A Designer Halloween
The holiday synonymous with orange and black is back. As we stroll down aisles of plastic skulls and fake blood, it’s hard to wonder how to approach October 31st without your carefully styled home going MIA. We have some thoughts on how to attack the gruesome holiday with some “tricks” of the trade. Follow along for a Halloween interior designer’s guide.
Au Naturelle
The home’s entry is the first stop for this “haunted” house. There are many options for the entryway, but it is hard to find ones that carry an elevated feel. For this, we suggest sticking with natural elements. With pumpkins-a-plenty available, these are perfect for the lead-up to the front door. Whether outlining stairs or a walkway, starting with a thinned-out selection that gradually grows in concentration as you approach the front door is most effective. Live produce such as gourds, leaves, and carefully placed lights can add to the authentic feel. This tasteful approach is also less maintenance as it seamlessly carries into Thanksgiving because it is season rather than holiday-focused. Keeping the Halloween-specific additions to a minimum makes the upkeep much easier. On November 1st, it is not an overwhelming task to move those few pieces into hibernation until next year while the seasonal elements remain relevant for another month.
Know Your Audience
October decoration is known for its bold palette and colorful characters. Before jumping headfirst into candy corn, choose the audience. Families with children might opt for more youthful, lively decorations, while those without might select a more timeless collection. Decide where the investment will be, and the theme should stem from there.
Theme It
Halloween has a reputation of being fun but tacky. This thought is a widely held fallacy; she can be beautiful AND have a great personality. Many families have collections of interior decorations for Halloween that they have grown for years. Before starting on this boxed-up basement tradition, decide what the overall theme will be. This way, as the collection develops, it will still work together. The classic colors of orange and white emit a warmer glow, while the greens and purples create a cooler vibe. If opting for white and orange, consider adding pumpkins to the front steps accented by white ghosts floating from the trees. Black and purple can be tastefully represented by creating a small cemetery of purple tombstones adorned with faux black bats or crows. The possibilities are endless. If the loud colors of traditional Halloween décor are too confrontational, it can be tempting to cancel the whole show. Instead, try turning the volume down on the palette. Rather than the aggressive Kelly greens and bright purples, try softening up the tones to work more cohesively in an already established space. It keeps the spirit of the holiday alive without feeling stuck inside a cartoon.
Rules Still Apply
If anyone is unsure what month it is, a quick walk around the neighborhood eliminates any doubt. Yard decorations are October’s calling card. Despite Halloween being one of the most informal holidays, consider the basic design principles when planning the yard styling. Rhythm, repetition, balance, scale, and symmetry should all play a role. Consider lining the driveway with tombstones on both sides. If 8-foot-tall skeletons are the home entry bouncers, the gnome-sized Frankenstein should not be at the same party. Keep the fundamentals in mind to create cohesion in the narrative. Consider the yard presentation as the prologue to the story waiting inside. Since the family will enjoy this space, feel free to have more fun but stay within the same narrative.
This holiday is rooted in myths, but the approach to decorating your home should be anything but scary. There are effective ways to keep this holiday fun and sophisticated. Keep Halloween a holiday to be enjoyed by all and if you need a little help from our interior designers to decorate for Halloween then contact Inside Stories and we will help you transform your home or learn more about our micro interior design services.