Spooky and Sophisticated Halloween Decor

Some years I am fine with getting out the faux pumpkins and silly cobweb strands from the dollar store. But other years the Halloween decorator takes over, and I like to merge high style with the scariest holiday of the year. (I like to haunt the house with style, one might say.) On those years I typically have friends in for drinks and nibbles to show off my clever handy work just to hear the ooohs and ahhhs.

Photos: Matthew Mead

Create a shadow box using a new or vintage oval frame. I simply painted the frame black and lined the inside with vintage-inspired scrapbook paper. Glue a large plastic spider to the inside and hang on the wall as you would a regular picture. Sometimes the everydayness of wall art mixed with the surprise of Halloween provides just the right serendipitous effect.

Recast a pumpkin in a shade of bright white and add black embellishments for drama. Paint a faux (or real) pumpkin white and glue on black paper embellishments cut with decorative scissors or shaped from a paper punch. Display on tables, side boards and in entryways.

Photos: Matthew Mead

Vintage inspiration comes in the form of an artful photo sphere. I colour scanned an old photo and then added a mask to the image with a black sharpie marker. The copy is then cut into pieces and re-attached using notebook brads on each end. Perch atop a vintage urn or vase for a hauntingly sophisticated Halloween statement.

 Combine clever objects to make an eye catching display. This stack of furniture has a soulful presence with a table, birdcage and top hat stacked to create this show-stopping vision. I particularly like how the shapely table legs and tall persona of the stack come together under a handsome top hat to become a force to be reckoned with. Place in your entry with a bowl of treats for trick-or-treaters.

Photos: Matthew Mead

Have a ball, literally. Dress your wall with a piece of paint cloth that has a black paper silhouette pinned to the centre. Then dress up the floor with beach balls in black and white. Your party guests will get a kick out of the scene and enjoy batting around the balls between snack courses. Remember, no throwing in the house.

 Reimagine your family tree with a craft store knickknack painted flat black and filled with family photos that have just a hint of the season. Copy old photographs and add some fun masks using a black sharpie pen. Cut and place in the frame and display on a mantle or window ledge. See if your family can guess your vintage ancestors.

Photos: Matthew Mead

Up the creepy factor of a table with everyday objects. Drape a sideboard in a lace tablecloth. Fill a glass cylinder with an old photo and top with a witch's hat. Gather old frames, urns, even a glass ball to represent the moon, and show your guests how dramatic and interesting Halloween can be when you create it yourself.