The Art of Gothic Living: Dark Decor for the Modern Macabre

by Paul Gambino

Overview

From a spirit-haunted church in Western Ohio to an ancient Italian castle, from a freakish funhouse on the Jersey shore to a Connecticut cottage with a storybook façade that belies its spine-tingling contents: this collection of aspirational interiors will appeal to anyone who wishes to live in the luxury of Gothic darkness without sacrificing even an ounce of style. The Art of Gothic Living profiles 15 homes and their owners, chronicling their journeys to creating living spaces that reflect a philosophy steeped in the tenets of Gothic subculture—individuality, creativity, and a fascination with life's shadow side. The ways in which this manifests in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms is as diverse as the homeowners in author Paul Gambino's intriguing book. How does one showcase a collection of medical models and religious iconography in a way that emphasizes its beauty (and allows space for entertaining)? How can a homeowner make the ghosts that linger in the halls a feature, not a bug? This engaging, beautifully designed treasure trove of dark delights answers plenty of the most practical questions while inspiring readers to new heights of decorative expression as they envision a Gothic home for themselves, wherever they may reside. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454951094
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	08/20/2024
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	309,309
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Paul Gambino has been an avid collector of the macabre for over 20 years, and owns an extensive collection of nineteenth-century memorial photographs. His two decades of collecting have gained him access to some of the world's most elite collectors of the macabre. He is the author of Morbid Curiosities, Skulls, and Killer Collections.

 

Editorial Reviews

05/20/2024

This bewitching coffee-table book from antiques collector Gambino (Morbid Curiosities) showcases the interiors of homes that pay homage to the Gothic style, which is characterized by symmetrical architecture, “carved cabinetry, velvet-covered couches, and heavy drapery.” Contrary to the contemporary vogue for minimalist decor, these Gothic homes are blissfully maximalist, cluttered with taxidermy, antiquated medical equipment, and artwork that looks like it was lifted from a Tim Burton set. The photography zeroes in on the eerie ornamentation that makes the homes distinctive, highlighting the antique electric chair on the stair landing of a set designer’s house in Australia, and an open casket containing a real human skeleton in the living room of a repurposed 19th-century Ohio church. The homeowners are as colorful as one would expect; for instance, Ryan Cohn, who runs a flea market specializing in macabre “oddities,” demurs on whether there are ghosts in his Connecticut Victorian: “Hell, if it were haunted, I wouldn’t move; I would charge admission to visit us.” Many of the homes come with fascinating histories that are as morbid as their decor, such as the Pennsylvania house that in the 1930s was owned by members of a gang that poisoned women so their husbands could cash in their life insurance policies. The results are marvelously offbeat. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"This bewitching coffee-table book ... showcases the interiors of homes that pay homage to the Gothic style....These Gothic homes are blissfully maximalist ... the homeowners are as colorful as one would expect ... the homes come with fascinating histories that are as morbid as their decor...the results are marvelously offbeat."—Publisher's Weekly
 

From the Publisher