October 31 is less than a week away, and Gabrielle Fagan is getting organised by dipping into a witch’s brew of interiors tricks and treats

Herts Advertiser: Glitter pumpkin, £4, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout]Glitter pumpkin, £4, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

Halloween - when we celebrate all things spooky - doesn’t mean you have to embrace frightful style.

It’s perfectly possible to take a walk on the dark side with sophisticated and playful decor touches that create drama, conjure a bewitching setting and last way beyond October 31.

Herts Advertiser: LED animated zombie crow in cage, £10, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout]LED animated zombie crow in cage, £10, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

Be brave and take on the twilight trend...

Embrace dark but dreamy decor

Herts Advertiser: George Home blood curdling candle, £2, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout]George Home blood curdling candle, £2, Asda [Asda/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

If you love living on the dark side year-round, make a statement with a Halloween mural depicting a haunted night sky. Alternatively, a haunted house mural could be fun for an occasion like a party. Simply add candles and skulls for a spellbinding effect.

Pimp your pumpkin

It’s the traditional symbol of the festival, but if you’d rather avoid the chore of carving your own Jack O’ Lantern (and want to preserve your fingers), there are plenty of alternatives around.

Herts Advertiser: Mottled rose gold pumpkin battery light, £21.99; and 10 mottled pumpkin fairy lights, £8.99, Lights4Fun [Lights4Fun/PA Photo/Handout]Mottled rose gold pumpkin battery light, £21.99; and 10 mottled pumpkin fairy lights, £8.99, Lights4Fun [Lights4Fun/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

Invest in our feathered friends

Ravens, witches’ familiars in fairy stories, and flocks of crows are essential elements of a gothic setting, whether safely caged or flying free...

Herts Advertiser: Luxbon, set of three Day of the Dead cushion covers, £10.06 [Amazon/PA Photo/Handout]Luxbon, set of three Day of the Dead cushion covers, £10.06 [Amazon/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

Celebrate the Day of the Dead

If the setting’s too gloomy for your taste, bring in colour with vibrant items evoking the spirit of the Day of the Dead, the annual celebration in Mexico.

Design a ghostly banquet

Herts Advertiser: Skull tealight holder, £4.05 each, Amazon [Amazon/PA Photo/Handout]Skull tealight holder, £4.05 each, Amazon [Amazon/PA Photo/Handout] (Image: Archant)

Transform a table with a creative setting. Simply lower the lights and make the table a focal point by decorating with a string of pumpkin lights, as well as individually lit pumpkins, and ramp up the eeriness with skull-decorated plates and accessories.

Light up a twilight zone

Flickering candlelight will cast magical shadows (though artificial candles are a better bet if children are around).