Antique Swords for Living Room Decor

If you love history and want your home to remember the past ages with antique pieces, swords are a great option for your living room decor.

What can swords do for your home decor? As an actual piece from the past, they can express your appreciation for history. And there are plenty of models and varieties to choose from. A sword will undoubtedly have all heads turning.

But you can’t just throw a sword into your living room and hope for the best. You have to create a steady dialogue between its surroundings and the overall design.

Types of swords

Swords vary depending on the culture or civilization that they originate from. They have also changed throughout history. As a result, today we see an evolution in their designs and each time period has a particular sword. Here are some examples:

• Roman: the Roman, or Gladius, swords featured a straight, wide blade that’s not very long. Their grips were rather simple and ergonomic without any kind of protrusion.
• Viking Age: these swords were similar to Gladius models, but they looked stronger and sounder and featured a grip with decorative finishes.
• Medieval-Renaissance: medieval-renaissance, or Schloss Erbach, swords were very long. They had blades that featured flexibility towards the tip as well as a grip with a horizontal guard.
• Dagger: originating in the 14th century, a dagger is smaller than the former, around 30 centimeters in length. They had narrow blades and a curved grip.
• Rapiera-Deschaux: this type of dagger was very thin. Like its overall form, it had a very thin, but long, blade. The grip was its more interesting feature: the top was wrapped in curved wire, which gave it a beautiful appearance.
• Katana: common in Asian cultures, this sword often reminds us of Japan. Visually, it’s quite different from the former swords as it has an outer curve and narrow blade.
• Falcata: originating from the Muslim-Iberian period, Falcata swords have a wide blade. They have an aerodynamic design, starting narrow but widening at the top.

Using swords in your living room decor

To pull off swords in your living room decor, you have to carefully consider where to place them. First, make sure that your swords are visible and at a height where viewers can appreciate them.

• Display cabinet: if you prefer organizing your collection in a display cabinet, make sure it has large glass doors. You can set your swords up horizontally or vertically. And if you have lights inside your display cabinet, they’ll look even better.
• Wall decor: you can also set your swords up on a wall over two hooks. Or, hang them vertically if their grips allow it.

— Convert your living room into a space of history. — 

The setting that antique swords create

You might not believe it at first, but swords don’t evoke violence or war, but rather a passion for history. They transmit an interest in an object that plays a crucial part in understanding past times.

The way you display them in your living room can create a museum-like setting. In other words, you can put a set of swords on display for appreciation and admiration.

In any case, you don’t have to fill up display cases nor your walls with swords. Instead, try selecting 2 or 3 to create an interesting display.

Matching with the rest of your room decor

If you’re wondering, “what kinds of decor styles work best with swords?”, you have several options that will work great. They’re perfect because they have a historical vibe to them.

Rustic, classic, Baroque and Medieval decor styles will work wonderfully. On the other hand, decor settings that are urban, vanguard, minimalist, contemporary and of the like won’t be the best option.

If you want to decorate with swords, remember that there is plenty of variety and try to analyze which ones will work best in your living room beforehand. And don’t forget that a dialogue with the surrounding decor is crucial.