Bright Idea: Decorating With Flags

Filed under: Bedroom, Your Home, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Design, etc

Is it unpatriotic to decorate with an American flag?

Inspired by this adorable children's bedroom above (spotted in the book At Home With Country) and the impending Fourth of July holiday, your editors here at ShelterPop were craving some stars and stripes-inspired decor. But we wanted to know more about the etiquette of decorating with flags. After a little research, we discovered that the truly patriotic might think twice before using a flag as part of their decor.

According to Title 4 of the United States Code, using flags as decoration is a big no-no. The Code reads, "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery." Oops-a-daisy! The text continues, "It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free." Double oops! The Code goes on to suggest that red, white and blue bunting should be used for decoration, not the flag itself.

All that said, we're a little more lenient here at ShelterPop. If you are proudly displaying the flag in a manner that celebrates the stars and stripes, we say go ahead (this is coming from a long-time Girl Scout, by the way). If you do decide to decorate with Old Glory, follow these guidelines from the United States Code: The flag should never be displayed with the union down and should never touch anything beneath it.

A fine example of some patriotic decorating that might not be perfectly up to Code is the home captured by photographer Paul Costello, at left, in which flags adorn nearly every visible surface (this photo originally ran in Domino magazine). If anyone were to argue that this was anything short of patriotic, we'd have to disagree: These homeowners clearly love Old Glory!



The folks at Wisteria have made a jumbo-sized flag for a major decoration statement. Made of 100% linen and measuring more than 12-feet long, the Oversized American Flag doesn't come cheap at $249, but it's sure to stay in style for decades to come.

If you're still not sure you want to hang the American flag as part of your decoration, take a cue from lifestyle expert Danny Seo, who has used nautical and foreign flags as curtains in one of his home's bedrooms. He's got the look and feel of all-American red, white and blue without any danger of a citation of violating the American Code.

Top image from At Home with Country by Christina Strutt. CICO Books, $29.95, 2010; Cicobooks.com.

You'll see more 4th of July ideas on ShelterPop next week but you should also see the fantastic things going on at Holidash!
Craft a 4th of July Flower (Adorable)
Throw a Retro 4th of July

 

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