Home Accessories You'll Want If You're A Gryffindor
The "Harry Potter" novels and movies are a big part of our media culture. Avid readers and moviegoers fell in love with Harry and his friends as they grew more confident in their magic, and as strongminded young adults. Notable Gryffindor students included Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom. Represented by a lion as their mascot, Gryffindors pride themselves on being courageous and leading others, as said by Fantasy Topics. Though they could be reckless at times, they typically admit to their faults and shortcomings to learn lessons.
With its warm yet energetic vibe, the Gryffindor house primarily features red and gold colors (via Harry Potter Wiki). Known for its coziness, the Gryffindor's common room is decorated with squishy chairs and a warm fireplace. Intricate tapestries are spread all over the walls. Desks and chairs are planted all over the room for students who want to take a load off from studying to relax, chat, or read the many books from the bookshelves. No matter what Hogwarts house you fit into, there's a little bit of a Gryffindor in all of us. If you want to style your home like a Gryffindor, consider adding these Potteresque items to your décor.
Decorate with red glasses and kitchenware
Since red is one of the colors that's commonly associated with Gryffindors, why not decorate with red glasses and dishware at home? Brightly colored dishware livens up dining room eating, Decor Tips points out. You can go with a monochromatic table scheme and stick with red and burgundy hues to match coordinating plates and tablecloths. Play with different tones by having cherry red wine glasses next to hot pink silverware, bowls, and cloth napkins. This look will provide a romantic aesthetic, and is perfect for couples enjoying an evening meal with one another.
Stemless wine glasses are trendy and are available at kitchen décor stores and online shops. A set of four red stemless wine glasses would look pleasant on top of a living room coffee table when friends are over for movie and wine nights. For the holidays, pair red wine glasses with green bowls and dishes alongside cloth napkins patterned with hollies. Or, go vintage by purchasing red wine glasses at antique stores. With tarnishing polish, these glasses could look good as new and be used for drinking, or to display along a fireplace mantle as a home accessory. You can also check out ombre glasses and dishes that have faded red tones, or clear wine glasses that have red stems.
Work with metallic paint
As Angi points out, metallic paint could add depth and texture to any room in the home. Since Gryffindors prefer gold, paint the trim around an open entryway gold to add a splash of color. If the walls around the entryway are white or another neutral color, the gilded trim could act as a focal point. Pick a wall in any bedroom or bathroom that could do with some pizzazz, and paint one of the walls in the room gold. Since gold is a showy color, it's best to use it in small doses in home décor. Refurbish old furniture pieces like a desk or side table with a new coat of glistening metallic paint.
For those who have their own libraries in their living room or home office, paint the built-in bookshelves with different shades of gold to add dimension. The insides of the bookshelves could be painted a light gold whereas the outsides of the bookshelves could be painted a shade of bronze. Think of spaces that could do with a spruce of color such as the master bed headboard. A pop of gold would contrast nicely in a bedroom that contains mostly wooden furniture. Check out antique shops for ornate gold lampshades to place on lamps within the home. Golden lampshades with embroidery or intricate designs will instantly add character to your accent lighting.
Have a cushioned red couch
The Gryffindor common room had a couch for students to sit and rest after long hours of studying spells or playing Quidditch. Decorating with a red couch isn't complicated. Red is the color of love and royalty, according to Eat Happy Project, making it a perfect statement furniture piece. Place a red couch in the living room with tall green plants standing on either side. The green of the plants will balance the boldness of the red from the couch. This also allows the great outdoors to be placed inside the home for a fresh sense of décor. Black lamps on top of side tables or coffee tables in the living room add a formal appearance to the living space. You can also toss blue, green, and yellow throw pillows on the red couch for a modern touch of added color.
Since red and gold are Gryffindor colors, you could put a gold fleece blanket on top of a couch. Ones with tassels along the edges add a little extra flair. Put the red couch on top of a patterned rug with geometric designs that are trendy and fun. Add accessories on the living room walls around the red couch by hanging up black and white photographs that depict landmarks or city scenes. Doing so will add an ultramodern aesthetic to a simple living space.
Have a big red area rug
One notable accessory in the Gryffindor's common room is their big area rug. Kathleen Walsh, a New York-based interior designer tells The Mercury News, "The easiest place to put a lot of color is on the floor. Color on a floor has less impact than a bold pattern anywhere else in the room, but will still enrich and energize the space."
When you have a patterned bold red rug in the living room, other bold colors in the room seem to be competing against one another. Keep couches and coffee tables in neutral colors such as beige, nude, and ivory. Large-scale patterns on drapes will overwhelm the patterned rug, so keep drapes in simpler designs. You can never go wrong with black or white drapes to stay contemporary, yet classic. You can also compliment the living room with the red area rug by decorating with the same color. Find a red coffee table, or red side tables with black legs that have sharp, elongated lines for a modern appearance. Place a few decorative red accessories on a coffee table such as geometric glass art pieces, or red potted ceramics.
Be diligent when choosing the proper rug size (via NW Rugs & Furniture). Rugs that are too small could underwhelm the space, and look out of scale. Make sure you select an area rug that's large enough to provide space for your major furniture pieces. When the borders of the rugs expand beyond your furniture setup, your room can appear more polished and spacious.
Don't forget wooden table and chair sets
Throughout the Gryffindor common room, wooden tables and chair sets were abundant. This enabled the students to read or chill out with one another to release energy after a tough day at school. Having wooden furniture in the home creates a warm and welcoming environment, as noted by Lomuarredi. Since wood is natural, it's environmentally friendly and recyclable. For a dining room set, find a wooden table and chair set that has chairs with intricately designed backs. Find a fruit bowl to put on top of the table, and change out fruits during the week. You can play with mixing and matching different shades of wood finishes for a layered look. For example, in your bedroom, consider a dark-colored wooden bed frame a with medium-colored wooden chair and table set.
Since many people are working from home, they may have their own home office. Buy a wooden table instead of a desk to be able to spread out work more readily. Purchase wooden chairs with soft cushions to have more back stability and comfort. Choose cushions in rich colors like navy blue, chocolate brown, or charcoal gray. Placing small succulent plants on top of the desk also freshens up the space. Don't forget to have a planner or journal nearby to keep track of important notes. For parents with young children, a small desk with chairs set ties together their bedroom to look put together. Go artsy by placing cups or containers filled with markers, pens, and crayons on top of the child's wooden table.
Place bookshelves in certain rooms
Mimicking the academic vibe of Hogwarts, use bookshelves to fully capture the Gryffindor aesthetic. For those who are unsure of how to decorate bookshelves, have no fear. One method is to place a stack of books on one side of the bookshelf with a bookend pressed up against the books, as stated by Driven By Décor. Grab a few books, and stack them on top of one another to place next to a decorative gold-plated dish or bowl. Keep the bowl empty, or put dried flowers inside. Work with scale by placing tall vases next to books or jewelry boxes.
Choose items that have sentimental and meaningful value to place on top of bookshelves (via Jennifer Maune). Have framed photographs and priceless heirlooms setting inside the bookshelves. Work with one color palette to create a sense of balance. Like blue? Decorate the inside of the bookshelves with blue dishes, blue potted plants, and blue porcelain figures. Create white space by not overcrowding the items on the shelves. Stay with the Gryffindor mystique by working with bronzed or gold figurines. Look for lion figurines, or go for wizard motifs such as gold wands and wizard hats painted gold.
Get knitted décor
Gryffindors are known for wearing striped gold and red scarves. Similar knitted fashions could be applied to everyday home items like crocheted or knitted dishcloths in neutral patterns. Stay simple by purchasing or making knitted neutral kitchen cloths to hang on wall hooks, or go the Gryffindor route by crocheting gold and red cleaning cloths. Bonus points if the emblem of the lion could be ironed onto your new textiles. Big-time "Harry Potter" fans would love this.
Does the couch in the living room need throw pillows? Purchase knitted throw pillows in shades of brown, gold, and red for warmth and comfort. Instead of staying with the typical square and rectangular pillows that are found at home stores, buy rounded knit pillows. Look for soft rounded pillows that have neatly threaded edges without snags. Any living space could look more welcoming with a knitted throw blanket hanging over the couch or on a dining room chair.
Imagine sitting on a couch feeling the heat from the fireplace whilst snuggled up with a knitted throw blanket and reading your favorite "Harry Potter" book. Like autumn? Look for throw blankets in gold, orange, yellow, and red patterns. Or, gather at dinner time with knitted tea and drink koozies. They're great to grip and soft to the touch and as Diana Rambles points out, it's simple to make your own with old, repurposed socks.
Work with animal décor
One symbol that's prevalent in Gryffindor culture is the lion that's depicted on crests. Wild Life Safari suggests working with animal artwork by staying minimal and adding it to a living room in neutral tones with furniture and wall colors. Play with visual intrigue by hanging colorful animal wildlife art on the walls at different heights. Or, for those who'd prefer a classic touch, look online for black-and-white photographs of animals. Find frames with gold or silver trimming to add color without seeming too obvious. Think of hanging framed animal pictures in rooms that need more décor such as on basement walls where a pop of design could make a big statement. You could also go big by purchasing bronze lion statues to place strategically around your space.
Work with large animal-printed art pieces for a big statement (via Ejaz Khan Photography). This could mean hanging an oversized piece above a fireplace to catch the eyes of guests and spark conversation. You could also combine small, framed pieces of art for a gallery wall or use ceramic pieces to add dimension. Small lion figurines could be placed along the top of a kitchen windowsill for an unexpected touch of style. Wildlife-printed textiles like pillows and throws are another functional and stylish way to add to the theme.
Use gold decorative trays
Continuing with the idea of using gold home accessories, check out local shops for gold decorative trays. Fancy decorative trays would look stylish in a bedroom to house jewelry and perfumes, as noted by Lightlady Studio. Keep these jewelry and perfume trays on dressers, or on bathroom countertops. Add more gold elements by adding a gold-plated tissue box on top of the bathroom counter. For couples who have their own bedside tables next to their bed in the master bedroom, use gold or bronze trays to contain reading glasses, cell phones, and nighttime novels. Not only does this add a sense of luxury, but keeps the things needed for sleep right next to the bed. You can even look for attractive trays with detailed etchings of lions to give props to the Gryffindor logo.
Place a statement-making gold tray in the middle of a dining room table to act as a centerpiece. The dining room could hold salt and pepper shakers alongside napkin holders with paper napkins. Purchase gold-painted salt and pepper shakers with geometric patterns and prints for extra effect. Spice up bland coffee tables by putting teacups and a teapot on a decorative tray for serving guests. Or, look for antique teapots with golden or silver details, which will not only look pretty but will also add a vintage touch.
Find gold and red throw blankets
When the temperature drops, it's time to bring out the throw blankets. Look for gold and red options at bedding stores to fit in with the Gryffindor aesthetic. Throw blankets could be paired with other home décor, like placing them neatly folded on stools, as suggested by Thistlewood Farms. Look for tasseled gold and red throws to fold and place at the end of the master bedroom bed. If you like breakfast in bed, you could put a gilded plate or tray on top of the throw blanket to act as a decoration alongside miniature coffee pots and cups on top. If you have a bed bench, put the gold and red blankets on top in case you need extra bedding for chilly fall nights.
Keep wicker baskets nearby in living rooms and entryways to put blankets inside (via Tirrinia). This is easy access for visiting relatives and families who need a blanket to sleep on a couch or a bed. Be trendy and look for red or yellow plaid options, which will fit in with a country or farmhouse aesthetic. Even draping these throw blankets over kitchen or dining room chairs is a way to add soft character to a regular piece of functional furniture.
Go academic with globes and maps
The Gryffindor common room had globes and maps. Globes and maps aren't just for the classroom or academic settings and can be used to add interest to your home. One way to decorate with globes is to gather a couple of them to arrange on a console table, as One Kings Lane suggests. Don't clutter the space with too many globes, about three to four will do fine. Buy a map to hang above the living room sofa as a focal piece of artwork, but keep the rest of the living room in neutral tones with furniture that has structured lean lines. Break up a picture of an actual map to put in frames to create a grid of artwork above a wall to make a statement. This could work in a study with dark furniture similar to the Gryffindor common room, or even in a bedroom.
Go for cozy comfort and purchase a map pillow for a unique accessory to top an entryway bench. For parents, buy a map bed headboard to add a geographical charm to your children's bedroom. Not only is this different than typical kid décor, but could spark conversations between parents and children about the locations of different countries and states. Enhance the unique travel theme in the child's bedroom by putting map-themed lamps on bedside tables, desks, and dressers.
Cozy up the fireplace
The Gryffindor common room had the fireplace going frequently. For many people, there's nothing better than snuggling up to the living room fireplace during crisp days and cold nights. Postcards From the Ridge points out that wooden candle sticks and artwork are both perfect mantle toppers. Go "Gryffindor" by placing a red or gold embroidered mantle cloth on top. Check out home décor stores for paintings that feature wizard or fantasy-themed artwork to hang above the mantle. Below the mantle, have antique jugs filled with faux or dried branches from the outside for a natural, but subtle look.
Before decorating the mantle and around the living room fireplace, clean away any dust and grime (via Sprucing Up Mamahood). Since Harry Potter is all about warm and cozy vibes, take away any décor that feels too specific to spring or summertime. This includes pastel flowers or springy greenery. Take a look around your own home to find dramatic and magic-inspired décor for your fireplace mantle. This could include wreaths, decorative brooms, and faux or real leaves. Incorporating Gryffindor-inspired items into your home décor doesn't have to be hard. All that's needed is an eye for design, a little bit of magic, and some imaginative inspiration.