2.12 gothic home decoration

From: Trystan L. Bass
It pays to watch the mainstream fashions -- every so often, velvets, tapestries, black, and jewel-tones are "in" for home decorating. That's when you'll find goth-ish stuff at all the stores, from the cheapies to the high-brow.

Don't forget about off-price department stores like Ross, Mervyns, Strouds, and Target. They often have reasonable prices on bedding and home accessories. I've found lovely (and cheap!) burgundy tapestry placemats and table runners at Ross, along with inexpensive crystal and silver servingware. And every fall or winter, I see velvet bedding in their sale mailers. Outlet malls might even be worth a trip -- the discounts aren't always huge, but some have unusual items in stock.

Flea markets, garage/estate/yard sales, and second-hand shops can be good places for old linens, including tablecloths, napkins, and curtains. These can be used as-is, or clever SewingGoths can make them into fancy garments and things like comforter covers. My favorite lace napkins (which I always use at tea parties ;-) were about a buck each at the Ashby Flea Market in Berkeley years ago. They don't match, but they're all scrupulously laundered and very pretty against a dark tablecloth.

And of course, winter is the ubiquitous gothic shopping season, and that's when you're more likely to find black and dark-colored sheets, comforters, towels, etc.

American Science and Surplus
3605 Howard St.
Skokie, IL 60076, US
Phone: (847) 982-0870
Fax: (800) 934-0722
help@sciplus.com
Science-themed toys, kits, and odd objects, such as plastic skeletons, gargoyle trays, and packages of disposable gloves meant for dissections but handy for hair-dyeing.

Archie McPhee and Company
P.O. Box 30852
Seattle, WA 98103, US
(425) 745-0711
mcphee@mcphee.com
Catalog free within US, $2 Canada, $5 elsewhere
Novelties, toys, retro home decor, and more. Quite a few skulls and gargoyles mixed in amongst the gag gifts and weird junk.

Art & Artifact
2451 Enterprise East Pkwy.
P.O. Box 8021
Twinsburg, OH 44087-8021, US
Order: (800) 231-6766
Fax: (800) 950-9569
Customer Service: (800) 950-9540
shop@artandartifact.com
Historical-theme and art-influenced items such as clothing, jewelry, statuary, lamps, painting reproductions, assorted home accessories. Lots of Medieval, Victorian, Asian, and Celtic-themed items.

Bone Clones
21416 Chase Street, #1
Canoga Park, CA 91304, US
Phone: (818) 709-7991
Fax: (818) 709-7993
kronen@boneclones.com
Replica human and animal skulls and life casts.

CasketFurniture.com
c/o MHP Enterprises
420 - 9th Ave.
Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada
V1N 1M1
(800) 789-9395
mhp@casketfurniture.com
Caskets and coffins made into functional furniture, such as book cases, wall units, beds, coffee tables, etc. Does custom work.

The Cornerstone Goodgoth.com
P.O. Box 1814
Westfield, MA 01086, US
luluwhite@aol.com
Free catalog
Gothic clothing, jewelry, hair dye, makeup, pewter, candles, gargoyles, and cruelty-free goth accessories.

Trystan comments: Every time I've ordered from the Cornerstone, I've gotten excellent service and prompt shipping. And they carry funky-colored hair dye at a lower price than anywhere else I've found!

Bijan comments: Mare, the owner, is VERY nice! She had no problems special ordering the things I needed. The shipping was very fast, and I had a pleasant experience.

Design Toscano
17 East Campbell St.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005-1472, US
Customer Service: (800) 525-1233
Orders: (800) 525-0733
Fax: (708) 255-1180
Catalog $2
Expensive (but high quality) gargoyles, tapestries, furniture, candleholders, home decor, and some great jewelry too.

Domestications
P.O. Box 40
Hanover, PA 1733-0040
Orders: (800) 746-2555
Customer Service: (608) 791-5903
Bedding, window coverings, slipcovers, and other housewares in a variety of patterns, colors, and styles. Some discounts, but mostly average prices. Always seems to have black sheet sets, also black curtains, towels, and blankets. Sometimes even has black furniture slipcovers.

Equinox Books and Occult Supplies
P.O. Box 4212
Long Branch, NJ 07740, US
(732) 222-0801
equinoxbook@monmouth.com
Jewelry, robes, statuary, t-shirts, tarot cards, candles, incense, herbs, books, calendars, music, and pagan ritual supplies.

mAlice comments: I'll add another "thumbs up" for Equinox. I ordered some assorted merchandise from them right before New Year's, and they went ahead and sent the stuff that wasn't backordered right away; even the item that was backordered arrived in a timely fashion. And since I answered their 'pagan trivia' questions, I even got 20% off, which more than made up for shipping... Everything was packed well so nothing suffered in shipping.

Fellowship Foundry Pewtersmiths
1605 Abram Ct.
San Leandro, CA 94577, US
Phone: (510) 352-0935
Fax: (510) 352-0938
Pewter jewelry, goblets, and statuary, including skulls, bats, skeletons, etc. Sells at California, US, Renaissance faires and

Gargoyles Statuary
4550 University Way
Seattle, WA 98105, US
(800) 253-9672 or (206) 632-4940
Catalog $1
Gargoyles and other gothic/medieval statuary, gothic jewelry, candles, home decor, and t-shirts.

Lillian Vernon
Virginia Beach, VA 23479-0002, US
Order: (800) 285-5555
Fax: (888) LILLIAN
Customer Service: (800) 505-2250
Mainstream home decor and organizational items. A lot of the stuff is on the cutesy side, but frequently has interesting candleholders, leather and velvet accessory cases and bags, pretty baskets and hatboxes (often in sets), and useful things like kitchen items, gift wrap, and jewelry organizers. Always has a large selection of holiday items, including Halloween.

LinenSource
Bed linens and home decor.

Ice Princess comments: I bought the burnout velvet bedding. Let me enthusiastically recommend a catalog called LinenSource. The bedding is *very* good quality -- the burnout velvet is a silk/rayon blend, very plush and not at all chintzy; the backing on the comforter and the edges of the pillow shams is weighty cotton velveteen, and the comforter itself is nicely heavy. My order took only a week to arrive. It wasn't an inexpensive purchase, but I'm *very* happy with it.

Necromance
7220 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046, US
necromance@earthlink.net
Gothic and exotic jewelry, skulls, gargoyles, preserved insects, and collectibles.

Newport News
Easy Style Drive
Hampton, VA 23630-1291, US
Orders: (800) 688-2830
Customer Service: (757) 827-9000
Mainstream/traditional women's clothing and accessories, plus home decorating items.

Serpentine comments: I just got my two new Newport News catalogues, and there are some really nice things in them hidden amongst the teacher-gear. Let's see, they have black velvet go-go boots, short black velvet boots with a pointy toe, a burgundy burnout velvet skirt as well as a burgundy burnout velvet duster. They've also got lots of basics like velour leggings and tops, stretch velvet jeans, blazers, a really cool red peacoat, plus (*swoon*) a velvet bedding set (it's a nasty beige in the picture, but it also comes in black). My mum also got me a great lunchbox purse, but I think they are out of those. Anyway, just to brag it's dark purple with black velvety lining and big enough to hold my checkbook and all my makeup besides! They've also got long leather skirts and coats.

Jackie Manni comments: I would say that you get pretty good quality for the price at Newport News -- the items I bought were all under $35. The prices are similar to the cheapie type stores, but the quality is much, much better (I can't even squeeze my arm into the cheapie stores large!! and Newport's large is roomy. Also, materials are better, construction also better). I haven't ordered anything pricey from them, but if I really liked something, I wouldn't hesitate. I've also gotten good customer service, and joined their little club which I think costs $20 and gives you a few dollars off each order and special clearance catalogs.

Trystan comments: Um, what *haven't* I bought from Newport News?!? I've been buying their clothes for ages and always find plenty of neat stuff in dark colors (especially in the winter catalogs, where velvet is plentiful). The quality is basic -- not exquisite, but things don't fall apart either. The prices are dirt-cheap -- most pieces are in the $20-$50 range. The shoes tend to run narrow (tho' I have wide feet). The clothes sizes seem very consistent and match what their size charts say. In the past year, the catalog has had a whole lot more home decorating stuff like bedding and curtains. I bought a black velvet comforter cover that is beautiful and was very inexpensive. Highly recommended!

Optical Dillusions
734 Franklin Ave., PMB 380
Garden City, NY 11530, US
Phone: (516) 972-2993
odillusion@aol.com
Free catalog
Gothic, vampire, and fantasy jewelry and sculpture.

Past Times
Merchandise with a British history theme, including small furnishings, jewelry, scarves, kitchen items, blankets, etc.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
P.O. Box 150
Milford, NH 03055, US
Phone: (800) 354-4708
Fax: (603) 673-4576
Gothic and fine-art bank checks, plus stationary and nightlights.

Silk & Stone
Camarillo, CA, US
(877) 521-7900
information@silkandstone.com
Medieval and Renaissance gifts and accessories, including candleholders, lamps, wall hangings, statuary, vases, inscense, foods, music, bath products, etc.

Snapdragon Gifts
615 Malarin Ave.
Santa Clara, CA 95050, US
Phone: (800) 211-6965 or (408) 615-9830
Fax: (408) 615-9831
info@snapdragongifts.com
Bat jewelry, bat boxes, gargoyles and other gothic and horror inspired gift items.

Statue.com (formerly Orlandi Statuary)
100 North Main Street
Edwardsville, IL 62025, US
Phone: (877) 675-2634 or (618) 692-1121
Fax (618) 692-6775
gloria@statue.com
Fine statuary since 1911. Has vampire and gargoyle candle holders, among other types of statuary.

The Stone Griffin (formerly Novus Enterprises)
412 East Campbell Ave.
Campbell, CA 95008, US
Phone: (408) 374-5210 or (888) NOVUS-90
Fax: (408) 374-5203
smith119@attbi.com
Gargoyle statuary.

Strange Brew
2826 Elmwood Ave.
Kenmore, NY 14217, US
Phone: (800) 898-6476
Fax: (716) 876-4930
strangebrew@thecauldron.com
Occult supplies such as jewelry, candles, goblets, herbs, books, and more.

Victorian Trading Company
Fax: (800) 724-7697
Free catalog
Victorian reproduction clothing, jewelry, accessories, toys, furniture, and garden accents.

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