Doug Lafortune

Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.

Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.

The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.

When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.

Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.

Antique and vintage columns and pedestals can make a statement in your home with their timeless beauty. They have a rich architectural history, from ancient Egyptian columns adorned with lotus capitals to the stylized Corinthian columns of Greece. Today, they can add refinement to your spaces, both indoors and out.

The options for pedestals and columns are endless. Influenced by everything from ancient ruins to European palaces, columns and pedestals include contemporary designs and distressed pieces. There are modern designs from all over the world, such as Pakistani, Italian and French examples. Other designs draw on architectural heritage, like those created in the Louis XIV style, which references Greece and Rome and evokes the decadence of Versailles through gold and vivid colors.

The materials used in columns and pedestals can vary widely. Marble and gilt pedestals add elegance, while patina brass columns offer sophistication. An upcycled item such as an industrial press can become a column, while certain mid-century barstools can be repurposed as pedestals.

Whether elaborate Victorian or Art Deco designs, pedestals and columns can be the base for another piece of art, adding height or accenting a sculpture. One or several can display ferns or other plants with trailing vines. Some pedestals come with planters for this purpose.

On their own, these elements can provide character and a touch of antiquity to one’s decor. Columns and pedestals made of stone, wood and rattan are among those available on 1stDibs. Browse hundreds of columns and pedestals to find one for your space.