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Ask A Sacramento Expert: How To Decorate Your Home For Halloween

October 9, 2015 / 5:00 AM PDT / CBS Sacramento

The fall season introduces some of the most beautiful colors, fragrances, flavors and festive holidays in the United States, and parallels celebrations around much of the world. October, chock full of the harvest treats that make fall a favorite time of year for many, is also Halloween month, the classic American holiday event for kids and spirited adults alike. Halloween parties and decorations are legendary, and even the most tastefully decorated home can benefit from a pop of Halloween décor. Meet Alicia Lund, a Sacramento fashion stylist, as she brings her decorating flair into your home at Halloween.

Alicia Lund
Personal Stylist
Blog: Cheetah Is The New Black
cheetahisthenewblack.comAlicia Lund is a Sacramento-based stylist with clients throughout the Bay Area. The former Elle Magazine fashion editor and buyer is a Northern California girl who made her way to New York where she landed work at ELLE Magazine as its fashion editor. While there, Lund used her talents and creative eye to write and oversee the fashion and accessories content for ELLE.com. In spite of it being her dream job at the time, Lund left ELLE and returned to California for some too-good-to-pass-up opportunities that beckoned Alicia and her husband to come back home.

Lund is totally about style and all that good stuff. She is now a partner and buyer for women's boutique Syllabus in Chico, California, which happens to be her hometown. Lund likes things a little bit hectic, a fact evidenced by her busy lifestyle. Besides personal styling and producing editorial shoots, Alicia shares her enviable style, travel diaries, decor inspiration and more on her popular blog, Cheetah Is The New Black, and her Instagram page.

Here, Alicia celebrates fall beginning with the October harvest, and treats us to five decorating tips for this Halloween season.

Think Outside The Halloween BoxWhile orange may be the first color you think of when it comes to Halloween, opt instead for a predominately black and white palette in your decor — it's 100 times chicer (and cooler). Think: all white or painted black pumpkins on the doorstep, black candles and vases, and black and white dinnerware.

Elevate Your Tablescape With MetalsBrass napkin rings, silverware and even pumpkins will give your table decor a vintage-inspired touch, while mirrored serving trays and metallic silver skulls add classic drama.

Use Games As DecorSwap your coffee table books out for the month of October, displaying that haunted Ouija board instead. Incorporating tarot cards and skull printed playing cards in your dinner party setting will also give guests something fun to do while sipping on their cocktails.

Set An Eerie Party Vibe With Moody LightingWhether flanking the mantle, down the center of your table or leading the path as you enter the party, you can't ever have enough. The more string lights and candles, the better! It's a simple touch that will go miles with your decor.

Bones As DecorA life-size skeleton displayed on the front porch or entryway makes for a creepily delightful entrance. Singular bones also add a creepy touch to any display. Incorporate a bone or two in your floral display, in a glass vase with a votive candle, on the bookshelf, in your bar cart, or around the yard.

Melanie Graysmith is a writer, artist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes on adult education, art and culture, business, and lifestyle topics, and enjoys writing short stories and poetry. She is also a part of the Bay Area independent film community. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

Halloween