If you want your living room to feel like one of the most inviting and cozy spaces at Hogwarts, the Gryffindor common room provides plenty of inspiration.
The Gryffindor common room as pictured in the Harry Potter movies is centered around a large stone fireplace. While it would be hard to replicate this architectural feature, having a fireplace in the room will definitely help inspire the feeling.
The room is filled with old and used furniture in red tones. There is a large, comfy couch with a red slipcover, perfect for lounging with friends. Several chairs, ottomans, and side tables are set in a semi-circle to facilitate conversation. There are some old desks and chairs scattered around the room ideal for students to read or complete homework. A set of bookshelves line one side of the room, filled with books and other magical items.
Walls
The walls of the room are made of gray stone and covered with very characteristic medieval red tapestries called The Lady and The Unicorn (French: La dame a la licorne).
Best places to buy: I have never seen anything like that on the antiques/used market, so I would buy inexpensive new stock. Tapestries are expensive, but you can get less expensive fabric or wallpaper, though wallpaper has a smaller-scale design.
Here is a fabric with a large-scale design from Spoonflower.
An actual tapestry is available but may cost you 10x or more.
Paintings and Art
There are several paintings of various sizes in gold frames hung on top of the tapestry. The paintings are similar to that of old masters, and I recreated mine by buying old art in gold frames and either swapping the paper prints or using them for a custom-made canvas print of famous paintings.
Best places to buy: antique stores, estate sales, and auctions. You can also buy new stock on Ebay and Etsy. If you want to swap the art, Walmart has some of the lowest prices for prints.
Floors
The Gryffindor common room in the Harry Potter movies has a dark wood floor covered by a worn-out oriental rug. The rug gives the room a sense of warmth, while the dark wood floor adds a touch of sophistication.
When choosing the rug for your Gryffindor common room, look for something that has red and navy colors and a large size that covers most if not the whole room.
Best places to buy: antique rugs are not for everyone, and there are inexpensive new rug options available from every interior decor retailer.
There are many rug options on the market with a similar feel, from estate sales to brand-new. Here are some designs that fit the bill.
Windows
The windows of the Gryffindor common room in the Harry Potter movies are stunning. Deeply set with an arch on top, they are divided by a lattice-like diamond pattern. Most of us are not lucky enough to have such amazing architectural details in our homes. If you want to add a Tudor touch to your windows, you can use a stick-on vinyl lattice design. This is inexpensive and easy to apply and remove.
Light Fixtures
The room has a variety of light fixtures and lamps stylized as antique oil or kerosene lamps. The main lighting fixture is a big, round chandelier with multiple chimney-style lanterns.
In addition to the chandelier, there are several other lighting fixtures, including brass student and table lights. Student lamps have a characteristic arm swinging away from tall a brass base, and the light is topped by a metal shade. Smaller table lamps have globe-shaped glass shades and glass chimneys.
Best places to buy light fixtures. My recommendation is to shop at antique stores first. They usually have inexpensive converted oil lamps and light fixtures with chimneys and brass shades. Buy lights with simple, unadorned shades, and stay away from painted “gone with the wind” lamps.
Furniture
The defining furniture piece of the Gryffindor common room is a large couch with a red slipcover that sits in front of the fireplace. Another sitting area behind the couch has a mishmash of chairs in red tones and a small wood coffee table.
There are two desks and a square table in the room, each with simple wood chairs around them. On the desks, there are books, quills, models of magical creatures, and other team students used in their studies. A set of bookshelves is at the back of the room, with some magical accessories on top.
Best places to buy: The best places to get furniture for a Gryffindor-inspired room are estate sales and auctions, antique malls, and online marketplaces, like Craig’s list and Facebook. I got my wonderful desk and hutch pictured below for less than $100 at an online estate auction because it was huge and difficult to transport.
When looking for furniture, look for medium to dark colors (mahogany, cherry, walnut), simple forms, and worn but not weathered finishes.
Accessories
When choosing accessories for a Gryffindor-inspired room, look for old books, items made of natural materials, such as metals and glass, and items used for education.
Magnifying glasses, brass scales, potion vessels of many kinds, notebooks, and storage containers are seen used by students in their studies, including in Gryffindor common room. Based on my personal observation of the castle design in the Wizarding World at Universal, a combination of metal and glass was the most popular type of accessory.
The final rule about choosing Gryffindor accessories is to have fun. Find odd and quirky items that you would have never purchased before, and make them work together.
Unlike the Slytherin common room, which can be cold and formal, Gryffindor common room is a more casual, cozy space. Use a combination of pre-loved simple furniture and decorative accessories to transform your space into one of the best rooms in Hogwarts castle.
More on creating your own Gryffindor room: