Stranger Things

I often refer to my Curio Cabinets in a literal way, as there are many in my Atmospheric Workshop. But it takes a village of props and antique finds to bring the Warmhouse Story atmosphere to life. So, let’s be real, in addition to the actual curio cabinets, I have shelves and tubs of fantastic finds in storage closets and any space I can squirrel away my favorite things.

One of the most common object types that I own are candlesticks. Old ones. New ones. Tall ones. Short ones. Some are silver.  Some are brass. Some are painted on for sass. One of the things that I love about candlesticks is that you can add them to almost any table or mantle décor for instant drama. You can thrift for them, find them at discount stores or find the perfect piece with history from an esteemed antique shop. I have a mix.  I love how I can combine the height of the candle holder and the height of the taper to make sure I always have interesting levels of lighting.

You can find all kinds of taper candles online and in stores lately.  I’ve enjoyed experimenting with extended candle sizes that exceed 15 inches. Using those super tall tapers make for a long evening of light that are mesmerizing to watch throughout the night. I encourage you to have fun playing around with both elements of candlelight. How did I get them to look so drippy? Well, we had a party in July and afterward my mom said, “Those would be great for halloween!” Thanks, mom! If you use extra tall tapers, you can let them burn ahead of time. In that way, you can have a spooky look when your guests arrive. Stand back as they channel The Bangles and ask you, “Is this burning an eternal flame?”

While the candlesticks are a plenty in my curio cabinets, there are some things that I collect along the way and I’m not quite sure why. About seven or eight years ago, I went to a big thrift fest called Junk Bonanza. Deep in the back of an exhibitor’s booth I found the most interesting player piano music rolls. I’ve always found the idea of a player piano to be ghostly. Just the idea of the keys moving on their own is enough to give me chills.  Nonetheless, I bought those scrolls and they sat on a shelf as some background texture for a long time. 

I have a weird visual memory. When I was thinking about what could float above this display that might not be flowers, the player piano rolls popped right into my mind. In a hot minute, I was up on a ladder and suspending one of the rolls. There is a huge inner warmth I feel when I find the perfect use for something that I have collected. It is like a breakthrough.

Sometimes people ask me how I come up with my ideas for decorating and entertaining. The truth is that I take a little time- here and there- to go through the inventory of my mind of curious things that I have collected or seen. I can get Atmospherist block like anyone, but in the end, I get there by giving myself space to drift off and imagine. 

As you make your home welcoming for your friends and family through the fall and winter, I hope you’ll give yourself some time to take a trip through your curio cabinets and spend some time savoring and finding use for your most unusual finds. Those things likely have a story behind them worth sharing. I bet your guests will find it quite interesting to see how you have worked them in to the atmosphere you have created. Give it a shot and see how it goes!