The spooky season is almost over, but you don’t want it to end, do you? You waited all year to put up your ghoulish decorations, and now it’s time for them to come down. But what if you didn’t have to? If you choose slightly subtler Halloween decorations, you can keep the spirits happy without offending your house guests’ more delicate sensibilities.
The giant cut out of a Jack-o-lantern on your wall might be fine for a Halloween party, but if you want something that will last all year, you can try something more low-key like this eerie night time wall art. It’s got winter trees, a full moon, and an ominous raven, all without being overtly Halloween-y.
Wallpapering your entire home might be a lot (especially if you rent), but you can throw a splash of a lack of color on your walls with tapestries like this one featuring a generically black-and-white moon scene, or this one of non-specific spooky woods. Is it the setting of a ghost story? Or just some cool-looking dark trees? Your guests don’t have to know! But you will. You will.
A gnarly branch scratching at your window is enough to send shivers down your spine. But one inside your home, dazzled up with some white lights can probably pass as year-round decor more easily. When turned off, these can function as a deathly reflection of house plants. Switch them on and suddenly it’s Christmas. It’s amazing what a few LEDs can do.
No one would bat an eye at a normal black tablecloth, so why not slide just a little bit in a spookier direction and get a tablecloth with some lacy skull patterns? No one really pays that much attention to what pattern your tablecloth is anyway, so make it as creepy as you want.
In terms of getting a gothic look out of everyday decor, it’s hard to get more mileage for your dollar than with a dark and gloomy chandelier. Chandeliers are already pretty eerie looking to begin with, but get them in black and suddenly you feel like you’re living in an old Victorian home left to you by your eccentric grandfather.
These are just a few ideas, but there are virtually limitless options for dark, spooky, or haunting decor that don’t fall into the cheesy Halloween category. Take a look at your existing home decor and see if you can find a version that’s black or has more ornate latticework and you’re living the year-round goth life in no time.