Antlers: Rustic Chic

The antlers-on-the-wall trend has been around for a few years now, and many people are tired of it. While I am not crazy about numerous horns hanging on a wall, I do appreciate the sculptural beauty of a single set of antlers. They remind me of the beautiful bare arms of a crepe myrtle in December, and they make a striking addition to a winter tablescape. I understand that male deer and moose shed their antlers after the breeding season, so it is possible to find dropped antlers in the wild. I wouldn't mind if one of the many deer who eat my azaleas and hostas dropped an antler for me, but until then, the following photos will have to do . . . 

"Ten Tips for Easy Entertaining" by Jessica Mischner.
Garden and Gun (December 1. 2010).

"Create a variety of stations for guests to help themselves to drinks, appetizers and desserts. In this dining room, purple calla lilies, pewter antiques and variegated feathers offer traditional holiday charm." Antler candleholder.
Photography by Virginia Macdonald.

"The decorous white facade of Richard Norris and Mark Leslie's Montgomery, Alabama, house hardly prepares visitors for the embrace of its dark, intimate foyer. It's furnished in a freewheeling mix, including moose antlers, a Gothic crystal chandelier, and a rustic 19th-century French grandfather clock."
Photography by William Abranowicz.

"The hallway is a study in neutrals with wall-to-wall seagrass and patterned wallpaper. Homeowner and designer Colette van den Thillart accessorized the foyer with gilded antlers, a unique art piece with a plaster frame and warm white furnishings, including an 18th-century Russian side chair. The console works to conceal a radiator underneath."
London home of interior designer Colette van den Thillart, Nicky Haslam Design.
Photography by Chris Tubbs.
Canadian House and Home (January 2011).

"The parlor's daybed, gilt tables, overmantel, and chandelier are all French. Brahler found just enough vintage wallpaper in France to top wainscots painted Sherwin-Williams Cloud White. The mantel shelf holds one of the designer's hallmark 'extreme juxtapositions': a massive empty picture frame, propped against the mirror, alongside antlers her children collected on hikes. Glass domes shelter antique taxidermy."
Jacksonville, Illinois, home of designer Annie Brahler, Euro Trash.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
House Beautiful (May 2012).

"At the Ketchum, Idaho, home of Mary Lynn and Rusty Turner, custom-made steel bookcases line the walls of the dining area in the great room; the wood-and-iron chandelier and oak dining table are by Lucca Studio; the chairs are slipcovered in herringbone linen, and the rug by F. J. Hakimian is made of vintage kilim panels."
Interior design by homeowner Mary Lynn Turner and her daughters, Marie Turner Carson and Emily Turner, all of M. Elle Design.
Architecture by Bob White, Forest Studio.
Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna.
"The Peak of Rustic Chic" by Kathleen Hackett.
Elle Decor (December 2010 - January 2011). 

"In the entry, an 1880 Belgian table, a 1940s Kaare Klint sofa, and a 1937 Josef Frank cabinet found at Christie's; the staircase is made of antique oak, and the floor is paved with Belgian bluestone. The chandelier in the entry hall, meanwhile, is one of the rare exceptions to the anti-log-cabin rule. It's made of deer antlers - as classically Western as it gets. Bourgois says, 'There had to be at least one thing - an homage to the spectacular surroundings.' "
Home in Aspen, Colorado owned by a European couple.
Interior design by Caroline Sarkozy.
Renovation architect: Laurent Bourgois.
Photography by Eric Piasecki.
Styled by Stephen Pappas.

"A seating area contains several [Markham] Roberts designs, among them a sofa in an Old World Weavers fabric from Stark, faux-horn side tables, and a set of chairs in a Jasper stripe; Yuji Obata prints hang above the mantel, and the abaca carpet is by Stark."
Big Sky retreat of Julie and Tommy Frist.
Interior design by Markham Roberts.
Architecture by Paul Bertelli, JLF and Associates, Inc.
Photography by Bjorn Wallander.
Styling by Howard Christian.
Text by Mayer Rus.
"A Rustic Montana Mountain Retreat" produced by Senga Mortimer.

"The coffee table vignette illustrates Arriz Hassam and Suzanne Dimma's approach to design. Shed antlers found on the property are used as organic sculpture throughout the space."
Photography by Michael Graydon.
Canadian House and Home (October 2011).

" 'They're vintage European antlers, and they add a hundred more tones to the palette. One thing the wife was adamant about was no new antlers. It was important to her that no animal die for the decor - at least not in this century."
A rural Alabama plantation house.
Interior design by Betsy Brown, Betsy Brown Interiors.
Photography by William Abranowicz.
Interview by Mimi Read.
"Tone on Tone on Tone" produced by Olga Naiman.
House Beautiful (September 2011). 

"A rattan guest room bed and bedding by Ralph Lauren looks cool and comfortable in the guest room. Vintage French antler lamps from Stephanie Olivier."
California weekend home of Ken Fulk.
Interior design by Ken Fulk.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.
"A Classic Cottage in Napa Valley" by Christine Pittel.
House Beautiful (July 2008). 

"More moose antlers, hung upside down over the living room fireplace. Patricia Edward Jordan chair in chocolate Atlas mohair from Pindler and Pindler." 
1880s house in Healdsburg.
Interior design by Myra Hoefer, Myra Hoefer Design.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.

"An old moose antler makes a beautiful natural sculpture."
1880s house in Healdsburg.
Interior design by Myra Hoefer, Myra Hoefer Design.
Photography by Victoria Pearson.

"Imagine these magnificent gold antlers as your table's centerpiece, or resting on your mantel. Gorgeous enough to shine on their own, or surround with greenery for a beautiful contrast of colors."
Gold antlers (set of 2) offered by chasing fireflies.

Offered by Ballard Designs.
Photo via Ballard Designs website.


Menswear designer Joseph Abboud's pied-a-terre in a 19th-century Boston building.
Photography by Eric Roth.
Styled by Kelly McGuill. 
"Tall and Handsome" written by Candace Ord Manroe.
Traditional Home (September 2013).

"An antler serves as a handle on the porch door."
Designer: Mick de Giulio, De Giulio Kitchen Design.
Interior design by Veronica McGraw, Lakeside Living Design.
 Photography by Werner Straube.
Written by Amy Elbert.

The pine-beamed ceiling is original to the house.
Upstate New York cabin owned by Amy Mellen, creative director for Calvin Klein Home.
Photography by William Waldron.
Styled by JC Garcia-Lavin.

"Decorated with rustic antlers and freshly split wood, a fieldstone fireplace is the focal point of this sunroom sitting area."
Mount Washington home of Nancy and Dick Gould.
Architects: Robert Turpin and Sonja Misiaszek, Misiaszek Turpin Architecture and Planning.
Photography by Jonny Valiant and Joseph St. Pierre.
"Mountain Home With Great Views" written and produced by Doris Athineos.

"Kasler arranged four Adler lounge chairs in a circle to create the atmosphere of a reading room in the library, 'and it's great for conversation,' she says. Rose Tarlow mirror; MacRae antler table."
Normandy-style home in Atlanta.
Interior design by Suzanne Kasler.
Photography by Frances Janisch.
"A Fresh Take on Traditional" by Christopher Petkanas.

"The living room is a careful study of tonal harmony and textural contrasts. Architectural interest is heightened with the fireplace wall, antler mounts, and beige trims darker than the ivory-colored walls. The antler coffee table is from Elephant Walk Antiques; the trio of candlesticks mimic the antlers' prongs."
1920s Florida house of designer Abby Rizor, Wolfe-Rizor Interiors.
Photography by Thibault Jeanson.
"An Earthy, Elegant Florida House" by Frances Schultz.
House Beautiful (September 2008). 

" 'My front hall table is a 19th-century mirror-backed English mahogany console, where I keep my Blackberry, cell phone, keys, glasses, and all-important fountain pen in a dish. I never got around to hanging those antlers, and eventually I just got to liking them there. The staghorn fern is just my dumb sense of humor. I don't have a doorbell. so friends gave me the bell as a housewarming gift.' " - Gil Shafer, G. P. Schafer Architect.
House Beautiful (July 2008).