Metro Mode has published a guide to ten Halloween decorations meant to make a home feel cosy rather than frightening, with prices running from 99 kronor for a spider garland to 1,539 kronor for a branch-shaped candlestick. The Swedish outlet published the list on 8 October 2026, ahead of Halloween on Saturday 31 October, which this year falls on the same day as All Saints' Day. According to Metro Mode, the result is a weekend filled with light.
The guide takes the position that Halloween does not have to mean plastic skeletons and bloody hands in every corner. Metro Mode describes its own October as being about pumpkins in soft autumn colours, flickering lights in the window, and an entrance that welcomes the small ghosts who ring the doorbell.
Why it matters
Metro Mode frames the list as a practical alternative for readers who want seasonal atmosphere without a full-scale horror setup. The price range is deliberately wide, and the outlet notes that buying everything is not necessary — three or four well-chosen pieces go a long way.
The timing gives the advice a longer shelf life than a single evening. Metro Mode suggests starting now so the atmosphere can be enjoyed for several weeks, and points out that the pumpkin works as a symbol throughout autumn, not just on 31 October.
There is also a safety thread running through the piece. Metro Mode warns that decorations made of paper, fabric and dried leaves catch fire easily, and treats candle placement as something to plan rather than improvise.
Colour, grouping and the pumpkin as a through-line
Metro Mode recommends choosing one colour scale and sticking to it. Orange and black produce the classic Halloween feel, while cream white, grey-beige and amber read as calmer and more Scandinavian, according to the outlet.
The pumpkin is described as Halloween's most rewarding symbol because it suits the whole season. Metro Mode gives examples of how the motif can repeat across a room: a glass pumpkin on the windowsill, a soft pumpkin cushion on the sofa, and a small wooden pumpkin on a shelf. In the outlet's view, these pieces speak to each other without the result looking cluttered.
Grouping beats scattering, the guide advises. Three objects at different heights on a tray or platter form a clear still life that can be seen from across the room and moved easily when the table is needed. Metro Mode suggests supplementing shop-bought items with things already at home — apples, pine cones, dried leaves gathered on a walk, and a real pumpkin from the vegetable aisle. The outlet notes it has separately reviewed pumpkin varieties and what each is suited to cooking.
Light, timers and the entrance
Metro Mode writes that nothing builds atmosphere as quickly as light in the dark. A multi-armed candlestick on the dinner table, a lantern in the hallway and a few small points of light in the window are enough to make a home feel magical on a dark October evening, according to the outlet. Branch-shaped candlesticks and lanterns in dark metal are singled out as particularly fitting for Halloween because they cast attractive shadows on the wall.
Battery-powered lights with timers are described as especially valuable at this time of year. Metro Mode notes that they switch themselves on at dusk and can be placed where no one is watching them, such as on the stairs or deep inside a bookcase. The outlet advises checking the product page for which batteries are required, since they are not always included.
On candle safety, Metro Mode's guidance is specific: place candles on a stable, non-flammable surface, keep them away from curtains, garlands and paper decorations, blow them out when leaving a room, and never leave one where a child or pet could knock it over. The outlet also suggests testing the smoke alarm while bringing out the autumn decorations.
At the front door, Metro Mode recommends a second look at the setup. Children in loose costumes and flapping cloaks move quickly and rarely watch where they step, so a lantern with glass around the flame or a battery-powered lamp is safer than open candles directly on the steps, according to the outlet.
The window is described as the home's Halloween sign to the street. A spider garland in the window frame is visible from both inside and out, and Metro Mode says the spiders on the garland it selected have glow-in-the-dark outlines according to the manufacturer. The outlet suggests placing a glass pumpkin on the windowsill and a battery-powered glowing pumpkin beside it, so passers-by get a warm glimpse of autumn as darkness falls. Light sources should sit close to the glass while the rest of the room stays dimmer, Metro Mode advises, which increases the effect and avoids having every lamp switched on.
For anyone expecting trick-or-treaters on the Saturday evening, the entrance is the first thing they see. Metro Mode lists a doormat with a pumpkin motif, a couple of real pumpkins on the steps and a lantern by the door as a way to signal that everyone is welcome. A glowing pumpkin rated for outdoor use gives a soft shine in the dark and switches itself on with a timer, according to the outlet.
Metro Mode also suggests putting the sweet bowl within reach just inside the door to avoid running back and forth each time the bell rings. A ceramic bowl makes handing out sweets a little more festive and works for nuts and clementines for the rest of the autumn, the outlet notes. A small skeleton or a wooden lantern man beside the bowl is described as a nod to the spooky that will not scare the youngest visitors.
The guide closes with a suggestion to pick one colour scale, one light source and one place to start — the window or the entrance — and build outward from there. Metro Mode links to separate pieces on ten recipes for a Halloween party and on this year's Halloween collection, which includes pumpkin mugs and embroidered napkins.
Readers planning their own displays can watch for how the 31 October date, shared with All Saints' Day, shapes how Swedish households mark the weekend.
