Goth home improvement.

September 3, 2014

I love, love, love this ad for the German home improvement store Hornbach. Thanks to everyone who sent this to me!

Ad by Heimat Berlin; produced by Trigger Happy and directed by Pep Bosch.

✚ Related post (2009): Black houses.
(I think it might be time for an updated post about black houses!!)

Anna Dorfman

I'm a book cover designer and art director based in New York and New Mexico. I've been blogging about home renovation, interiors, graphic design, DIY, food, cosmetics, dogs, art, music, books, and life in general since 1998. I could really use a cup of coffee right now.

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33 Comments

Reply Amber September 3, 2014 at 10:14 am

This was a good ad! The only time she smiled was when she saw the black house; love it!

Reply Caroline September 3, 2014 at 10:41 am

That’s like, the sweetest thing ever.

Reply Caja September 3, 2014 at 11:17 am

Oh, I love it 😀

Reply Colleen September 3, 2014 at 12:16 pm

Genius. I love it!

Reply Frau Haselmayer September 3, 2014 at 12:26 pm

If they only build houses like this!

But truth is house here in Germany look ususally something like this http://www.immowelt.de/immobilien/immodetail.aspx?id=35118026#s=2 or this http://www.immowelt.de/immobilien/immodetail.aspx?id=35355886#s=2.

I’m wondering why they didn’t shoot this in Germany?!

Anna @ D16 September 3, 2014 at 2:17 pm
I’m guessing they wanted to show a house that looked very distinct from the ones around it, with hints of gothic/Victorian architecture. Based on license plates on the cars in the background, the street signs, and the banners in the gym, I think it may have been filmed in the US.

Reply Nicole September 3, 2014 at 12:52 pm

OK, that was excellent.

Reply Rebekah September 3, 2014 at 1:04 pm

I saw this ad yesterday actually, and thought it was so sweet. It reminded me of being sixteen and my father surprising me with a black kitten because he thought that way no one would see her fur on my clothes. Twelve years later she still matches most of my clothes and my dad is still the best.

Anna @ D16 September 3, 2014 at 1:38 pm
That’s sweet, Rebekah! 🙂
Cindy September 3, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Rebekah, that totally made me choke up! What a great dad.

Reply Sarah September 3, 2014 at 3:32 pm

Might just be the day, but that made me tear up. Awesome.

Reply Jon September 3, 2014 at 5:21 pm

Love it! Was also kinda curious where this was filmed. Watched it again and at :44 you see an MTA bus and a sign for Route M116. However at :58 you can see signage for Spry Lodge, which apparently is a Masonic Lodge in Beeton, Ontartio. I’m guessing that’s where the majority of the spot was filmed — lots of Victorian/Gothic homes in that area.

Anna @ D16 September 3, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Good eye, Jon! For the life of me I can’t find the MTA bus, but I do see the Masonic Lodge flier at :23. 🙂
Jon September 3, 2014 at 9:00 pm
Anna, so I must have rewatched it on Trigger Happy’s site from the link in your post, http://triggerhappyproductions.com. They’ve got an extended cut which is almost a full minute longer 🙂 So good! Btw, how much does the dad look like a younger version of ‘Old Man’ Marley from Home Alone?
Anna @ D16 September 3, 2014 at 9:22 pm
Oh wow, thank you! I didn’t realize the version on Trigger Happy’s site was longer—it’s even better! I swapped it into the post.

Believe it or not, I’ve never seen Home Alone…
Nancy September 12, 2014 at 9:50 am
Yes, it looks like 84 Centre St N, to be exact. (I can’t get the tiny url for the Google Street View.)