The struggle I’ve had over the years with Halloween décor is trying to keep things sophisticated and elegant while also throwing in a bit of spooky edge. I love spooky Halloween décor and will always choose it over cutesy hay bells, scarecrows, and pumpkins – this goes back to many years of the ghouls, goblins, and monsters my dad decorated with when I was a kid. It’s nostalgic and what makes me love Halloween in the first place. But at the same time, I want to keep my home classic and stylish too without plastering tacky Halloween décor everywhere.
Last year, I decided I wanted to make my dining room the perfect mix of spooky and elegant. This Halloween tablescape guide will hopefully inspire your own dining room and carry over to all your future Halloween décor.
Theme
No matter what I’m decorating, I like to keep a consistent theme and color scheme – especially with a dining area. While there’s certainly a way to mix skulls and pumpkins or ghosts and black cats, I decided to pick just one. To me, skeletons are the perfect mix of cute and spooky – and there’s a way to make them elegant too. They’ve become my Halloween décor of choice, so it only made sense to make them the focus of my dining room. They’re a neutral color so they’re easy to decorate around and they keep things nice and simple – the way I like it.
Color Palate
Neutrals are my jam in all areas of life from what I wear to my home décor to - you guessed it - my Halloween décor. Skulls/skeletons being ivory make them the most obvious choice to decorate my home with when October rolls around. And because black is spooky and classy, I decided to throw it in the mix as well. The antique gold adds a tasteful little pop, giving the basic black and white color palate something extra special.
Place Settings
A black lace tablecloth works beautifully for this theme. If you can’t find one, go to the fabric section of Hobby Lobby and get them to cut you a piece that will fit your table. I added a gold charger and black plate to each setting topped with a double-headed ivory skull that could also double as a place card holder. I love the rustic look of these skulls I found at Michael’s as they tie in so well with the antique gold centerpieces.
Centerpiece
Normally, I would go with flowers for a table centerpiece but I wanted something a little more memorable – and of course, a little more Halloween. These gold chandelier candleholders I found at Michael’s are not only beautiful but the perfect mix of the spooky-elegant theme. Black candles keep the color palate going and give the table an extra old-timey Halloween look.
Food
The most important part of course! For a dinner party, I always like to do three to four courses. They don’t have to be super fancy, but well-presented and something that goes along with the theme is always nice. For a Halloween dinner party, I like to stay on theme so here are some ideas. For a first course try one of my cheese boards or fall soups: Darling Pumpkin Cheese Board, Witching Cheese Board, Spiderwebbed French Onion Soup, Pumpkin Beer Soup with Bacon and Dates. For a second course, your favorite pasta recipe using black spaghetti (can be found at specialty food stores or made with squid ink) is always a hit. My Hocus Pocus Pasta has always been a favorite as well. Or maybe even serve an extra rare steak or pot pie with the crust cut as a pumpkin face! For dessert I love these two simple ones Pumpkin Dumplings - served warm with ice cream or my Everything Halloween Candy Milkshake.
Setting
The setting around you is just as important as the tablescape. I amp mine up “Halloween style” with smells and lighting to music and decor. Lots of fall candles lit, plug ins plugged, and light sprays throughout the house are a must. Dim lights or overhead lights off with lamps and cozy candles lit. Classic music or a Halloween soundtrack lightly played in the background. And of course, more decor throughout the house. Little details like this put a Halloween tablescape of any kind over the top!