Ah, I knew I'd find my peeps here. Love these pieces! Love that there are others out there who are unafraid to incorporate the unusual, the whimsical, and even the downright bizarre into their homes. This reminds me that I have a deer skull half buried in my back garden that was given to me by a colleague after I told him that I like bones. He'd picked it up while out hiking with his daughter, and when he handed it off to me all wrapped up in a black garbage bag, it came with the caveat that there MIGHT be a little more hide still attached than I was expecting. Always wanting to be the cool, unruffled chick, I told him it was no problem whatsoever -- and then when I opened the bag at home, I was actually a bit horrified to find there was indeed a good deal more "deer" on the skull than I'd bargained for. It still had its little eyelashes, for cryin' out loud! Anyway - it's half buried in the garden and nature is taking its course. Hopefully in a few more months, I'll have a specimen that's been picked clean ... but right now, it's a little TOO "almost alive" for my taste.

Here in New Mexico, a mecca for artists of all kinds, nothing much surprises me anymore.

Here's my fish that I've hung in our family room. He's about 18" long: Love him!

And on our foyer hutch, I keep a couple of dinosaur eggs that we found on our property. We also have some great large-ish pieces of petrified wood in there, as well as ancient pottery shards, etc. And yes, that’s a real, naturally shed antler.

And, on a larger scale this is the kiva fireplace in our family room. Designed and painted as a take off of our petroglph art here in New Mexico. I painted it all myself.

Lynn, you speak my language. :-)

I love that fish! What's he made of? Definitely has the look of Mimbres pottery. Love those natural elements too (oh, and I have a bunch of Anasazi shards in a display case upstairs where I keep my kachinas -- another collection that to most people would seem "unusual", right?), and that kiva fireplace is TDF! You did a wonderful job painting it.

The fact that NM is an artists' mecca is one of the things that draws me back time and again. There's everything imaginable -- from truly fine art to cutting-edge contemporary to just outright nutty. And it's all wonderful!

Love the thread!! Hope more folks share the weird and wonderful.

I have quite a few odd things, and I seem to have a thing for people without faces. Here’s one of the many faceless-people paintings I have.

Gosh, Sue - I think the faceless people may actually draw you in even more than if they had faces! Makes your brain start working to "create" the features in your own mind. What a wonderful painting!

At one time I had a very large framed photograph of two women on horseback in the mountains of Colorado. It was probably taken in the 1940s -- just had a very cool vintage vibe about it -- and one day I looked very closely at the women, who were not photographed up close, and realized that one's face was completely obliterated. It was just like a blur of nothingness surrounded by hair. So weird! Of course, that made the piece even more fascinating to me. I have no idea what happened to it; probably sold it over the years when my style changed or in a decluttering effort. I wish I still had it though. There are few things I regret turning loose of, but that piece, I do.

Joe, crazy talented is right!

It makes me wish I had money...

Also, totally get Prescription Refill Happy Dance...clearly we have the same tastes :)

I don't have too much that's strange...I have some vintage scientific/medical things...and there's a nude print of me in the study done many years ago which is a bit weird I guess.

I have my dog's ashes in a very nice cedar box that's been sitting for a long while so I guess it's considered "decor" by now :)

This is Titania. I don't think of her as odd, but my mom did when she was little. This was a wedding present to my grandparents who married in 1906 in San Francisco. I just now flashed on that year! Anyway, my mother used to be greatly embarrassed by it when a date came over and she would hide it. Titania is very heavy and sits between the fireplace and media console.

Bunny, she's gorgeous! So much classier than what my mom had that horrified me in my formative years...

Lol at that...it's the Belgian? peeing boy? It would have embarrassed me, too, Ida.

Bunny is Titania from a Midsummer Nights Dream? The name is familiar but I don't remember the character, tbh...one of the fairies?

I was honored to receive this from a friend several years ago. Some might not appreciate it or understand. It’s small but powerful. I do have some other quirky art.

That's amazing...

I totally forgot that my son has a piece of the Berlin wall....and a brick from the Cavern where the Beatles started.

Not as impressive as yours, OutsidePlaying. How amazing and touching to have that in your home...wow. :(

Penny, yes, Titania was Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Several years ago I found a similar Titania on eBay. In later years, my mom told me I should get her re-bronzed, and I'm glad I didn't. She is nothing like anything else in my house, but like my St. Francis shrine in the backyard, I value what's come down through my nanas.

Here are just a couple. I also have a display of monster finger puppets, but I didn't have a picture handy and can't snap a new one right now.

This painting depicts a murder scene, in which the murder weapon appears to be a bouquet of flowers.

And I am fond of my sexpot. It's a flower pot, though it currently lacks a plant and is sitting in the corner of my kitchen.

Joe wins. Haha, I’ve got some interesting but beautiful pieces I’ll share when I can get some daylight photos!

@cawaps, those are fantastic!

Ok, here's two more. We have a number of old advertisements framed, including this one in our wet bar. It's for a whiskey that's advertising their lower proof as being a "light" whiskey, that apparently is perfect for drinking while you're working with heavy machinery.

This one is a portrait we found that my wife described as "beautifully creepy." We later found that she died shortly after the portrait was done. Appropriately, we have it hanging in the hall to the children's wing of our house.

I love seeing all the art and oddities on this thread. Thanks IdaClaire! I see so many rooms devoid of personality on Houzz and elsewhere, that I sometimes wonder if we are the only ones who enjoy having things around to look at and enjoy. I'm glad to see we're not alone after all.

We won our Yoda during a Blockbuster drawing years before they went out of business. He's life size and gorgeous.

dragonflywings, I agree with you that it's so nice to see homes that are not devoid of personality and even unafraid to venture into the realm of the "bizarre"! I grew up in a home where decorative whimsy was celebrated, and that is something that tends to stick with you. I think so much of what we see here (and elsewhere) has to do with matching the "right" upholstery color to the rug and adding in the perfect throw pillows and window treatments, but what is rarely ever covered is how to add true personality to a home. And I think that's NOT covered because it is so very personal and hard to define. It's certainly hard to instruct someone else on how to let their own creativity and personality flow through them and into the home. When it's done, though, it's recognizable. There's a spark there that seems to speak of interesting, diverse lives. And that's a beautiful thing to find in a home, isn't it?

Joe, the first thing I thought of when seeing the child's photo was that it could be a post-mortem portrait. Do you know the child's history and that's how you found out she passed after the photo was taken? Post-mortem photography IS creepy but in its time very popular and acceptable.

My contribution, a critter made from another critter. Not something I would particularly choose but my brother gave it to me.

Schoolhouse, surely a creature that unique has a name! What is it? What a wonderfully kooky little thing that is!

Well, I posted a little bit ago but it didn't show up. If this turns out to be a duplicate post, I apologize.

This isn't really bizarre, just different. DD2 painted it for me a few years ago. I'm wondering if anyone can guess what it is:

And I got this for DH last year for our anniversary. Again, just different. It's waiting to be framed.

leela4 my guess is your painting is of the inside of a car looking through the steering wheel at the dashboard. I am probably really off by that is what it reminds me of.

Amazing thread.

Fortunately, I don't have a working camera at the moment..))And whatever images I have most of them you saw already. I think.

I've many quirky thingies around. I love animals, and weird animals, and strange creatures, and faces..and some of them are funny and some are kind and some look like they're offended by someone and are sulking..very amusing..and some are darker. It's very hard for me to resist them when I see them. So I collect them for years-without clear intention to collect, it just happens this way. I have a feeling that the strangest one is the one that hasn't arrived yet..and maybe it's not that she's the strangest but it's the biggest depart-for me-from things I usually can't resist. IdaClaire -btw I got it the day we talked in your other thread..well i looked at it for two months beforehand, trying to decide, but our talk kinda tipped my scale. So I'll blame it on you when it comes to it)))

I don't have a murder scene or a dead body..not there yet..:) I do have a what one can call "murderess' portrait"..and it took me and my husband many months to talk about it in a meaningful way. His first reaction was very strong and negative, and I was very upset. I was upset to the point I couldn't talk. It all turned out to be meaningful as I said. but took many months..Maybe a year, even

I love this thread and all you share as I've said already..that eerie portrait of a girl in white -very captivating..yes..I'd hang it. My family would freak out though. I'll be honest-I'd freak out myself when younger. Took me years to get from only happy whimsical I'm ready to have around, to eerie and dark..

Let me post one pic of a happy creature though, because I feel bad I blabber without any pic attached)) It' s Lori..Lorisidae..and I gave it to my DH because he also hardly sleeps at night)))(it's a box)

(I've so many zoological species in so many mediums it's embarrasing. Don't remember anteater and armadillo..the rest I think I have.for example I've a possum with two possum babies..I think it's me and my kids. Lol. They do have these unpleasant umm..tails.

I looked for it, found the pic then lost it. Well some other time)

We've many portraits, and some are banned to our bedroom because my daughter think they're scary. She has issues with this very kind clown I love..she doesn't see him as very kind. I told her he reminds me of her aunt who is also very kind and she laughed like crazy and told me to never say it to the aunt.

I love strange and eccentric spaces. I am sure my house is filled with tons of cringe worthy decor but I cant see it. As I look around I dont see a single strange item but I would bet if you walked into my home you would quickly disagree. I often notice the strange looks on my guests faces when they enter for the first time but I never know what those expressions are for. Maybe I will ask next time. It will be a test of honesty ;-)

Like April said, this is a great thread!

@schoolhouse_gw It was sold to an antique shop by an elderly relative, who, according to the proprietor of the shop, said that the girl was sickly, and died shortly after the portrait was done. Our thought was that her parents knew she was about to die, and had the portrait done as a memorial. You're right in that It does look like a post-mortem, though.

"My family would freak out though."

Sometimes that's half the fun...

It’s not really weird, but we got it as a gift many years ago and we don’t know what it is - if it ‘is’ anything other than something someone wanted to make. It is from the Ybor City section of Tampa where they used to produce fine cigars rolled by hand. Over the years it’s been in various rooms and I’ve occasionally fillEd or decorated it with various natural things.. It’s a bit out of favor right now ( color-wise only) so my husband keeps his change in it on his dresser. Anyone know what it is, or is modeled after? It’s about 13” tall.

Idaclaire, I haven't given it a name but if you are curious as to what it is made from - deer hooves. awwww, but it is unique. My brother is a hunter and an Amishman he provides taxi service for (hauls) made it and gave it to him.

(I found it on the floor one day, the cat had gotten ahold of it and batted it around for awhile thus the scratches on its "ears")

LOL! I have a terrific mental image of a cat batting that crazy-looking thing around! Hahahaha!

Ida! I have the exact same bat hanging on my screened porch. I’ve had him for years and bought him at a wonderful ( now closed) art store in philadelphia. Love him. I have other weirdo items around, too.

Eeeeee! A bat brother! LOVE him! I think they may actually be made in North Carolina. Seems I remember the owner of the little gallery in New Mexico where we bought ours telling us that. (Hmmm ... just Googled and the artist is Henry Dupere, but the website for that name isn't working at the moment.)

Brother bats in the belfry. Thanks for the name of the artist. I had no idea. Here’s a site that I think is working. Who wants to buy another first? You or me? That owl is mighty cute.

That site says Henry works out of Humboldt, Arizona. And now I want ALL of these!

All of his and all the other artists on that site, too. I love his cat and mice. I need a bigger house.

Love the bat, the fireplace and the Challenger piece! I was in Chemistry lab in college when it blew up. They stopped the lab and let us go watch tv.

Here is my strange thing - It’s a towel ring and cast iron. I found it in an antique shop on Valentines Day and bought it for my husband.

I love this post! At the moment, the strangest decor item in my house is a horse leg.

Another oddity: our household god/protector picked up in a market in Pretoria.

My MIL has such an owl:) Hers is smallish. We found it...interestingly, I don't remember. Maybe an art fair?

Love the horse leg!

That towel ring is so very cool

We also have a basketball hoop in our stairwell.

I hope I can have an item or two to post tomorrow. Noticed this thread last night, a good one.

A nest and a bottle found under our porch.

This guy. I added the crown.

Kids’ creations.

I don’t know where this Angry Birds figure came from — I think from one of my kids’ Christmas stockings? He watches over us from atop a doorway.

i have quite a few but this is my favorite. We have had him for years. Hand thrown and sculpted clay.

i'm turning the laundry room into my crazy art place - I want to paint it and get new handles for the cabinets and a fun light fixture. It is still a work in progress.

Oh, and my "See No Evil" pottery snake lamp:

Sunfeather - like you I also have a laundry room that plays double duty. I never considered my a crazy space, but I guess I could call mine my crazy art space too ;-)

Ilikefriday, please show us your laundry room :-)

Sunfeather - Here it is. Its a small room. The washer and dryer are behind the set of bifold doors closest to the window. Behind the other set of bifold doors is where we keep our laundry. I painted the lady, I painted the chairs, I built the table. Its my crazy painted room I guess but behind the doors is where all the washing happens.

I guess the dark walls and the crazy art could be deemed strange but by my standards they are pretty tame.

Wow - very cool!

I think the fact that I like decorative objects is probably the strangest thing about me decor-wise in today's minimalistic, who needs stuff, just give me experiences, atmosphere. None of my objects is particularly odd, but then again, I look at what most of you have posted here and fail to find any of it strange. I like quirky, in objects and people ;-)

We have some really cool eclectic and diverse items from our travels, but this is the only one that he symbolically a little unusual. It’s an African fertility “doll” that my mom got me on a trip to S. Africa. I don’t have kids, and probably won’t lol. I don’t think she was implying anything by the gesture as she has never pressured or implied we should have kids, but maybe this was her subtle way of doing so? Haha, hasn’t worked yet!