Deck your Halloween halls on the glamorous side of gory and gaudy.
SILVERED SKULLS: These skulls are made for Artefact Design and Salvage from a small bronze casting village in East Java, Indonesia. (See the process here.) Available in sizes from 3" to an impressive 16" showpiece, they can be displayed all year round. Use a larger one, coupled with, say, cobwebs and candles to create an eerily pretty Halloween display. $18-$98 (XS-XL), $495 (16" skull), Artefact Design and Salvage, 23570 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, 707-933-0660, artefactdesignsalvage.com
ORANGE SPARKLE: These metallic glitter candles have a shimmer not typically seen in natural beeswax candles. Hand-rolled by artisans in a Sonoma studio, these 10-inch tapers will add the perfect amount of pretty to your Halloween display. Grab an extra set or two to give as a hostess gift once the holidays roll around. $20, The Candlestick, 38 West Spain St., Sonoma, thecandlestick.com, 800-972-6777
GLAMOROUS GLOOM: This stylish woven damask printed placemat in a very “now” shade of gray can grace your table all year long. Couple it with some orange, red or purple napkins to create a tasteful Halloween table. $15, Furniture Depot, Historic Railroad Square, 100 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-575-3198, oldtownfurnitures.com
ANTIQUE ILLUMINATION: This “Adele Candelabra,” crafted from aged metal and adorned in hand-cut crystals, can be an elegant highlight to your rustic wine country tableau. Inspired by a classic French design, it looks perfect for a phantom in a 19th century opera house. Available online only. $205, Cokas Diko, 1125 West Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-568-4044, cokasdiko.com
PICK YOUR POISON: Let your wine bottles multitask as decor with this killer label. The packaging of “Poizin” from Armida winery is all fun and games, but the quality inside the bottle is no joke. This peppery fruit-driven Zinfandel is softened by hints of milk chocolate, oak and a vanilla finish. $19, Wilibee’s, 700 Third St., Santa Rosa, 707-978-3779, wilibees.com
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DARE TO DIY: This material with vintage-like images of ravens, skeletons and devils galore will creep out your craftiness in the best way. Use this cotton fabric to make a table runner or a set of napkins. Or learn to design a quilt in one of Bolt Fabrics' classes. With lots of Halloween prints available, the possibilities are freakishly fabulous. $11.99/yard, Bolt Fabrics, 219 North Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-894-2658, boltcloverdale.com
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The stores are now awash in fall items, which means it’s time to start making decisions about how to deck the Halloween halls. If the thought of adorning your home for a month in rubber eyeballs and plastic rats, leave you feeling a bit uninspired, consider bringing in some ornamental pieces. Many of the finds here are perfect for year-round use, but in the context of a few ghoulish items, they can give your Halloween decor a bewitchingly stylish vibe. Click through the gallery above for ideas.
Local shopping finds to help you enjoy the food and drink extravaganza that Sonoma offers.
