dresser top. A machine-washable table runner placed on top of a dresser or vanity top will protect the surface from damage from cosmetics, nail polish, lotions and other beauty products. When you spill anything on it, simply throw it in the washing machine. Placing a table runner on top of a coffee table or other table will protect the furniture from water rings from those who forget coasters. This is also a great idea if you have pets like cats that tend to claim furniture as their own and leave it with unsightly scratches.

Wall Art

Have you ever come across a beautiful table runner in a department store, but it just doesn't fit your dining room decorating style? Maybe it would look great in your living room, but you have no place to put it. One creative idea for incorporating a table runner into your dcor is to have it framed. Take the runner to a custom frame shop and have it set in a stylish frame that complements it. Then you have the freedom to hang it wherever it looks good in your house. You can hang it vertically or horizontally, so it can fit in many different places. When you get bored of the design, just switch it out for another table runner of the same size.