Period or vintage homes look best when accessorized with decade-appropriate fittings. These can include primary pieces such as windows and doors, and can then flow out to more ephemeral articles, such as fences and gates. One of the best choices for adorning a period home is to opt to use antique wrought iron. Antique wrought iron can be used as ornamental iron railing for stairs, patios or balconies, or antique wrought iron may be used as wrought iron fence panels or for antique wrought iron gates, which are used to give a suitable edging to your property, and to help tie the property to the home.

Ornamental iron railing crafted from antique wrought iron comes from many different countries, including the United States. When old buildings are torn down, antique salvage teams go in and remove wrought iron balcony railing, wrought iron fence panels, gates and other pieces, and then refurbish them for resale to home owners, as well as owners of other types of historic buildings, such as apartment buildings.

Gorgeous pieces of ornamental iron railing, for only one example, are created by iron-working artists. These artists come up with designs that feature intricate curves and swirls of iron. Other pieces, such as wrought iron balcony railing pieces, might have a more art deco aesthetic, and utilize geometric patterns that are striking.

Uses for this type of ironwork can be many and varied. In addition to adorning balconies with ornamental iron railing, driveways and entries to gardens can be enhanced with historic antique wrought iron gates. Wherever antique wrought iron gates are added to your landscape, you will have created a spot that has instant intrigue and appeal to both passersby as well as your family and guests. You can use the landscape to create a hidden reveal of the gate, for example. This landscaping device uses curved pathways with a curve that visitors cannot see around until they walk around the curve. Once getting around the landscape that has been artfully placed and pruned to appear at the apex of the curve, the reveal of a glorious gate on the other side of the curve will make everyone want to continue down the path, and venture through that entryway, in order to see what comes next in the landscape. By placing an antique gate well, you will add to its charm, and the entire affect it will have on your garden will be multiplied.

You can look for wrought iron antique pieces online by visiting salvage antique dealers' websites. Close-up pictures of each wrought iron piece will be on display there, in order for you to compare items that appeal to you more easily.