Hunting Lodge Chic Without Taxidermy

Last week while reading the Wall Street Journal over coffee, I came upon a rather strange article declaring that taxidermy was on the rise in New York. Or rather, people were buying dead, stuffed animals to decorate their apartments, so business was booming for taxidermists. One woman, a 45-year old ad executive, said that the pair of stuffed deer heads she hung in her apartment's entryway gave "the apartment a feeling of warmth."

I see more negatives than positives from hanging dead animals - no matter how clean - in my living space, so if I wanted to get in on this trend, I'd go for a Wooden Deer Head instead. Hand carved from laminated basswood, the wall decoration is sleeker and less scary than the real thing - not to mention that there is a lower risk of insects taking up residence within and no musty odor to contend with. The antlers are removable for storage purposes and there is a keyhole hanger in the back. Price: $495.