How to live with dark things
Notes on living with dark objects: how to hang them, how to care for them, how to size them and what we refuse to sell. Written by the people who pick the stock.
The journal opened with this whole library rather than one piece at a time, which is why everything here carries the same date. We would rather say that than backdate a blog we had not written yet.
Hanging things
Getting metal, iron and framed work onto a wall without wrecking the wall, and deciding what belongs above a bed.
What to put on a small wall shelf, and the rule of not filling it
A small shelf holds two or three objects, not six. Depth limits, the heights that work, why leaving a third empty matters, and what not to display.
2 November 2026What to hang above a bed that is not a mirror
Alternatives to a mirror over the bed, the width that suits your mattress, and the safety question about hanging anything over a sleeping head.
2 November 2026How to hang metal wall art without damaging the wall
Cut steel, cast iron and framed pieces each need a different fixing. What holds, what fails, and what works in a rental.
2 November 2026Cut steel versus cast iron on a wall: how to tell them apart
Weight, edge quality and shadow all give it away. How to tell cut sheet from true casting at two metres, and which one breaks if you drop it.
2 November 2026Caring for black metal indoors: dust, fingerprints and rust
What to clean black metal with, what quietly ruins a matte finish, and whether a bathroom or a kitchen is a bad place to hang iron.
2 November 2026
The brass menagerie
Small cast animals: what they are, how they are made, how they age, and why people end up with more than one.
What is a tea pet, and how small brass animals reached Western desks
Tea pets began on Chinese tea trays. What they are, why most are clay, and how small cast brass animals ended up as desk objects in the West.
2 November 2026Starting a collection with one object, and how to group small things
Why one small object turns into three, how to group them so they read as a set rather than clutter, and where a collection stops working.
2 November 2026Small objects and a house move: what survives, and what to do about the rest
Packing small metal and ceramic objects for a move: what dents, what goes missing, which felt pads mark brass, and how to fix a bent leg.
2 November 2026How brass ages: tarnish, patina, and when to polish versus when to leave it
What tarnish is chemically, why a patina protects the metal under it, how to tell lacquered from bare brass, and why polishing is permanent.
2 November 2026Desk objects for people who dislike desk toys
The case for one heavy object on a desk instead of five light ones: what weight does for your papers, your hands and your attention.
2 November 2026Cast versus stamped brass, and how to judge a casting in the hand
Casting and stamping produce different objects. Use weight, mould lines, sprue scars and the detail in the recesses to tell what you are holding.
2 November 2026Brass versus bronze versus brass plated: what you are actually buying
Brass is copper and zinc, bronze is copper and tin, and brass plated is neither. The words sellers use, and four tests you can run at home.
2 November 2026
Candles, incense and low light
Backflow burners, tapers and the practical business of lighting a dark room without turning it into a fire risk.
Why your backflow incense burner is not working
Four causes, in order of likelihood: the wrong cones, air movement, a blocked channel and a badly seated cone. How to check each one.
2 November 2026Why taper candles drip, and how to stop it
Dripping is mostly a draught problem. How the rim fails, what non drip actually means, and how to fit a taper so it stands straight.
2 November 2026Incense safety in a small flat
Ventilation, what to stand a burner on, clearance, hot ash and why the smoke alarm is telling you something. Practical rules for small rooms.
2 November 2026How many light sources a dark room needs
Three minimum, five in a living room, and why one ceiling light makes a dark interior look worse. Reflectance, heights and where candles fit.
2 November 2026How backflow incense works, and why the smoke falls
The smoke falls because it is cool and heavy, not because of a trick. The hollow cone, the channel in the burner, and the physics underneath both.
2 November 2026Candles or incense in a rented flat
Where the smoke lands, which residue cleans off paint, what a tenancy agreement usually says, and which one is harder to live with in one room.
2 November 2026Candle safety that is actually worth knowing
The wick, the first burn and the burn pool. The few things that genuinely change how a candle behaves, and when to stop burning one.
2 November 2026
Hallways and tables
Hooks that hold, rails fixed properly, and dressing a dark table so it reads as lived in rather than staged.
Dressing a dark table so it reads as lived in, not staged
Why a dark surface swallows objects, which materials and heights separate from black, and the small amount of use that stops a table looking staged.
2 November 2026What a hallway hook has to hold before it fails
Real weights for a wet coat and a loaded bag, why shock loading matters more than the number on the box, and how to test a hook before trusting it.
2 November 2026Fixing a coat rail into plasterboard properly
Why the top fixing carries most of the load, the arithmetic behind it, which anchors survive a coat, and when to screw a timber batten up instead.
2 November 2026An entryway in a rental, without holes
What holds a coat with no drilling and what does not. Over-door hooks, picture rails, freestanding rails and the honest limits of adhesive hooks.
2 November 2026Coasters, rings, and what actually protects a wood finish
White rings versus black rings, why heat does more damage than cold, which coaster materials work, and the mistake of leaving a wet one in place.
2 November 2026
Jewellery
Silver, plating, tarnish and sizing. What survives daily wear and what quietly falls apart.
Sterling silver versus silver plated versus stainless steel
What 925 actually means, why tarnish is useful evidence, and how to tell plated base metal from solid silver before you spend money.
2 November 2026Jewellery that survives daily wear: which findings fail first
The jump ring fails before the chain and the clasp spring fails before the clasp. What breaks on everyday jewellery, and what to take off first.
2 November 2026Storing silver so it does not tarnish in a drawer
Tarnish is airborne sulfur plus moisture. The materials that cause it, the ones that stop it, and why a wool lined jewellery box is the worst place to keep silver.
2 November 2026Ring sizing at home, and why the answer changes during the day
Measure circumference in millimetres, not letters. A conversion table, the knuckle problem, and why warm weather can cost you half a size.
2 November 2026Choker sizing, with or without a tape measure
Where a choker actually sits, how to measure your neck with a strip of paper and a sheet of A4, and the lengths that match standard necklace names.
2 November 2026Oxidised and blackened silver: clean it, do not polish it
Blackened silver is deliberate patina only microns deep. Why polishing cloths and silver dips destroy it, and the one cleaning method that is safe.
2 November 2026Earring posts and sensitive ears: what the metals actually are
What nickel release limits mean, why hypoallergenic is not a regulated word, and the practical differences between post, hook and plated earrings.
2 November 2026Buying jewellery as a gift when you do not know their size
Which pieces have no size at all, how to find a ring size without asking, and the one necklace length that works on almost anybody.
2 November 2026
Velvet and dresses
Caring for velvet, reading a dress with no size chart, and why black velvet photographs blue.
Why black velvet photographs blue, and what that means buying online
Black velvet hands back the colour of whatever light is in the room. How to read a product photo for the real colour, and when a cast is a genuine warning.
2 November 2026What a doll collar is, where the shape comes from, and how to wear it
A flat rounded collar has a long history and a costume problem. What the shape does to your proportions, and the one change that fixes the whole look.
2 November 2026Velvet types: crushed, panne, stretch and devore, and what each does worn
Five velvets that behave completely differently on a body. What each does for drape, sheen and sitting creases, and which one forgives a bad size guess.
2 November 2026Storing velvet between seasons, and getting creases out of a garment that arrived folded
Velvet stores badly under pressure and arrives folded from almost every supplier. How to hang it, what never to put it in, and how to recover a fold line.
2 November 2026How to care for velvet so the pile does not crush
Velvet is ruined by heat and pressure together. Why you steam rather than iron, how to brush the pile back up, and how to wash it without flattening it.
2 November 2026
Coats and jackets
Faux leather, wool blends and buying a long coat that fits the person rather than the photograph.
Wool versus wool blend, and what each percentage does
What 100% wool, 70/30 and 30/70 actually feel like in a coat. How to read a fibre composition label, and the number that matters more than fibre.
2 November 2026What faux leather actually is, and how long it lasts
Faux leather is polyurethane on a cloth backing. What that means for how it wears, how it fails, how to clean it and when real leather is worth it.
2 November 2026Storing and reviving a coat between seasons
Hangers, brushing, moths, and why dry cleaning a coat every season does more harm than good. What to do in April and what to do in October.
2 November 2026Shoulder fit is the only fit that matters in a coat
Everything else on a coat can be altered. The shoulder cannot, not affordably. How to measure it, how to test it, and when the rule does not apply.
2 November 2026Buying a long coat when you are short, and judging length from a photo
A coat that hits mid calf on a tall model can reach your ankle. The arithmetic for working out where a hem will land, and what to alter.
2 November 2026
Boots
Sizing across EU and US, breaking in a lugged sole, and what a platform does to your ankle.
What a platform or wedge sole does to your ankle and your gait
Platforms raise your centre of mass and stiffen your stride. The physics of it, how a platform differs from a heel, and what reduces the risk.
2 November 2026How to tell a boot's quality from photographs alone
Sole construction, stitch density, lining and hardware are all visible in a good photo. Here is what to look for, and the four things no photo can tell you.
2 November 2026Caring for faux leather boots: salt, water and cracking
Road salt, soaked linings and crease cracks are what kill synthetic boots. What to wipe them with, how to dry them, and what not to put on them.
2 November 2026EU to US boot sizing, and why conversion charts lie
Boots are made on an EU last and sold in US numbers. Where the conversion breaks, and how to measure your foot in under a minute.
2 November 2026Breaking in a lugged sole without destroying your heels
A thick rubber sole does not bend, so your heel lifts and blisters. A two week plan, the lacing trick that stops heel lift, and when it is fit not break-in.
2 November 2026
Fit and sizing
We take no returns and the supplier runs small. These are the measurements and the honest warnings that go with that.
How to measure yourself for clothes bought online: bust, waist, hip, shoulder and sleeve
Five measurements, exactly where the tape goes, and the tension mistake that throws all of them out. Written for buying from a chart in centimetres.
2 November 2026How to buy clothing from a shop that does not take returns, and what we do if something is wrong
No returns moves the risk of a wrong guess onto you. What we cover in full, what we do not, and the order of operations that keeps you out of trouble.
2 November 2026Buying clothing when the listing has no size chart: what you can infer, and when not to risk it
What a size range, a composition line and a model note tell you when no chart exists. The construction that forgives a bad guess, and when to walk away.
2 November 2026Asian sizing versus US and EU sizing, and why runs small is not a style choice
Why the same letter means different measurements in different places, roughly how far apart they sit, and why sizing up does not always fix the problem.
2 November 2026
Gifts and Gothmas
Buying for somebody whose size you do not know, on a deadline, without ending up with filler.
How to decorate for winter if you hate red and green
Red and green are a convention, not a requirement. Four palettes that still read as midwinter, and the forms to keep when you drop the colours.
2 November 2026Gifts under 30 dollars that are not filler
A cheap gift fails when it has no job and no weight. How to spend under 30 dollars on something that gets kept, with worked examples.
2 November 2026Gifts for a goth who already owns everything black
Black is not the gift, it is the baseline. How to buy for somebody deep in a subculture without handing them their fourth skull candle.
2 November 2026How to buy a gift that arrives on time when it ships from overseas
Business days are not days. How to work backwards from the date you need, what the cut-off actually means, and the plan if it slips anyway.
2 November 2026How to buy a gift for somebody whose size you do not know
Most gift clothing fails on size. The items that have no size, how to measure a garment they already own, and when to size up.
2 November 2026Buying for somebody who says they want nothing
Want nothing usually means one of four things. How to work out which, and what to buy in each case without adding to the pile.
2 November 2026A dark Christmas table that does not read as Halloween
Black at Christmas goes wrong in two specific ways. The palette, the materials and the one rule that keeps a dark table festive rather than spooky.
2 November 2026
Printed things
Our own drawings on cotton and canvas: ink on black, canvas weight, and washing a print so it lasts.
Tee or crewneck: weight, fit, and which one a design suits
A crewneck is not a warm t-shirt. How jersey and fleece differ in weight, print surface, fit and size range, and when each is the right buy.
2 November 2026Why printing on black fabric is harder than printing on white
On black you have to print the white first. What an underbase does to colour, detail and hand feel, and how it changes the drawing itself.
2 November 2026How to wash printed cotton so the print survives
Inside out, cold, no softener, and out of the tumble dryer. Why prints crack, what actually causes fading, and how to iron one safely.
2 November 2026Canvas weight explained: what gsm means for a tote bag
What gsm actually measures, the conversion to ounces, and which weight band suits a shopper, a daily bag or something that stands up on its own.
2 November 2026
Dark interiors
Building a dark room in a rented flat, grouping objects, and the difference between a home and a film set.
Why dark rooms need more light sources, not fewer
Dark walls absorb what pale walls bounce back. How many light sources a dark room wants, the three heights to put them at, and the glare mistake.
2 November 2026Mixing metals in a dark room: brass, blackened steel and silver
Which metal is the accent and which is the background, how many finishes is too many in one sightline, and what patina does to a careful match.
2 November 2026Building a dark room in a rented flat, starting with textiles
Textiles get you most of the way to a dark room and come with you when you move. What to buy first, in what order, and what barely matters.
2 November 2026The difference between a dark home and a film set
Three things cause the film set effect: one light source, nothing in use, and everything the same age. How to work out which one your room has.
2 November 2026
Where the motifs come from
The death's head moth, memento mori, mourning jewellery. The real history behind the shapes we sell.
Why moths rather than butterflies became the motif of dark decor
Moths outnumber butterflies roughly eight to one, and they are the better shape and the better colour for ornament. The real differences, and why the motif stuck.
2 November 2026Victorian mourning jewellery, and why so much of it was black
Jet, vulcanite, bog oak and black glass: what Victorian mourning jewellery was made of, why black was compulsory, and how to tell the materials apart.
2 November 2026The raven and the crow in art and literature, and how to tell the two birds apart
Size, tail shape, bill and voice separate a raven from a crow. Then the history: Odin's birds, Poe, the Tower legend, and what most bird silhouettes really are.
2 November 2026Spiders and webs as ornament, and how an orb web is really built
The build order, the parts and the silk, plus the four things every drawn spiderweb gets wrong and how to pick a web pattern that is not one of them.
2 November 2026Memento mori: the skull as decoration, from Roman mosaics to Victorian mourning
How the skull went from a Roman dinner party ornament to a Victorian gravestone and then to a shelf. What the phrase means and what the imagery actually did.
2 November 2026Gothic architecture in miniature: arches, tracery and quatrefoils, and why those shapes read as gothic
What a pointed arch is for, how tracery works, the difference between a trefoil and a quatrefoil, and why these shapes still read as gothic on small objects.
2 November 2026The death's head moth, and why it has a skull on its back
The real insect behind the motif: what Acherontia is, why the thorax looks like a skull, the squeak, the honey raids, and how it reached film posters.
2 November 2026
How we work
Shipping windows, the no-returns policy, why there are no reviews yet, and what we refuse to put on the site.
Why we hold no inventory, and what that means for you as a buyer
Nothing here is made or shipped until somebody pays for it. What that buys you, what it costs you, and the six practical consequences for the way you order.
2 November 2026Why there are no customer reviews on this site yet, and what we will do when there are
We are new and the review count is zero. What we will never do to change that, how to spot a bought review anywhere, and what to use instead of stars for now.
2 November 2026Why some orders take 10 to 18 days, and why we say so
We hold no stock. Some items ship from a warehouse near you and some cross an ocean. Here is which is which and why we put it on the page.
2 November 2026Our policy on AI images, and what we will never do to a product photograph
What we will and will not do to a product photograph, why colour is the hardest part, and how to check any shop's images for signs they were generated.
2 November 2026How we decide what to sell, including a plain list of what we always reject
The test an object has to pass to get on this site, the five categories we reject outright and why, and what that narrowness costs us in sales.
2 November 2026