Jeff Doubet shares how Spanish corbels can be cost-effective, creative solutions for enhancing your Spanish home interior design. Ready-made store bought corbels are components that are often indistinguishable from those built in the traditional, more expensive construction methods. In this post I share photos and direct links to resources for homeowners, designers + architects seeking more info. Scroll to learn more.
Interior and exterior Spanish corbels are built in similar construction methods. A traditional way is to build corbels with plywood and standard lumber. Once the form is created, it is covered in waterproofing paper and several coats of stucco are applied.
Modern Spanish corbel construction can now incorporate less expensive building methods such as cement coated architectural foam. Others are made by injecting foam into preformed molds. Each client chooses the type of construction they prefer. Personally, I enjoy creating Spanish-style interiors with both expensive and affordable methods. The great thing is… once completed, it is often very difficult to tell the difference between the two.
Spanish Home Interiors Designed with Corbels
Spanish corbels are most often designed as decorative elements featured in both interiors and exteriors of Spanish-style homes and commercial buildings.
I like to design them in unexpected places. When I can do that it brings an element of surprise to the guest visitor, or the person staying at the hotel, Airbnb or homeowner project. These artistic elements add charm to any interior room or exterior facade.
Here, Spanish corbels look great with a coved ceiling in a modest entryway. As a Santa Barbara Home Designer with a lot of construction experience- I enjoy being involved in projects whatever the budget. I also like sharing store resources where clients can do more with less- like these attractive Amazon star pendant lights.
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Spanish Corbels Installed in Spanish Home Interiors
When decorative elements such as corbels are combined with top quality products, the outcome is a beautiful home with an overall higher perceived value.
We installed corbels in key locations inside this Spanish home. Hallways to bedroom wings and family room made a lot of sense, and at the entry foyer they were used as a visual break between the living room and kitchen.
Below: An extra wide corbel was incorporated into a plaster column. It is a creative way to visually separate the kitchen from the living room.
This small Santa Barbara Spanish-style kitchen has a bit of Tuscany infused. I like the finishes the investors chose for the cabinets and countertops.
Spanish Home Interiors: Affordable Interior Upgrades You Can Make
Architectural foam was used as a cost effective way to build design elements. A way to make something very attractive, with not much money. We used foam as ceiling coving, as well.
Here, I meet with a favorite General Contractor friend as we strategize how corbel details will improve the hallway entrances in this home.
These images above and below show how the architectural foam corbels turned out once they were finished and painted in this hallway to a guest suite.
Where to Buy Corbels for your Spanish Home Interior Project
Since my Spanish Home Design Book came out in 2018, there are now independent manufacturers who sell off-the-shelf corbels made of durable urethane foam. One company has designs very similar to those on this page.
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ABOVE: An impromptu design meeting for deciding where we would install decorative corbels. These were architectural foam pieces left over from another local Montecito Spanish-style interior remodel project.
Here is how the small entry turned out once the foam corbels and coving were coated with a thin layer of cement, and finished with drywall mud to match the surrounding wall finishes.
Planning your Spanish Interior with Decorative Corbels
When planning your Spanish home interiors, consider main focal points as places you can incorporate decorative corbels. Styrofoam, as well as store bought urethane corbels are easy to “glue and screw” into place. They still will require effort to build and blend them into the surrounding wall and ceiling surfaces.
ABOVE: With one leftover remnant, I planned how we could cut the piece in half and use it in this prominent hallway entrance. Here I hold up the part to show the crew how we could frame and drywall a non-structural “header” to create an attractive corbel passageway.
Here is how the project turned out once extra framing was added and the drywall details were finished out.
How-To Make Stunning Spanish Interiors
Once our Styrofoam components were cut to size, they were covered in Fiber Mesh and coated with FoamBond. FoamBond is a special mortar made for adhering stucco moldings to the exterior of a home.
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I shot these photos to show how the completed corbel passageway looks from different vantage points.
Here is a view looking through the corbel passageway and across the living room. See the other corbel(s) installed at thick decorative columns? Decorative elements like this become unifying designs within your high-end Spanish remodel.
This is looking from the kitchen, across the great room to the master bedroom hall.
Other Jeff Doubet Design Projects That May Interest You
I hope you found this project helpful. More projects with Spanish corbels, HERE.
Well friend, this wraps another site visit episode in beautiful Montecito, CA. I hope you enjoyed learning how to infuse more Santa Barbara Style into your own Spanish home design project. Scroll to explore more helpful links and resources for designing and building your own Spanish-style home and landscape.
