Summer can be a bummer when black is your favorite color. Black isn’t exactly the most comfy choice when the temperatures soar, and all that exposed skin threatens your perfectly pale complexion. But fear not, our dark summer shopping round up will help you cultivate the ultimate resort goth look while the rest of the world dons their colorful sundresses!
Never underestimate the power of good home decor. Coming home to a living room or bedroom that’s an extension of your own personality can be comforting, soothing, and even revitalizing, especially after a long day.
One of my favorite items from my own home is this duvet cover designed by Sophy Tuttle. Affectionately referred to in our home as the “party crow,” the little guy on this duvet cover is just the right mix of creepy, funny and stylish. At KESS InHouse, you can buy her designs on all sorts of home decor items ranging from pillow cases to clocks.
Sophy Tuttle’s “Raven” duvet cover is available at KESS InHouse (and also adorns my own bed)
Pillows are a perfect way to add a touch of dark whimsy to any home, since they require little investment and can be swapped out easily. I’m currently in love with this one from Sovrin:
When it came time to decorate my own home, I was delighted to find that dark-inspired wallpapers are everywhere these days. One of my favorites is this bat print from Flavor Paper:
Flavor Paper’s “Elysian Fields” wallpaper may look like a simple floral design at first, but there are some batty friends hiding in those plants…
Don’t be intimidated by wallpaper – if the idea of covering your walls top to bottom seems like too much, you don’t have to keep it confined to the walls! I used the Aleister print by Grow House Grow to makeover an extremely bland desk and file cabinet.
On the top left, an incredibly boring desk. On the bottom left, after its makeover. A matching file cabinet was an easy DIY project.
Have a favorite home decor shop (online or otherwise)? Share it in the comments below!
I’d love to say that Menswear Monday will be a weekly occurring post, but it’s so challenging to find good, dark-inspired menswear that a weekly post seems unlikely. And when I say “good” dark-inspired menswear, I mean men’s fashion that has a dark sophistication, with subtle touches of edgy, off-center influences. Trying to find gaudy, over-the-top gothic* men’s clothing is a snap. As is finding totally mainstream, vanilla menswear. That sweet spot in the middle? So. Challenging.
The UK site ASOS has been a bright spot in the search for dark-but-understated menswear, and fortunately for those of us in the States, they ship to the U.S. (and pretty quickly at that). In particular, they carry a lot of items from the UK brand Religion, which is hard to find in the U.S. The brand’s kneeling skeleton is a logo that I’d happily sport on my clothes.
Updating the classic button down with gothic materials adds interest without creating a campy look, as with the skull collar tips on this Religion shirt or the faux leather on this shirt from Vito.
Moving away from ASOS, River Island‘s menswear line is worth a look. The lines on this reverse lapel blazer give it just a hint of “The Count,” don’t you think?
Several months back, I stumbled across Memento Mori in Los Angeles, a fantastic little shop full of dark curiosities, art and apparel. While browsing for quite a while (and furiously try to make up my mind on what to purchase, as my limited budget outweighed my desire to clean out the store of its merchandise), my eyes came across a striking gentleman…
This very well-dressed lemur is the creation of ibride, a French design studio that creates unique and slightly off kilter home decor. Edmond is from their line of wall trays. Memento Mori carried a few different designs, and it was incredible hard to choose a favorite. But Edmond ended up coming home with us and now graces my music studio.
Zhao the rabbit is another favorite from the collection. Note the carved pattern along the top and bottom of the tray that resembles a skull-lace pattern.
It’s not too hard to find ibride items online; Switch Modern carries several of their trays and other objects. To get really familiar with their collection, check out their site (bonus points if you speak French, because you won’t have to translate the page).
