My Favorite Room: Zak Bagans of ‘Ghost Adventures’ rests his soul in a positive place
A room filled with old, wooden creatures and eerie decor might be unnerving to some, but to paranormal investigator Zak Bagans, it’s the definition of relaxation.
The living room and meditation space in Bagans’ 6,000-square-foot Las Vegas home features a collection of religious art and sculptures that illustrate his unusual brand of Zen.
“It puts my soul at ease and calibrates me but at the same time looks like a vampire lair,” said Bagans, 40, who hosts the Travel Channel television series “Ghost Adventures.”
Achieving the perfect balance of light and dark is paramount for Bagans.
The marble floors, stone walls and wood carvings create a cadaverous palette of ashen, taupe and white; striking collectibles such as a silver and onyx chessboard with jewel- and diamond-bedecked pieces bring vitality and glamour to the space.
Why is your living room your favorite room?
It makes me get rid of any funky energy or gunk that I bring home with me from a lot of these negative hauntings I do. I just sit in this room, and I put on some ambient music and relax and meditate. And I play my Xbox Live.
What was the design inspiration?
Whenever I traveled abroad and went into these old cathedrals and churches, I would feel so peaceful. I wanted to do my best to recreate that in Las Vegas and found the perfect room for it.
How would you describe your aesthetic style?
I like medieval and Renaissance, but then I also like to throw in a little modern element to it, too.
Tell me about the interesting wood sculptures.
I’m a collector of carvings. I love old, wooden grotesque Gothic pieces, anything that has cherubs on it, satyrs and carved angels. Then there’s the energy within these particular objects. You can imagine how many prayers were said in these churches with these pieces sitting inside of them. To me that energy carries with them.
What’s your favorite piece?
A sculpture of St. Gertrude liberating souls from purgatory. It’s an old terra cotta piece from the 1700s.
What was your goal with the dramatic lighting design?
Lighting is everything. It creates mood and has an emotional effect on you. I decided to put about 60 Philips Hue lightbulbs around the entire house in all different colors. Depending on how I’m feeling that day or the music I’m listening to, I will pick appropriate lighting to help create the atmosphere for me. I use a lot of blues and purples.
Tell me about your water features.
I love the rain and the sound of falling water, so I installed a very large water wall to one side of the room through an open door. And on the other side, I installed a very large waterfall in my pool. So I open up both doors and get this traveling sound of falling water that shoots through the room.
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