Orange. Halloween is traditionally orange. Google search “halloween images” and results show that the predominant color palette is orange. Pumpkins, scarecrows, even Candy Corn (the most polarizing treat)....they are all orange, orange and more orange.

Of course, you know where this is going. We like to bring a  twist to the ordinary…just enough for a happy surprise. And Halloween is no different. Let’s use our imagination to create a #designlife Halloween.

Black and White are the New Orange

Black and white are frightfully elegant and an unexpected deviation from the average Halloween decor. Accessorizing with elements that conjure up the spirit of Halloween in similar or contrasting colors and you have yourself a #designlife holiday.

A Detour to Dark Drama 

Bring on the drama with pedestals in various heights, black flowers and foxed glass votives to sparkle into the evening (well past the stroke of midnight). Add decorative interest with ceramic, iron or glass ornaments. Ceramic skulls and cast iron spiders give a spooky edge to your decor. Candles and candlesticks in various shapes and sizes add dimension. We also like the sophisticated pillars from Coreterno’s Visionary Candle line.

Italian porcelain maker Fornasetti offers small plates and candles with moody, mysterious images of faces melting into bones. Looking for your own Stanley the Spooky Skull? We found this one in black; or for a bit of a scary glamor, this gold skull does the trick. Ceramic pumpkins can last from Halloween through thanksgiving and come in colors that are elegantly monochrome. We like these two pumpkins in a black or cream version for an alternative to the usual orange.

Take a deep breath of the brisk fall air and bring on the trick or treaters. Whatever your preference—traditional or modern— let the spirit guide you.

Here’s wishing you a bowl filled with treats, just so long as they aren’t Candy Corn. (I guess we know where we land on that debate.)

Links to Your Own #DesignLife Halloween