Go West

In the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio, there is a wonderful little store called Collier West. I often make it a point to go look around whenever I'm in the neighborhood.


The website has an online store where you can buy goodies, but the best experience is to actually visit the store, if you can. The décor is basically what I want my house to look like - a little cluttered and a lot antique and intriguing. You feel like everything you look at is part of the whole of the store's aesthetic...like an antique store, but curated.

Antlers are everywhere (and for sale), as are branches, nature-inspired lighting fixtures, and lots of local and not-local original artware (like ceramics, plates, and jewelry). I even spotted the ceramic art of Laura Zindel, that we blogged about last year!

If you ever find yourself among the fab restaurants and art galleries of Columbus, make sure you drop into this jewel of a store; you will be very glad you did.

I believe in fairy stories

I'm going to post something unabashedly girly because Chris can't stop me.

Whichgoose handcrafts absolutely beautiful fantasy crowns from natural materials, ribbons, beads, and tiny birds. The subdued palette and organic nature of them just fits my "fairy tale ideal" to an absolute tee. Her colors, photos, and textures are like a hand-colored photograph from the turn of the century. I might have kind of a girl-crush on her....okay, I do.


If you are going to a medieval fair this summer, or need something for a niece or daughter for dress-up, or if you're like me and feel your own need to play dress-up, be sure to check out her Etsy shop!

who's afraid

Okay, I know that animal-head busts in classical patterns, or in solid mod colors are kind of a "thing" right now, and we here at Darkened Forest like to pride ourselves on having an aesthetic that is somehow beyond trends (a delusion, yes), but I saw this and just couldn't resist.




It's a resin wolf's head, papered in a black and white damask-type pattern, with beautiful, stoic green eyes. This would look amazing above my red velvet sofa, if anybody wants to buy it for me. Or, if you'd rather purchase it for your own sitting room, you can find it, and other papered creations, in the artist's Etsy shop.

earthen vessels

Laura Zindel creates beautiful and functional ceramic pieces.


Flora and Fauna are artfully arranged on her plates, bowls, and cups, like specimens in a museum. The best part, of course, is that they are available for purchase on her website.

of fog and bicycles

Louise Robinson creates illustrative works of a quiet, desolate, archaic tone. Anthropomorphic girls, animals on bicycles, and repeated figures lurk out of backgrounds of neutral shades and stained paper.

Her technique is a mix of digital collage, painting, and heaven only knows what else, the images are rich and seamless, with a striking sense of color and just the right amount of restraint.



She sells her prints in her Etsy store, so be sure to stop in; if you're in the market for some unique, unusual, and haunting wall decor, you have stepped into the right place.

And hey, her first name is my middle name, so maybe I'm biased, but I really love the aesthetic she presents. Louises of the world, unite.

back and forward

The Etsy shop of Builder's Studio cranks out some amazing things. From gorgeous retro-futuristic robot miniatures...



...to handmade Ray Guns, sized both for holding in the hand, or hanging on a chain around your neck. And what is even better? They're made of wood! The old, rustic patina-style finish on these pieces is wonderful, and though many of the shapes seem very "wood-like", the metallic sheen plays a trick on you and really makes you think you are looking at hammered, weathered metal.

unholy stench

If you tire of the popular bevy of home-scenting products which reek of vanilla, freesia, or raspberry, you may want to try a selection from the Douglas Little Company.

That being said, I will openly admit to being not only a hardened cynic, but a snobbish one, when it comes to fragrance. I am a dabbler/merchant in the fragrance arena myself, and feel that much of the soul of the perfumery industry lies in the poetry of perfume, the seduction of luxurious packaging, the romance of words woven together to create a mental tapestry before the consumer even smells the product.

Even so, I am intrigued by these lovely candles, I have smelled one or two before, and they are quite nice. I am interested in both the Winchester and the Ex Libris scents, given my near-obsessive penchant toward leather/wood/oakmoss scents, and may have to give one or both a try. The debossed boxes and overhanging labels, coupled with lovely typefaces and old ornaments look very nice, and I find it to be a very visually successful line of products.

Post-Script: not to diminish the experience of the smoldering woodsy tones and hand-through-the-fire etching on the glass of the "Salem" candle (above), but I wonder if Mr. Little realizes that no one was actually ever burned as a witch in Salem?

Post-Post-Script: They were actually hanged, for the most part, but I suppose there is little poetry in the earthy smell of wet leather gloves, rough-hewn wood, and the tenacious aroma of hand-wound flaxen rope. But I could be wrong.

flimsy sheets of history

If you're looking for a nice gift for somebody, or yourself, head over to Panteek Antique Prints and check out their selection. Head straight for the "clearance" area, there are a lot of lovely prints there in the 45-dollar range, like this shell print from 1849 .



It's also a great place to go for artistic reference purposes, and I will be the first to admit that I have downloaded just about every image on the website, to catalog it for future usage. The website itself is a far cry from being aesthetically stimulating, but it's easy to navigate.