Haunted Facade: The Beginning

So, autumn/fall has always been my favorite season. The crisp air- the changing leaves- apple cider and the clear starry nights. I had always embraced "autumn" and somewhat snubbed Halloween. Don't get me wrong, Halloween is pretty cool and all- well, some of it. The part that has always annoyed me and still does to this day is the tacky talking skeletons, black glitter cats, bats, rats and all that made in China crap. But there is a part of Halloween that feels more authentic. I relate it to Sleepy Hallow- Abandoned mansions, Gothic designs and real cemeteries. There is a sort of romantic, however disturbing vibe that speaks to me.

As I grew up and had kids, one of our favorite rides has been "The Haunted Mansion." Now, I know  what you are thinking. I thought you disliked all this tacky spooky crap? Yes, I do. But study the decor surrounding this attraction, ignore the goofy and cheesy spooks and you will see some "classy" aspects that scream Gothic and Victorian romanticism. Vintage books, lighting and furniture. Arts and Crafts construction in the woodworking. Floral and Damask wallpapering. Cast iron, bronze and brass hardware. Marble top tables and the list goes on.

So I took these features that I admired along with studying some Victorian home interiors and haunted mansion ideas from Pintrest and brainstormed a project. A lot of people came up with some decorative walls. Some designed entrances to their own personal haunted houses. But I wanted something different. What I came up with was a haunted house interior facade. Now imaging trick-or-treaters coming to your door and what they see is your flat screen TV and modern amenities. Not so cool. So what if when you open the door, what they see is that "Victorian" spooky interior right behind you? Not quite what they were expecting when knocking on the typical modern suburban home.

So I set out to build a faux wall that would act as a backdrop that would block the view of the boring suburban living room. So what I envisioned was a wall with some distressed damask wallpapering- some antique candle sconces that flickered with flame bulbs. Arts and Crafts woodworking with wainscoting, and then to top it off, a portrait hung "dead" center... pardon the pun, of come creepy 19th century human subject. Then to add a little flair, an antique console table with some period pieces that had the right amount of creep with a minimum amount of tack. Sounds simple right? Yeah, sure.

So this blog is basically my two-week escapade into woodworking, shopping, electrical wiring and a good amount of fudging to make this project come to life. I think you'll like it. It is also somewhat of a guide on how (and how not to) build such a project.

Let me add my disclaimer here. I am in no way a professional carpenter or electrician. I have basic skills and safety knowledge but please only use this Blog as a guide, not as a step-by-step tutorial. Feel free to copy my ideas, but please consult a professional on all aspects of construction.