Home is more than four walls and roof. Home is a door opening to you, your family, your pets, your lifestyle, your neighborhood, your community, your city. It’s all encompassing on so many levels.
Season of the Witch
You don’t have to be afraid of the dark when decorating a moody and edgier theme. Check out these ideas that will create an enticing and unique living space for you and your guests without all the toil and trouble.
As a Realtor®, I get real tired of cookie cutter staging and bright open floor planned rooms. Don’t get me wrong, I like this look, but y’all I get bored easily. Wtichcore, Fairytalecore, Dark Academia, Naturecore—whatever trendy name they come up with basically encompasses a more whimsical, darker aesthetic. I like to call it #MystiqueCore. These days you can admire “gothic” or “darker” themes without it entailing the donning of vampire teeth and cheesy coffin beds. Gothic decor has become more refined and more celebratory of the natural elements, adding plants and an apothecary vibe to the mix. Here's some prime examples of how to make your home a little more witchy and a little less kitschy.
The thing to know about this type of home aesthetic is that this is not for minimalists at heart. You’ll be creating a curated museum type feel that will include the one if not all of the following themes and elements:
Cottagecore/Fairytalecore
Moody Scandinavian
Alchemy
Astrology
Whimsical
Dark Academia
Victorian
Steampunk
We’re talking terrariums, birdcages, mirrors—lots and lots of mirrors, oval frames, vintage botanical art, antique bottles, and muted, dark colors. I’m not saying you have to paint your entire house black, but accent walls that fall into the earthy blue, black, blood red, or Slytherin green works very well. Bone accents like drawer pulls, hung dried flowers/herbs, velvet and lush fabrics, and leather are also ways to give this an elevated and elegant look. Check out some of these cool ideas when deciding to come to the dark side and remember, you are allowed to have themed rooms in your home, we prefer cohesive but good witch to bad can create a dramatic transition throughout your home.
Photo by: Jo Ann Breaux, The Corbeau Collective
Toil and Trouble
Don’t worry, your guests are safe. Dried herbs, plants, natural oils in an apothecary-like setting will create a healing environment for you and your guests. Plants also add a nice pop of color, creating natural contrasts and life within your rooms.
Photo by: Jo Ann Breaux, The Corbeau Collective
Bring out the Dead
Taxidermy is a big one when trying to design in this theme. I’m not talking about that Elk you caught in the Fall of ‘06. I am talking about taxidermy that includes nicely curated animal skeletons in terrariums, framed bats, or beautifully pinned insects. There is beauty in death and you can decorate any room elegantly using this type of decorative motif.
Photo by Tuva Mathilde Løland on Unsplash
The Fairest of them All
For the love of Goth, it’s a lot of ornate mirrors. You can find a lot of these in Estate or thrift stores. Paint them black or paint them gold, either way, you’ll be the fairest in your domain.
Photo by: Jo Ann Breaux, The Corbeau Collective
Light the Night
Candelabras, Sconces, chandeliers, and lots of candles will light your way through the darkness. Spray adhesive lace around your votive holders to give a more elegant feel. You can even go with your favorite coven-mates and make your own special candles!
Curio cabinets with oddities and scavenged finds is perfect for any presentation. Remember not to get too Halloweeny, but do add elements that are going to work nicely with your furnishings and trims. Having a wall of mirrors or artwork has to look intentional. Do shop Estate sales for beautifully affordable antiques. Do paint furnishings blacks and play around with textures—matte vs glossy. Do play with color. All black gets dull, add some reds, yellows, greens in the mix. Stay away from kitschy decor, save that for the actual holiday.
I love this theme that creates comfortable, lush, and dramatic living space. Not everyone loves the light and you can just as well find beauty and classic feels in the dark as well. Happy conjuring!
For more edgy ideas, visit my Pinterest!
Interested in finding a cottage-like or Victorian home? Virginia has a few! Contact me and let’s get you home.
Quarantine Chronicles: Ghosting on Halloween
The scariest thing this year? Well there’s been a ton, right? Halloween can still be celebrated and you can still have some spooktacular ways to get those treats in…
Photo by: LadyJRVA
I don’t know about the rest of you parents, but i have a 7 year old who has been talking about her Halloween costume since June. Obviously this is going to be really difficult on the kids. I’m sure there will be plenty of Halloween block parties and people risking the virus taking their kids trick or treating, I mean they are wearing masks anyway. For all of us, who don’t want candy collectors and our kids to be exposed going to random houses, there are some ways to enjoy the holiday and give your kids a bootastic evening.
Have a Zoombie Party
Gather their friends and exchange some scary stories. Vote for best costumes. Get the kids to write a song and share.
Have your own Halloween Party
Gather those in your “bubble” and have a fun time with costumes and spooky drinks. Have a pizza making event or a candy scavenger hunt. Make some phantastic cookies! Don’t forget the scary movies!
Do a Drive By
If you are hosting children for Halloween, leave little pumpkins with candy and some hand sanitizer out so they can grab and go! Have a halloween caravan with fun decorated signs and streamers. They can hang their bags/pumpkins outside the car window and be greeted by some great costumed candy distributors.
Have a Socially Distanced Halloween Picnic
Throw some blankets out in a wooded area or open field with treats or do it in a backyard with a projection screen for some fun scary movies! Have a bonfire!
Have the Treats Delivered to You!
Get someone you know to dress up and deliver treats to the house. You can say a a spooky guests will be stopping by for a surprise.
Set Up a Spooktacular Table
Have a walk up table filled with little baggie or mini pumpkin treats with hand sanitizers available. make sure you mark some six foot lines in sidewalk chalk to keep things distanced.
Have a Teaching Moment
Take this time to teach your children other country’s Halloween traditions, ie Día de Muertos or Samhain.
No matter what you decide this year, just make sure you are safe and protected. Be creative and take this moment to connect with your kids. Talk about what scary to them, read them stories, make decorations or food. There are so many ways to celebrate the holidays safely and heartily!