After scrolling on TikTok recently, I stumbled upon a term I had not yet heard before: “whimsigothic.” Specifically, user @whimsigothwitch’s video “Whimsigothic Bedroom Inspiration” brought me down an entirely new rabbit hole that I didn’t know I needed.
Influenced by the ’90s grunge scene, specifically The Smashing Pumpkins album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” as well as Stevie Nicks, whimsigothic style takes dark, gothic looks and softens them with hints of witch-esque whimsy and color. If you are one of those people that wishes you could channel the spooky season all year round without using tacky Halloween decorations, then this look is for you.
An easier way to interpret what exactly this aesthetic is can be done by breaking down the name. “Whimsi-” can be interpreted in many different ways, but the main takeaways are anything fantasy-related, flowy or mystical. The “-gothic” aspect can be channeled with candelabras and anything elegant-looking.
At first, I was confused as to how the aesthetic was blowing up right before summertime, as a lot of whimsigothic style is reminiscent of the autumn months, but the more that I delved into it, the more I was able to see the differences.
A major difference between the two can be seen in the perspectives on witchcraft: whimsigothic style views witches and magic through a wiccan lens rather than the one with warts and bubbling cauldrons.
It is also important to note that anyone of any religious beliefs can live in a whimsigothic home. You do not need to be wiccan to have the aesthetic — witches just tend to be associated with the style.
As I said earlier, Stevie Nicks is a major influence on the style. The Fleetwood Mac singer claims to not be a witch herself, but simply likes “witchy” things.
Her iconic fashion can be incorporated into your decor, especially through mixing different patterned, textured and colored fabrics in curtains, bedspreads, throw blankets and rugs.
If you are interested in replicating this look for yourself, here are some tips:
- Purple is your best friend in this aesthetic
When in doubt, purple plus any warm tones will get you the look that you are going for. If you don’t like purple that much, try experimenting with dark blues, greens and other cool tones. As long as you keep it colorful, it will look good.
- Try to avoid blatantly obvious halloween decor
Since whimsigothic is a gothic style, plenty of parallels can be found between the aesthetic and items at Spirit Halloween. Rather than looking for something that clearly depicts witches, try to find something with witchy vibes. Here is where you can have fun and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
- Prints and textures are important
As a normally maximalist style, the whimsigothic look succeeds when you incorporate an overwhelming number of patterns. It is common to see sun and moon prints as well as velvet or woven textures.
Especially with aesthetics like this, it is important to have fun with your room design. Try to break from what is conventional and create something new!