Photography by Chris Lammert

As an event designer, I live for the moments when I can transform a space into something truly magical—or in this case, elegantly eerie. Last Halloween, I had the pleasure of styling a client’s home to capture the essence of the spooky season. From spine-chilling centerpieces to enchanting outdoor displays, I wanted every corner to reflect the fun and mystery of Halloween. In this post, I’ll take you through my creative process, sharing tips and inspiration for turning your own home into a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that’s perfect for the season.

P.S. Keep an eye out for the client’s cute dogs - happy to help give a haunted house tour!

Exterior Halloween Home Décor

First, we set up two larger-than-life skeletons on either side of the entrance to the home. Quite the spooky welcome! We piled pumpkins at their feet, in a variety of orange, peach, and white hues. The mix of sizes and colors (including more muted tones) helped bring a bit of elegance to the scene.

Then, we utilized the amazing arch shape of the entrance by making an archway of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, framed by two antique-style lanterns on either side. For a more organic feel, and to break up the orange pumpkins a bit more, we added dried corn husks throughout.

We also turned the front lawn into a grave yard, but unfortunately did not get any photos of the finished yard. Using faux gravestones is a fun way to turn a basic lawn into a spooky spectacle without much effort!

Interior Halloween Home Décor

On the interior of the home, we focused on working with the existing furniture and décor, and simply adding touches of Halloween wherever we were able. We kept most of our decorations within a similar color scheme to the existing décor as well, so that it all blended cohesively and kept a bit of elegance in the design. That meant using a lot of black, white, and gold pieces. We wanted the eerie elements to be noticeable and contribute to a Halloween mood without being gaudy.

On the mantle in one of the rooms we set up a series of black, gold, and white skeletons, surrounded by white candles and black cloth garlands. Smaller versions of these skeletons could be found in various other places and positions around the home as well, some of them wearing witch’s hats!

We also used fall pumpkin accessories, skulls, candelabras, black tree branches, and themed throw pillows to add more Halloween vibes to the scary space.

In other areas, such as the kitchen space, we included a bit more orange, using patterned pumpkins on the table and mini pumpkins in the brick oven. Then, we added a colony of bats on the wall. Using bats of differing sizes really helped create a more realistic look of a group of bats flying towards you from varying distances.

We continued to find places throughout the rooms to add pieces of Halloween fun, whether in the form of little ghost pillows, Halloween word or phase pillows, witches hats, pumpkins, or even more realistic-looking draped cloth ghosts to startle you from across the room.

In the dining room, we used skulls, black candles, branches, birds, and moss to create a creepy centerpiece.

On the buffet we laid out a couple of spiderweb runners, and then placed more skulls, skeletons, and other Halloween decorations in a black and gold color scheme on top.

In the bar area we used sheer black spiderweb cloth to cover the light, and then added a “Potions and Spells” sign, along with some “poisoned” wine bottles and other disturbing decorations.

We then went throughout the smaller areas of the home adding more Halloween decorations throughout, including the hallways.

In one of the halls, we even added disembodied hands coming out of the walls and holding faux-flame battery-operated candles.

Finally, in the main staircase area, we set up a few frightening figures surrounded by pumpkins, candles, and other Halloween decor. Draped tattered black fabric and black branches added to the creepiness. We hung another group of bats going up the staircase wall, and and then wrapped the stair railing in light-up black garlands.

It was a thrill to create a Halloween atmosphere for my client that was both stylish and spooky. Seeing their excitement and the transformation of their home made the entire process so rewarding. I hope these ideas inspire you to add a touch of magic to your own space this Halloween season!

If you’re in the Austin area and want some help planning or styling a celebration, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Sourcing and Styling: MINT Event Design

Photography: Chris Lammert Photography

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