Halloween is right around the corner, which means it's time to transform your home with some hauntingly stylish decorations (if you haven't already, that is). Few holidays allow us to be as creative with our decorations as All Hallows' Eve, so there's every reason to embrace the spooky season head-on, starting with your entryway.
There's no better way to lean into a Halloween theme than by frightening your guests as soon as they enter the door, and giving your mudroom a creepy makeover within view of the threshold will also give your trick-or-treaters a taste of the terror. Whether you're looking for ways to dress your entryway console or decorate your stairwell for the season, try one of these bewitching Halloween decorating ideas (if you dare).
1. Deck Your Side table With Witch-Craft and Webs
Unlike skeletons and scarecrows, spidery themes always feel like chic Halloween decor. They feel more ominous, too. Maybe it's their corporeality, or the innate arachnophobia so many of us seem to have, but dressing a side table in cobwebs will always offer a stylish scare.
To achieve this look, opt for faux webs, giant spiders, and gauze to give your space a Miss Havisham makeover. To really up the ante, add some vintage tomes and a witches hat for an even more devilish welcome. You can continue the theme onto your porch, too. "To keep things simple, we also like to add a spider web to a fall wreath for Halloween," says Sanda Stojakovic, owner of Stojakovic Design, who designed the space above. "When the holiday is over, we remove the spider web and keep the fall wreath."
2. Go Dark and Moody With a Creepy Credenza
If you have an entryway that's painted brown, navy, or gray, play into the moody theme with a dark display on your credenza. Some of the best Halloween decorations to buy for this look are deep amber candle holders with black tapers, twiggy foliage in a vase, and mystifying wall art that depicts dreary landscapes or low-contrast portraits. Keep the garish colors to a minimum for this look, and only use dim lighting to cast eerie shadows across the space.
3. Keep it Simple With White Pumpkins and Fall Foliage
If you're more of a minimalist, you probably want a lighter, brighter display that has a touch of Halloween magic without so much scare factor. We love the display above which comes courtesy of Create & Barrel. The mosaic console lends itself so well to a Halloween theme, and the simple fall pumpkin decor will see you through the rest of the season, too (right through to Thanksgiving). Just style alongside some fall foliage and some elegant candle holders, and voilà. (A faux option, like this foliage bunch from Target, can be used year after year.)
4. Give Your Mudroom a Witchy Makeover
Switching out your existing entryway wall art for a Halloween-themed plaque or a spooky sign will turn this welcoming space into a witchy one. Borrow ideas from the style above by Grandin Road where twiggy branches are draped across the shelves and coat hooks, a broom rests against the wall, and stick-on bats add a dynamic effect.
A popular Halloween mantel idea with these bats involves sticking a few to a mirror and adding others in a row across the wall so it looks as though they've traveled through a portal. It works just as well for an entryway mirror, too.
5. Cover Your Console Table With Bats
On the topic of bats, they're a classic choice for a black-and-white scheme. This look is especially striking if you have white walls, as the dark bats offer a moody contrast. Be sure to use varied sizes for a more realistic effect, and add a bat garland to your credenza and some heavy black pillar candles for a Morticia Addams-inspired space.
