It’s very nearly Halloween. But what does Halloween have to do with luxury, designer furniture? we hear you ask. Well, very little really. We just couldn’t resist the idea of embracing the whole over-the-top kitschness of the occasion by bringing you a roundup of some of our favourite Halloween décor, interiors, outdoor ideas, food and drink. Here at Juliettes, we’re all busy preparing to decorate tables, mantelpieces, porches and gardens ready for the onslaught of trick-or-treaters and party guests – some of us in better taste than others. If you’re stuck for ideas, read on to see some of the Halloween Home ideas that have inspired us.
Halloween Table Décor
There is a real trend this year towards a much more sophisticated, monochrome scheme for our Halloween interiors. You can buy ghostly white pumpkins, although they are not always that easy to find here in the UK. If you can’t find one, you may just have to spray paint your orange one. In fact, if you are going to go to the trouble of painting a pumpkin, you could use a quick coat of glow-in-the-dark paint to make it even spookier. Taryn Whiteaker has created a very grown-up look using just black, white and gold (and a very Hitchcock-esque murder of crows).
If you are more of a traditionalist and want that rich, warm, autumnal feel that only an orange pumpkin can bring, don’t worry. There are ideas galore out there for decorating almost every corner of your home. From a simple display of tiny pumpkins to vast and intricately carved giant pumpkins, autumn leaves, berries and broomsticks – the only limit is your imagination. One Kings Lane have some wonderfully quirky ideas to get you started, from a fabulous fireplace to a macabre mantelpiece. What will you do with your pumpkins? Send us your pictures and show us how Halloweeny your home looks.
Luxury Dining Tables For Your Halloween Party
Of course, you can spruce up any table with a fabulous Halloween theme. You could even decorate your kitchen island – and we intend to. We just thought we’d share a trio of tables that we think would really enhance your Halloween theme.
Luxury Side Tables For Your Halloween Porch
A really effective display relies on a range of heights for all your crows, cauldrons and, of course, pumpkins. We would use a nest of tables, such as the ones below. Or imagine a beautiful, carved pumpkin nestled inside the gold-plated ‘cage’ of this single side table. Obviously, we would only recommend these tables if you are using them in a sheltered porch. If you are decorating right the way to the gate or the end of the drive, we wouldn’t use luxury side tables such as these. A few old crates and an imaginative use of fabric would do the job and the weather could do its worst.
Your Halloween Garden
If you are expecting a constant stream of trick-or-treaters in fancy dress, the outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Will you go for stylish and eery or full-on gore to scare the living daylights out of them? Being interior designers, we tend towards the more stylish end of Halloween garden décor, and love Better Homes & Gardens’ use of a crowd of crows. Again, Taryn Whiteaker has come up with a refined, understated porch, but don’t let us stop you if are hankering after coffins, cauldrons and blood-curdling shrieks from the shrubbery. Just how scary can your garden be?
Luxury Lighting For Your Halloween Garden
If you are going for the sophisticated look, imagine these three stunning candle holders along the edge of your path. Or why not have a selection of beautiful lanterns dotted around the garden, peeking out of the foliage? For a more flamboyant touch, or for an outdoor Halloween party, what could be better than an outdoor chandelier? Festooned with cobwebs, bats or spiders (if you must) or just as it is, it makes a glorious centrepiece.
Those Finishing Touches
Now that you have your Halloween décor sorted, take a quick look at a few of the finishing touches we liked. We’ve found a couple of fun and delicious recipes, some creepy cocktails and dozens of creative ways with pumpkins. Or if you would rather someone else did all the work, an evening of fine dining and entertainment in the heart of Soho, London.
Two Halloween Recipes
Thanks to Jemma at Celery and Cupcakes for her Pumpkin Maple Cinnamon Swirl recipe. It makes a welcome change from pumpkin pie (which has never really taken off on this side of the Atlantic) and who doesn’t love a cinnamon swirl? If you have a younger audience to entertain, we love these Monster Marshmallow Pops from Bintu at Recipes from a Pantry. One of our team plans to turn these into a game by hanging them from a washing line and making the partygoers eat them with without using their hands. Not sophisticated in the least but fantastic fun.
A Coven of Cocktails
No, we don’t know what the collective noun is for cocktails but a coven fits nicely into the whole Halloween theme so we went with it. Vinspire UK have an inspired menu of creative and creepy cocktails for you to try. Not necessarily all at once. That would be a completely new level of nightmare. We dare you to try a Brain Haemorrhage. Add a drop of Crème de Menthe and it becomes a Zombie Brain Haemorrhage. Lovely.
A Plethora of Pumpkins
We have shared Country & Town House’s feature on pumpkin patches around London but there are patches absolutely everywhere. At this time of year, they will be offering all sorts of family-friendly activities so check out what’s on in your area. And when you get your pumpkin home, have a go at some of the fun and funky carvings from Woman’s Day. Or simply design your own. Remember to keep all the pumpkin flesh to make pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, Jemma’s delicious pumpkin cinnamon swirls, even smoothies (yes really, and no, we’re not too sure either)! Go on, it’s only once a year.
A Thriller Night in Soho
If you want to enjoy all the fun of Halloween without all the fuss, there will be plenty of parties and Halloween-themed menus wherever you live. Here in London, you could head on down to the Ivy Brasserie in Soho for an evening of fine dining, blood-curdling cocktails, skeleton contortionists and live entertainment. This is not a ticketed event. Simply book a table for their Thriller Night on 31 October, sit back and enjoy the thrill.
Share your Shenanigans
Send us pictures of your Halloween décor, your food and cocktails, and your fabulous costumes. We’ll feature our favourites in a post-Halloween roundup.
