Embrace the darkness with Edgar Allan Poe home decor

Guest post by Devon Preston
#Decor & Decorating#book-nerds#decor#gothic

edgar allan poe home decor

For those of us that aren’t at home with Martha, the world of decorating can be rather ominous. Especially when your style is more Lisbeth Salander than Carrie Bradshaw.

If black is the new black for your decorating tastes, why not go all out with Edgar Allan Poe home decor?

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the founding authors of horror, terrifying audiences world wide with works such as The Raven and The Masque of the Red Death. But your Edgar-inspired decor doesn’t need to inspire fear in order to capture the dark romance of Allan’s classic works.

Whether you’re going for a subtle touch of gothic in your home or a full-out homage to Addams-style macabre, the key to keeping your decor hauntingly beautiful instead of hauntingly Halloween-y is to keep your decorating both simplistic and sophisticated. If you want to get your new decor on the cheap, that may mean doing a little bit of exploring on the web or at consignment shops to find special pieces that won’t have your wallet saying “Nevermore.”

Embrace the darkness

The Heavenly post bed canopy from Amazon
The Heavenly post bed canopy from Amazon

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Black furniture can be hard to come by, especially for a decent price. That’s why a DIY project may be in your best interest. All it takes is a coat of black paint. A glazed topcoat and updated knobs for drawers may not be essential, but they can up the elegance of the look. This bed canopy from Amazon’s Heavenly line and some velvet pillows from Urban Outfitters are just a few ways to get this look for less.

Velvet pillow from Urban Outfitters.
Velvet pillow from Urban Outfitters.

Throw in pops of burgundy, sapphire, plum, emerald, or ruby with velvet throw pillows or gauze curtains to add the finishing touches for a vintage-inspired gothic design.

Get a little weird

Photos courtesy of Dellamort & Co
Photos courtesy of Dellamort & Co

The gothic world is no stranger to oddity, especially in the home. Take the households of the Munster and Addams families, for example. Every inch of their homes was filled with elements of horror, and it’s easier than ever to replicate their style in your own home in the age of online commerce. This bat vase and Helix Ossuary Candlestick holders by Etsy artist Dellamorte & Co are just one of many examples of how common household items can be given a gothic touch without losing an ounce of luxury.

Pay tribute with horror-inspired art

Photo courtesy of VintageNBeautiful's Etsy shop
Photo courtesy of VintageNBeautiful’s Etsy shop

Skeletons, plague doctors, bats, and of course ravens are staples in classic horror stories, and their influence makes for some eerie and awesome wall furnishing. Handmade prints such as this steampunk beauty by VintageNBeautiful are great ways to give a literary touch without going overboard. Using the pages of a book also makes for another DIY project. Even if you may not be an artist, who says you can’t steal from your grandmother and use some pressed flowers preserved with Mod Podge or your favorite quote on the pages of an old book?

Going gothic in your home may seem scary at first, but anyone can take their space from ordinary to fashionably ghoulish with a little bit of DIY magic and a few unique statement treasures.

Poe-enthusiasts? What are your tell-tale Edgar Allan Poe home decor tips?

Guest Post By: Devon Preston

Just a college student with a heart for blogging, tattoos, cats, and everything kawaii. Can often be found on Netflix, at the gym, or cuddling with her kitty. She is also being mentored by Ariel this summer.

Comments on Embrace the darkness with Edgar Allan Poe home decor

  2. This is how I decorate our home – pops of goth all over.. it can get expensive so I just have to settle for little bits here and there for now… 🙂

    The best time to actually stock up is around Halloween… usually at the very beginning of October. Stores like TJMaxx and Home Goods are brilliant with this sort of décor. Its usually very simple and not too Halloween-y, so you can have it out all year. You can get dishes, dishtowels, potholders, serving platters, glasses, cutlery, pillows (my favorite!), bedding, curtains, throws, candleholders, candles, bathroom accessories and even soaps and lotions. Go ahead and get the things that you absolutely love because they will sell out of the really good stuff… but if its something you can hold out on, then get up early and hit the stores the day after Halloween. By this time, the stores are eager to start stocking up for Christmas, so there is usually a huge discount (usually 50-75% off) and you can get some amazing deals, especially if you are looking to add some goth to your kitchen! But because they are such good deals, it sells out quick!

    • I actually scored a gooorgeous candelabra super cheap from Michael’s around Halloween last year! I totally pillage Ross, TJ Maxx, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby come Halloween time to decorate my house 😛 Slowly but surely it is living up to my little goth heart.

    • Christmas decorations are also getting darker, I have seen purple, brown and even black decors and have also seen black Christmas tree which my daughter proudly owns for her room.( She has a small four foot tree of course) So after Christmas is the best time to get the after season sales and up to 90 percent off. That is when I usually get the colored lights and other items to decorate slowly on a budget.

  4. It’s actually not hard to paint furniture! We painted up my old childhood/vintage/they-don’t-make-furniture-like this-anymore desk into a vanity. It was gross and yellow with age (was white originally, I guess, in like the 50’s), but we just got the nicer paint from Lowes/Home Depot (I forget which. Whichever sells Valspar). Primed it first and then used a varnish afterwards.

    I have some pictures on instagram, it’s super sexy (and gothy and black, of course): https://instagram.com/p/y7fnR5R8ax/?taken-by=lesliepwny

    For anyone interested, the mirror was a cheap Halloween-time grab from Ross, and the chair is also from Ross. Ross is love.

      • I should totally get on that! My walls are all fun colors and my walls are covered in comics and art! I’ll try to take some photos this weekend 😀 My makeup/dressing room is the only room that’s totally 100% “done,” but it’s always something that can be revisited later!

  7. There’s a really awesome selection of Haunted Mansion inspired decor that fits with this theme really well, and I do believe it’s available through Disney Store online. I was drooling over it when I was in the park in May.

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