Most Halloween patios are decorated for the daytime and then nobody goes outside until dark. Flip that. The patio is the one room that gets better on a cold October night, as long as it’s lit properly and nothing on it is inflatable.
The version worth doing is moody rather than spooky. Black and pale pumpkins, dried botanicals, one deep colour in the textiles, and candlelight at three heights.
Start with the light, not the decor
A patio reads as finished when there are three light sources and none of them is the floodlight. Lanterns on the floor, candles on the table, and something overhead.
A set of black metal lanterns at different heights is the single purchase that does the most work. Add warm white string lights along the roofline or a fence, and swap any outdoor bulb to 2700K. Cool white light is what makes a patio feel like a car park.
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Black and pale, not orange and purple
Pumpkins belong outside, but in October the elegant ones are white, cream, sage and matte black. Cluster them in odd numbers on the steps or a low table. Champagne velvet pumpkins work out here too on a covered patio, and they come back inside in November.
For height, a tall urn of dried pampas with a few black-dyed stems mixed in. Dried lasts the whole season and looks better as the nights draw in.
Seasonal pieces sell through fast, so check availability before you buy.
One deep colour in the textiles
This is where the patio stops looking like everyone else’s. Pick one: plum, oxblood or olive. Then put it in the cushions and one throw and nowhere else.
Velvet pillow covers in a deep tone transform a neutral outdoor sofa for the price of a round of drinks, and a wool throw over the arm means people actually sit out there. The cream outdoor rug underneath keeps the whole thing from going too dark.
The table, if you’re hosting
You don’t need Halloween plates. A black linen runner over the outdoor table, your own cream stoneware, black tapers in brass holders and a line of small pumpkins down the middle. Keep the centre low so people can see each other. The same rule as our elegant Halloween dinner table indoors.
What to skip
Inflatables. Cobwebs on anything. Orange string lights. A skeleton. If it would look wrong in a magazine photograph of the patio, it will look wrong in yours.
Doing the front of the house too? The elegantly spooky front porch uses the same palette so the two read as one scheme from the street. And for the whole outdoor room laid out piece by piece, start with our Room Recipes.