Tassels and corded embellishments have a history of grandeur but that doesn’t mean they don’t suit any style of country home. Be creative and enjoy them as a new addition to your decor.

As any right-minded woman would agree, the right earrings and handbag make an outfit, regardless of its style or expense, and in much the same way, soft furnishings and embellishments set a room apart and make it unique. It doesn’t matter what style of decor it is, there is bound to be an embellishment to suit it.

The use of tassels in the Victorian era is well documented, perhaps so much so that we tend to consider them appropriate only in the stately domains of aristocrats and manor-house living. For instance, the image of ornate tassels is almost always associated with the rich heavy tapestries and damask drapes of a parlour. Many books have been written on the subject and they all cite the parlour as the centre of social life in Victorian times, and how embellishments enhanced the impression of wealth and social standing.

This notion of grandeur has survived to the present and now the place one usually expects to find tassel adornments is a country manor, decorated in heavy, dark furniture and plush decor. But this does not have to be the case. Today there is a tendency towards using tassels and embellishments as a common element in country living, with many different styles and backgrounds creating different effects in the home. In her book Tassels, Tiebacks & Trimmings, Elizabeth Valenti describes the resurgence of tassels in contemporary homes as a reaction against mass production and uniformity.

Tassels are now used to indicate any decorating theme with contemporary, rustic or Victorian as just a few styles that work well in the modern home. The materials and colours chosen, and even the dyes used, are the elements that determine the type of home the tassel would suit best. And the hand-crafted pieces, or made-to-look-
handmade ones, are essentially country because of the very personal touch they afford.

And it isn’t just about tassels alone – embellishments that go hand in hand with them are of course corded trimmings, fringing and pompoms. All these are now widely available to purchase or to make in many different styles.