VAMP JENN’S CRYPTS: WELCOME TO VAMP MANOR

On this edition of Vamp Jenn’s Crypts, we’ll be visiting Vamp Manor based in Townsville, a city in Queensland, Australia. It’s the place Lady Vamp and The Wolf call home, as well as the namesake of their brand. The power couple, Kyra and Richard, established their online shop out of their love for handcrafting dark decor. The pieces they sell are custom made and exquisitely detailed, inspired by the macabre and occult. Since they are so gifted at creating their own ornamentations and have an eye for style, it comes as no surprise that their residence is magnificently furnished.

Lady Vamp’s passion for design, the arts and all things spooky stems from her childhood, and she thrives off of creating novel items out of an array of materials and using various mediums. For instance, she’s also a painter who has sold pieces worldwide! Pair that with her husband’s astute carpentry skills and you have the recipe for interior design dark magic. 

I’m very excited to spotlight the couple’s crypt. In the following interview, Lady Vamp discusses their home design aesthetic and small business, shares some decor tips, and more.

Q: Your shop, Vamp Manor, specializes in handcrafted home decor products. What inspired you and your husband to start your business?

A: Vamp Manor has grown over many years. It’s what we always called our home and is the centre for all our different branches including creating our own home decor lines. For as long as The Wolf and I have been together, we have always had our home filled with our own handmade or painted items. Once I started sharing things online, we had so many requests for making some extra things or if we would sell them that we decided maybe we should look into making some things to sell. I was already selling my paintings, illustrations and doing custom tattoo designs, so it kind of fluidly happened. 

Q: From the images you share on social media, your home is absolutely stunning. How would you describe your interior design aesthetic?

A: I would describe our interior aesthetic as Gothic Victorian slash Old haunted Ghost Lady slash macabre horror slash mini museum, hahaha! But seriously, I try to create somewhere I could see old world vampires living comfortably walking the halls. My vision is slowly coming together. 

Really, Vamp Manor is a manifestation of our imaginations. I feel like a home is an extension of your inner soul; it should have a personality and life of its own. Vamp Manor is our family home. I really believe that a home is a reflection of the world you want to live in.

To me, it’s another platform where we can artistically play and showcase a world where we can express ourselves and our imagination. Every shelf, corner and nook is carefully curated, and I suppose it’s our own ever changing living dream world. Both The Wolf and I have ideas and likes that we put into the design, which makes it unique and eccentric. 

Q: What inspires your DIY projects?

A: Everything! I can be lying in bed and at 3am, something pops into my head! One of my greatest passions and inspiration is Victorian/Edwardian era horror movies or shows. They really inspire me to want to create that atmosphere in my home and decor. I love handcrafted pieces that someone puts time and talent into. In a world of cheap mass-produced items, I love the attention to detail. 

Q: Of all the pieces you’ve worked on, which has been your favorite to create, and why? Is there a home decor piece you haven’t had a chance to make that you would like to?

A: So many favourites, but I have to say probably my Ouija Coffee table. I hand painted and designed an old vintage coffee table and it sits proudly in the parlour. I think I just love everyone’s reaction to it. We have so many pieces on the to-do list! 

I’m so lucky that The Wolf is a carpenter by trade, so I just tell him what I want and he can pretty much create anything. We are currently working on a few pieces, antique display cabinets, apothecary cabinet, seance table, vintage coffin, huge bat wings. 

Q: What room in your home have you had the most fun decorating, and why?

A: All of them! I love creating little vignettes that tell a story and having something unexpected. I always hide things around that someone has to discover. 

Q: Are there any interior design tips you’d like to share with readers? 

A: I think aesthetics and functionality have to go together. You shouldn’t have to compromise comfort or function to achieve a design outcome. Of course, aesthetics are a driving force behind my style, but everything has to work together to obtain a harmonious balance of being darkly usualable! I like things to be used and enjoyed, not just for show. Even our ghosts are friendly! Well, most anyway! Be unique! Don’t follow a trend, throw caution to the wind and live your happiest life. I see so many people follow current trends and they just aren’t happy; don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. 

Q: Before we part, what future plans do you have in store for your brand, Vamp Manor, and personal home decor?

A: We have a lot of changes coming. We are just at the start of creating a YouTube channel. It’s a learning curve at the moment! I’m hoping to share design advice and tips on there, as well as our website. I’m really passionate about helping others create their own dream and doing it realistically. I love diy and up-cycling, so I’m hoping to share more of that side of us. With Vamp Manor Emporium (our shop), we have new products coming. I’m in the middle of creating a new website for everything to be in one spot. Something really exciting is I’ll be adding photography to the manor! I’m hoping that by the end of the year, our home can be used as my studio to offer alternative photography. Lots of new things and changes. I love the Vamp Manor is ever-evolving and growing! The future is exciting.