The arrival of October brings with it a special air of spookiness, thanks to its twisting, bare branches and longer nights.

So why not embrace the haunting allure of the season by decorating your home for Halloween? But before you make a trip to a party store, consider visiting a flea market or antique shop in search of secondhand pieces that exude eerie elegance. With this approach, you can not only transform your home more sustainably but also give it a vintage charm that’s guaranteed to make your spaces extraordinary.

Ghoulish glows

Whether you’re aiming for a Victorian aesthetic or embracing earth tones, you can easily cast a spell of enchantment over your home with the flickering glow of antique lanterns, candelabras, and candlesticks. These pieces are a great way to highlight an area, add height to your dining table or fireplace mantel, and, most importantly, set the vibe for the rest of your decor. For instance, you could set a tall, gold candelabra with multiple curved arms at the center of your mantel, then add other orange, red, and brown pieces around it for a whimsical effect. Real candles will lend the spookiest vibe with their dancing flames and casted shadows, but you can also invest in battery-powered or solar options that pose less of a hazard and can be used for years to come.

Bewitching wall hangings

One of the most quintessential elements of any haunted house is vintage wall decor that appears to recount stories of bygone eras. Think weathered items that evoke a sense of mystery, such as an aged mirror with minor cracks in its frames or black spots in its corners or painted portraits of enigmatic figures whose eyes seem to follow your every move. Each can add intrigue to your entryway or hallway, especially when mixed with other decorations like cobwebs, bats, or hanging lights. As a bonus, these pieces are often easy to swap with ones you may leave up throughout the rest of the year, making this a quick and often budget-friendly way of transforming your living spaces.

Timeless tableware

Elevate your Halloween dining experience with antique tableware that adds a touch of gothic sophistication to your festivities. While strolling the aisles of your local flea market, look for vintage plates and bowls with dark floral patterns or other intricate designs that have an old-world elegance to them. You can then pair these pieces with etched goblets or crystal decanters along with silver cutlery that shows a hint of tarnish. Complete the overall look with a lace tablecloth or runner, and the result will be a dining room that exudes both refinement and mystery.

Mystical miscellany

From antique dolls to old-timey medical instruments, antique shops and flea markets often house a wide variety of peculiar oddities that may provide an excellent finishing touch to your decor. Just picture it: sitting upon your entryway table could be a stack of worn medical books topped with broken eyeglasses and paired with an old jar you filled with a mysterious “potion.” Though seemingly random, these items together would create a unique, spooky story. So keep your eyes peeled and your mind open while browsing—as with any secondhand shopping, one person’s trash could be your decorative treasure.

Transform the ordinary

If you’re unable to find the perfect piece, you can turn virtually any secondhand object, be it a landscape painting, ceramic bust, or picture frame, into something hauntingly beautiful. For instance, jazz up any basic pastoral painting by adding a ghost somewhere in the piece; get inspiration from designer Jennifer Rizzo’s example here. For another option that requires a bit more work, consider following this tutorial for transforming an antique frame into a creepy, glowing portrait.

Typewriters are another classic example of items that tell the tales of decades past, so if you find one in good condition, set it out on full display amid your other decor; you could even type a line from your favorite Edgar Allan Poe piece. Or if you can’t find an appropriately spooky mirror, grab any unique one and write a phrase from a horror film on it using a red whiteboard marker. With just a few secondhand items and a dash a creativity, you can make a one-of-a-kind piece to set your home apart from the rest.