Choosing the right style
Assuming you’re not going for the mass-produced variety popular with grannies and their budgerigars in the 1970s, there are a few options of classic birdcage styles:
Vintage Victoriana: The Victoriana revival – or shabby chic as it’s better known – put the beautifully ornate birdcages of this era back into the limelight. Choose from a classic dome or the ‘miniature mansion’ style. Complement the look with romantic, feminine flowers, such as roses, peonies and ranunculas. Black-centred anemones add a perfect contrast.
Eastern promise: If you prefer something less ornate – or you’re a fan of Asian-inspired décor – pagoda-style birdcages are based on the iconic Japanese buildings with their signature tiered roofs. These can be made of metal or even bamboo. Experiment with different colours of orchids or keep it simple with a branch or two of cherry blossom.
Tunisian charm: Even more ornate than the classic Victorian birdcage, the Tunisian style is distinguished by its large, intricately crafted wire dome. The spacious spherical dome gives breathing space for larger flowers, such as lilies and chrysanthemums. Experiment and don’t be afraid to go bold.
Where to buy them...
Vintage birdcages can be found in junk shops, vintage stores and online. As they’re now so popular you can buy vintage-style replicas are available at many high-street stores and online retailers, too.
Styling tips:
In suspense: Fill your birdcage with your favourite flowers and suspend from the ceiling. Victorian birdcages look pretty hung above the bed – secure with pretty ribbon for that extra feminine touch.
Pretty twisted: Work with the structure of the birdcage by twisting flowers around the wires of the cage. Pink roses and white cages are the classic shabby-chic combination.
Talk of the table: Create a birdcage flower centrepiece – whether it’s in the dining room or outside on the patio. For a more dramatic look, use branches and foliage to enable the display to ‘explode’ from the cage.
Hanging gardens: Bring your garden party to life by suspending your birdcages from the branches of a tree. Use an oasis to hold your flowers in place and experiment with trailing flowers as though you were styling a hanging basket.
Rustic meadow: Fill a vintage birdcage with mismatching bottles and jars and fill with a selection of just-picked-from-the-meadow flowers for a quintessentially English feel
Stand to attention: Make a statement in your hall or living space by displaying your flowers at head height in a cage with a stand.
