7 Brilliant Ways to Bring The Traitors-Inspired Castlecore Style Into Your Home
7 Brilliant Ways to Bring The Traitors-Inspired Castlecore Style Into Your Home
Dark colours, sumptuous fabrics and a touch of Highland drama – here's how to give your home the atmosphere of The Traitors castle without spending a fortune.
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If you've found yourself watching The Traitors and paying almost as much attention to the interiors as the contestants, you're certainly not alone.
While everyone else is trying to work out who's a Faithful and who's a Traitor, some of us are admiring the velvet furniture, dramatic lighting, beautiful woodwork and wonderfully atmospheric rooms.
And it's easy to see why.
Filmed at Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands, the hit BBC show has brought a very different kind of interior design into the spotlight.
Forget clinical white rooms and minimalist spaces where everything matches perfectly.
This is a world of deep colours, rich fabrics, antique furniture, tartan and just the right amount of gothic drama.
The look is often described as castlecore, with influences from traditional Scottish country-house interiors and the darker, more theatrical side of interior design.
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But here's the interesting part.
You don't need a castle, a huge decorating budget or even a particularly large home to recreate it.
Whether you live in a modern new-build, a Victorian terrace or a compact apartment, a few carefully chosen changes can bring some of that Highland character into your own rooms.
Here are seven brilliant ways to get started.
1. Be Brave With Dark, Dramatic Paint Colours
If there's one thing the interiors of The Traitors castle aren't afraid of, it's colour.
Deep greens, rich reds, dark blues and dramatic jewel tones all help create the luxurious atmosphere viewers have come to associate with the show.
And they're surprisingly easy to introduce into an ordinary home.
You don't have to paint every wall black or turn your living room into a medieval dungeon.
Instead, consider:
- Forest green behind a sofa
- Burgundy in a dining room
- Midnight blue on a bookcase
- Deep plum in a cosy snug
- Dark olive on interior woodwork
One particularly effective trick is colour drenching, where walls, skirting boards and sometimes doors are painted in the same shade.
It creates a rich, enveloping effect that can make a room feel beautifully coordinated.
If you're nervous about committing to dark walls, start smaller.
Paint an alcove, a cupboard or even a second-hand side table.
Redrose Quick Tip: Test darker paint colours at different times of day. A shade that looks wonderful in afternoon sunlight can appear very different under artificial lighting.
2. Add Velvet, Wool and Tartan for Instant Highland Luxury
The Traitors-inspired look is all about texture.
Think soft velvet, traditional wool, leather furniture and fabrics that make you want to settle into an armchair beside a roaring fire.
But there's no need to replace your entire sofa.
In fact, one of the easiest ways to introduce this style is through accessories.
Try adding:
- Burgundy velvet cushions
- A forest-green throw
- A tartan blanket
- Heavy curtains
- Traditional checked upholstery
- A textured wool rug
The secret is mixing fabrics rather than buying everything in the same material.
Velvet looks particularly effective alongside leather, wool and natural wood.
And tartan doesn't need to dominate the room.
A single checked throw draped over an armchair can introduce just enough Scottish country-house character.
Redrose Quick Tip: Choose a tartan that picks up one or two colours already in your room. It'll feel intentional rather than like you've decorated for Burns Night.
3. Bring Back Dark Wood and Vintage Furniture
For years, pale oak and light Scandinavian furniture seemed to be everywhere.
But castlecore takes a very different approach.
Dark wood, carved details, antique-style cabinets and traditional furniture all help create a room that feels established and full of character.
The good news is that you don't need genuine antiques worth thousands of pounds.
Some of the best pieces can be found in charity shops, antique centres, car boot sales and online second-hand marketplaces.
Look out for:
- Dark wooden side tables
- Traditional bookcases
- Vintage writing desks
- Carved wooden cabinets
- Old-fashioned occasional chairs
- Decorative wooden picture frames
A single interesting piece can make an enormous difference.
For example, replacing a basic modern side table with a vintage wooden one can instantly make a living room feel warmer and more individual.
And don't worry if everything doesn't match.
That's part of the charm.
The best traditional interiors often look as though they've evolved over decades rather than being purchased in one shopping trip.
Redrose Quick Tip: Before buying second-hand furniture, check its dimensions, stability and condition. A beautiful cabinet isn't much use if it won't fit through your front door.
4. Create That Mysterious Glow With Layered Lighting
Imagine The Traitors round table under bright fluorescent office lighting.
It wouldn't have quite the same atmosphere, would it?
Lighting is one of the biggest reasons the castle interiors feel so dramatic.
Instead of relying on one bright ceiling light, the look uses softer pools of light to create warmth and atmosphere.
And this is something almost anyone can recreate.
Try:
- Traditional table lamps
- Pleated fabric lampshades
- Brass-effect lamp bases
- Wall lights
- Warm-white bulbs
- LED candles
- Decorative lanterns
Position lamps at different heights around the room.
A lamp beside an armchair, another on a sideboard and a smaller one on a bookshelf can create a much more inviting atmosphere than a single overhead light.
For a particularly dramatic effect, use a dimmable lamp where suitable.
You can even experiment with battery-operated picture lights above artwork.
Redrose Quick Tip: Switch off your main ceiling light one evening and use only lamps. It's one of the quickest ways to see how much lighting can change the feel of a room.
5. Make Your Walls Look Like They've Got a Story to Tell
One of the most appealing things about traditional castle interiors is that they don't feel empty.
There are paintings, mirrors, books and decorative details that make the rooms feel as though they've been lived in for generations.
You can borrow that idea without turning your house into an antiques showroom.
Start with a few well-chosen pieces.
Consider:
- Ornate gold-framed mirrors
- Vintage landscape paintings
- Botanical prints
- Traditional portraits
- Decorative wall plates
- Antique-style clocks
- Mixed wooden and gilt frames
A gallery wall is a particularly effective way to create the look.
And it doesn't have to cost much.
Charity shops often have inexpensive picture frames, while vintage prints and affordable artwork can help you build a collection gradually.
Mix different frame sizes rather than making everything perfectly symmetrical.
The result should feel collected, not manufactured.
Redrose Quick Tip: Before hammering nails into the wall, arrange your frames on the floor and photograph the layout. It's much easier to experiment before making holes.
6. Create a Cosy Reading Corner Worthy of a Castle Library
You might not have room for a grand library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
But you probably have space for a small reading corner.
And that's more than enough to borrow a little of The Traitors' traditional country-house atmosphere.
All you really need is:
- A comfortable armchair
- A small side table
- A reading lamp
- A few favourite books
- A soft throw
If space allows, add a bookcase or some shelves.
Dark-painted shelving can look particularly effective, especially when combined with warm lighting and a mixture of books and decorative objects.
A leather armchair would be wonderfully traditional, but a velvet or upholstered chair can work just as well.
The goal isn't to create a perfectly staged photograph.
It's to make somewhere you genuinely want to sit.
Redrose Quick Tip: In a smaller living room, position a reading chair near a window and use a compact wall-mounted shelf instead of a large bookcase.
7. Give Your Dining Table a Traitors-Inspired Makeover
Of course, we couldn't write about The Traitors without mentioning the famous round table.
It's where alliances unravel, accusations fly and contestants discover that trusting the wrong person can be a very expensive mistake.
Fortunately, recreating a little of that atmosphere at home is much easier.
And you don't need a huge circular table.
Start with whatever dining table you already own.
Then introduce a few traditional details:
- A dark table runner
- Brass-effect candlesticks
- Burgundy or forest-green napkins
- Traditional glassware
- Decorative serving dishes
- A simple floral centrepiece
- Warm, low-level lighting
If you have a wooden dining table, let some of the natural finish show.
Layering too many accessories can make the setting feel cluttered rather than elegant.
A few taller candlesticks and attractive glassware may be all you need.
And if you're hosting friends for dinner, you could always ask everyone to declare whether they're Faithful before dessert.
Redrose Quick Tip: Use flameless taper candles if you want the candlelit atmosphere without worrying about open flames, particularly around children, pets or trailing fabrics.
How to Get the Castlecore Look Without Spending a Fortune
The beauty of this decorating style is that expensive new furniture isn't essential.
In fact, second-hand pieces can often look more authentic than brand-new alternatives.
Also read our blog 13 Brilliant UK Online Homeware Stores for Stylish Accessories
If you want to experiment without making a major commitment, start with a modest shopping list.
You might choose:
- Two velvet cushion covers
- One tartan throw
- A second-hand wooden side table
- An ornate mirror
- A traditional table lamp
- A few vintage picture frames
You don't need to buy everything at once.
Choose one room and introduce two or three changes.
You may find that's enough to create the atmosphere you're looking for.
And remember, you don't have to buy anything at all.
Moving furniture, rearranging books, displaying objects you already own and changing how you light a room can all make a noticeable difference.
Can Castlecore Work in a Modern Home?
Absolutely.
In fact, some of the most interesting interiors combine traditional pieces with contemporary surroundings.
A modern apartment can look wonderful with a dark green feature wall and a vintage wooden cabinet.
A new-build living room can accommodate a velvet armchair, traditional lamp and tartan throw.
And a minimalist bedroom might only need richer bedding, an antique-style mirror and softer lighting to feel more luxurious.
The trick is not to recreate every detail of a Scottish castle.
It's to borrow the elements that appeal to you.
Think castle-inspired rather than castle-themed.
You want character and warmth, not a room that looks like a medieval banquet venue.
Is The Traitors-Inspired Look Just Another Passing Trend?
Television programmes can certainly influence what people want in their homes.
But many of the elements behind castlecore are far from new.
Dark wood, traditional fabrics, antique furniture, warm lighting and richly coloured rooms have been part of British interior design for generations.
That's what makes this look particularly appealing.
You can enjoy the drama of The Traitors while choosing pieces that will still look beautiful long after the current series has finished.
The secret is to avoid buying something simply because it's fashionable.
Choose accessories and furniture you genuinely love.
A beautiful wooden cabinet, a traditional lamp or a well-made wool throw can remain part of your home for years.
Final Thoughts
You might not have the sweeping staircase, grand fireplaces or Scottish Highland views of Ardross Castle.
But you can certainly borrow some of its character.
A little dark paint, some velvet cushions, vintage furniture and atmospheric lighting can transform an ordinary room into somewhere that feels warmer, richer and much more individual.
And unlike the contestants on The Traitors, you don't need to worry about making the wrong move and getting banished.
Although your family might have a few questions if you suddenly turn the entire dining room burgundy.
Redrose Tip
Start with one dramatic corner rather than an entire room.
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