Paint it black: How Addamscore adds quirky cool to your home 

This autumn/winter Addamscore is trending, as season two of 'Wednesday' dropped on Netflix. Let's indulge in gothic glamour

Dark drapery is both functional for keeping out light and plays to the Addamscore look; Hillary’s Harkness Vapour pencil pleat curtains, from €192, Hillarys.

Few of us had heard of London’s Notting Hill until the Richard Curtis film of the same name, centring around a knot of friends navigating love and life in the English capital. 

The supporting cast was often the charming, colourful Victorian villas in which they supposedly lived and which quickly became part of London’s tourist trails. In more recent years, droves of Instagrammers started posing on their doorsteps, some cheekily bringing pop-up tents for quick outfit changes.

But locals are fighting back by painting their exteriors black. Black also happens to be trending, which probably makes the transition easier and not only outdoors.

This autumn, Addamscore is trending, direct from season two of Wednesday, which dropped on Netflix this week and indulges in gothic glamour and quirky cool. In the lead-up, Pinterest reported a significant increase in searches for “gothic home ideas” and “whimsigoth”.

Drapery company Hillary’s Harkness Vapour pencil pleat curtains, from €192, introduces the look, being blackout lined for full gothic gloom, as does the Monroe Smoulder Roman blind, from €146. Heavy fabrics not only say Addams aesthetic, but they also create a cosy, cocooning atmosphere for winter movie nights. 

Add in some depth and intrigue with the slightly sinister black leather and metal Imola chair from Bo Concept, €3,799, if the budget can stretch that far, but there’s always the option of getting out the paint brushes as an affordable way to make a dramatic change to a room.

Black paint is chic and creates a cocooning feel for winter; Farrow & Ball’s Railings No.31, €40 for 750ml, Shop.mcdonnellpaints.ie.

Farrow & Ball’s Railings No.31 is a softer black with blue undertones, but exercise caution as changing black paint won’t be as easy as painting over a pastel. Paint, €40 for 750ml, patmcdonnellpaints.ie.

After decades of being told butter is bad for our health, it’s back, and if not quite trending as a health food, colour consultancy Pantone came up with a butter hue to mark Drew Barrymore’s 50th birthday. 

The company says it “exudes a joyful glow, creating a space where everyone can shine”. Also shining in yellow was Timothée Chalamet, layering it on thick with a buttery suit by Givenchy he wore to the Oscars, so it was only a matter of time before the homeware designers jumped in.

KitchenAid Artisan Majestic tilt head stand mixer in on-trend butter yellow; €599.

Along comes KitchenAid with a new version of its practical but aspirational mixer in a hue called Majestic, which the company says, “captures a perfectly fresh lemon tart, or warm custard”.

It’s also likely to put a dent in your finances as the appliance retails at €599.

Chalk paint studio Annie Sloan applies vibrant English Yellow to a chair upcycling project; €41.95 per litre, Annie Sloan.

Mid-century keeps on trending since we were first distracted by the sets on Mad Men. Remember Don Draper’s conversation pit, or as it’s sometimes known, the sunken living room?

It was the height of aspirational interior design in the 60s and 70s, but we haven’t really seen it revived, probably because it would take a considerable amount of space to sink one into the floor without it looking like the kiddie pool. It’s also a permanent design feature which isn’t likely to appeal to those of us who love moving things around to refresh a space.

The curvy furniture of the period, however, makes conversation-inducing arrangements around a coffee table for cosy winter socialising. DFS has the Bellino bouclé pillow-back corner sofa in cream and toffee, which also cites the trend for warm neutrals; €3,439, DFS.ie. Add in a few house plants; after all, the 70s were when biophilic design was born.

DFS Bellino bouclé pillow-back corner sofa in cream and toffee corner sofa; €3,439, DFS.

But wait for it, the four-poster bed is back. Not quite believing my eyes when I saw the Veere Grenney-designed model for fabric studio Schumacher at WOW!house 2024, bedecked with drapery and pelmets. Although not quite a ceiling-scraper, it did make its presence felt.

A totally contemporary model is the Boho Retreat 5ft; €1,455, podfurniture.ie, and a warm, woody option is the Ashgrove Poster bed frame; €1,999, Caseys.ie. You don’t need the room proportions of a castle, as there are plenty of discreet four-poster beds dispensing with the winter drapes that kept cold at bay in a draughty medieval pile.

For a styling option, take a look at interior designer and former RTÉ One Home of the Year judge Suzie McAdam’s Instagram, where she highlights her own bedroom four-poster. Its frame has enough detail to satisfy Hugh Wallace’s sense of fun, but simple enough to get past Amanda Bone’s minimalist eye.