Decorating Ideas With a Gothic Victorian Design

Furniture

• To achieve a Victorian Gothic look in a bedroom, choose a canopied or four-poster bed. Cover the bed in a thick dark floral quilt or black lace bedspread. Include an antique hope chest, complete with rustic brass handles and hinges, in any room. Add overstuffed chairs or velvet fainting couches to a bedroom’s sitting area or use them as the centerpiece for a living room or den. Offset the room’s dark colors with a mixture of primarily white or cream colored pillows. Tie smaller pillows together with a black velvet ribbon.

Walls

• When painting the walls, pick from a selection of dusky colors, such as burgundy, eggplant or forest green. Establish an accent wall by using wallpaper on just one wall. You can also add texture to the room by using patterned or raised wallpaper, such as brocade, fleur-de-lis or paisley designs. Dress the windows with heavy fabrics such as linen or velvet drapes. For an added touch, tie the curtains back using tasseled rope. Cover the walls with paintings showcasing women in Victorian-era clothing amid somber settings.

Lighting

• Enhance the Gothic Victorian look by establishing a room filled with mood lighting. Fill the room with black wrought-iron candleholders, including metallic-colored candles, such as glittery silver or bronze. For a truly bold look, use candelabras instead of just a few scattered candles. For safety reasons, make certain you have the candles lit only while you're in the room. For a shabby chic appearance, hang a chandelier in the center of room, spray painting the fixture either black or white. You can also try wall sconces covered in stained glass or vintage lamps topped with fringed lampshades.

Accessories

• Add small Gothic Victorian touches to the room by covering dressers or tables with crinkled fabrics, shawls or scarves. You can also set up a display of marcasite frames, ranging in size and filled with strictly black-and-white photos. Top shelves and dressers with antique hat boxes, dolls, hardcover books and jewelry boxes. Use a pair of gargoyle statues as bookends. Scatter vases around the room filled with dried flowers or use the flowers to make hanging wreaths.