On a random HomeGoods outing, I came across these stunning haunted house plates by Royal Stafford. I love their subtle design that’s welcoming in a spooky and charming way. There’s a witch in the window to the right, two little ghosts in the window to the left, and a broom and pumpkins on the porch. Dark gray ribbons, detailed scrolls and jack o’lanterns adorn the edges around the plate. Truly a beautiful design.
Every time I see them I think of Hotel California by the Eagles. I guess from the outside it looks inviting, but once inside, you can never leave. Without question Hotel California is a masterpiece that draws you in with its melody and haunts you with its lyrics. It will forever remind me of my cousin Paul. I remember our very serious debate over the best rock song ever – his was Hotel California and mine Bohemian Rhapsody. I digress. Well, as you can see, I bought the plates and combined them with items I already had to create my tablescape.
HERE’S HOW I PULLED THIS TABLE TOGETHER
I’m not particularly fond of our glass formal dining room table because it is a challenging table to decorate. I usually cover it with a fabric tablecloth, but tablecloths are heavy. I wanted this tablescape to be light and see-through, as if you’re looking through a veil or web, so I covered the table with black lace fabric from JoAnn’s. The lace helped me achieve the airy effect I was looking for while covering the glass.
I used dark gray creepy netting I purchased at the Dollar Store as a table runner and added three black candlesticks from HomeGoods with black tapered candles from Amazon. A few year ago I purchased these Grandin Road eyeball orbs, but I never used them. Honestly, I packed them away and forgot I had them. I love the mossy green tones and the “I’m watching you” stare. I scattered them throughout the table so the guests would know they were being watched. My Fenton green hobnail flared vases served as a votive candle holders since the colors complement the orbs perfectly. The Fenton vases are vintage from an antique store, but you can still find some online, antique and thrift stores. Dried red roses and leaves completed the look.
Note: A few weeks before styling this table, I purchased red roses at the grocery store. I let them dry, snipped the flowers and discarded the stems. Once dry, they keep well as long as you store them in a dry place, away from water or moisture.
For each place setting, I layered a light gray woven placemat from HomeGoods with a galvanized metal plate charger from Pier 1 Imports, discontinued. A gray and white buffalo check napkin from Pier 1 Imports rests between the dessert and dinner plates. These skeleton hand stemless wine glasses were a great find at HomeGoods, but Pottery Barn among other stores also carry them. The Dollar Store has a similar design in plastic if you’re planning a children’s party. The flatware was a combination of sets – stainless steel forks and spoons from Crate and Barrel and black Laguiole Jean Dubost knives from HomeGoods.
Note: Pier 1 Imports closed their brick-and-mortar during liquidation. They were bought and remain exclusively online. I purchased many items during their liquidation.
Because the bar cart was in the dining room, I added a few seasonal touches like the skeleton head planter from Amazon, skeleton votive candle holder and metal skeleton figure from HomeGoods along with some mossy green sprigs from the dollar store, but the bar cart was not my focus.
I hope you find this tablescape inspirational and helpful as you design your own tablescapes. For more Halloween ideas and recipes, take a look at my Halloween section under Entertaining.
SOURCES
1666 Haunted House Plates – Royal Stafford purchased at HomeGoods (can also find on eBay, Mercari and Amazon vendors)
Grey Woven Placemats – HomeGoods
Galvanized Metal Windmill Plate Chargers – Pier 1 Imports, discontinued (check online for similar styles)
Stainless Steel Forks and Spoons – Crate and Barrel
Laguiole Jean Dubost Black Steak Knives – HomeGoods
Skeleton Hand Stemless Wine Glasses – HomeGoods
Black Candlesticks – HomeGoods
Black Tapered Candles – Amazon
Dark Gray Netting – Dollar Store
Eyeball Orbs – Grandin Road you can also Google and find similar orbs
Fenton Hobnail Flair Vase – antique store
Skeleton Head Planter – Amazon
Glass Skelton Votive Candleholder & Skeleton Man – HomeGoods
