Want something in your house that “elevates living spaces” and also hints at an “air of danger”?
That’s how Anthony Vesnaver, a founder of Newburgh Vintage Emporium antique shop, describes decorative wasp nests, which, as The New York Times reports, have become an in-vogue item.
These particular nests are made by the North American bald-faced hornet. Vesnaver sells his for $40 to $70 at his New York store.
“It’s people with a keen view on aesthetics,” says Vesnaver of his customers.
The nests have also inspired an online marketplace — pieces on Etsy can cost $150 or more, plus a large shipping fee to conserve the specimen’s fragile construct. Meanwhile, nest enthusiasts including horticultural designer Nathan Brown take matters into their own hands — Brown retrieved one from a tree himself after taking a rented 30-foot ladder to a nearby park.
“It’s a conversation piece,” Brown says.