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11 Tasteful Halloween Decor Ideas That’ll Make Your House Stand Out (in a Good Way)

11 Tasteful Halloween Decor Ideas That’ll Make Your House Stand Out (in a Good Way)

By Jennifer Kelly Geddes

Everyone wants a fun-looking Halloween display at home, but it can be hard to craft something truly great when you’re holding down a job, backed up on mundane chores, and then racing out at the last minute to buy candy.

Relax! Putting together a spooky-cute fall tableau doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. In fact, less is usually more—and you can always try and repurpose a few items you already have around the house.

For some inspiration, we’ve culled our Instagram and Twitter feeds to come up with adorable home and yard decor for Halloween that’s neither sad-sack nor saccharine. Grab an idea or three from here, and then get ready to dim the lights and welcome the season. Boo!

Keep it simple

This yard is classy and attractive, which is sometimes hard for homeowners to achieve. If you put out too many pumpkins, you might end up looking like a crazy gourd lady. But with just a few along this pretty stone wall, and some paper lanterns floating in the tree above, the look is spot on.

Add a pop of color other than orange


Soft pink is unexpected at Halloween, especially on a house’s exterior. Not too many of us sport a front door painted in a rosy blush, but mixed with gourds in similar shades, with a simple bone man and a cluster of spiders making their way around the door frame, the look says pretty and spooky at the same time.

Add X-rays on your windows

Are you a radiologist? Or maybe you know an X-ray technician? Otherwise, generic X-ray images abound online to print out. However you get them, X-rays make for some truly eye-catching window dressing that will make your house the talk of the town.

Use castoffs you already have around the house

A versatile wheelbarrow can hold ice for beer and soda at a cookout—or, yes, the frame of a skeleton partially embedded in potting soil. This crafty look can make excellent use of broken Halloween decor (aka clutter) that you have a hard time parting with. Insert a few old crows or a vulture, if you have one to hand, and your lawn carrion is ready to roll.

Stick to tasteful natural tones

Of course, it’s the blond kitty that makes this design stand out, but it’s the quiet color palette that truly sells it. There’s no bright orange or purple to loudly announce this candy-filled season. Instead, the woven bench set over a natural grass ottoman says “fall,” along with pale peach squashes and a swarm of tiny bats. Which witch wouldn’t want to check her makeup in this perfect foyer?

Create a cute Halloween bar


By the time you’ve wrestled your toddler into that too-tight superhero costume and attempted a ghoul design in face paint on your older kid, you know you’re going to need a stiff drink. Setting up a Halloween bar with (ahem!) spirits for the season is a smart move. We also love the orange Solo cups and wine glasses grasped in these bony silver hands.

Create a Halloween-themed table

Gingham is an underrated fabric pattern in our book, which is why this rather smart black-and-white dining room gets high marks. Fall foliage, little white pumpkins, and subtly spooky plates complete this homeowner’s stylish table.

Add a dash of retro

A throwback 1950s vibe at Halloween? Yup, it actually works, since these sweet powder-blue mugs with faces can skew demonic as well as cherubic (you can almost hear “The Twilight Zone” theme song playing in the background).
The old “Hardy Boys” stacks that prop up the look are just worn out enough, and the pumpkin with the corncob pipe teeters right to the edge of creepy, but doesn’t go past it.

Create some scary clay creatures

These goofy guys are oddly appealing, and their handmade appearance makes them feel authentic. If you have some strange figurines in your curio cabinet or even a couple of garden gnomes, insert them into your planters for a similar look.

Pile up velvet pumpkins

Jewel-toned pumpkins on a hearth feel warm and cozy—and more is more, in this case. The full, fluffy look feels abundant and every one of these stitched squashes would work perfectly on a Thanksgiving table too.

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