Gothic Style Interior Design Ideas and Photos of the best interiors for your inspiration

Gothic managed to combine aristocracy with elegance, and grandeur with sophistication. Despite the fact that the style originated in the “dark times” of the Middle Ages, crusades and jousting tournaments, it is still popular today.

In the past, Gothic interiors filled castles, today – hotel rooms and restaurant halls, wishing to return visitors to the past – the times of brave knights and beautiful ladies. And the mystery and charm of Gothic certainly hint at mysticism

The history of the creation of the style

At the mention of the Gothic style, Count Dracula’s castle and feature films in gray tones immediately come to mind. Gothic is often associated with gloom and something sinister due to the appearance of architecture.

The Gothic style originated in the 12th century in Europe, replacing the Romanesque style. Rich people began to build spacious houses for living, concentrating the atmosphere around the heart of the hearth house. They were built of stone, covering the walls and ceilings with wooden panels to preserve heat.

In the homes of ordinary people, tapestries or bright coats of arms served as decorations, and in the wealthier ones, the wood was decorated with Gothic patterns. Arches, columns, pointed arches and round windows with luxurious stained glass windows were absent in residential buildings.

The furniture of the Gothic Middle Ages was surprising in its scarcity, but even then cabinets, benches and other objects were built into the walls saving space. The nobles also ordered four-poster beds, primarily protecting them from the cold.

By the middle of the 15th century in Western Europe, the Gothic was displaced by the Renaissance, and in the East the style lingered until the middle of the next century.

By the 18th century, interest in Gothic had returned in England. Based on the forms of the past, but using the technologies and materials of his time, a new style emerged: neo-Gothic. As a result of this mixing, the interiors of the English aristocracy have become more comfortable and attractive than in classical Gothic.

Characteristic features of the interior

The Gothic style carries scope and scale. For example, high windows with stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings are present in every Gothic castle. Multicolored glasses were inserted not randomly, but laid out in a complex pattern, repeating religious plots and episodes of the life of kings.

Thanks to technology, Gothic is applicable to modern country houses and, if desired, apartments. The main thing is a wide area of the room and compliance with the basic features of the style:

• Natural materials.
• Vertical orientation – interior items and windows seem to stretch upwards to the sky, thanks to which the grandeur of the room is achieved.
• The shades in the interior emphasize the mystical component of the style, so they choose a dark but rich palette – purple, black, blue, burgundy, dark green, purple.
• Lighting – natural light penetrated into medieval castles through tall windows with wrought-iron bars. Today, in addition to it, local light sources are used. A wrought-iron chandelier is hung in the center of the ceiling.

• Classical Gothic is impossible without stained glass windows, massive doors decorated with carvings, ceiling beams and stucco.
• A mandatory element of the style is a fireplace with a wrought-iron grate.

Designers recommend not to strive to fully adopt the spirit of a Gothic castle. Otherwise, the room will be too dark. It will be enough to observe the general stylization and integral elements.

Materials in the decoration of rooms

Gothic welcomes naturalness: marble, metal parts of furniture and decor, glass and valuable wood. Fortunately, there is an imitation for almost any material today. Real marble replaces artificial stone or materials imitating the texture of marble. Plastic is not used at all.

When finishing the floor, preference is given to wood, parquet, natural stones or tiles. Ceilings are decorated with stucco and caissons. The walls in the interior of the Gothic orientation are usually plain. They are decorated with wooden panels on top, decorated with tapestries and paintings with medieval subjects, frescoes, paintings.

If there are stained glass windows in the room, the abundance of decorative elements should be reduced. Cluttering up space destroys the magic of style. Gothic needs space, air.

A thoughtful choice of materials and decor elements will allow you to fill the rooms with the spirit of knight halls and royal bedrooms.

When the design of the entire building in the Gothic style is planned at the construction stage, it is worth thinking about the right choice of windows. The classic version: a high narrow window with an angular arch at the top, divided into sectors. Another type is the “Gothic rose”. The window got this name for its shape. Rounded, divided into equal parts in such a way that the figure in the frame resembles a blooming flower or star.

The Gothic style in the interior is associated with gloomy halls, mystery and mystical stories because of the characteristic dark shades. Sometimes the rooms are completely decorated in a black and gray palette, but not everyone likes this.

In order for a modern room not to look too dark, designers recommend choosing the main tone in a light range: milky, beige or white. With a combination of Gothic shades and light tones, the stained glass windows will play especially brightly. And black details will add “darkness”: carpets, furniture, mirror frames.

Furniture

Gothic furniture is distinguished by elegance with all its massiveness. High tables on curved carved legs with drawers. Dressers and chests with metal fittings. Chairs and armchairs with armrests, Mirrors in heavy frames made of metal or wood. All objects breathe majesty.

In the living room, a fireplace in wood or stone is necessarily installed. To give authenticity and atmosphere, the frame of the fireplace grate is decorated with an ornament or Celtic script.

The bed requires a huge headboard with twisted forged elements. And instead of chests, buffets and wardrobes are used today. The doors are decorated with stained glass windows, carved patterns, decorated with “Gothic roses”. The carving is covered with a shiny paint, gold or silver. A rocking chair will complement the interior.

It is very important that all furniture and chests have secret drawers or a second bottom.

Details and decor

Gothic assumes minimal, but thoughtful decorations and decor. Since medieval castles were filled with stained glass windows, pointed ceiling vaults, statues, rich decoration, no additional decorations were required.

Today, creating an interior in the Gothic style, the walls are complemented with tapestries or paintings depicting castles, coats of arms, jousting tournaments. Gentle pastoral motives will have to be abandoned. The ceiling is decorated with mosaics, frescoes or stucco.

A prerequisite for Gothic: forged or made of wood lamps. Hanging chandelier, candelabra, torches and lanterns. Weapons – swords, crossbows, spears, bows and arrows – are hung on the wall or assembled into a composition.

Gothic welcomes the abundance of bronze and copper in the interior: vases, cups, figurines and dishes. In terms of textiles, preferences fall on dense fabrics. Both bedspreads and draperies, which decorate the walls or zone the room.

Stained glass windows are not covered with curtains, but if desired, you can decorate an interior door or furniture facades with stained glass. Then it is appropriate to decorate the windows with thick curtains. Cornices must be massive. Forged or wooden. Carving, stained glass windows, decoration of decorative elements allow the use of silver and gold threads.

Gothic style is creativity and originality. A combination of elegant luxury with dark mysticism. Chic with comfort. The main task of the style is to fill the interior with the spirit of a knight’s castle. Of course, today it will not be possible to achieve such an effect completely, but properly selected materials, decor and compliance with style features will help bring it closer.

Gothic interior design: photos