I'm not surprised that Ryan Cohn, who co-hosts The Science Channel's "Oddities," and I have very similar taste in decor. Above is his dining room. Below, his living room mantel. The lovely photos are by Sergio Royzen. From Collector's Weekly:
Ryan Matthew Cohn, who co-hosts "Oddities" with Obscura owners Mike Zohn and Evan Michelson, says he's never cared for the Modern look. "You will not find any IKEA furniture in my home," Cohn says. "I never understood, besides the aesthetic value of clothing, why anyone would try to emulate the 1950s. People were really repressed, and the aesthetic was so cookie-cutter; I couldn't get away with half my eccentricities back then. During the Victorian times, it was a little bit more wild, because so much was unknown."
"I never wanted a deer head," Cohn says. "I'd go to these country flea markets and say, 'Hey, do you have any monkeys?'"
Instead, Cohn — who also blogs on Tumblr — shared the childhood fantasy of many a New Yorker (including "New Yorker" magazine's Adam Gopnik): He grew up wanting to live in the epic dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History. With the help of some antique bell jars and barrister cabinets, he's managed to set up his Brooklyn apartment so it evokes the awe-inspiring atmosphere of a science museum.
"I've always liked the aesthetic," says Cohn, who does not identify with the campy-Victorian steampunk movement, even though he employs early industrial electrical lighting in his decor. "Yes, I'm a little eccentric because I live in a place where besides my electronic devices, such as my TV and my computer, everything is Victorian period, down to my rug and my couch. That's just how I like to live."
"Taxidermy Comes Alive! On the Web, the Silver Screen, and in Your Living Room" (Collectors Weekly)
More of Royzen's photos of Cohn's digs here!
