Contemporary Garden Decor: Fountains and their Beginnings

Originally, fountains only served a practical purpose. Residents of cities, townships and small towns utilized them as a source of drinking water and a place to wash, which meant that fountains had to be linked to nearby aqueduct or spring. Used until the nineteenth century, in order for fountains to flow or shoot up into the air, their source of water such as reservoirs or aqueducts, had to be higher than the water fountain in order to benefit from gravity. Fountains were not only utilized as a water source for drinking water, but also to adorn homes and celebrate the artist who created it. Roman fountains often depicted imagery of animals or heroes made of bronze or stone masks. During the Middle Ages, Muslim and Moorish garden planners included fountains to create mini variations of the gardens of paradise. To show his dominance over nature, French King Louis XIV included fountains in the Garden of Versailles. The Romans of the 17th and 18th centuries created baroque decorative fountains to exalt 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 standard of the day for fresh, drinking water, by the end of the 19th century urban fountains were no longer needed for this purpose and they became purely decorative. Fountains using mechanical pumps instead of gravity enabled fountains to bring recycled water into living spaces as well as create special water effects.

Modern-day fountains function mostly as decoration for public spaces, to honor individuals or events, and enhance entertainment and recreational gatherings.

The Understated Charm of the Wall Fountain

A wall fountain can add a great deal of charm, even to contemporary living areas. Also available in modern materials such as stainless steel or glass, they can add pizzazz to your interior style. Is the floor space in your residence or business scarce? The ideal choice for you is a wall water fountain. They take up no space since they are hung on a wall. You may note that many hectic workplace lobbies have fountains. Wall fountains are not constrained to interior use, however. Fiberglass and resin are good materials to use for outside wall water features. Liven up your veranda, courtyard, or other outdoor areas with a water fountain made of these water-resistant materials.

There is wide range of different styles in wall fountains ranging from the contemporary to classic and rustic. The type most appropriate for your living space depends entirely on your personal decoration ideas. A city dweller’s decoration ideas might call for polished glass whereas a mountaineer might prefer a more traditional material such as slate for a mountain lodge. The material you choose depends solely on your decor ideas. There is no questioning the fact that fountains are features which impress visitors and add to your quality of life.