An “Every Day is Halloween” Home in Oakland
An “Every Day is Halloween” Home in Oakland

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Name: Mollie Gilbert
Location: Oakland, California
Size: 1,325 square feet
Years lived in: 11 years, owned
It isn’t difficult to find Mollie’s house on her quiet street: Just look for the home with the jack-o-lantern on the porch year-round. If the pumpkin or the “Haunted Mansion” sign at the doorway aren’t an indication of what’s inside, then you’re in for a spooky treat.
Mollie can pinpoint the defining moments in her life that influence her style: listening to Bauhaus’s Bela Lugosi’s Dead, watching the cult vampire film The Hunger, and reading Interview with the Vampire. Her guest bedroom even has the original Bauhaus record cover hanging on the wall, and old film posters hang in ornate frames against the living room’s blood-red walls.
Obviously, Mollie is inspired by the macabre: vampire imagery, horror films and goth bands. When she isn’t entertaining friends in her unique home, Mollie can often be found DJing at local goth clubs and parties. She has been a DJ at one of the world’s longest running goth parties for 20 years (Her DJ alias is Melting Girl).
Mollie realizes that her home’s style isn’t for everyone, but she surrounds herself with people who have similar tastes. She hosts a couple of parties every year, and her guests always appreciate the aesthetic and the stories behind the unique items in her home. The movie posters, for example, she’s had since she was in high school, and a lot of the art on the walls is made by friends. “This is my home and these are the things I like,” she says.
Get the look! Shopping resources for this tour → Year-round Spookiness
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Darkly Elegant
Inspiration: Penny Dreadful, Vampire Movies & TV Shows, Victorian Salons
Favorite Element: All the original wood in the dining room and the fireplace
Biggest Challenge: Deciding what to hang on the walls. I have so many posters and recently I have started buying art. I have more things to hang on the walls than available wall space.
What Friends Say: “Every Day is Halloween.”
Biggest Embarrassment: The never-ending battle of pet hair on everything.
Proudest DIY: My kitchen. I was able to do a full remodel a few years after I bought my house. I designed it myself and picked out every knob, fixture, countertop and tile. The centerpiece is the Wolf stove. Some people paint, others sew. I love to cook, so having the perfect kitchen is important to me.
Biggest Indulgence: My Sleep Number bed; they are really amazing.
Best Advice: Take your time to find the right pieces. The process of hunting and searching is part of the adventure. Don’t settle; hold out until you find something you love.
Dream Sources: Alameda Point Antiques Faire, Restoration Hardware
Get the look! Shopping resources for this tour → Year-round Spookiness & Halloween-ready
Thanks, Mollie!
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