The Gothic Interior Trend

If minimalism was the defining trend of the noughties, then a new gothic revival has been a reaction. Whilst the style isn’t for everyone, for those who dare to be different bringing  the gothic look into your home is an impressive fashion statement.

A common misconception about the style is that it relies on the totally and all consuming presence of black. Whilst this is an option, its far from the only one and we aim to show you a range of ways you can bring this style into your home.

WALLS: For the very adventurous we offer the Skulls Midnight Wallpaper by Barbara Hulanicki. It might be  a bit much to cover an entire room with this paper, but for a few feature walls it suits perfectly and fits very well with dark grey and dark taupe shades of paint.

If skulls are a little more macabre than you can handle, then this Alphabet Peat wallpaper from Basso & Brooke, which features letters of the greek alphabet is perfect, bringing an atmosphere of playful intelligence to any room.

Moving away from grey and black, this vintage flock wallpaper from Kelly Hoppen in purple brings an air of intimacy, seduction and luxury to any room.

COLOUR PALLETTE: The gothic style isn’t just about being macabre and black, but about seduction, glamour and sexiness. Blood reds and crimson, deep, rich purples and, yes, grey and black are the appropriate colours when picking walls and carpets.

FABRIC: Leather. Luxorious black or darkly coloured leather is the ultimate new gothic fabric. When applying this rule to furniture remember too that leather will not be enough, furniture should have a seductive, aristocratic edge, with scrolling wood build etc. Velvet is also a good option, particularly with regard to drapes and curtains.

LIGHTING: Whilst we are not suggesting that you cast your rooms in red light a la True Blood, paying attention to the level of light and what casts it is extremely important. This Opal Lamp is a great example of a gothic light fixture, candelabra, mock chandeliers etc are also wonderful additions. Try not to flood your room with light, but don’t make it look too dank either, especially if you have covered the room heavily in darker shades.

Flock Wallpaper

The use of a form of Flock Wallpaper can be traced back to circa 1000 BCE, when the Chinese bonded natural fibers to fabrics using resin glue; in medieval Germany fiber dust was strewn onto walls coated with adhesive; In the court of Louis XIV of France, flocked wallpapers were the height of fashion. A couple of hundered years later, Flock Wallpaper has been making a resurgence.

Flocking is the application of fine particles to adhesive coated surfaces. Nowadays, this is usually done by the application of a high-voltage electric field. In a Flocking Machine the “flock” is given a negative charge whilst the substrate is earthed. Flock material flies vertically onto the substrate attaching to previously applied glue. A number of different substrates can be Flocked including; textiles, fabric, woven fabric, paper, PVC, sponge, toys, automotive plastic.

The majority of flocking done worldwide uses finely cut natural or synthetic fibers. A flocked finish imparts a decorative and/or functional characteristic to the surface. The variety of materials that are applied to numerous surfaces through different flocking methods create a wide range of end products. The flocking process is used on items ranging from retail consumer goods to products with high technology military applications – notably wallpaper in our case.

On www.furnishings-direct.co.uk  , we offer a wide range of Flock Wallpapers in various colours and patters, such as this gorgeous Superfresco Elizabeth paper in black and white with a classic damask design and large scale pattern, or this Vintage Flock Wallpaper in white by Kelly Hoppen, a classic design with a modern twist, inspired by the decortation of Buckingham Palace.