Notice something? Hint: the title of this post is a HUGE giveaway.
Bam. Antlers. In the kitchen no less. I know they aren’t for everyone but I love them. Many of my favorite design crushes use them and I’ve been wanting to do the same for some time now.
I searched “deer antlers” on ebay and etsy for weeks. I was picky. I wanted something large scale with a unique silhouette, simple plaque and preferably sun bleached. I found this 10-point vintage beauty here and was sold.
Initially, I hung the antlers on a wall in our bedroom but after living with them for a few weeks the placement didn’t feel quite right. They were massive and slightly oppressive in our small-ish bedroom. Earlier this week I moved the antlers to the kitchen and immediately I was in love. HH felt the same way.
I hung them above the french doors in the kitchen near my desk. The doors just clear the lower tines {I think that’s what they’re called}. The antlers work so much better in a larger room with higher ceilings. They still have a presence but they’re not all “Hey, I’m going to poke your eye out.”
Can you believe it’s late July and I have my doors and windows open?! I’m not complaining. Can you spy the last of our deck supplies on horses in the backyard? You guys. We were so stoked to get that deck finished the day before we left for our vacation a month ago but we ran out of fasteners on the LAST THREE BOARDS. And, at least where we are, those fasteners are hard to come by. Anyway, the deck is 99% done-zo.
Back to those antlers.
Today after trying {and failing} to completely wear out my kids {seriously, we did a 4-mile bike ride, played outside for hours, did some yard work, visited the playground, etc. and the only person who was worn out was me}, I rested on the floor right in front of the french doors and stared up at the antlers and through the skylights. In that moment from that point of view, I forgot about the cracked driveway, the peeling garage door, the out of whack front door, the bathroom in waiting, those damn three deck boards and all the other imperfections in my house and let myself truly enjoy the finished things right in front of me. The original dining window that we replaced with french doors. The trendy antlers. The tongue and groove vaulted ceiling. The game changing skylights.
Every day it feels a little more like home.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
budget decor, interior design