Fall Decor Ideas With a Witchy Style Edge: How to Make Your Fall Decor Cozy, Moody, & Magical
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Looking for fall decor ideas that aren’t quite so… basic? I don’t know if it’s just me, but sometimes in a casual stroll down the Target decor aisle this time of year, I find myself wondering, “What in the Live Laugh Love sign is going on here?”
Sometimes the fall decor options out there just feel a bit generic. The stuff is cozy and cute, for sure. But if you’re like me, you also find yourself yearning for something… cooler.
So in this post, I’m giving you some fall decor ideas that have a bit more of a moody, dark decor look. Think dark boho, witch aesthetic, whimsigoth, and dark cottagecore vibes through a cozy fall lens. Basically, this is for you if you find yourself wanting fall decor that’s cozy and cute… but also cool. Like pumpkin spice with extra spice. 😎🎃🖤
Would you rather watch than read? Here’s the video! ↓
Defining This Dark & Moody Decor Look
Here's my overall vision for this fall decor look that I have in my head…
The color palette is warm and dark; various deep tones with pops of warm brown, burnt orange, marigold, maybe a few crimson moments… the typical fall color palette that that we all think of.
The styling is dark, moody, and witchy, with a little bit of an earthy hippie look as well. And it all comes together through a cozy fall lens; warm, comfy, a little spooky… the kind of decor you want to be surrounded by when you're curled up on your couch on a rainy fall day.
And since this is seasonal decor we're talking about, it really all comes down to the accessories, rather than big pieces of furniture that are basically permanent. These are the things you can easily switch out when spring rears her pretty head. 🙃 And if your style leans more towards the gothic, witchy vibe already - and it's not dependent on the seasons - then these decor ideas will just seem like an average Tuesday to you. Either way, these are things that you could feasibly leave up all year round.
So with that in mind, let's dive into these decor ideas!
The Little Decor Touches
Let’s start with the little decorative details that will inject some moody fall feels into your space!
With these pieces, you'll notice that I'm going for a bit of a darker, more mysterious take on fall themed imagery, as as opposed to the more cheerful farmhouse vibes we see on so many store shelves. These decor pieces evoke the more shadowy side of fall; the dark stormy nights, the decay of fallen leaves, the spooky lore around this season… all while still being cozy and cheerful in their own way.
I tend to be drawn to the kind of beauty that has a bit of a duality to it, you know? Contradictory things that your eye lingers on because it's trying to make sense of what it's seeing. That kind of beauty is visually stimulating because it isn't straightforward.
So for example, you have this dried floral wreath, which is delicate and pretty, yet also somewhat eerie. Almost like those creepy hanging wood things from the Blair Witch Project… only with pretty flowers! 🙃 This is the kind of duality I'm talking about; two opposite things coming together to tell an interesting visual story.
And I also like decor that kind of subverts the norm, like this wreath, which looks like it would be welcoming guests into a witch's cottage rather than a suburban porch.
Or this marbled black pumpkin, which takes the classic fall item and twists it a little bit by giving off a dark, almost haunted look.
Same thing with this black floral piece; it looks cursed but it's beautiful. And something like this can be warmed up with more colorful dried floral arrangements like these.
This look really is all about the dance between the dark and the cozy.
And this is also an opportunity to incorporate some fun candles like this one and this one. They look like magical potion ingredients encased in wax. I almost wonder what kinds of spells would be released when you burn to the bottoms of these candles…
You also can't go wrong with little glass cloches like these, which give off the old apothecary vibe I personally love so much. You can put anything from dried florals to fairy lights in them, which would definitely add some fall magic into your space.
Ultimately, these little touches will evoke the cozy fall vibes that we want, just with a little bit more of a cool factor!
Wall Art
Now let's talk about wall art you can incorporate for this look!
You'll see that with these pieces I'm definitely leaning into the witchy imagery, as well as the typical fall color palette, largely expressed through florals. With these pieces, there's just something so beautiful about the juxtaposition of autumn blooms against the darker backgrounds, with the pops of burnt oranges and deep reds.
You can also see some cottagecore influences in here, some dark academia… both are very well suited for fall!
If you’re interested, you can learn about dark cottagecore in this video I made, and about dark academia in this one. 🖤
Then, of course, there are a couple depictions of witches here of course, since witches are very emblematic of fall in so many ways. I was drawn to this piece in particular, which is giving dark romance with a dash of eerie solitude. She looks like she just stepped out of a Gothic novel and is walking resolutely to the unknown. 🥰
On the other hand, you have a more playful and whimsical depiction of this witch surrounded by flowers in a bathtub with her cat. It's charming and playful, but still gives off the air of dark mystery we're going for with this look.
And then, of course, a moody, witchy fall decor post be without a Practical Magic reference? I love this small nod to the film, which is the ultimate cozy fall movie for many of us. And you can't deny the beauty of the message that there's a little witch in all of us!
The Soft Things
Now let's cozy up with the soft things; your decorative pillows and blankets.
This is where this slightly edgier look gets fun, because of the inherent irony here: seeking an edge in soft things. And you'll see that any edginess here is pretty subtle; dark colors, mystical images, even some little skulls in this pillow.
I love a piece of decor that looks like one thing from far away, but when you get close you realize it's something you weren't expecting. From far away, this pillow looks like your average black and white floral pillow. But upon further inspection, you realize that what you thought were flowers were actually little skull guys. That's a fun visual trick! And treat. 😉
You can also see that I really went for the celestial pieces here, like this Moon Tarot card pillow, which happens to have a really pretty autumnal pop of orange. And it's kind of an interesting statement to have the Moon Tarot card on display as a piece of decor, because it symbolizes illusion, deception, and fear, among other things. I'm going to resist the urge to go into a full-blown academic dissertation on the symbolism of this and how it could be interpreted in a decor context (because trust me, I could go off…) but I'll leave that to you for now. 🙃
Then continuing with the moon imagery, we have a couple more moon pieces set against - you guessed it - more fall colored florals. I can't help myself. How pretty are the colors though? Especially in this throw.
I also simply like the idea of pairing the celestial with the earthy; the moon with the flowers.
Then with this throw, it's more of a groovy autumnal take on this look, with its hippie 70s vibes. And it actually personally reminds me of one of my favorite cozy games, Wytchwood, the aesthetic of which is very fall. I couldn't help but make that visual connection!
And this pillow is really just more of a subtle fall decor addition. Not everything has to be a big visual statement, and I love this because of its pretty beading and texture. It also has an earthy look that would complement this the fall color palette of this style nicely.
All in all, these pillows and blankets might be soft, but they're also a little edgy. They may be cozy and warm, but they're also cool. That's the visual complexity we're going for with this look!
Lighting
Finally, one of the best ways to create a moody, cozy atmosphere for fall is through your lighting.
Once again, we have a couple moon motifs here. One thing I like about both of these moon lamps is they each let out light in an almost secretive way; this one through small cutouts and this one through stained glass. They both restrain the light in interesting ways, and it's that restraint that would cast a soft gentle, mysterious glow in your space.
Then this lamp plays with light and shadow in such a magical way, casting cute little mushroom forms. Imagine cozying up on your couch with a good book and having those pretty little shapes keeping you company. It's peak coziness.
And then, of course, we have a couple Gothic oriented lamps. This antique-style gothic lamp and this statuette orb lamp are perfect for adding that moody edge we've been talking about, as well as some dark romance that can work all year round.
And then for a bit more of a whimsical touch, we have this black leaf string light piece. I’ll admit that it may be bordering on halloween decor vibes, but I think it walks the line pretty nicely. I think it could look really pretty as an alternative to your basic fairy lights, and with the right styling it could be elevated to a really chic place.
Overall, when it comes to your lighting with this look, you want to go for pieces that cast a a cozy glow and evoke the air of mystery we're going for with this look. Basically, you want to seek out lighting that looks like it could have been plucked out of a fairy tale or a Gothic novel.
And that's really the spirit of this style as a whole! It's all about embracing the darker, moodier things while still maintaining a certain level of coziness. All while actively avoiding the more basic Live Laugh Love adjacent decor pieces.
When it comes to decorating, a lot of us just want something a little… you know… darker. I guess some of us are just in a mood. 🙃🖤
So those were my fall decor recommendations for anyone like me who gets a little bored by the options out there. Maybe you want something a little more interesting, and frankly… more cool.
And of course, I know coolness is in the eye of the beholder, but this was my version of cool, I suppose!
And if you want more inspiration along these lines, check out this playlist of YouTube videos I’ve made about all kinds of dark, moody decor styles. You could basically just binge this and walk away with tons inspiration!
