House keys get a handle design of hearts, castles, golf balls and crowns by Keys to My Castle

Housing sales may be in a slump, but Michele Lilley's Keys to My Castle has created a new option for the truly status-crazed. The Manhattan Beach-based company offers dozens of hand-cast key "crown" designs for sportsmen, rock 'n' rollers and princesses. Lilley's designs of golf balls, guitars and fairy-tale castles crown blank keys for Kwikset and Schlage, the two most common brands of house keys. For a bit more dazzle, there are Swarovski-encrusted peace signs, skulls-and-crossbones, hearts and crowns, as shown here, from $35. For local retailers, visit www.keystomycastle.com.