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Decorating a Living Room in Gothic Style

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Decorating a living room in Gothic style is a great way to incorporate design from the Middle Ages into a modern day home. Architectural features like stained glass windows, pointed arches, intricate patterns, and deep colors are all part of this era's style. Very popular in Victorian times, medieval-inspired Gothic style is undergoing a modern resurgence.

Start with Walls

The first layer of your Gothic living room design starts with the walls, and giving them a textured stone appearance with a faux painting technique is the perfect foundation for the entire room. Start with gray tones and use a sponge painting technique to mimic the texture of roughly hewn stone, and then blend in beige, brown and black tones to create depth. If you do not want a stone appearance on your walls, you could instead choose a deep red, purple or other rich color for the walls, or you may even choose to hang wallpaper with ornate gold accents.

When you are thinking about what artwork to hang on the walls, remember that castles of old frequently hung large tapestries on the walls to make the rooms warmer. These same tapestries will add a beautiful touch to your Gothic living room. Look for a fleur-de-lis or Celtic knot design. There are many other designs that also lend themselves to wall hangings like the tree of life or a stylized dragon.

Great Gothic Furnishings

Furniture for a Gothic inspired living room mimics bulky, dark wooden furniture similar to what you might see in a cathedral. Look in antique stores, estate and yard sales and thrift stores to find interesting pieces. If you can find substantial wooden furniture with wrought iron accents, that would work also well in Gothic room. Look for upholstery in rich brocades and furniture shapes that are reminiscent of medieval archways. Benches with intricate carving details are also a nice addition to a Gothic living room as are armoires to house modern day electronics. Since this style of furniture is large and bulky, take care not to cram too much into the room.

Playing with Light

When decorating in a style like Gothic, lighting plays a really important roll in the final results of the room's design. Candlelight and Gothic style go hand in hand, so you can incorporate candelabras, and candle holders throughout the room. Hang some wrought iron candle sconces on the walls and along with a fleur-de-lis design, or work some wrought iron into your chandelier.

Since large stone and stained glass are both popular design elements from the Middle Ages, they are right at home in a Gothic style room. If you do not have stained glass windows, you can always hang stained glass panels inside your existing windows to recreate this feature.

Accessories in a Gothic Room

For accessories, bring in elegantly rustic items like pewter plates and heavy, clay bowls. Look for designs with a medieval flavor, such as a coat of arms design, crowns, or shields and lions and work these elements into your room's design. Instead of small pieces of wall decor, shop for dramatic large outdoor wall art featuring these designs; oversize items are often more in scale with the proportions of gothic decor. If you like the more dramatic side of Gothic, then you may want to pull in some gargoyles or a suit of armor.

Make sure that any fabric or upholstery in your room's design is rich and heavy in fabrics like damask, velvet or brocade, and add details like fringe to really make your furnishings really fit the Gothic theme. Then finish the room with wrought iron frames on pictures, mirrors and wall hanging crosses.