Bring Back This Vintage Wall Decor That Serves An Important Family Purpose

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Every family has unique mealtime habits: folding napkins a certain way, saying a prayer before eating, or even usual dinner-time conversation topics. However, one noisy tradition stands out from the rest: the ringing of a dinner bell. It's a simple yet effective way to make sure everyone in your home knows it's time to chow down — and a little classier than yelling, "Dinner's ready!" to the whole house. The humble dinner bell can also mark the beginning of a unique and memorable dinner party.

Bells have long been used as a method of communication. Before email, texting, or even the telephone and telegraph, people used bells, both big and small, to send messages. Sometimes those messages were important — like, "Hey, the barn is on fire!" — and sometimes they were simply used to mark the end of a workday or beckon farm workers in from the fields. Dinner bells aren't just functional, though. They can be beautiful additions to the wall of a once-outdated formal dining room, kitchen, front porch, or even a back kitchen — a new trend that's perfect if you love to entertain. 

Whether it's a sturdy outdoor dinner bell or a smaller, daintier indoor bell, there are dinner bells out there to match any interior decorating style. Ones like the MrMrKura Cast Iron Dinner Bell offer a traditional colonial look, while even larger bells, like this iMeshBean 14-inch Cast Iron Dinner Bell, can give you a farmhouse vibe — and ensure that your kids can hear it from down the block. For a nautical look, find options that feature a thick rope, and for a "cottage-core" vibe, a smaller gold bell, such as this Gold Brass Bell on Etsy, will do the trick. 

Historically, indoor dinner bells have been made of many materials, from bone china and glass to silver or crystal. As for the outdoor bells, they were most commonly made of cast iron or another sturdy metal, meant to last through all kinds of weather conditions. Keep in mind that dinner bells, especially those made of cast iron, can be heavy. So, it's a good idea to mount them on a stud within your wall. Don't go making holes willy-nilly to locate a stud — and be careful to avoid the big mistake everyone makes when using a stud finder: speeding through the calibration process. 

Still on the fence about a dinner bell? You don't have to use a traditional dome-shaped bell. For a more modern look, try a triangle with a striker, such as the WMM 9-inch Triangle Dinner Bell, as a beautiful way to add geometric interest to a blank wall or next to a framed photo.