The Elegant Zoo

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When we began ‘The Weekend Honey Do’ we asked our followers on Instagram to throw their most obscure design questions at us and boy oh boy did they not disappoint.

Although I’m not surprised living in the midwest being prime ‘hunting country’ one of our followers asked about taxidermy. 

‘How do I incorporate taxidermy into my home without it looking like a hunting lodge?’

The concept wasn’t foreign but the idea of incorporating taxidermy into a refined space and one that didn’t automatically read ‘hunter’... let’s just say if I had it my way I’d just assume not. The idea of a ‘mount’ being a non negotiable hadn’t come up professionally, but when I truly considered the topic I quickly discovered that closing myself off to this unfamiliar genre wasn’t doing my clients or myself any favors. 

When I jumped down the rabbit hole I uncovered a world of artistry, respect, and limitless potential I never saw coming. Taxidermy is a timeless art form that has long been reserved for the hunting community or museums. Moving into the mainstream home design arena may have never been a forthright goal but boy are they coming in strong and I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon.

And if you are an animal lover like myself, you’ll rest assured knowing that not all but many many taxidermists only use the ‘capes’ (hides) of animals who have passed due to natural causes and were found. Some even create ‘faux taxidermy’ which is a recreation that doesn’t use the ‘cape’ at all.

ART CONNOISSEUR VS. HUNTER

For organizational purposes I’d like to group the connoisseurs of taxidermy to fall between one, if not both of these groups. The hunter whose primary goal is to retain the ‘mount’ as a trophy and or the consumer who appreciates the ‘mount’ purely for art sake. 

If you have the luxury of exploring taxidermy solely for the artistry you would go about it as you would selecting any piece of art. Look for interesting and unique positioning and taxidermy that conveys the ‘life’ of the animal it is intending. Exceptional taxidermy is able to capture the essence of life instead of an animal posing which couldn’t be further from what they do in their natural habitat. Also, explore a more exotic species than what you may see in your backyard. While there is nothing wrong with an appreciation for your local environment, the more obscure and unusual the piece is the more drama you bring into your space.


ALL TOGETHER NOW VS. SOLO PERFORMANCE

If you are incorporating a sentimental piece (a trophy or beloved pet, surprised but apparently it is a thing) you may A. may be limited in variety of species and B. may have many more mounts that you would normally select if the goal was purely artistic styling. Basically you have t0o many deer than one person should. Sound familiar?

I say either put everything on one wall, GO BIG or, split up your collection and allow each mount to have its uninterrupted moment. go home. 


Allowing one space in your home to showcase all of them together is a powerful statement. If you have too many or simply not a big enough wall you could also split them up so as to avoid the ‘three over here’ ‘two over there’ ‘and three more down the hall’. I would limit myself to no more than 2  of the same species in any room or space that can see the other room. If you can see Bambi and his mother, make sure Faline is out of sight.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

I find the goal when working with taxidermy in one’s space is to accentuate the ‘flamboyant artistry’ of the ‘mount’/piece of art. To achieve this it is imperative that care is taken in elevating the design in selections for the room elsewhere. These works of art demand center stage and you should graciously hand it over. Keep the lines of furniture, patterns on textiles, and even the amount of furnishings as subtle as possible. 


YOUR HOME DOESN’T NEED A THEME, IT’S NOT AN AMUSEMENT PARK

If you take nothing else from this blog post please remember to stay as far away from ‘thematics’ as you can. Just because you hunt wild turkey does not mean you need turkeys on your drapes, rug and throw pillows. And equally important, if you live in a bi-level in the suburbs please don’t attempt to make it the log cabin of your dreams. The key to good design lies in understanding ‘balance’. Just like everything doesn’t need to match, the same holds true for ensuring the mount be a compliment to a well designed home and not a shrine to a particular hobby.