Chic Halloween Décor Ideas that will Delight, Not Fright
The last thing you ever want is for your décor to be frightening — even during the scariest month of the year. Halloween decorations are notorious for being over the top, tacky, and sometimes altogether terrifying, but these clichés don’t always have to hold true.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate the spirit of Halloween into your space without it becoming a full-on haunted house. Ghouls, goblins, and ghosts beware because these chic Halloween décor ideas will scare away all the spooky decorations of Halloweens past.
1. Incorporate dark & gothic motifs.
Motifs like skulls, taxidermy, candlesticks, and vintage photographs can be surprisingly glamorous and will exude a dark vibe throughout your space. Place a metallic skull on your side table, look to black cats for inspiration, or set a pair of ornate candlesticks on the table. You can add as many or as few of these small additions as you please.
2. Emulate the décor of your favorite scary movies.
Old Victorian mansions and Halloween go together like caramel and apples. While scary movie sets are usually pretty terrifying, sometimes there’s a certain charm to the decrepit luxury of haunted houses. Think the retro grandeur of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, Christian Bale’s flawless modern pad in American Psycho, or the gorgeous New Orleans mansion American Horror Story: Coven is set within.
3. Juxtapose gothic and glam details.
Glamorous, feminine décor helps to soften a space filled with gothic elements. Include things like a cow skull above the bed or mix in black accents as a way of creating a slightly darker vibe in your space.
4. DIY pretty pumpkins.
Put down the carving knife and pick up the paintbrush! Pumpkins don’t have to be sliced into scary faces to comply with the spirit of Halloween. There are endless ways to decorate pumpkins that are equally festive and much more attractive. Stick them with studs, dip them in metallic golds and silvers, or paint them with fashionable patterns. Whatever you decide, your pumpkins will look so chic, you’ll want to keep them in your space all year long.
5. Set the mood lighting.
By the time Halloween rolls around, the sun doesn’t stay up much later than 6 PM. Embrace the darkness and set the mood by dimming the lights in your home and using candles (especially pumpkin scented) whenever possible. Elegant, black candlesticks are the perfect addition to a tablescape and while they may give off a slightly eerie vibe, there is something cozy about candlelight.
6. Create a gothic floral arrangement.
The days of peonies and tulips have ended for now, but that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to florals altogether. Gothic floral arrangements have an ethereal beauty all their own and can add just the right amount of mystical Halloween magic to your space. Include things like camellia branches, eggplant calla lilies and deep red antique roses. There’s no need to throw your arrangement away once it wilts either — dead flowers make a perfect Halloween accessory.
7. Adorn your walls in boo-tiful art.
Art lover? Swap your usual prints and paintings for spook-inspired pieces. If you do nothing else, a gallery wall filled with creepy vintage silhouettes, skulls, and fake blood splatters will show your Halloween spirit.
8. Decide on one Halloween-dedicated focal point.
Instead of decking your entire space out in Halloween décor, decide on one spot to spookify. If you have a fireplace, the mantel is the perfect home for all your favorite creepy accessories. To make it streamlined and cool, stick with a glam color scheme like the black, white, and gold look pictured above. We love the crooked frame within a frame, crows, feathers, and vintage elements of this Halloween dedicated mantel.
We hope you have a very chic Halloween!
xoxo, Laurel & Wolf
