Tour This Curious Content Creator's Los Angeles Lair With Horror Movie Flair

For many, autumn marks the official season for cozy blankets, sweet treats and spine-chilling movie streaming. But for Nikk Alcaraz, the mysterious allure of Halloween falls every day of the year inside his custom coffin — er, Victorian-meets-fairy-tale Los Angeles apartment. Tour his stylish apartment filled with bewitching handmade crafts hidden on nightstands, secretly stuffed away in apothecary cabinets and perched high above unsuspecting heads below.

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October 07, 2022

By: Rachael Jones and Nikk Alcaraz

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Marcus Meisler

Every Day Is Halloween

Artist, content creator and actor Nikk Alcaraz is the founder of Practical Peculiarities, a creative hub for peculiar projects with a magical and macabre twist. And he very much lives and works by the motto "Ghosts aren’t seasonal." "I make short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram," Nikk says. "And in the videos, it’s all peculiar things that are being created, whether it’s DIY or food. I’m also obsessed with dark and creepy things, so that bleeds into my art, which bleeds into my life — my house is a direct reflection of what I love."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Dark Movie Magic

"If I could describe my home in three words it would be: moody, magical and creative," explains Nikk. "What attracts me to this Victorian style is because I see it in a lot of horror movies — I love horror movies and I love Halloween. Living in a space that someone like Dorian Gray would live in is really cool ... and coming home to this little storybook safe haven is quite nice."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Styled Superstitions

"We combine Victorian and French country with cottagecore and also midcentury modern," Nikk says. "A lot of designers probably wouldn’t put all those things together, but we’re kind of in the business of living in a space that we love, so why not?"

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Framed

"These are vintage frames from the thrift store," Nikk says. "They don't cost much, but when you put them all together it makes it look expensive. It’s a big impact on the living space."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Light It Up

One of Nikk's favorite pieces is this vintage, midcentury-modern tension-pole lamp. "I splurged on this one," Nikk says. "But it’s so cool because it's attached from the bottom [of the floor] and the top of the ceiling. It doesn’t take up any space at all."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

A Reason for Being

The home's bay window was a big draw for Nikk. "A lot of apartments in Los Angeles are cookie cutter, and just that little bit of architecture of the bay window [made me] really want to live here."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Big-Box Hex

Nikk's houseplants add lively pops of green to the dark and moody space, placed right beside velvety window treatments that he made and dyed himself. "They are IKEA curtain panels that I sewed using a vintage sewing pattern," Nikk explains. "I really wanted to bring in that Victorian feel and it really frames this huge bay window."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Devil in the Dining Details

"This dining table is something that we Frankensteined together," Nikk says. "We wanted marble, so we found a table really cheap that had a marble-ish top, and then we found this really cool, magical wood base. It's attached with liquid nails and it’s not going anywhere."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Web of Tales

"This spider-web lamp, which is a thrift store find, was only eight dollars," Nikk shares. "It’s just amazing. It’s just a chef’s kiss."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Green With Envy

As a peculiar food artist, Nikk's grand-prize display of treats are, of course, highlighted on one of his most curious collections: his jadeite dishware collection. Jadeite is a green-hued milk glass that was produced in the midtwentieth century, now a popular find for antiquers. "I collect it piece by piece," Nikk says. "Whenever I have a little extra to splurge I love to go on eBay and buy some [dishes]."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Wicked Traditions

"Since I was 6 years old, I picked up anything that I could to create, and the person that I would create with was my grandma, who also loved Halloween and loved witches," Nikk recalls. "I would begin with box cake mixes and throw things into them to make the cake a lot better than it was. So everything that I do now is kind of brought on by her influence."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Bugging Out

"I put some marzipan maggots in this cake," Nikk says. "This really embodies a lot of the work I do — it’s Halloween 365 days of the year."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Dark Desires

"When I moved in, everything was a boring renter’s white," Nikk says. "I wanted to change that as soon as possible, so I darkened everything."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Monster Mantel

"This mantel was given to us," Nikk says. "The corners were not there, they were all just thrashed. So with Bondo [body filler], I built them up and just painted it all black to fit that nice, moody vibe."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Fine in Faux

Nikk's partner added navy blue, textured glass tiles to the inside of the for-show fireplace. The firebox is a showcase for a velvet green bench.

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Smoke and Mirrors

"Another thing that we thrifted is this huge mirror," Nikk says. "It was hard to transport, but once we got it here, we stuck it on the wall and it really opened the space up."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Cabinet of Curiosities

Step into the hallway, and you'll find another Frankenstein creation: a faux apothecary cabinet. "It’s basically a bunch of random drawers that we shoved inside the coat closet," Nikk explains. "Inside, I have all of my clay tools, glue and everything that I need to do what I do."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Trick of the Eye

"We also added this faux-stained-glass window up in the cubby space," Nikk says. "Behind this, we actually store our toilet paper and paper towels, but that’s not pretty to look at. So with plexiglass, a decal and a light, we popped this up there and it looks like it’s always supposed to be there."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Slap on the Wrist

In addition to jadeite dishware, Nikk has another vintage obsession. "I collect rulers from antique shops or thrift shops, wherever there’s an old ruler," Nikk says. "I love it. Rulers rule." There's just something mysterious about a glass jar of rulers that piques a curious mind.

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Dark Alley Gallery

"This is our little hallway and we painted it all one color so it could feel like a little narrow alley," Nikk says. "And we added this gallery wall that goes all the way up." Plus, Nikk's grand-prize trophy for winning season two of Craftopia, a craft competition show that aired on HBO Max, lurks in the corner, casting a beautiful bronze glow.

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Living Visions

"There are some special things on this gallery wall and one of the most special things is this Victorian house painting," Nikk shares. "This is the image of the outside that I wish this house would look like — and one day, I will definitely have that house."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Tangled in Plaid

"This is my plaid haven bedroom," Nikk says. "And everything in here has some kind of plaid pattern [on it]. We wanted this space to feel like a magical, preppy English dormitory."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Patterned Potions

Nikk continues, "As you can see, the carpet is plaid, the bedding is plaid and the huge wall behind the bed is plaid. They’re all different plaids, but they all go together because the same colors are in each of the patterns."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Look a Little Closer

A retro-inspired phonograph sits in the corner beside one of the many secret, hidden details in Nikk's home. "You will find a lot of magical things the closer you look," Nikk shares. "One of my favorite [details] are the hand tiebacks for our curtains. Basically, they’re just wooden hands we stained and attached to the wall. It’s a subtle touch, but the closer you look the weirder it gets."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Heirloom Spirits

“What makes a home feel like home to me is having things that are passed down from generation to generation," Nikk shares. "One of my favorite things in this room is this magical orange lamp that was given to me by my grandmother when I moved to Los Angeles. She’s not with us anymore, but every time I light this candle I feel like she’s around."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Sinister Swatches

"These boxes are the inspiration for the paint color in the bedroom," Nikk says. "It’s such an interesting color for a room, but it makes it feel really cozy. And we also turn [the books] backwards so that color-wise they’ll cohesively go with the room."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Peculiar Pro Tip

Nikk continues, "Paint colors don’t necessarily have to come from just a swatch. You can pick something from around your home and take it to the paint store and they can color-match it."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Tricks, Treats and TikToks

Dreamy, dark and perfectly dated, Nikk's dining space doubles as his go-to crafting and creation hub. "I do all of my videos here on TikTok and Instagram," Nikk says. "But in this space, I really get into my muse."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Tales From the Table

"This is a vintage pastry table," Nikk says. "I can just feel all the years of baking on this thing every time I’m prepping something. It's sturdy and it’s not going anywhere." The mysterious wooden stool with its clawfoot legs offers the perfect spot to sit for a spell.

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Copper Collection

"I have an obsession with copper, as you can see," Nikk says with a laugh. "I also love all of my kitchen tools and I try to make sure they’re all vintage, because I find that vintage things hold up a lot longer."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Witch Way

A group of witchy, wooden broomsticks are gathered together in the corner of Nikk's crafting space. “One day, I’m not going to need a car, let me tell you.”

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Ghostly White

"Most of the house is dark and moody," Nikk says. "But there is one place in the whole house that is quite the opposite: the kitchen." To make the kitchen a little more his own, Nikk designed the perfect disguise. "The previous countertops were those very ugly marble ones and I just hated it," Nikk says. "My partner and I got this textured contact paper and we put it on to make it feel wood-like and very cottage-y."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Curious Contrast

"It’s such a dramatic difference," Nikk says of the bright white kitchen. "But I live for the drama."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Casting a Spell

"This fridge did not come with the place," Nikk shares. "A fridge did come with the place, but that fridge broke. And when that fridge broke, I called the landlord and asked if I could pick out the fridge. So, if you ask and put on your puppy dog face, anything is possible."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Freaky Fruit Bowl

"A reoccurring theme in this place is the closer you look, the weirder it gets," Nikk says. Look closely and you'll discover something new every time, like this clay eyeball in the fruit bowl. "That’s just [something] I like to put around the house to remember it’s creepy [all] year."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

Last Wishes

"Living in your vision board is something everybody should do," Nikk shares. "And when people walk in [to my home], I'd like them to feel like they’ve walked into another world, like a fantasy world or an enchanted forest."

Watch the Video: Tour the Dark Academia-Style Home of a Curious Content Creator

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