Good Eeeeeeveeening.........

In my opinion, Halloween is one of THE most fabulous holidays of the year. I am not ashamed to admit that I even took a Halloween craft class and made some super-sweet tombstones for our yard. Don't judge, we all have our weird things, right?

courtesy of curioussofa.blogspot.com

I'm not really a fan of cutesy Halloween decor, I kind of go for the Victorian/Gothic/Alfred Hitchcock/creepy Halloween decorations. Nothing bloody or gory, but more science-lab-gone wrong and 59 year old spider webs and spider egg sacs and ravens perched in precarious locations.

Let's take a look at what some of our favorite catalog retailers have to offer in the way of Halloween decor.

Here's what I'm loving from Pottery Barn:

This is a wall-size poster of a haunted house. Brilliant!

Grandin Road has a wonderful selection of Halloween goods for a retail shop, especially for the exterior.

A bubble/fog machine? What?????????

Z Gallerie

Now let's visit the goddess of all things Halloween - Ms. Martha Stewart.

Martha has a really cool section on her website that is entirely devoted to Halloween. Her crafts are the best - she has numerous tutorials and you can even sign up for a daily email that teaches a new Halloween craft EVERY DAY! Look at these gems:

I could post picture after picture, but it's best for you to check out her website. Get inspired and happy haunting!

Barbie Dream House

www.style-files.com

I’ve always dreamt of owning a Moroccan style home. It may sound impractical and ridiculous, but every time I see a picture of something that looks remotely Moroccan, I start drooling. I actually keep a file of Moroccan themed and inspired elements for that "someday" when I build my second home. (roll eyes here) How I will explain this to my husband, I'm not sure - but maybe I can convince him with pictures such as these:

image courtesy of Moroccan Interiors book, found here

Oooohhhh.....

Aaaaahhhhh......

I’m not sure what does it for me – is it the fantastic lighting? The sumptuous colors, the texture on the walls, the mosaic tiles, the sexiness of everything working together? Moroccan style is usually defined by:

www.steppingstonetravel.com

Intricate and enhanced doorways

www.interiortransitionsabroad.com

Sometimes, tented ceilings

www.opendoorevents.com

Pierced metal lanterns

Colorful porcelain tiles

www.flickr.com

designed by Robyn Bell as seen in House Beautiful November 07

Blue is always an underlying color - what about this bathroom? As Rachel Zoe would say, "I Die!"


I almost screamed with delight when I opened the August issue of Hospitality Design magazine. Riad Meriem is a five room, three floor hotel in Marrakesh that was designed by Thomas Hays Interiors. Look at these brilliant architectural details.

Moroccan furniture takes on all of the same traits as the architecture, with amazing attention to detail as is illustrated in the piece below - check out the use of marquetry (inlaid pieces of wood or ivory)

Susane R table at www.1stdibs.com

Gorgeous.

www.keepingit-realtor.com

Even the soft goods have the pointed arches on them. How cute are these poufs?

image courtesy of Moroccan Interiors book, found here

I'm in love with all of it. The juicy colors inspired by vibrant spices, the red dirt of the earth and the blue of the sea. The exoticism, the timelessness of the fabrics and the resort-like feeling that can be brought to everyday life.