1) Ridiculous amounts of pretty books
2) A white dominated color palette
3) Wall decals & clustered wall hangings / picture frames
5) Deer antlers
This is exactly what I'm talking about.
So, needless to say, this trend gives me the creeps. I'm sorry if my descriptions above just creeped you out as well, but this trend seems to be everywhere. Sucks to be me right? Wrong. There are always creative, cruelty-free options.
An alternative to this option would be to take a walk through the woods scouting for any naturally shed antlers, picking your own bouquet of flowers, & mounting it all together with a mounting kit from any local department store with an outdoors section.
Exhibit B & C: Mounting branches instead of antlers or decorating naturally shed antlers how ever you like. Personally, I ADORE the way these branches give a more abstract feel to the entire room. Just pick up a mounting plaque at your local craft store in the wood craft section along with whatever paint color you like, & perhaps some super glue & ribbon &you should be set for the whole project.
If you like a more decorated look, you could visit one of the several shops selling these beauties. Try Made By Cassandra Smith, VaniTeaz, or melissap6908, just to name a few. This could also be a great DIY weekend project that would allow for some very creative design decisions.
(Ahem, glitter anyone?)
(Ahem, glitter anyone?)
Exhibit D: Wall DecalsThis option brings two of the most popular trends together, like decor Nirvana. Decal makers are cropping up all over Etsy & throughout the internet, this design is from TastySuite. Many of them will take design requests, so if a full silhouette isn't what you had in mind I'm sure other design
options could be worked
out. .
Hope I'm not too late to offer some thoughts on your "antler post." I am in complete agreement with you when it comes to the whole antler craze. I actually find it baffling that people who love animals (and even some vegetarians) don't see the incongruity of putting the skulls of a dead animal on their walls. As you point out, it is nearly impossible for the average person to tell which antlers/skulls (1) were reclaimed from an already dead animal; ((2) were shed from a living and healthy animal; (3) were the "trophy" taken by the hunter who killed the animal for its horns/antlers/skull or (3) are resin "impostors." It reminds me of the faux fur trend that seems to be here to stay. While I think it's great that most people now find wearing real fur abhorrent and I guess it's good that an option exists, I honestly don't understand why anyone thinks that wearing fur, whether real or fake, is an acceptable -- indeed stylish-- thing to do. Unless the faux fur is dyed a crazy shade like neon yellow, everyone is meant to assume that it is in fact the fur of a dead animal. And, these days, just because fur may be dyed an outlandish color doesn't necessarily guarantee that it is, in fact, fake. Bottom line? The more acceptable it becomes to wear faux fur or to display faux antlers, the more confused and ambivalent we, as a culture, become when it comes down to whether to buying real fur or antlers is acceptable. I am growing increasingly sick whenever I see horns, antlers, and skulls displayed in nearly every hip NYC store and trendy catalogue. I simply do not understand why human beings feel compelled to mount part of an animal's body, whether real or fake, on their walls or why the look has gradually become de rigueur. Thanks for posting your own concerns on this topic and giving me a chance to vent. Obviously, I've been stewing over this one for quite a while. Best wishes, Susan (p.s. I recognize that there is an argument to be made that a person, like me, who wears leather has no standing to opine on the pros and cons of faux fur or faux antlers. Sorry, I know it's hypocritical, but I find wearing any kind of fur or hanging antlers on a wall just a whole different level of disgusting. And maybe someday I'll figure out a way to stop wearing leather altogether.
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