10 wicked ways to dress your haunted house

These Halloween-themed homewares and gothic accents lean into a moody, mysterious aesthetic, says Sam Wylie-Harris.

Spooky season is a highlight on the holiday calendar, and with Halloween falling on a Saturday, trick-or-treaters can really take advantage of ghoulish goodies galore.

Think costume dramas, ghostly decos, and prepping pumpkins for Jack-o-lanterns, with the promise of more downtime to fill your home with a smattering of hocus pocus.

Here’s how to spin a web of intrigue when darkness falls…

1. Halloween Skull and Flower Wreath, 55cm, £20, rest of items from a selection, Hobbycraft

Quite spooktacular, this skull and flower wreath sets the tone for fright night parties, and the blood-red blooms lend a gothic edge with contrasting black accents.

2. The Very Collection White Felt Ghost Garland Halloween Decoration, £13, (was £15), Very

There’s a playful side to these spooky ghosts which can be strung across a fireplace, or hung in the window and teamed with a Halloween spider web.

3. Emma Bridgewater Halloween Toast Little Witch ½ Pint Mug, £26; Halloween Toast Treats Small Turine, £65, (centre right); Halloween Toast Wicked Treats Medium Dish, £70, (far right); Dancing Witches Medium Old Bowl, £45, rest of items from a selection, Emma Bridgewater

When it comes to a bewitching tablescape, this themed pottery is tailor-made for a spooky spread of sandwiches, mugs of hot chocolate, Halloween sweet bowls, and pumpkin soup with a witches’ cauldron to boot.

4. Anita Tray – Set of Two by Mercer41, £72.99; Iron Tabletop Pillar By Metro Lane, £19.99 (was £23.99); other items from a selection, Wayfair

When you’re proffering a devilishly delicious cocktail and scary snacks, this compass design hints at the dark side with a nod to mythology. Set includes a small and large serving tray with gold-edge rim.

5. Lights4fun Witches Broom Light Up Halloween Decoration, £24.99, (was £39.99); 2 Ombre Mercury Glass LED Pumpkin Decorations (one shown, centre), £29.99; Ceramic Pumpkin Light, (far right), £13.99, (was £24.99), rest of items from a selection, Lights4fun

They’ll be loads of cackles when you hang this light-up witch’s broom above a table setting strewn with illuminated pumpkins. Otherwise, it would look perfect adorning a fireplace, crying out for a witch’s hat and eerie black crow.

6. Spooky Season Velvet Halloween Cushion, Gold/Mono, £11, (cover only, fillings available), Furn

With its enchanting monochrome diamond-check pattern and glitzy gold lettering, this velvet cushion cover will look frightfully good on an accent chair; or sofa draped in a creepy, black cloth.

7. Black And Gold Smooth, Black Marble Wallpaper – Peel & Stick Mural, £34 per square metre, Wallsauce

Darkly dramatic, a showstopping feature wall hits the spot for creepy settings… and with its hints of golden orange against a black background, this mural is made for flickering pumpkins, black and orange candles, a vampire bat and skull for good measure. Available in a range of options, including removeable peel and stick.

8. Black Crow Table Lamp, £225; Natural King Skull Ornament, £145, Rockett St George

Macabre and menacing, this crow table lamp will cast an ominous glow. One for grown-up gatherings and gothic-themed parties, the skull ornament with striking carved headdress sets the tone for creepy masquerades.

9. Hallow Scream Large Skeleton, £19.99; Hallow Scream Animated Hand Assorted, £4.99, Home Bargains

Larger than life, this morbid skeleton makes even more of a petrifying prop placed in an armchair; and room set bedecked with grisly displays, including these hair-raising hands.

10. Two Skeleton Hand Halloween Garden Stake Lights, £10.99, (was £21.99), Lights4Fun

There’ll be squeals of delight when trick-or-treaters are confronted with these gruesome garden stakes.