The gothic style, often characterized by dramatic furnishings, the abundant use of the color black, sumptuous fabrics like satin and velvet, and "dark" imagery like candles, skulls and spider webs, is a common preference of girls. Whether you are making over your own bedroom or your daughter's bedroom to reflect a more sinister style, fear not -- you can incorporate a surprising amount of the old decor into the gothic style. Does this Spark an idea?
Gothic Colors
Gothic style can incorporate lighter colors like blue.
Repaint the walls and replace (or revamp) the curtains and lampshades with one or more gothic colors, which typically include dark shades of red, green, blue, purple and, of course, black. The pattern of wide black-and-white or red-and-white stripes can also come across as gothic if the other room furnishings also give that impression. Concentrate on a couple of colors and patterns to unify the room. For example, you could use mostly royal purple and deep crimson, with black-and-white striped accent items for visual variety. You can also pair a "goth" color like black with a more playful and feminine color like lime green or neon pink for a gothic yet girly look.
Gothic Bed
Some wrought-iron bed frames are gothic yet playful.
Recover the bedspread with a sumptuous gothic fabric, like a dark green paisley velveteen fabric or a sapphire-blue sateen. Add throw pillows trimmed with black lace. (Lace helps keep the room feeling girly even with the dark colors.) Install an elaborate headboard of wrought iron or carved wood. Alternately, paint a faux headboard on the wall behind the bed. Consider replacing the bed frame with a wrought-iron one. Or apply black or white paint plus an antiquing finish to an existing wooden bed frame.
Dramatic Lighting
LED "candles" provide a safer gothic glow.
Up the goth quotient of the room by revamping the lighting. Hang a candelabra-like chandelier fitted with LED faux candles rather than real ones to mitigate the fire hazard. Freckle the room with small lamps with ornate bases and low-wattage bulbs to give the feeling of a torch-lit gothic castle. Install a dimmer switch on the main overhead light.
Evocative Wall Images
Look for photos that have deeply saturated colors.
Replace existing posters or paintings with images that reflect a more gothic sensibility. Common subjects for gothic images include castles, graveyards and moody landscapes. For a lighter but still gothic look, pick photos or artwork that portray such subjects but with a colorful or cartoon-like style.
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