DECOR 8750: DEER, ELK & ANTLERS OH MY!

20 Dec DECOR 8750: DEER, ELK & ANTLERS OH MY!

Who’da thunk it? Hunting season may be over, but the remains of the day are everywhere. We are talking deer and elk antlers in home decor, a trend I could never have predicted. And no, we are not dissing those accessories as kitsch. We are not dissing the trend at all. Just putting antlers in a context we think works.

A few years ago, I was asked how I felt about antlers in home decor, especially in chandeliers. All I could do was shudder in horror at the thought. Growing up in Vermont, hunting season was something I could never grasp. My family did not hunt. We ate tofu. When I overheard boys in my high school talking about the six-point buck they shot, I recoiled in horror. I covered my eyes when a pickup displaying a gutted deer corpse drove by. How ironic that 30-plus years later as an interior designer, I have become obsessed with elk antlers, deer silhouettes and yes, antler chandeliers.

What used to be standard decor in a hunting lodge in their true organic form now come in variety of materials: cast resin, metal, and wood, also in a range of colors. These variations on the theme are now showing up in the most unexpected places. From the pages of Elle Décor to Martha Stewart Living, antlers are making their mark. Antlers are featured in the chic home fashion chain, Design Within Reach, trendy Manhattan lofts, and quaint cabins in our home town, Telluride.

Done right, the new deer motif and antlers can be fun, modern and organic. Deer, elk and antlers easily blend into any “western “ setting, but when placed unexpectedly in a modern space, they can add a bit of whimsy or elegance. Above a bed, in a powder room or even in a kids room drawn in chalk on a chalkboard wall.

(Above print available at TWEED BOUTIQUE)