Comments : 46

Hello there and happy Monday morning to you.  How was your weekend? Ours was very nice, a Friday night football game, some US Open tennis, dinner with great friends, and plenty of down time on Sunday to enjoy the most spectacular weather we have had in ages. Breezy, high 60’s, bright skies….it doesn’t get better than that! Fall is definitely on our doorstep and it has me thinking about all kinds of things from cooking up our favorite comfort foods, getting to wear beautiful soft cool weather layers and  creating cozy inviting interiors as we get ready for the “hibernation season”.

One thing I really like is antlers. There are obviously real and many many faux. I have bought two very good faux antlers and  had just the spot for one but unfortunately it will not work so I am scouring my home to find out where else I might use them…..have this mild obsession with antlers. Think the first time I fell in love with them is when I visited my aunts spectacular home in France and saw a limestone pair gracing their front door then once inside, they were in the gorgeous library, and then onto the kitchen.

While in France we were lucky to visit a few peoples homes and antlers seemed to be de rigour. I took notice and  made some personal notes. Antlers have become a pretty hot item, both faux and real. My latest thought is  I think I want to place them possibly above my stone hood in my kitchen and possibly in the family room at some point. Whats your opinion on them? Do you like them? I like that you now see them not only in very traditional interiors but modern and transitional ones as well…this decorative element though classic is proving it has a fun and funky side too……

 I like this space, simple and elegant, Bungalow Blue
A collection of pretty antlers is a fun way to dress up the wall on top of a pretty chest,,  Between naps on the front porch
 Leave it up to Ralph to create such a sumptuous table…..rustic perfection!
 The antler collection here is so ideal….Timothy Corrigan
Talk about making a major statement, check out this antler chandelier! Barefoot floor

  I think this space is pretty amazing, and a great mix of styles, Luella and June

 Suzanne Kasler took a bunch of white resin antlers and created a dramatic wall vignette in this more modern feeling space

 If I had a mountain/ski house…I owuld love to recreate this powder room, love that antler mirror!

The antler chandelier looks gorgeous on this beautiful porch, Houzz

 Jennifer Brouwer uses a pair of antlers above a mantle in this cozy transitional space beautifully

I really love them when used in conjunction with other elements like layering them with art, and other decorative objects, Pottery Barn

 Antlers are everywhere in France…….

 Love this amazing antler Chandler for this gorgeous outdoor space!

 Rinfret got it right with these stunning antler sconces…love this foyer!

 This is a great example of mixing the old and new, shiny and rustic….

 Gorgeous antlers in this sensational bath, Martyn Thompson

 This all white more transitional setting shows resin antlers work with all decors! Mary McGee

 Antlers in grand spaces like this chateau are a match made in heaven….

 This transitional office space gets an entire wall of antlers, makes for an interesting wall! House Beautiful

 They are a great way to add interest to any blank wall, Gretha Scholtz

 The antlers give this dark masculine space a wonderful added touch!

 Love this idea of adding a pair of antler to a gorgeous wreath!

 Have always loved this room by Kathleen Rivers

Even in a very monochromatic space…they add a sense of texture and interest, RH
I love antlers when paired with interesting art! 
 This showroom was filled with the most beautiful antler pieces, my own picture taken at Maison de Objet  show in Paris

 Sometimes antlers are used merely for decorative objects such as in this pretty kitchen, House Beautiful

So….thats a wrap up on antlers. What do you think? Like? Love? I would love to hear what you have to say on the matter. Hope you are off to having a fabulous day and a great week. Thanks for stopping in……..

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… I am mad for antlers … haven’t made the plunge in my own home yet, but close … it’s amazing how many people are left “cold” when I discuss … your post was reassuring.

Karen in CT (now VA)

All right… I will be honest here… I think certain things should stay where they belong to, meaning.. leave the antlers in the wild! LOL

No.. actually, they’re okay in certain spaces and in MODERATION! I can see people “staging” a room with antlers all over the wall for a magazine (we want to see different things — something that grabs the public attention, etc), but I couldn’t live with parts of animals around me, even if it’s faux. It’s trendy and if not done right, it’s tacky.

Antlers and animal related decor items are okay if it’s in a cabin or in a rustic space.

Thank you for your sweet comments, Tina. I LOVE reading them!

Have a great week, my friend.

Luciane at HomeBunch.com

Good morning Tina. I have to say I do love the look I’ve noticed that they become very trendy which I guesses may be a reason I stayed away from it I tend to avoid trends i do think it’s awfully pretty I love all of the gorgeous examples You have shown. Thank you for a delightful post

Tina, I have used antlers on my porch and in mantel garlands. I don’t have any on the wall. I prefer them in rustic homes, but don’t mind a splash of them in a formal home. Love the photos! I always pin so many from your posts! Thanks for the inspiration!

To be honest, I am not a fan of antlers in the home(faux or real) To me, it seems ghoulish…and off putting in a home.

Happy Monday Tina,

I will sound very hypocritical here, since I own fur coats (which I only wear when it is frigid); however I just don’t like the idea of real antlers or the counterpart faux ones. There is also the concern that it is now another trend designers are pouncing ( no pun intended) on. IAlso I don’t wish to see taxidermy examples of a hunter’s conquest hanging on a wall (another subject) which thankfully is fairly rare these days.

Trust me the first time I saw an antler chandelier in Senator Kit Bonds home I wanted one badly. I have also seen them made into beautiful candle holders. So I guess I am one of the dissenters on antlers.

xoxo
Karena
2013 Artists Series

I like the large antler chandeliers in rustic spaces — cabins, barns, outdoor dining or lounging spaces — but I do not understand the fascination with the plethora of wall mounted ones. Obviously, based on how often I see them online, my opinion is a minority one.

Dear Tina,

I love antlers too. Yes…..are a bit of the moment but, like all good design rooted in history, these things are popular again and again for a reason. I particularly like the antlers on the carved Austrian mounts and have a very hard time finding them. Wish you could find a source for those!

How funny–I just ordered a pair of faux antlers earlier this morning for my living room mantel. I love the look in every sort of house style. I do prefer faux because of personal reasons. I believe antlers are beautiful and what better way to honor that admiration than to substitute with a respectful appreciation πŸ™‚
There is no doubt in my mind it is presently a trend here in the states. It is a trend however that I think will evolve to a staple. They are simply beautiful.
Fondly-Lisa

I grew up in the Texas Hill Country so antlers used in home decor is nothing new to me. But, I am SO OVER THEM! Let’s all just move on now!
Jana

Hi Tina – well I hate to be the only one – but I do not like antlers of any kind in any home. I so not like anything that comes off of a real animal either (cow hide rugs etc.). But I do love your decorating and envy many of the beautiful things that you have in your home. You have the most beautiful home of all the blogs that I look at every day. Betty from Ontario Canada.

Since we can literally trip over the real ones where I live and the husband has carted them all home I’m out on antlers. They’re nice looking but the husband has them draped all over his workroom and moose antlers can be HUGE!I guess I’m more used to and like better seeing them on the live animals but you’ve shown some stunning interiors!

XXX
Debra~

well, personally, I love antlers + there, i will go on the record as saying that! + if it is good enough for RL than well, you know the rest. Great photos. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

Hi Tina, I do like them! I have this dream plan for a mountain home in Sun Valley, Idaho, where we were married, and always think about having antlers as part of the decor. In fact, I think that some of these lovely photos you’ve collected will have to be filed away for inspiration for “someday.” Hope your week is off to a beautiful start! XOXO

Hello Tina,

I love this post! All of these photos are beautiful…if you like antlers. I think that either you love them or hate them, as is shown in the comments. I think it is a way to decorate that has been around for centuries, as you say if you go to any country house in France, Scotland or England you will see them everywhere. It is a way of life.

Thanks for sharing! Have a great day!

I actually love the look, its so European! I think they look great alone but don’t a lot on one wall, but one big pair is gorgeous. I love the idea of using them in a kitchen too and prefer them in traditional rooms, think the modern resin ones look silly and way too trendy. You chose some really beautiful examples. Ralph Lauren always does this look so well. Great post Tina!

PS Got my chocolate tote and LOVE it, its even better in person πŸ™‚

Love, love, love this post!! By the way, a lot of the antlers I have in my CO home are naturally shed….

Antlers are such beautiful sculptures… each one different and unique. Love Ralph’s ‘rustic luxe’ table, and all the antler chandeliers.

At least the beauty of antlers is that they are naturally shed, so while many make take an animal with it, they don’t all have too. I LOVE Ralph Lauren’s antler candlesticks. the price way too hefty, I’m thinking someday I’ll figure out how to make them.

This one is fascinating Tina, an interesting topic I’ve not really seen discussed form a decor perspective. I’m sure it has been & I just missed seeing the stories or posts, but post really shows different ways they are used. I grew up with them at the cottage where we summered, the real-deal kind that family members had procured when hunting. That may have turned me off them for the most part, but you show some examples here that could change that sentiment.

If they are naturally shed it’s ok. If you have the time look up Bog Elk antlers!! Huge, I mean massive! They were hanging in the kitchen of Carton House in Co. Kildare. We had the lovely experience of living in the stewards house for a year and a half, that was before the estate was made into a huge golf course. We also lived in a flat above the carriage and barn complex. At the time Marianne Faithful lived in Shell Cottage too. They had annual pheasant shoots and deer hunts. It was really a magical time! Miss Ireland and the wonderful friends we made. Mary Anne

Growing up with a dad who is an avid hunter…and son’s that love it just as much…we have always had antlers in our home. I love them mixed in with art and have them scattered throughout our house. My mom has an entire room they added on simply for my dad’s “antlers”! And other fabulous treasures! Miller’s house in Auburn is covered in them between him and his two roommates! They are all big hunters! I caught a glimpse of a set of antlers they had mounted in their kitchen by the coffee pot! It is where they hang their coffee mugs! I thought that was pretty darn clever when you are low on cabinet space! Loved every picture in this post! Thanks for stopping by earlier! I always love hearing from you!

Beautifully done! My mother is from Belgium so I grew up having real antlers from my grandparents grace many areas of our home mostly in our study. It is common to see in European homes. I do like the look but do not care for the modern take (the white plastic ones) think that look is far too trendy and overdone. In a beautiful rustic or traditional home however they are a great way to add interest and texture to a room. I love all of the gorgeous examples you have selected and shared here. I am going to show my mother this post, Tina.

Anna

I grew up around taxidermy (my grandfather and great-grandfather were big game hunters and brought home trophies from several African safaris, as did my parents in the 1970’s) so I am very comfortable with it and have never considered it a trend. I picked up a few vintage roe deer mounts at Brimfield and they are hanging in my powder room. Love it!

xo,
Phyllis

I love antlers. We had them in our previous house in the country, everything from little deer antlers to giant Texan longhorns. They would look great in your place.

Hi Tina: I don’t know about the antler trend. I just can’t get into it. It’s probably because we had several around the house when I was growing up and I saw where they came from… Not sure how they work with the whole Feng Shui philosophy either, I think you aren’t supposed to have any dead animals in the house (which would including antlers). Faux ones are probably okay. I’ll pass on this trend but I sure love absolutely everything else you do!

All the best to you πŸ™‚
Christine

I just love them and the first image and the Timothy Corrigan image are two of my favorites!! You must use them…they’ll look amazing in your house ~

What a surprising post! I never would have thought of you as liking antlers!!! I cam on board a few years ago, but didn’t have the $$ to buy some online. So, I asked my BIL, who is a hunter to send me some. I got a whole box full and they now are in our “man cave” downstairs. It is not truly a man cave but an entertaining area with large Tv, pool table and now the bar is being built. I would LOVE to have some mounted! All I have are ones that were naturally shed. I have ALWAYS wanted a mountain home to decorate too:):) Your photos are fabulous.

Yes, I’m an antler lover!!! In fact, I keep looking at various ones and trying to decide where they would look best in my house. I have a couple of places and really just need to take the plunge!

How about that US Open game tonight?!!! Complete nail biter!!!!
Hope your week is off to a fabulous start!

xoxo Elizabeth

I can always count on you for fresh, inspiring and beautiful blog entries! One of my long-time go-to bloggers has lost her design mojo. She rarely posts anymore, the posts are boring and uninspiring and after waiting a year for a reveal of her newly built home, she gives her readers a tiny nothing glimpse. It’s so depressing. All that time invested in her projects and supporting her blog for hideous panels to hide a plasma, tacky plaster heads and donkeys… So thank god for you Tina!! You are the absolute best.

Well, that’s funny (sort of!) I guess I’ll be shelving my “Antler Post” for awhile! I’ve collected too many of the same images!
Great minds…as they say…
I’d been sitting on my post for a bit because 1) I’m still in Summer mode here in Santa Barbara and 2) my title was a bit racy and I was probably over-thinking it (a terrible Virgo trait to be sure)
I must admit, I love antlers used in an unexpected or classic way and don’t feel they only look good in “rustic” settings, though I do have some in my Sun Valley home. As one or two of your readers mentioned, animals aren’t necessarily hunted (though sadly, many are) to acquire antlers-they are shed naturally.
They’re a form of adornment that has existed for centuries, so there’s something primal about them to be sure.
Anyway- Great Post!!
xx SP

I have to say I love this post. I do love the use of antlers in a traditional home but find the resin/plastic variety rather tacky and too trendy. Along with chevron and furry poofs, haha. You chose some beautiful examples of how antlers look their best and I cannot wait to see how and where you use yours. Tina, I love you blog and so appreciate the effort you put into it. Your writing skills, warmth, superb taste and fantastic eye truly make this one of if not the best blogs in the blogosphere!

Cindy L.

While we’re not the hunting types, we do find something rustic and chic about a set of antlers and we’ve invested in a pair of lucite ones for our new living room. Can’t wait to see them on our new coffee table!
xxoo
C + C

Hi Tina,

This is a great post and your photos are great as usual… I like antlers but only for my country house. In the city I find them to be a bit much. Having said that, I think they are best used in moderation and only the ones that shed naturally… no skulls please

best,
Emily

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