Rain Chains: A Beautiful Alternative to Downspouts

No matter where you live, it’s likely that your home is fitted with a series of gutters and downspouts. Usually made of metal or plastic, these components are absolutely essential: Without them, rainfall would simply drip from the edges of your roof, creating a mess and making life miserable. Unfortunately, downspouts aren’t meant to be attractive. Luckily, there’s an alternative: Rain chains!

Also known as Kusari-toi or Kusari-doi, rain chains originated in Japan, where even basic, useful items are often meant to be visually pleasing as well as utilitarian. Hung beneath a gutter’s exit point, a rain chain transforms the flow of falling water into a beautiful feature. The most basic, traditional designs feature linked chains or simple cups with cutouts in their bottoms. As rainwater trickles down the chain, it creates a pleasing waterfall effect.

Once the rainwater makes its way to the bottom of the rain chain, it can be directed to a vessel such as a rain barrel, where it may be stored for later use in the garden. There are quite a few alternatives to rain barrels including special collectors that visually complement the rain chain and create a stunning water feature to enhance the look of your home’s landscape. An array of large, heavy pebbles or river stones works as well, preventing the falling water from puddling. We’ll take a closer look at how to use rain chains in a coming post.

Whatever your style, you’ll find that Happy Gardens offers a wide variety of beautiful rain chains from which to choose. Lily cups are very popular, as are scalloped cups. Whimsical hearts, birds, butterflies, and umbrellas make their way into many of our rain chain designs. Some even include diminutive bells, allowing the rain chain to double as a wind chime even when the weather is dry.

Wherever you place them, you’ll love the way our rain chains transform the look and feel of your home, creating a beautiful focal point that looks lovely all year round.