As with everything in life, things shift and change with the seasons and your interior is no exception. Embracing the different seasons and the festivities that come along with them is a great way to live more purposefully and seek out joy in the small things, which is guaranteed to boost your overall mood. While we appreciate and understand that not everyone has the resources to overhaul their interiors every three months, we believe this is something that can be channelled through versatile accent pieces and small interior accessories.

Here, we’ve explored how you can go about embracing spooky season through the medium of discerning decor. Read on to discover tips on Halloween decorating, which accessories are the best for spooky season and the type of interior design that works well all year round. 

How to channel spooky season in your decor 

Spooky season comes around each year in early autumn when nature gets its colourful coat on, soups become a staple of your diet and you experience an inexplicable hankering for hot drinks and Gilmore Girls re-runs. Building up to All Hallow’s Eve at the end of the month, it’s only natural that you want both the cosy and the creepy to permeate your space during this time. We’ve compiled a list of six easy ways to incorporate the Halloween theme without blowing the budget, enlisting Morticia Addams as your interior designer, or going to the lengths of building a crypt in your back garden, a la Ed Sheeran.

Elegant but atmospheric lighting choices

If you choose a traditional style of ambient lighting, it can easily blend with your eerie decor. For example, the historic style and black and white palette of the Carnaby Floor Lamp gives it a subtly gothic look that works well in any environment and carries through into all seasons. Similarly, the moody Xandra Table Lamp is perfect for eerie drama without sacrificing the clean, minimal feel.

DIY paper props

As tempting as it might be, for most of us it’s just not economically viable to invest in Jacques the lifesize headless butler or a giant-sized spider for your roof, especially when they only get their spotlight for a week or two each year. That’s why turning to the DIY method is often a good idea. Places like Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest are teeming with DIY Halloween decor ideas, ranging from chicken-wire ghosts to cut-out bats, which can be made using things you might already have lying around.

Lean into gothic decor for year-round appeal

While we’re not suggesting you should start collecting the skulls of roadkill and swapping out the UPVC for leaded stained-glass windows, isn’t it about time that gothic decor was celebrated? Bold, unapologetic and always atmospheric, contemporary gothic creates the perfect feel for spooky season and beyond. We picture deep-coloured panelled walls, button-tufting and a touch of the baroque. It’s also relatively easy to merge the classical heritage look with gothic - just imagine if the Haunted Mansion got a Farrow & Ball makeover. This could easily be ahcieved with the Fitzroy Sofa, Skull Wall Art and the Haven Coffee Table - just add the Reggie Dog Basket in Black for your beloved hellhound.

Embrace the stripped-back, minimal look

Artisanal, minimalist decor is perfect for spooky season. Think wild, contorted branches styled in moody black vases and a dining table laid out with raw-edged, charcoal linen napkins. This combination of pared-back, discerning accessories is the perfect example of how any seasonal scheme can be muted and versatile enough to be enjoyed all year round.

Bursts of orange

The leaves are orange, the pumpkins are orange and we’d like to bet that 80% of seasonal soups are orange, too. It’s very much one of the key colours of spooky season and you can easily infuse your space with it by adding subtle accessories such as our Burnt Orange Hydrangea Stems, which can be styled as a statement dining table centrepiece. Alternatively, if you’re in the market for something bolder and bigger, we adore the vibrant hue of our Churchill Accent Chair and footstool.

Candles to create an eerie glow

Whether you want to create an environment that is cosy, romantic, calming or even downright creepy, candlelight is the answer. Go for subtle contemporary gothic with the traditional yet sleek design of the Silas Candleholder, which would look divine when paired with natural tapers on a mantelpiece or dining table. For an easy and cost-efficient way to change up the mood, simply swap out the neutral-toned taper candles for orange or burgundy.

If you’re more of a chunky candle type, our Toffee Candle taps into all things autumn and is available in two different sizes which add dimension when placed next to each other on the hearth. Despite how delicious they look, just remember that biting into them will not be enjoyable.

Other key pieces for year-round versatile Halloween styling

Moody interior design is perfect for those seeking brooding, dramatic palettes but also simple, clean minimalism. For example, the Adagio Chair in Black offers an iconic Mid-Century v-leg which looks great in all seasons, but when surrounded by creepy Halloween decor, takes on a more menacing, spidery look. The Kelly Vase is a similar statement piece, with its stark black shapes representing claw-marks or even Beetlejuice stripes when the spookiest time of year rolls around. Ultimately, good seasonal styling is about having a powerful, timeless base and giving it seasonal context with smaller pieces.