THE SKY’S THE LIMIT WHEN IT COMES TO STELLAR DECOR
Seeing stars: The latest Americana decor trend
It was about six years ago when Chris Lexner started seeing stars. The place: Mystic, Conn. –the historic seaport town. People hung the large five-pointed stars on their homes, and Lexner fell for them. Today, she and her husband, Paul, have two large, three-dimensional tin stars hanging on the exterior of their house in Amherst.
One, a 30-inch star on the front of their home, is spray-painted the same shade of terra- cotta red as their shutters. A second 18-inch star near the porch is sage green. The stars fit perfectly with the home’s Americana decor, found both inside and out.
Lexner bought the stars two years ago at Christmas Tree Shops in Henrietta, but the stars have been showing up on more homes and in more stores.
Locally, retailer Diane Kissel said that stars have become very popular in the last couple of years, even outshining the eagle as popular exterior decor.
“It really has taken off. It’s such a simple design with a lot of impact that shows well. It adds curb appeal,” said Kissel, owner of Kissel Country Tin Gifts, 7296 Schultz Road, North Tonawanda.
And while some are patriotic — covered with a red, white and blue pattern, for example — others are more rustic in design, crafted in metal with a weathered finish.
“I see them all of the time now,” said Carole Melnik, who owns A Snail’s Place florist and gift shop in Elma.
Many of them are red, country blue or brown, she added.
Others report seeing stars in seacoast cities such as Portland, Maine, and throughout New England and associate them with the nautical look.
Their origins have been traced to the rustic “barn star,” which as Newsday reported in December, has architectural roots.
“The metal stars are actually an outgrowth of an old architectural feature in which metal stars or other geometric shapes, in a range of sizes and style, were used in a row across the facades of brick buildings to hide the ends of beams used to hold the building and facade together,” reported Carol Polsky, in Newsday.
Another article on the history of the barn star in America notes that it originated within the German farming community. The tradition can be traced back to the 1700s and to at least the 1870s in Pennsylvania.
While some farmers may have considered the stars good luck, many viewed them simply as aesthetic and nice to look at.
Many barn stars represented the trademark of the builder who constructed the barn, according to the article, which was sent to The News by Zook’s Family Crafts, a store in Paradise, Pa., which features the works of local Amish, Mennonite and other Pennsylvania Dutch craftsmen.
(Zook’s specializes in hex signs, another popular decorative item featuring geometric patterns, flowers, birds and other designs that can be mounted on houses or used indoors.)
Newsday’s Polsky writes: “The Pennsylvania Dutch stars were painted onto barns, first appearing on circular wooden inserts built into the stone walls from at least the late 1700s, and later painted directly onto the barn walls.”
Today, people are attracted to them for various reasons. For the Lexners, the look fits well into their home, which is decorated with many things Americana.
Patriotism plays a part as well.
As online retailer American Tin Star writes on its Web site: “We trust that barn stars are also very popular because it is an ornamental way of expressing our support and pride in our country.”
Clearly, a large star also is an attractive, relatively inexpensive way to fill in a big empty space. They look particularly appealing on country-style houses and also have found a home on suburban ranches.
At the Lexners’ home in Amherst, the larger of the two stars rotates with other seasonal decorations. At Halloween, the star comes down and a large jack-o’-lantern goes up. At Christmas, a wreath fills the space. After the holidays, the star goes back up and stays most of the year.
Nor are stars just for the exterior of homes, retailers say. People will place a star above a fireplace, possibly a trio of them, or hang a star-shaped mirror in the hallway. Star-shaped candle holders are popular. Star motifs also are popular for nurseries and children’s rooms.
For a shabby chic look, a white star with sparkles works nicely.
And black stars are a country classic — often mixed with earth tones and calico patterns— on linens, dinnerware and more.
1/2 2z-inch decorative star for indoors can cost as little as $2, Kissel said. A 40- inch star with a rusty finish to hang on the garage might cost $42.
Like other decorating trends, decorative stars have gone mainstream, showing up at craft-store chains and the like.
And while some are still handcrafted, others now are mass-produced.
Oversaturation? Perhaps. But for those with many wishes, you can never become too star struck.
