The Charm of Wall Water Features

A wall fountain can add a great deal of elegance, even to today's living areas. They can also add an element of elegance to your decor since they are also made in modern-day materials including glass and stainless steel. Is space limited in your house or office? A wall water fountain might be the best choice for you. Since they are displayed on a wall, these features do not take up valuable room. Busy entryways in corporate buildings are often decorated with one of these kinds of fountains. Wall fountains are not restricted to inside use, however. Fiberglass or resin wall water features can be installed outside. Use water fountains made of these weather-proof materials to liven up your back yard, patio, or other outdoor space.

There is wide array of unique styles in wall fountains ranging from the contemporary to classic and rustic. You can choose the best style based upon your individual preferences. A mountain lodge might require a conventional material such as slate whereas a high rise apartment might require sleek glass to liven up the interior space. Your personal design plans determine the material you select. Fountains are features which most certainly impress those who visit your home.

Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Roots

From the onset, outdoor fountains were soley there to serve as functional elements. People in cities, towns and villages received their drinking water, as well as water to bathe and wash, from aqueducts or springs in the vicinity. Used until the 19th century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their origin of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from the power of gravity. Artists thought of fountains as wonderful additions to a living space, however, the fountains also served to supply clean water and honor the designer responsible for building it. Animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks were often utilized by Romans to decorate their fountains. To replicate the gardens of paradise, Muslim and Moorish garden planners of the Middle Ages introduced fountains to their designs. To demonstrate his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries manufactured baroque decorative fountains to glorify the Popes who commissioned them as well as to mark the location where the restored Roman aqueducts entered the city.

Since indoor plumbing became the norm of the day for clean, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely ornamental. Impressive water effects and recycled water were made possible by switching the power of gravity with mechanical pumps.

Beautifying city parks, honoring people or events and entertaining, are some of the uses of modern-day fountains.