I love oddities and curiosities. I also love old things. My dream home would be a mix of the Cabaret du Chat Noir in its prime and a bit of the Addam’s Family. I’ve always wanted a haunted Victorian to fix up. Well, I’ve got to start somewhere and this ’36 pad will do. Plus, I need many more years to collect my rarities. Such as that strange cougar/fish taxidermy thingie hanging from the ceiling of the Cabaret du Chat Noir. Geez, could you imagine being there in its prime, wild times. It even had a piano! (Scandalous. Illegal at the time, haha).
A curious home in Florence.
I found this cool antiquarian home in Florence, a antiquarian shopping landmark even after the floods of ’66. One of my favorite rooms in the outstanding home is the living room. I hope that one day my home will have this polished but creepy vibe. Currently, the home we are renovating is creepy, but for all the wrong reasons. Washington really knows how to raise some spiders, hairy-legged spiders crawling up the basement walls…ughh, ick. Anyways…I love this room. It is very traditional but obviously the homeowner has a great eye for the odd and bizarre. I also love the smoky oyster shade of the walls. It’s the perfect backdrop for any collection. The carved arms/hands are the creepiest things ever. So, I’m going to make a list of things that I need to make my home creepier and polished:
–crystal ball with an amazing stand, nothing cheesy and “goth” with chrome dragons with faux ruby eyes. I’m talking something used in Victorian occult. Victorian Trading Co. has a great one here.
–Antlers, horns, and more antlers. These can be used anywhere to add some creepiness. I’m talking even those awesome antler mirrors or chandeliers. Horn candle holders, at least one antler/horn per room. I’m pretty sure this category also includes bones.
–Taxidermy from land, sea, air. Need I say more?
–Intricate birdcages without birds to provide a bit of a morbid feel.
-Apothecary jars filled with various objects from oyster shells, seashells, sea glass, sand, beach pebbles. Anything in an apothecary jar is just creepy.
–Hourglasses and scales. This symbolizes time, judgment, you know all those creepy reminders of life/death.
–Bird nests, hives, feathers, sticks, and stones. Every house needs creepy, natural elements. You want your home to look like you spend time outdoors, exploring. Even have bunches of dried herbs. Just the aroma of dried fennel is spooky.
–Mirrors and mirrors.You know vampires don’t have a reflection. Ignore that Twilight crap.
Same room, different view
These are the basics to a creepy home. Of course we all have our own special interests. I’m looking for fragrance antiques: chunks of exotic woods, ambergris, etc. I also love stereoscopes, viewers, and items related to vision. David loves maps and old recording items, what a nerd! It will take some time but I predict we will get our interesting house, someday it will be mine, oh, yes, it will be mine.
-Victoria
Tudorks 