Celtic Design Wall Décor

The Celts lived simply, even frugally. They bound themselves loosely together with other clans or tribes while retaining their own social structure, traditions, culture and customs.  Their homes were huts crafted with arched timber walls made from wicker and their roof was finished in thatch.

They were warriors first and foremost and because of their need for weapons, we can credit them today for having brought the craft of iron work to Britain.   Yet they were an extremely religious culture who practiced, preserved and handed down their craftworks as well as oral arts in the form of poems and song.

Celtic Tapestries & Embroidery
Yet the nature of how they lived did not encourage décor as we know it today, instead whatever they hung on the walls of their homes was put there with practicality in mind.  The astonishingly beautiful Celtic embroidery art form which they practiced would have been done in order to hang over doorways or window openings in order to keep the elements at bay.  This ancient form of embroidery used a cross stitch which would most likely have shown scenes from their travels.  The Celts were predominantly nomadic, so their impressions of the world around them were vast and varied.  These tapestries showed impressions of their daily lives too or geometric pattern shapes, mythological creatures, flowers and trees.  They would often have embroidered scenes of their victories over their enemies.  The list is endless.

Many modern homes today proudly display Celtic art designs in the form of  tapestries on their walls for décor purposes only as we no longer need them to keep out the elements, yet they are often used to create a sense of warmth and comfort.  They are ideal wall décor designs that will compliment almost any room in your home from the kitchen to the bedroom.  They also offer practical uses such as covering cracked plaster and can even be used to obliterate an ill placed window.

It would not be unusual to find an embroidered Celtic greeting framed and placed in full view of visitors. Called a “Cead Mile Failte”, this greeting is meant to pay homage to the ancient Celtic way of life as it literally translates as “One hundred thousand welcomes”.

Wall Sconces and Candles
Ancient Celts relied on light inside their homes and with their superior metalwork capabilities fashioned wall sconces and candle holders which they fixed to their walls.  They could have fashioned these essential commodities out of simple iron, yet they crafted taking inspiration from ancient Celtic symbols as well as knot work, spirals and circles.  Today they depict items of beauty whereas the ancient Celts would have looked at them as a way to illustrate and substantiate their beliefs in the world around them.

Items of War and Religion
If you were able to enter a typical Celtic home as it existed them you would probably have found swords and shields hanging from the walls and these items of weaponry belonged not only to the men in the home but also to the women, so it would not have been uncommon to find more than one of each.  These items were not meant as adornment, they were hung off the walls because their owners needed to have access to them in a hurry if need be.

Of course today we have no such need, yet the craftsmanship and the sophisticated design work make them much coveted items. Swords that are based on a real model are often collected by not only history boffins but also by enthusiasts interested in their aesthetic value.  When mounted on special racks or plaques, they make very interesting wall décor.  And if you enter a home boasting Celtic swords you will most likely find alongside them replica’s of the shields they carried into battle.  These shields often stand over a foot tall and decorated with ancient Celtic symbols or tribal or royal crests and insignias.

And when you think of Celtic one immediately thinks of the most iconic wall décor hanging of all which is the Celtic cross.  Not only were they crafted by ancient Celts and hung in their homes to depict their religious beliefs, many modern homes today boast a Celtic cross for the same purpose or as a way to signify their Celtic heritage.