How to Decorate for a Chic Halloween

If you’ve set foot in a store in the last month, you know that Halloween is around the corner. While some retailers are already pushing Santa onto the shelves, there’s still time to bring a little tasteful ghoulish fun into your home before it’s time to baste the turkey and put up the Christmas lights.

You don’t have to spend a ton of money or line your yard with skeletons and fake tombstones to have a little fun this Halloween season. Read on for our best advice on how to decorate your house without haunting your neighbors.

Remember: You don’t have to sacrifice good taste to get spooky.

From spider web lights to twiggy wreaths, there are lots of ways to walk the line between eerie and elegant.

First thing’s first: decide what you’re looking for. Some options include: spooky, magical, whimsical, or a little more fall. While I truly believe more is more with fall décor for Halloween (more gourds, more pumpkins, more mums, more corn stalks), when it comes to Halloween, I heed the advice of Coco Chanel, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

When I say spooky, of course, I’m referring to skeletons, snakes, bats, witches, and the like. I think magical décor leans more towards sorting hats, wands, boiling cauldrons and melting candlesticks in candelabras. When I think whimsical, it makes me think of a mix of bright colors, candy corn, smiling jack-o-lanterns, and white-sheet ghosts.

Whatever you decide, try to stay in one lane. Doing so will keep you from going overboard, saving you time and money in the end.

Trick-or-treaters rarely come past the front door, so lay a colorful welcome mat accented with candle-lit lanterns, dark mums, and piles of pumpkins and gourds. Incandescent spider web lights can be a fun way to add a little “eek” without being tacky.

Whether you’re thinking about indoor or outdoor decorations, you can create a pulled-together look by focusing on just a few colors. Consider black, white, and orange with a pop of silver (spooky)--or purple, green, and orange with a glittery white, (whimsical) or really stand out and go all white.

Varying textures is a great way to add a little mystery to your décor. Mix velvet or crochet pumpkins with dark, spindly trees and rich fall florals or burgundy eucalyptus stems. Mercury glass is another great way to play with texture because it has an elegant, mottled orange finish. These fragile pumpkins are ideal for tablescapes and centerpieces.

Adding frightful pieces amongst your standard fare is another good way to subtly introduce Halloween to your home. A geometric skull planter, rustic witch’s brooms, or colorful bauble wreath are all great touches. I also love these “succulents” and “posies” because they lean a little towards whimsy, but if styled correctly can meet a variety of design aesthetics for the spooky season.

If you have a great piece or a chic idea to add a tasteful look to this Halloween’s décor, share it in the comments below.