On the spookiest of weekends, Jacqueline Wake Young takes décor inspiration from Harry Potter’s dark and mysterious 12 Grimmauld Place, minus the screeching portraits and scorched tapestries
Having cornered the market in witchcraft and wizardry, the Harry Potter franchise is close to claiming Halloween all for itself.
Besides the usual witch and cat costumes, the shops pack their shelves with Hogwarts robes and magic wands, while Halloween parties morph into Harry Potter conventions.
The magical community go out and about unnoticed and that’s why Lord Voldemort was able to wreak havoc at Godric’s Hollow on December 31 1981 because Muggles mistook him for a very tall, pale trick or treater.
Halloween is the biggest night of the year at Hogwarts and the school is decorated to the max.
Finding inspiration
Readers can see themselves on the rough-hewn wooden benches dining by candlelight because author JK Rowling is also an interior design wizard.
The Gryffindor common room is Scottish Baronial with its open fires and squashy sofas while The Burrow is Rustic or Farmhouse with higgledy-piggledy, esoteric furnishings adding Boho to the mix.
Then there’s 12 Grimmauld Place, with its black décor to match the dark magic that pervades within.
That said, with a bit of dusting and exorcism it could make a lovely family home.
The townhouse certainly has the bones to carry off the black furnishings, which work especially well in traditional settings.
High ceilings give black space to breathe and the effect can be opulent, even romantic, especially when teamed with gold or jewel tones.
Large rooms allow for layering and piling different textures and patterns on top of one another signals luxury and comfort.
Black has a place in modern homes too, if used with care, because it can create drama and help to anchor any colour scheme.
Our magical picks:
