Moggit.com is the “guilty pleasure of the decorating world”, a blog dedicated to sending the design world one message: “Lighten up already!” Lifelong friends Joy and Janet are the design junkies behind it, who think that the design world has been taking itself way too seriously. Their mission? To take fugly design and decor to task on a daily basis (see below!) and even poke fun at some of the things that they love…

Taxidermy. It is, without a doubt, our biggest personal design pet-peeve of all time. And we know we’re not alone. We know there are plenty of you out there who are just as repulsed by taxidermy as we are. And yet taxidermy, in all its creepy glory, has been making a comeback in recent years. Some might contend that the taxidermy trend has jumped the shark; but sadly, from what we can see, this sickly resurgence is still in full-swing. And to make the trend even more palatable, taxidermy even has a new, cool-sounding name: “Antiquarian Chic.” But however you dress it up, it’s still taxidermy. And it still sucks. But seriously, who knew there were so many disturbing variations on this theme?

1. Traditional Taxidermy
These are the first images that come to mind when you hear the word “taxidermy.” It’s the 12-point buck mounted on the wall. It’s the scientific specimen under glass. Or the pet that somebody couldn’t quite let go of…

2. Hunter-Gatherer Taxidermy
This is a form of taxidermy that was once necessary to the survival of the species, harkening back to the early days of the hunter/gatherers. It used to serve an important purpose, but even though we have evolved, it hasn’t. It’s the bear skin rug. Or the animal skin throw. Why are these still staples of decor? (Note: Joy still likes a zebra rug. Janet? Notsomuch.)

3. “Modern Functional” Taxidermy
Because for some unfathomable reason we seem unable to let go of our need for putting dead animals in a room and calling it design, we’ve come up with new and revolting excuses to keep them around. Because, hey — if it has a specific function in the design of a room, it’s completely justified. Right? Isn’t it?

4. “Cutting-Edge” Taxidermy
In an absurd effort to keep taxidermy “current & cool” we’ve now piggy-backed it (’scuse the pun) onto another trend — tattooing. A marriage made in heaven if ever there was one…

5. “Steampunk” Taxidermy
And now we’re trending up — again. “Steampunk” is the new trend making inroads into literature, movies, fashion, decor, and of course, taxidermy. Merely stuffing a dead animal isn’t quite fashionable enough to serve this trend. No, we’ve gotta stick gears and gadgets on them, resulting in some really disturbing and freakishly altered forms of nature…enjoy.