Using Found Objects in the Home for Spooky Settings

“That’s Easy for YOU!”  This is one of my least favorite phrases in the Universe. I often hear it around Halloween because my love of skulls and Day of the Dead Folk Art provides me with ample fodder for my Halloween Hauntings. Friends and customers complain about the time it takes to put up and take down decorations for the holidays, and since I have these things readily available around the house, they think it will be so much easier for me.

The reality is that the real reason it is easier for me is that I love it; and I don’t stress too much about it, unless I connect it to my oldest son’s October Birthday Celebration (which brings decoration to a whole new level). The real advantage I have is a fireplace mantel, which gives the room a focal point and an easy pick for an area of decoration interest. I also buy a few things every year instead of going whole hog one year and sending myself into a Halloween debt that would rival Christmas.

The pictures here depict this year’s mantel which is spooky and fun and created with mostly found objects from my home and attic. I have to admit I have a prejudice against fake webbing, but I’ve been told by a neighbor that a little webbing would make it even spookier for her.

Start by considering what objects in your home look old and antique. Framed pictures of old relatives are an easy choice, but what about the possessions of these same relatives? Grandma’s tea service, old jewelry, candlesticks, and books take on a whole new meaning when paired with skulls, rats, and bottled body parts. I love how, on my mantel, a Joseph Lincoln book entitled Ezra Coffin fits in so well with the theme.

 Here, I’ve chosen a design board I use to show customers a block painting technique. This could be easily substituted with a de-silvered mirror or a large family portrait. I’ve taken down the paintings that usually hang here and added a large piece for focus. All the “Halloween” elements on the mantel are from the 99 Cent Only Store, Dollar Tree, or Target’s $1-$2.50 area, including the skulls. I have used the candlesticks that always sit on my mantel and fastened the skulls to them with a little removable, tacky putty from Home Depot or Loewe’s. This adds height and makes them seem more majestic.

The candlestick and bottle jewelry accents are from M’s Boutique and the $5.99 and Up Store. They each have a dollar section for jewelry; and I like to buy the $.99 rings and earrings and deconstruct them to make different items for decoration.  I simply stick the earring piece into the candle, or use the cooler version of hot glue sticks to glue them to the candle.

The bottles are all from sodas and beer bought at Trader Joe’s. Fine craft beers and sparkling lemonades often come in interesting bottles with unique shapes. Simply pat them with Martha Stewart’s all purpose or glass paints (found at Michael’s) in a light silver to “age “ them using a sponge or paper towel. You can use store bought labels, down-loadable labels, or make your own as I have done and print then on aged paper. Then, I’ve added jewelry and glitter. I like to make my own because I can add personal touches like “Gilbert Family Reserve” or “Mrs. Dolton’s Creative Concoctions”. OR, you can use new wine glasses, bottles or vases temporarily patted with washable black tempera paints ($.99 at Walmart). This comes off easily with soap and water (be sure not to over handle as it will flake off after drying). You needn’t take them to a higher level of design!

What of the ultra -modern apartment of the client without sentimental old possessions? Well, these type of homes need similar decorations. Simply use ultra-modern chrome, clear glass, or black bisque candle holders with sparkling black candles and black and silver glitter skulls or orange glitter pumpkins from Target ($2.50). Clear glass cake stands and wine glasses turned on end make very nice pedestals for skulls and pumpkin groupings.

A word about the chandelier: this “easy” to make piece is simply this:

Two legs for small ottomans purchased at Home depot for $6.99 each each are drilled with holes the same size as the copper wire below.

Copper wire bent to form: Five pieces to form cage, five pieces bent out to hold the votives glued with wood glue into place. I did not use epoxy because the wood was unfinished and wood glue is the strongest bond for unfinished wood surfaces.

5 votives from the $.99 Cent Only Store

Five skeleton heads purchased at Michael’s and then painted with Martha Stewart Black Textured Metallic Paint (Home Depot-I can’t get enough of this fabulous paint that sticks to virtually anything) hot glued to base of top leg

Rings and beads (decomposed from $1 necklaces, it’s cheaper than buying the beads in a pack) hot glued to top piece.  Using standard white glue, fill in the spaces around the beads and jewels and over sprinkle with fine glitter. I call this process “sugaring”.

Bling is all from $1 stores. I used deconstructed necklaces and earrings.

Finally, add the ballerina skeletons. These little lovelies look fabulous by themselves. They are made from 4 for $1 skeleton garland painted with the textured metallic paint. I added tutus made by cutting a small piece of tulle and skipping a quick running stitch through one side, then tying it around the waste of the skeleton. The crowns are made from 99 cent a yard lace. Total price : $30 for a $200 looking piece.

We are heading into "birthday season" at our house. We have birthdays in October, November, and December...and then...Christmas! If we don't organize now, by January, we're swimming in a sea of toys, pieces and parts.

Chaos really, really kills your design chi. You can have the most beautiful mural, the most serene color on the wall and the comfiest comforter, but if there is a ocean of papers or legos, or stacks of magazines, the design is really lost to the mess.

Before you begin the process of redecorating your room, you must first weigh the importance of everything you put back in the room. If there are cherished pieces that do not fit with the new design scene, can they be repurposed in other areas of the house? Can they go into storage for the grandkids? Has their time come? I remember repainting a room for a client and by simply gleaning one piece from every room of her
home, she didn't have to buy a single additional accent. 

Sometimes repainting a piece of furniture or stripping and restaining it can change your focus and free the ideas up. For instance, a recent client had an expensive, carved, well made bed with a southwestern feel. Her daughter was looking for a bohemian chic room, so we used a gloss black that changed the whole flavor of the bed. No one would have ever guessed it was the same bed.

The next step is storage. What works best for the room? Cube shelving with coordinating cubbies? A pirate chest instead of a hamper? A glass shelved, dining room china chest repurposed for linens and perume bottles in a master bedroom? Just because storage is a useful task, beauty or originality need not be lost or expensive.

Similarly, can toys or kitchen items become part of your design? Yes! Unique wall shelving can make favorite toys a design focus (HotWheels has some amazing and fun storage for their cars and Wall Tracks are art in themselves!). Kitchen platters that only get used for holidays or special occasion can be hung in clusters with hangers that cost about $3 at Home Depot. Remove this clutter from your storage space by making utilitarian items part of your design scheme!

I often joke that there is a certain amount of marriage counseling that goes with my job. Women tend to lean toward warm colors and men toward cool. Women tend to be more daring in their design choices in terms of lush linens, metallic tile and sparkle and men will choose more innovative structural ideas and expensive fixtures. When you’re the part of the renovation that’s the icing on the cake, you walk a fine line between finishing off a completed room so that it’s just perfect, and coming in at the end of a job when money is getting thinner and families are just tired of strangers being in their space.

Almost every guy in my first meeting approaches me with a certain level of caution: a mix of “How much is this going to cost me?” and “Just how nutty is this broad’s design sense?” On top of that, there has usually been some discussion about boundaries before I even step in the door; and I have to tease out what those parameters are because they are rarely handed to me. Most women will either have no idea what they want, or have a vision that is so specific that they are really not ready for compromise.

The biggest trouble that couples get into is that they are not really having the same argument. This happens to my husband and me all the time (though rarely about design as I have a pretty good idea of what he will, or will not go for). We have had two hour discussions of him problem solving and getting frustrated that I don’t like his solutions; while I am trying to tell him I need him to just listen and be compassionate. AND, we’ve had disagreements where I was full of “but you” and “well, I’m not fond of it when” and what he needed from me was “I had no idea you felt that way. I will never do that again.”

Here’s the most common conversations with a little interpretation behind them:

1.) “I don’t like purple.”  “That looks like vomit.” “Red makes me uncomfortable.”

This usually means one part of the couple is seeing one of the underlying hues in a color. For instance, women tend to be drawn to more purple grays and at 5pm when we arrive home for dinner, the color of the light REALLY brings out the lavender in a grey. Similarly, I lean toward green golds and that green comes out at night. “That looks like vomit”= too much green as well. “That looks like excrement”= brown is too muddy and cool.  “Red makes me uncomfortable”= I see too much blood imagery in this color. Please choose something more subtle.” It’s really all about finding the RIGHT grey, or gold, or brick, not choosing a different color entirely.

2.) “That color is too feminine.”

Let’s face it, Pink is NOT masculine. But turquoise? Yellow/gold? Sage? I have heard all these colors described as too feminine. This usually means that one member is starting to put back all the stuff the other person usually has in the room. The new color, coupled with the old style, is screaming,”Girl!” There needs to be reassurance that there will be masculine elements and that this is a new design.

3.) “It’s too Vegas.” “That is so Moulin Rouge.” “I don’t want my living room to feel like a circus.” “It looks like a cabin in the woods. It’s too rustic.”  “Seriously, cow hide?”

These are all comments indicating one member of the team is uncomfortable with bold choices being made for certain objects in the room. What they are really saying is “I don’t see you adding any of ME in here. You do not care about my feelings.”

 It is now time for the other member to step back and realize that changing a paint sheen or adding different textures to soften harder edges will go MILES with their partner. Sun yellow with a black suede couch and white  and yellow damask pillows is one thing. Sun yellow with a chintz couch and a shabby chic rag rug is another.

It’s also the time to be honest: “Every time I open one of those fashion magazines the Stars have a cowhide footrest in the middle of a modern apartment. This has always been a symbol of wealth for me and I have wanted one my entire life. Please just give me this one thing.” Or “My aunt had a duvet cover with lilacs and she smelled of Old Lady. I cannot be romantic under that duvet. Period.” These are the thoughts we should be able to express, but we feel we’ll be judged by them. You’re with this other person for a reason. Be honest and hopefully they will listen.

4.) “Can we reel this in?” “I thought we were just picking a wall color!” “Why are we talking about blinds now?”

These comments are all indicators that a choice of color has gotten complicated. Maybe the couple is thinking about changing their couch and has a picture of a cool tan microfiber while we are looking at warm gold wall samples. Maybe they have just chosen a really cool Restoration Hardware type green and then indicated that they’ll be putting in warm maple flooring next month. Future purchases leading into color choices can really frustrate a team member who thought this was going to be a simple decision. It’s always best to go to the old house and see the furnishings that will stay before you see the new house and pick the colors. No one hates telling a couple  that the new blinds they’ve chosen to go with their new flooring and granite countertops are going to look terrible with their giant sectional family room couch more than me. If color were always an easy thing, I wouldn’t have a job.

5.) Silence.

As I tell my husband, when I’m quiet, you know something’s wrong.

Usually (most of the time) silence means “I’m mad but I love you too much to argue in front of a stranger”, “I need time to process” or “I said no. You’re not listening.” This usually angers the other partner, but nine times out of ten, the silent one has shut down out of respect for the other person. They want to process in private, and discuss this with their partner only. Decisions made by the single partner during this time are almost always overturned at a later date. Not everyone processes at the same rate. It’s best not to rush it.

Rarely, this is a power play. It says “I want what I want and I will fume until I get it.” This is when I need to walk away. Volatility or anger like this is not healthy for anyone.

So, how do you prepare you and your partner for the fastest, easiest design meeting ever? Planning!

Have a game plan or an agenda, and agree not to waiver from it (but be prepared for surprise discussions). Understand that every item put back in a room effects a color choice, and don’t think it’s going to be a simple choice. Be prepared to have a second meeting. Don’t schedule a meeting right before a major party, sporting event, or another designer. Know your partner’s likes and don’t push buttons. Gentle ribbings can turn into very real hurts under the pressure of renovations. Have a safe word for when you are overwhelmed, need to process or really don’t feel like you and your designer or artist aren’t clicking. Set a time frame, and reference it accordingly. Follow up with an emailed synopsis of the meeting and what your expectations are. Let your partner edit it before you send it so you know you are on the same page. Don’t be afraid to ask for more options. There is rarely one color choice. And lastly, don’t poll your friends and neighbors. It’s your house. Own your decisions. Choose a design that makes your life together better and don’t listen to what the neighbors think.

Communicating prior to your design meeting and listening to your partners thoughts (and watching non-verbals) are the keys to all successful endeavors.