# What's your style?



## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

We all seem to decorate differently so out of curiosity what is your style?

Whimsical, Vintage, Moody fun, Atmosphere, Scary, Gory 

Personally I focus more on Atmosphere with a dash of Moody fun and scares.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

Mine's very much like that that, too. I like Creepy Atmosphere, but more like a Universal monsters feel than like a modern slasher movie. I like to throw in the occasional unexpected startle, to build the tension, and I also like bits of humor to break the tension a bit. I like to give my guests a little mini roller coaster experience. 
Overall I like things to have a dash of decrepit elegance, and a bit of dusty museum. My goal is that my guests should want to linger over each area and take it all in, not scream and run through as fast as they can.


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## MC HauntDreams (Jun 6, 2013)

ooojen said:


> Mine's very much like that that, too. I like Creepy Atmosphere, but more like a Universal monsters feel than like a modern slasher movie. I like to throw in the occasional unexpected startle, to build the tension, and I also like bits of humor to break the tension a bit. I like to give my guests a little mini roller coaster experience.
> Overall I like things to have a dash of decrepit elegance, and a bit of dusty museum. My goal is that my guests should want to linger over each area and take it all in, not scream and run through as fast as they can.


/\ /\ /\ this! Yes , Ooojen. We are very much on the same page. We are working on the startles more now after a couple years of adding mostly atmosphere.


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## McCall72 (Jul 11, 2014)

Mine is what I grew up around which is the classic Beistle type of decorations from the 60's and 70's. Skeletons, ghosts, jack-o-lanterns etc. I'm not a fan of the gory stuff really at all but if that's other folks style I don't take an issue with it.


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

Not a big fan of Gore either. I can see why people like it I get it and find no fault in it. But I try not to display anything too crazy because I do it for the kids. With a good atmosphere they get scared enough as it is. Like Ooojen said I want them to stop and look, even think about what is going on. I like when parents will push their kids up the walk instead of going nope not going to traumatize my kid.


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## RedSonja (Sep 18, 2004)

I would say my style is more atmospheric/theatrical, a bit whimsical, stylized and a pinch of vintage for nostalgia sake! I don't do much gore, either. I want it to be a tad creepy, but never too serious. After all Halloween is mostly about having fun!


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## a_granger (Oct 21, 2012)

I too am more interested on a spooky atmosphere. I really like a realistic feel to things. I like the urban decay of old world buildings, cobweb carpeted old Chandlers and banisters. Flickering candles and eerie sounds. I love a touch of elegance and a bit whimsy too.


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## tzgirls123 (Mar 22, 2016)

I used to just throw up whatever décor...but over time, I have really honed my style. I like it to look realistic. I am inspired by POTC and Haunted Mansion...the old decaying feeling of forgotten places/times...I like spooky, but not too scary...I want the kids to come look at everything...maybe be nervous, but still want to TOT  

I do always have a scary or gory area off to the side or in my garage...one year I did do a zombie theme on the porch & projections in the windows, that was fun, or a chop shop/police crime scene...but that's mostly for the older ones or my Halloween party & not the front and center of the display.

Inside, I like a spooky/edgar allen poe type atmosphere...I like lots of ravens/owls/bats & my Halloween village & lots of candles etc


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## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

Whimsical, Vintage, Moody fun, Atmosphere, Scary, Gory ?

Whimsical - uh...no
Vintage - Uh...no
Moody - uh.....divorced her
Fun - uh....dated her for a few years
Atmosphere - sorta
Scary - we try...more startle than ambiance
Gory - Nope

I basically build stuff and scatter it around the yard.


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

We normally have a mix of traditional, and a good portion of scares. We don't go overboard on gore although two years ago in our zombie theme haunt we did have one room that was pretty intense. We deviated a bit last year with our clown theme but kept many traditional elements intact. Witches, zombies, graveyards, ghosts, are staples of our display/haunt. This year the entire haunt is vampire themed so we're relying on a dark palette, lots of skulls, gargoyles, bats. etc..


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## oaklawn Crematory (Jun 25, 2010)

We usually capture & sacrifice one of the first born children of the neighborhood (7) days before Halloween. After that we generally but not always keep the bloodshed to a minimum.


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## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

oaklawn Crematory said:


> We usually capture & sacrifice one of the first born children of the neighborhood (7) days before Halloween. After that we generally but not always keep the bloodshed to a minimum.


I am so glad to know that I am not the only one upholding that dying tradition

My overall style? Dark as blackest night I prefer an elegant Gothic look, with a very foreboding atmosphere that sets people on edge - what the mind can conjure is far more frightening than in-your-face gore and forced scares.


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## WickedWino (Aug 19, 2012)

Garthgoyle said:


> My overall style? Dark as blackest night I prefer an elegant Gothic look, with a very foreboding atmosphere that sets people on edge - what the mind can conjure is far more frightening than in-your-face gore and forced scares.


That was such an intriguing description I had to go look at your albums. That rabbit head costume - yikes! Great stuff!


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

ooojen said:


> Mine's very much like that that, too. I like Creepy Atmosphere, but more like a Universal monsters feel than like a modern slasher movie. I like to throw in the occasional unexpected startle, to build the tension, and I also like bits of humor to break the tension a bit. I like to give my guests a little mini roller coaster experience.
> Overall I like things to have a dash of decrepit elegance, and a bit of dusty museum. My goal is that my guests should want to linger over each area and take it all in, not scream and run through as fast as they can.


Beautifully and succinctly said jen!!!


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## Boone6666 (Aug 22, 2014)

are you talking in genral or walk threw, I have a yard display not sure how to describe it, kinda a mix bag??


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

oaklawn Crematory said:


> We usually capture & sacrifice one of the first born children of the neighborhood (7) days before Halloween. After that we generally but not always keep the bloodshed to a minimum.


Wow. Tough Neighborhood !! Glad I am not in Michigan with your rootin tootin and shootin style!


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

I don't go for actual scares, just an eerie atmosphere. I don't have anything that jumps out, or a startle tactic. I have a few things that talk and move, but mostly it's just to look at, as others have said.

My theme is an abandoned old cemetery, with the caretaker's house on the grounds (also abandoned). I love to look at photos of homes and buildings that have long been abandoned, still fully furnished. That's what I go for.


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## matrixmom (Oct 29, 2010)

I like to explore different styles of haunting and discussing it with the fam for the current year. I have gone out of comfort zone after I did iconic halloween styles and cemeteries. I like to try a different twist on classic themes (or at least try ) and come up with new ones. Keeps my brain constantly thinking and redesigning. Whether or not my sketches come to fruition is a whole other issue! Its a lot of fun, its my stress reliever and stress creator all in one. But I enjoy every minute.


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## Oak Lane Cemetery (Sep 5, 2011)

I'm with the mostly display crowd too. I like for things to be realistic and scary, but not bathed in blood. Not a fan of slasher films or the current fads of clowns and zombies either. I'm more of a monster/sci-fi type of horror fan. Our haunt consists of a mainly traditional Halloween theme with a graveyard, witch, pumpkins, skeletons and an assortment of creepy crawly critters. LOTS of spiderwebs, fog and a few other special effects. My oldest son plays the part of an evil caretaker dressed in a costume similar to the "gravers" from the Phantasm movies and wanders the fence line of the graveyard stalking trick or treaters as they approach. The overall theme of our display is that the witch "Hagetha" has moved into the graveyard to create minions from the skeletons within. She has summoned a swarm of spiders to defend the path entering the graveyard against intruders and enslaved the caretaker to do the dirty work of digging up the graves and bringing her the bones and bodies for her to perform rituals on. Her dark magic has also caused spirits to rise and for a nearby pumpkin patch to become dark and twisted. It's still evolving and coming together more and more every year.


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

Scatterbrains said:


> Whimsical, Vintage, Moody fun, Atmosphere, Scary, Gory ?
> 
> Whimsical - uh...no
> Vintage - Uh...no
> ...


This made me laugh more then it should have XD


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

Boone6666 said:


> are you talking in genral or walk threw, I have a yard display not sure how to describe it, kinda a mix bag??


in general though after being in a bunch of walk through you could always add that. Mixed bag it is


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## jdubbya (Oct 4, 2003)

Boone6666 said:


> are you talking in genral or walk threw, I have a yard display not sure how to describe it, kinda a mix bag??


We also have a yard display, in addition to our walk through haunt structure. The yard display (as shown in the pics in my previous post) is all about the atmosphere and giving guests something to look at while they wait to go through the haunt. The walk through portion is designed to be scary and is very actor heavy. We let people make the choice to go through or not and candy is handed out before they even near the door to the haunt so little kids aren't forced to go through to get their treat. We have found that you can cater to a broad range of folks and have something for everyone. The walk through is geared towards the older kids/adults and they love it. The littler kids enjoy the front display with it's anuimation, lighting, static characters. etc...


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

jdubbya said:


> We normally have a mix of traditional, and a good portion of scares. We don't go overboard on gore although two years ago in our zombie theme haunt we did have one room that was pretty intense. We deviated a bit last year with our clown theme but kept many traditional elements intact. Witches, zombies, graveyards, ghosts, are staples of our display/haunt. This year the entire haunt is vampire themed so we're relying on a dark palette, lots of skulls, gargoyles, bats. etc..


WOW Great pictures Thank you for sharing them.


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## Boone6666 (Aug 22, 2014)

It seems the last few years I have been out in my yard most of the night talking to folks about my yard and always seem too have one or two little ones
who wont go past my gate even though thers really nothin to jump out at them. and really no gore


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## Tremblin'Toad (Feb 9, 2016)

Almost everything except intestines...


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

Pretty classically Goth spooky. I don't care for straight up horror stuff, I find it boring and bland. More likely to go for something i consider pretty, disturbing, or generally spooky. If I could really get more of a vibe going like the Dark Souls games I think i'd feel I had accomplished my ultimate aesthetic.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I out grew the old Monsters and cheesey FX in the old movies, now with computer-generated stuff it's about time to "Yawn" again(Since they can do anything!)
I have never been a "Fan" of blood and gore , so why would i have it in my Haunt?
Atmosphere? Yes, all of it possible to create, even though i have the help of an actually haunted 1870 Inn, which I have decorated extensively with 1950 Hudson car bodies (and other things) from the highest point of the house to almost the lowest.
The atmosphere I create is storytelling (or is it "Acting"?) No act, this place has quite an extensive Haunted History, going back to at least 1925 , as told to me by a number of this community's elderly citizens, and proved to me and mine over the years.. (It is also MY Community all of my family has been in this town since the 1830s.
My first room performance might last an hour or more and most find it stimulating, interesting, informative, Scary, unpredictable.and FUNNY!
The first week of last November during the day groups of Haunt owners and builders kept showing up here and they hailed from California, Canada, Texas, New Jersey and all points in between, and they were all very complimentary concerning what they found here at The Ravens Grin Inn.

Even though I have done work almost non-stop on my house to make it unique and very memorable, still the most impressive part of the "Show", unfortunately, is....me. (Very difficult to retire at 99 years of age and sell a viable business that still needs ... "me"!
My "Talents are not really so special, I have been doing this here for 29 years, open every night , plus Sat. & Sun. afternoons... so if I have not seen-it-all, or don't know how to handle people by now, i guess I never will?
What "Style? Am I ? what style of a Haunter am I? Maybe I can sum that up by what my most favorite compliment has always been here for me, it's when the customer begs me to stop making them laugh, because their face hurts!"


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## talkingcatblues (Jan 30, 2009)

Scatterbrains said:


> I basically build stuff and scatter it around the yard.


So your username suddenly takes on a whole new aspect...!


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## Trex (Nov 6, 2010)

We go for atmosphere, and creep factor. We try to focus on people's fears, and phobias. We have a bit of gore, not too much though.


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## Jenn&MattFromPA (Sep 4, 2013)

Hmmm... this question is a little harder to answer than I thought! My DH and I do our yard display together but we do have different approaches so it's always a compromise. He likes to display anything that catches his fancy, mostly things that startle scare or have fog. LOL! 

I really want cohesion - I want our yard display to tell a story, even if I might be the only one who knows it. The stuff we have falls into cemetery/graveyard, spooky scarecrow/cornfield & now a witch area/shack. I'm wracking my brain for ideas on how to tie them all together. 

I guess I go for theatrical, detailed, atmospheric - the inside of our house is mostly my domain & I think a lot about The Addams Family mansion when I decorate. Like I want it to show that a weird, eclectic family lives here and has collected things over time. In the same vein, I admired Disney's Tower of Terror hotel setup & the whole Harry Potter world. 

Neither one of us leans toward gore, so we don't have to juggle that idea. Although I do love vintage displays, we don't lean towards that either.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

atmosphere I would say.


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## lilibat (Aug 10, 2015)

This guy definitely fits my style!


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## ReelSore (Jan 19, 2015)

I try for a mixture but I'm also not very artistic. Mine is a scary walk through haunting. You won't make it through without jumping.


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## TheHalloweenGuru (Sep 17, 2015)

I like to use very rustic wood and metal things


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## Stringy_Jack (Oct 28, 2011)

I say any and everything Halloween is fair game.


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## Rigormortor (Sep 7, 2009)

My style is more like Sci-Fi from the 50-60's era. Last year I changed themes to Giant spiders with a 50 foot spider web
as im trying to create a "Tarantula" type theme. One of my fav movies from when I was a little kid. Past themes were haunted
corn maze and regular old cemetary. Im also planning on a crashed flying saucer theme which I made plans but never built.
So back to the spiders as they will be bigger and new props, wooden fencing and cemetery pillars as well.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

I'm more of a traditional and vintage type person although I like atmosphere too. Gore isn't really my thing. As long as there's lots of orange and black, witches and skeletons, I'm good.


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## HexMe (Jul 23, 2009)

I feel like I lean toward spooky elegance, but I'm a fan of most every Halloween design aesthetic. The only thing I don't really like is over-the-top gore. Disney's Haunted Mansion is a big influence of mine, although I can never hope to come close to the look and feel of it.


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## Halloween3115 (May 7, 2016)

I try to go for simple , and more of the eerie look then the typical pumpkin


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## mariem (Oct 7, 2012)

I appreciate all styles of decorating although I don't do blood and gore in m y decorating. Not too many people in town decorate so I do it for the kids (but mostly for myself  ) so I don't want to do anything scary or bloody. I love anything witchy, potions, pumpkins, crows, and I also put tombstones in the yard. My decorating is pretty mild in comparison to many on this forum and yet some people won't come to my door. I don't get it myself but that's okay. Halloween is not a fun thing for the light of heart anyway.


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## LadyMage (Aug 15, 2014)

I go more for creepy and atmosphere than scary and definitely shy away from gore. I have little kids, and even once they're grown I don't want to scare away the little kids. More classic, vintage, even gothic elements. Think Haunted mansion - creepy fun with a few scares, but still kid friendly.


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## HalloweenieChallenge (Oct 8, 2014)

Spooky not gory/violent/horror for me!


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I keep seeing this thread & thinking "What IS my style!??!" I just realized that my style is "OH CRAP IT'S 4:30 LET'S GET THIS CRAP OUT THERE!!"


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## sookie (Sep 19, 2010)

Gothic vampire, ghosts, mist, creepy, dark, spooky night, werewolf howling in the distsnce, witches, jack o lanterns...


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

RCIAG said:


> I keep seeing this thread & thinking "What IS my style!??!" I just realized that my style is "OH CRAP IT'S 4:30 LET'S GET THIS CRAP OUT THERE!!"


I laughed at this. I can imagine Hundreds of haunters (myself included) doing the same thing.


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## DeadED (Oct 12, 2010)

Oh not to mention. WTH???? ToT already. I'm not reaaaaddddyyyyy!!!!!


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## mrincredibletou (Sep 17, 2007)

Blood, guts, old fasion monsters (dracula, mummy, witches, ghosts, frankie) and 80's horror movies!


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## JustaBunchOfHocusPocus (Sep 17, 2007)

Most of the time the mood has always been the same, spooky, fun and vintage. I love using old decorations that I've been keeping around the house, than I usually buy come up with new idea's each year. One year I'd really love to have a graveyard in my yard. I've never had that yet.


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## PumpkinPixi (Jul 29, 2015)

Inside my house I have pumpkins, skulls, webs, bats hanging from the ceiling and curtain rods, skeletons propped up all over the place and the vintage paper wall hangs out all year. Outside starting after labor day I set out a front yard cemetery with skeletons and werewolves and some zombies. Pretty average Halloween wise. Hoping to add more this year and start a home haunt with a decent creep factor.


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## ReelSore (Jan 19, 2015)

I'll add to my last post about this. For my walk through I try to mix it up. Some places don't have any sound so it's a creepy oh lord what's gonna happen next, other places inside have some type of ambient sound with a mild scare or an extreme scare wether it's a scare sound or an action type scare. I also play around with the lighting inside, as in you may walk into a room where the lights are on but as soon as you step in then the lights go off. I do a lot of variables. Most of everything is done with controllers. Adding this year a few dead ends. But will be controlled with controllers to tell them wrong way with an evil laugh or something. At same time it'll unlock a door they just passed or show them the way to a hidden door. The name of my walk through haunt is Mind Fear so it leaves the possibilities limitless of what I could do year to year. Also adding a kid zone this year for the little ones(singing pumpkins).

I've been doing these for over 20 years and get all ages visiting. I now get young adults that come, that been coming since they were little kids. Just to see what I've done and to see if they can make it through without jumping. Which doesn't happen. Lol.


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## Saruman of Many Colours (Sep 8, 2010)

LadyMage said:


> I go more for creepy and atmosphere than scary and definitely shy away from gore. I have little kids, and even once they're grown I don't want to scare away the little kids. More classic, vintage, even gothic elements. Think Haunted mansion - creepy fun with a few scares, but still kid friendly.


Agreed. This is my preferred style as well.


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## fennyann (Sep 6, 2012)

I personally enjoy the classics. Witches, ghosts, vampires, etc. Not big on the gore and slasher type stuff. We used to throw huge parties with extravagant props and decorations. It started to be too much. What I prefer now is much more laid back. We do a Harvest Bonfire every year now, classic Halloween décor, tons of pumpkins, corn stalks, and bales of hay. The atmosphere is great!


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## Teresa.Macabre (Aug 8, 2015)

Inside my house I go for the vintage, creepy, old haunted home feeling. I mix my year round collection of oddities, candles, and year round halloween decor with my vintage styled jack o lantern and other creature paper mache figurines. I also drape a lot of the old black lace on tables and spiders webs around candles and corners to give that old haunted feel. I love the blood and guts stuff as well but since I'm surrounded by that all season at the my familys haunt and doing various makeup jobs I like to keep the not so gory decor for home. 

Outside of my house previously didn't have much since I had lived in a town house with no real yard. Had some small tombstones and blow mold pumpkins lining the small walkway to the door. Just bought a house this year so I am ecstatic to think up how to decorate an entire front yard! I am inspired to make some full size gravestones now that I have the room for it.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

Teresa.Macabre said:


> Inside my house I go for the vintage, creepy, old haunted home feeling. I mix my year round collection of oddities, candles, and year round halloween decor with my vintage styled jack o lantern and other creature paper mache figurines. I also drape a lot of the old black lace on tables and spiders webs around candles and corners to give that old haunted feel. I love the blood and guts stuff as well but since I'm surrounded by that all season at the my familys haunt and doing various makeup jobs I like to keep the not so gory decor for home.


Is there any place in particular you buy your decor? I'm trying to branch out from just Halloweentown Store lol. I also like the classics, especially pumpkins and Jack o' Lanterns.


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## Teresa.Macabre (Aug 8, 2015)

HalloGeekHalfrican said:


> Is there any place in particular you buy your decor? I'm trying to branch out from just Halloweentown Store lol. I also like the classics, especially pumpkins and Jack o' Lanterns.


Like many here, I find some good vintage styled decor at HomeGoods. tj maxx, etc (they always have great jack o lantern stuff).. then besides there I get find of a lot of them while searching through random vintage/thrift stores or other random stores that cater to halloween/horror/etc.. two places I go to a lot that also sell some stuff online are Bearded Lady Vintage and Oddities and Halloween Town. Sadly a lot their good stuff is in the store itself though. Besides that, just hunting on ebay for random finds.

I just made a gallery for my 2015 home decor so if you wanted to check it out and see if anything in there matches the style you are looking for I can tell you were I found it


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## BR1MSTON3 (Jul 31, 2010)

We go for atmosphere and set the stage and try to let imagination do the rest. For us what is not there is scarier as a person will try to anticipate.


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## Wrench (Oct 11, 2009)

I strongly prefer to keep all of my props real - - everything should have its own value, and character/back story is priceless. Real plants, real statues, real crystal balls, real candles, real bones. No plastic or resin, _definitely_ no glitter!  Vintage paper decorations or other antiques fill in the gaps. Fortunately my boyfriend and I have a small apartment and no kids, so we can afford to build up a small collection of authentic things.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

I recently opened my own Art Gallery inside my Haunted House.(Nothing is for sale), I removed the covers from the upstairs windows, allowing much sunlight to illuminate their path and see my art, which also distracts them, slows them down and allows me to really get in a good scare or two!
I believe I have always tried to not copy, nor duplicate anybody else's props or ideas here, so when a large group of Haunt Owners came here last November, they seemed to be thoroughly entertained! I love happy patrons, no matter who they may or may not be!
So walking through a Haunted House on a sunny weekend afternoon, you would be walking through 1/4 of the second floor with six very large old 1880s windows allowing tons of possibly bright Sunshine to illuminate.. Everything as you stroll past my creations on the wall. you may look out the windows, seeing the greenery of the tree limbs, the sunshine, the vines that keep trying to cover the entire outside of the house, then "GOTCHA!"
...and I think of all those years I had display boxes built over these windows and the upstairs all blacked-out... then there was that One Night a local business owner and her Daughter were driving passed my house on their way home, and they both saw a thin young man standing inside the one display box, dressed in dark clothes, waving at them at 2AM!
They were both scared! 
I have never had any such display in any of those window boxes..
Yes. this is also a Haunted, Haunted house. None of my doing.


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## HighPriestessIce (Mar 7, 2016)

My aesthetic is vintage mixed with some Sweets Deco  pieces.


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## HalloGeekHalfrican (Sep 1, 2013)

HighPriestessIce said:


> My aesthetic is vintage mixed with some Sweets Deco  pieces.


That's adorable! I love the vintage stuff.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

BR1MSTON3 said:


> We go for atmosphere and set the stage and try to let imagination do the rest. For us what is not there is scarier as a person will try to anticipate.


Very much this. I set the situation and dare people to enter. Oh, and I like making static monsters.


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## theVanyr (Jun 18, 2006)

We got rained out this past year... but the kids still came by under their parents umbrellas. Only our second year in the house, so we are still working out our style to fit with the location. Overall, I like environments. "I will set the stage - will you come in?" We are planning for next year now (hence my prowling around on the forums again), but would like to start working on some anthropomorphic props. Time will tell... Also, I build my own soundtrack loops. I will include a link to last year's: https://soundcloud.com/j-p-nixon/halloween-audio-2014-sub-lecto-1.


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## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

DeadED said:


> We all seem to decorate differently so out of curiosity what is your style?
> 
> Whimsical, Vintage, Moody fun, Atmosphere, Scary, Gory
> 
> Personally I focus more on Atmosphere with a dash of Moody fun and scares.


My style is film noir with a rustic flavor. Spooky, atmospheric, theme scenes....


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## moonwitchkitty (Jul 22, 2012)

everything but cute. my house is decorated year round with crows, oni, bones, Fran, and Frank ( my skellies) i have 3 bins of body parts


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