ALTAR ROOM

The Altar Room

A captivating design gallery rooted in the preservation of forgotten histories,

blending intrigue, rare oddities, and mystical curiosity.

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Shasta Smith is the principal director, archivist, and conservator of The Altar Room, a distinguished gallery that welcomes guests and collectors into a world of rare, captivating objects. Specializing in antiquities from the Old World, the mystical, and the divine, The Altar Room is renowned for its mesmerizing oddities and inspirational ambiance. Smith is also the creative director and host of Sacramento’s yearly Mystique Market, designed for those who seek history and artistic curiosity.

 

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With a career spanning 25 years, Smith combines her expertise in interior architecture, design, and history archive with a passion for preserving the past. She has also served as a college professor, teaching design, business, and history. As the Executive Producer and host of the cable television show Red Hot Design, she showcased her innovative approach to design and architectural transformation, with a focus on repurposing and engineering both interiors and bespoke structures. Smith’s extensive experience includes working as a design consultant for television and film, where she contributed to set design and historical accuracy for various productions. On a national scale, she gained widespread recognition for her influential Sacramento-based location, Vintage Monkey, an archive housing an exceptional collection of antique motorcycles from around the world. Her contributions have been featured in award-winning projects and publications, and she has lent her expertise to numerous broadcasts, including appearances in The Wall Street Journal, PBS, HGTV, DIY Network, Biography Channel, A+E Network, Cineflix Productions, and FYI Channel, all reaching global audiences.

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Our Past & Present:

An excerpt from The Altar Room’s heritage:
"Through my travels and gatherings, I bring together objects of art and cultural significance from across the globe, preserving history and sharing stories of the past. Every artifact displayed in the gallery, whether an antique piece of natural history or a curated memento, has its own unique preservation journey. We aim to rescue these treasures from obscurity and landfill, providing a lasting educational resource for our visitors. The Altar Room is not just a gallery, but a sanctuary for the preservation of art, history, and the magic that resides in each object."