Have you noticed how more and more homeowners are expressing their creativity through their mailboxes? Nowadays the boring black metal postal box is almost extinct. Drive through any Southwest Florida neighborhood and you’ll see how it’s been replaced with animated designs representative of the Sunshine State—rotund manatees, shapely seahorses, open-mouth fish, feathery palm trees and more.

 For Sanibel cartoonist Dave Horton, the mailbox was another outlet for his creativity. One day he looked at his and thought, “There’s a spot under that mailbox calling out for fun.” He went to his workshop, cut out a palm tree and mounted it under his mailbox. One design led to another and soon Dave had a collection of decorative brackets—and a new business. He and his wife Diane named the company Nature Brackets. 

 Besides adding an artistic look to mailboxes and boosting a home’s curb appeal, Nature Brackets work well as ornamental details on porches and pool decks and can also be used to support shelving. The company sells shelf kits, which include the properly sized shelf board. Another product is the door hook, designed so you can hang a towel or robe on a mermaid’s tail or a starfish’s arm.

 Although the brackets have the look and feel of wood, they are actually made from 100% weather-resistant PVC to hold up well in Florida’s tropical weather, as well as in northern climates. They come in crisp white and can be painted with latex or acrylic paint. 

Installing the brackets is easy and takes only minutes. They fit in any 90-degree angle, such as on a mailbox, porch or pool deck, and the brackets come with stainless steel screws that fit perfectly.

Dave has created more than 50 designs, including classics such as a sea turtle, heron, palm and seahorse. The fishing enthusiast can choose from a collection including tarpon, marlin, sailfish, bass and tuna, and the horticulturist will find hibiscus, bird of paradise and pineapple shapes. 

Twice a year, Dave introduces new designs, and has also created a seasonal collection featuring a snowflake and Christmas tree. With so many options, the hardest part is deciding which is your favorite. The brackets sell for $57.95 and the hooks are $9.95-12.95, including hardware needed to install.

The brackets sell for $57.95 and include hardware needed to install.

 To see the collections and order brackets, hooks and shelf kits visit naturebrackets.com. Nature Brackets products are also available at Ace Hardware stores and online at homedepot.com.