Most Slytherin aesthetic image have green painted walls. But you can achieve the same effect if you can’t or don’t want to paint the walls.
Surprisingly, you may stay more authentic to the book and the movies with neutral walls because the Slytherin common room did not feature green walls. The effect was achieved through a strategic placement of green accessories and blue-green light.
Follow the advice below to get the same effect.
Green Light
The most prominent green accessory in the Slytherin common room in the movie was an oil style lamp with a green glass shade. You can replicate a similar effect with a clear shade and green Krylon spray paint for glass.
Another option is color-changing light bulbs, like the Hue bulb. This smart bulb connects to the app where you can choose any color. That comes handy if you decide to switch wizarding houses. I used a color-change bulb in the vintage lamp above to create an eerie effect.
Decorative Greenery
Despite being underneath the water, the Slytherin common room was decorated with garlands of greenery that ran at the top of the wall underneath the heavy moldings. I paired two of these inexpensive garlands from Amazon, and they look great in my Harry Potter lounge.
Don’t constrain yourself with the garlands, though. Sprinkle greenery throughout. Moss in particular looks very Slytherin.
Tapestries
You may not be able or want to paint the walls, but a Unicorn tapestry is a more authentic option to bring the Slytherin spirit into your room. In the movies, the Hunt for the Unicorn tapestries adorned the walls of the Slytherin common room, and the Unicorn in Captivity tapestry (pictured above) was on the wall of the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. The latter is also featured at the Hogwarts Castle entry in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. You can’t get any more authentic than that!
Pillows and Throws
This is an easy choice, and Slytherin common room indeed had the green throw pillows on its lush black leather sofas. You can find similar pillows in many places, but I like these for the velvety fabric and nice piping.
Slytherin Pennant
If there was one thing to buy from the Harry Potter PB Teen collection is a Slytherin wall pennant. Highlighting the logo of the house or showing support for the Quidditch team, a pennant is a great addition to any Slytherin room.
Green Accessories
Green-colored accessories can be used throughout the room to evoke the Slytherin spirit. When I created my own room, I found a green glass vase with a black iron base that was perfect for the room. Here is something similar from Wayfair.
Drapery
Drapery is a great place to add a bit of green color to the room. You can use heavy velvet curtains in dark green to evoke the spirit of the Black family residence at 12 Grimmauld Place or use sheer green panels to get the look of the Slytherin common room.
Other Wall Decorations
Adding layered wall decor will help enhance the dark moody atmosphere of a Slytherin space without being too on the nose. If you choose to hang tapestries, you may hang the decorations on top, consistent with how the common room was decorated.
- Mirrors. Choose either an antiqued mirror (shown in the Slytherin common room and at 12 Grimmauld Place) or a divided panel round mirror to evoke the common room windows. Both are great options that will let the green light bounce. I wrote an article on how to DIY your own antiqued Slytherin mirror.
- Old masters’ style painting in a heavy gilded frame. A large portrait will do the job beautifully, and you can choose from a variety of royalty-free high-resolution images from the National Gallery of Art or other museums.
Bonus tip: to avoid your room looking too matchy-matchy, mix different shades of green in the same space. This will create depth and a more lived-in, natural look for the room.
For more Slytherin room advice, check out this article: