4 Fall and Halloween Outdoor Decorating Ideas For 2014

Halloween or fall outdoor decorating on porches and patios looks to be extremely popular in 2014 and 2015.

Just get a load of these Halloween or fall outdoor decorating statistics from Houzz: “Fall patio” nets 294,000 hits; “fall porch”162,000; “Halloween patio” 271,000 hits and “Halloween porch” 135,000.

And home décor for Halloween is only second to Christmas when it comes to holidays, with half of U.S. households decorating their home or yard and spending nearly double what they were in 2005, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2013 Halloween Spending Survey.

“Halloween outdoor decorating on patios and porches has become increasingly popular,” says Houston outdoor design pro Wayne Franks. “It used to be just for kids – but now it’s for grownups, too. And everyone’s getting really creative.”

Go glowy

“Outdoor Halloween lighting has always been huge, since the holiday revolves around the nighttime,” says Franks, owner of Outdoor Homescapes of Houston. And it shows no signs of stopping in 2014, he says, especially in the form of glowing inflatables, prelit outdoor Halloween decor and LED flameless candles a safer, spooky glow.

Brookstone, for instance, sells prelit spooky black branches with glitter and purple or orange lights. It also sells black strings of tiny orange “microlights” that add a Halloween glow to outdoor fireplace mantels, the counters of outdoor kitchens and other elements of outdoor living spaces.

“Fall decorating in general calls for the use of more lights,” adds Franks, noting that’s when people add more outdoor lighting to their outdoor living spaces, as well fire pits and fireplaces.

If you’re looking for prelit fall-themed outdoor décor, you can find it from home design-savvy retailers like Brookstone, Grandin Road, Pottery Barn and Pier One.

Go scary

When it comes to Halloween, Franks has seen two trends on the “scary” side: Gothic and gore.

“The gothic theme is popular with adults,” says Frank. “There’s a lot of all-black, black-and-white or black-and-cream, antique fonts, skeletons, ravens, candelabras, antique ornate furniture and gothic arches.”

In particular, he’s seen a lot of black wreaths, swags and centerpieces, black candles and black-and-white-painted pumpkins. “It’s very on-trend and actually kind of design-friendly, because it’s very minimalistic, has a very limited color palette and wisely uses dramatic, graphic elements.”

Of course, Franks has seen porches and patios with their share of gore. “I’ve seen more of it in the past few years, I think, because of the popularity of zombies and shows like “The Walking Dead.’” But that’s really more about the scare-factor – not about decorating.”

Go cheery

Franks, however, is seeing more of a balance between scary and family-friendly when it comes to Halloween outdoor décor.

“I’ve seen more products that are a nod to the scary but with cheery, whimsical or humorous overtones,” he says. “For instance, you’ll see traditionally spooky Halloween themes like spiders, ghosts or witches, but they’re styled more like the friendly character kids see on TV. And it’s incorporating more bright colors – like lime and green – and lots of glitter.”

Go vintage

“Upscaled vintage pieces work well for fall and Halloween both,” says Franks. Popular props for fall are rustic and weathered: antique ladders, cupboards, chairs or stacked suitcases turned into display areas for pumpkins and mums. Others are bushel baskets, milk cans, canning jars, wooden trays, wagons and antique shutters.

When it comes to Halloween, the look is – again – more gothic. In addition to the ideas Franks mentioned above, you can also use antique apothecary jars, dolls, toys and carriages, old ornate mirrors with their frames painted black or creepy-looking pages from antique books.

More information on Halloween Outdoor Decorating can be found on Outdoor Homescapes of Houston’s website, at www.outdoorhomescapes.com