A post about horns and long pointy parts of wild animals.

Hopefully nothing offensive.

People seem to feel quite strongly about this subject, which is fine by me.

I like a healthy debate as long as it stays uber civilised…

and doesn’t shut down Congress.

(sorry, couldn’t resist)

Personally, I like antlers & horns used in interiors, and exteriors, for that matter.

I think they serve as an earthy connection to the great outdoors, as well as a primal link to the past.

I have little doubt that cavemen persons adorned their spaces with impressive, hard-won trophies.

via Erin Martin Design

Jacques Grange

They also add a great sense of texture, depth, even humour, when artfully applied.

 At least he gets me :-)

You’ve probably already guessed over the years that I’m not of the ‘hunting’ persuasion. I don’t eat game and I wouldn’t know a deer from a stag or an elk from a bison if it were two ft. away from me.

I think I might even have pointed out a ‘mantalope’ in one of my finer moments in Africa.

Let’s just say if the nose is bright red, I’m betting reindeer.

That confession out of the way,

I do know that deers/stags and other forresty animals shed their antlers naturally in the wild, so there need not be any hunting involved, though I’m certainly not naive enough to assume this is always or even generally the case.

A big faux bull from Jayson Home, Chicago.

“Winter’s Bone” linen fabric available through Dering Hall (I love the brown colour-way but it wouldn’t come up)

Go real or go faux, it’s a human desire to celebrate the beauty of animals.

and with so many of the faux antler and horn furnishings available now, it’s very difficult to tell they’re not in fact real.

Wonderful.

I have the most beautiful carved wood deer head I bought years ago from John Rosselli Antiques. It hangs in a prominent spot in our home in Sun Valley and I love it, and remembering the saga of how I got it from NY to Idaho (Two cars, a very awkward  plane trip and one intensely quiet husband)

Ahhh, the memories…

But antlers, horns & such need not be relegated to cabins and mountain homes by any means.

In fact I think the more unexpected the better.

source unknown. Any idea??

Party animal

Very cool, by Disc Interiors

Tracie Ellis-House, Kyneton, Australia

Here you get the effect with none of the dust!

My bathroom in Sun Valley.

The antlers wear garlands of pine in the winter. They’re part of a Bavarian collection I bought many years ago.

Elle Decor

Erin Martin Design

Tumblr

Erin Martin Design

There’s a veritable stampede on the 4th floor of Bergdorf’s right now, including fabrics & accessories from Alessandra Branca’s new collection. I’ll be popping in to see it next week. Photo via 4thFloorWalkup

 and if you’re utterly, adamantly, vehemently opposed to anything even vaguely resembling the real thing…

But still have a sense of humour about it…

there’s always this blow up trophy deer I saw in The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art gift shop.

Or, cooler still, bicycle taxidermy for the cyclist in your life, by Regan Appleton via Remodelista HERE

Stag ring,  sorry no credit (via Tumblr)

Brass Rams Horn table base, a pair, via Erin Martin Design

love this, via Remodelista

Alexander McQueen’s ethereal Stag Queen

~

Feeling just a step closer to Fall yet?!

PS. My posts are not updating in other blogger’s blog rolls. Is this happening to anyone else out there using WordPress??

Please say yes. I’m starting to get a complex.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great rest of the weekend!

~

Crown of Horns photo by Paul de Luna for Mojeh magazine. Decorative headpiece by Ashley Lloyd