From the antlers and crows showing up on artist Brian McGuffey's canvas at Square Room [0] to the aviary candles at Burnt Sugar [0], Seattle home décor is going to the birds. And the deer. And the squirrels.
Case in point: the unique serving trays/wall art by Ibride sold at Velocity Art and Design [0]. Long a mecca for hipster homeowners, Velocity boasts a unique selection of home décor that is increasingly more animal-friendly. The Ibride wooden trays with hand-carved lattice work are from a French design family and boast quirky image overlays of squirrels, deer or owls over Victorian flourishes. The result is a unique and useful piece of art that, according to Ali Records of Velocity is "ornate without being overwhelming."
Why the animal obsession? "The whimsy and vibrancy of animals is certainly something people love in their homes," muses Records. "I think that this corresponds with a sort of Victorian revival that is occurring more broadly in our culture," she continues, referring to the Victorian era of décor where flowers, animals and foliage were prominently used on all manner of décor from wallpaper to linens to tile work.
The Ibride trays ($59 each), which can be hung on the wall as art or placed on a coffee table as a conversation piece, are available both online [1] and at the Velocity Art and Design store in Belltown. Given the popularity of the Ibride trays both locally and nationally (the Velocity Web site is one of the few United States-based sites where the trays may be purchased) we doubt that the inventory will still be around when the Velocity flagship store opens this summer in South Lake Union.
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