Pick Your Halloween Home Personality

Look up at the autumn moon hanging in the starry sky, and the signs will be clear: Halloween is on its way.

And that means it’s time to convert your home from its typical appearance as a welcoming retreat to a hair-raising place for celebrating the spooky season.

There are endless ways to deck the halls in darkness, but if you want your home to be as impressive as a prize-winning pumpkin, be intentional with your design. The same rule applies as when selecting any other home decor: to craft a cohesive look, you must understand your point of view and personal style before you shop. If you’re seeking inspiration, try one of the four following spellbinding styles—each of which is certain to delight trick-or-treaters and party guests alike.

Victorian

This scheme’s storied spookiness is practically synonymous with the season. Victorian design historically swathed its residents in opulence and plenty, and the dramatic iconography of All Hallows Eve lends itself perfectly to this indulgent style.

So consider this your blessing to gild as many rooms as you can with decor like gold candelabras, heavy silk fabrics, and vases of red roses. (Remember to incorporate seasonal colors like black, orange, and scarlet wherever possible.) Such a style can suit just about any home, even if it is not a genuine late-eighteenth-century manor. Simply do a touch of rearranging to conjure a sense of traditional character, such as by placing antique furniture at right angles, and dress your dining table as if it’s always ready to host a grand feast.

For another hint of the historic and haunted, drape realistic-looking cobwebs in corners, over your wall art, and across your tabletop decor. The resulting effect will enchant your visitors with a sinister style reminiscent of quintessential haunted houses.

Minimalist

If the Victorian approach seems far too cluttered for your tastes, go boldly in the complete opposite direction by opting for the clean and sparse look of minimalist design. This scheme is staunchly antimaterialist, preferring function over form, so leave the kitschy seasonal goods at your local party shop and instead select just a few choice items in neutral colors and textures.

As a start, consider this perfectly minimalist Halloween coffee table setup: replace your year-round decor with a fresh white pumpkin, two black candleholders, and matching candlesticks. This approach is simple and straightforward, and best of all, the results will get the point across without the word “Halloween” knocking you across the head.

Then spread the subtle seasonal love throughout the rest of your home. Swap existing wall art for mildly unnerving options like prints of eerie landscapes, exchange colorful accents like throw blankets and pillows for black-and-white versions, and feature spooky-themed books on your tabletops. To suit minimalism’s preference for understated quality, serve festive candy and treats in rattan baskets rather than flimsy plastic bowls. And don’t overlook the lighting scheme: you can craft a suitably strange one by outfitting your lamps with flame-hued bulbs and hanging thin string lights above your entryways and windows. Turn down the overhead lights, and let the dark and stormy vibes fill your home with Halloween chills—without any unnecessary clutter to give you the creeps.

Naturalist

Nature has its own fun way of celebrating Halloween, converting lush summer trees into flaming works of art, exposing twisted branches, and dropping a bevy of earthy elements across the ground. Should you prefer such an eco-forward atmosphere, you might appreciate a naturalist take on seasonal decorating.

To let Mother Nature be your Halloween spirit guide, you need not head to a home goods shop—just take a hike! Forage for colorful leaves, acorns, and loose twigs to find excellent vase dressings and tabletop accents. You can also source ripe autumn produce from your local grocery store to incorporate some vibrancy; pomegranates, pumpkins, and fall blooms like dahlias are perfect choices for Halloween. But because these pieces do have an expiration date, finalize your decorations as close to the thirty-first as you can, especially if you’re hosting a gathering.

This aesthetic’s primary effect is to imbue your home with rustic charm, giving you a sense of ease as you relax into its peak fall vibes. That said, if you would like a more overt Halloween atmosphere, simply carve or paint your pumpkins and go with decorations made largely of natural materials—think black porcelain vases, burlap banners, and plaid cotton throw pillows. You can also crank up the fear factor with some of nature’s biggest frights: realistic-looking ravens sitting atop shelves, reliably scary spiderwebs draping decor, and creepy-crawly decals dotting your doors and windows.

Cute and cozy

Do cemetery scenes and supernatural sights give you goosebumps? Fear not: you can still style your home for Halloween without hanging decorations that will spook you after dark. Enter the world of the “spoopy,” or a cute and innocuous take on the classically frightful season. Popular elements of this design scheme include colorful banners, cartoonish black cat or ghost decals, and friendly faced jack-o’-lanterns, but just about any charming decor you pick up will work for this design approach. For the perfect festive touch, opt for products in energetic pastel and neon Halloween shades (i.e., bright orange, purple, and green).