I confess:  I am an habitué of estate sales.  A good friend of mine and I haunt them regularly. We attended one this weekend, and I believe we stepped into the Black Hole of Home Decor.  Let me preface: Whenever I go to an estate sale, I can’t help but wonder about the home and the people who live or lived in it. Were they relocating? Was the sale the outcome of a foreclosure or bankruptcy?  I always feel uneasy upon entering one of these houses, as though I am treading on someone’s hallowed ground that is now reduced to piles of clothing and trinkets on a dusty floor.

Having said this, I was just plain scared at this sale.  I couldn’t help but whip out my camera to capture some of the decor elements.  Have you ever seen a teenage boy’s bedroom door adorned with a hand-painted Playboy logo?

Now, you have. Enter the chamber of desire, if you dare.

Scarier yet are the master bedroom suite’s fuchsia bathroom sinks, counter top, cabinetry and flooring.

It is hard to tell from the photo, but the cornice above the fuchsia Jacuzzi is done in a leopard print. The wallcovering might be evidence from a blood-spattered murder scene.  Wowie, wowie, wow. The venerable Elsie De Wolfe, author of The House in Good Taste, is spinning in her no-doubt elegant grave.

Fortunately, this house has been sold to a new owner. The place actually has a nice-looking exterior, and is situated on a large lot in a beautiful neighborhood.  The new occupants have a world of work ahead of them, but I wish them well.  And I truly hope that better, happier days lie ahead for the previous owners.