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What’s the best part of autumn? Is it the fallen leaves, the pumpkin spice lattes, the fact you can wear scarves, jackets and beanies again? Close, but the answer is Halloween of course!
If you’re in agreement, you’re probably itching to know the best ways to celebrate the spooky season. So if you’ve got a penchant for all things dark and mysterious, and you’ve got a creative side, then read on to get some crafty DIY inspiration for Halloween and beyond.
Gothic Inspired Furniture
Gothic decoration isn’t just for Halloween, perhaps you’re a fan of the goth aesthetic all year round? If so, then maybe you could incorporate items that you don’t have to put away after Halloween ends – such as gothic inspired furniture.
Use your love of the aesthetic to go shopping for vintage pieces. How about an antique sofa, upholstered with some new fabric and gothic style sofa legs? Maybe some sofa feet that look like gargoyle claws? Whether it’s a chair, sofa, ottoman, or bed frame, these items are focal points that can set the tone of your entire space.
Embrace Dark Colour Palettes
In order to introduce a darker aesthetic to your home, you’re going to have to embrace dark colour palettes. That means welcoming anything deep and moody with open arms, whether it’s the paint on the walls, or things like picture frames, shelves, and even tables. Coupled with the furniture suggested above, your interior design will start to have a dramatic, mysterious ambiance. To add a regal touch to this décor, try complementing the dark tones with touches of gold and silver.
Time to Accessorise
The suggestions above are more long term for those that like a year-round Halloween vibe, but thanks to accessories, you can go as crazy or as subtle as you like. Plus, you can easily change things up any time of year too.
There’s lots of gothic and Halloween themed items out there waiting for you. You could opt for accessories that are purely decoration, or you could search for items such as antique mirrors, candelabras, and wrought iron fixtures, all of which will contribute an elegant gothic atmosphere.
Don’t forget to utilise your wall space to its fullest, alongside antique mirrors, you could also hang up some pictures and art. This could be classic art that falls into the gothic category, or modern pop culture based art that is themed around Halloween, such as horror movie posters.
How About a Statement Piece?
Alternatively, you could always keep most of the décor a bit more subtle and opt to represent the majority of your desired aesthetic with a statement piece. This could be an item such as a gothic inspired armchair in the living room, an antique table in the dining room, or a vintage style bed frame in the bedroom.
You could perhaps start with these pieces, allowing them to take centre stage and then make decisions to build your décor around them.
Accessories can also make effective and subtle statement pieces, such as throw pillows. Adding these can transform the vibe of your sofa, and even the whole room. You can easily switch these out depending on mood or season, whether it’s autumn, Halloween, or gothic themed throw pillows. They’re also something you could make yourself, if you’re feeling crafty and creative enough.
Combine Textures
Search for different textures and combine them in order to add depth to your décor, using a mixture of items such as plush velvet upholstery with silk or lace curtains will help the aesthetic you’re going for pop and not look flat.
With specific looks such as the gothic or Halloween look, you can run the risk of things looking either too much or too flat, so this combination and layering of textures can help avoid that.
Lighting is Crucial
To top off all of these combined elements, you’ll need the right lighting. It’s very important to set the mood correctly if you want to create the right ambience with your theme. Experiment with candle lighting, lamps, dim yet warm light, and even coloured light bulbs to set the perfect atmosphere. With strategic placement you could create eerie Halloween monster shadows and silhouettes.
Get Creative
As well as shopping around various stores for all your main pieces and accessories, you could also create a lot of items yourself.
Start with appropriate fabrics and textures in deep, rich colours such as black, dark reds and purples. These are the staples of goth and Halloween designs. Recommended materials include velvet, brocade and leather. Experiment with patterns and details.
Get Started
Transforming your surroundings to represent your unique tastes can be an exciting experience, no matter what those tastes are. Remember, you don’t have to get it right the first time, so keep trying out different things. Give it a go!
