Better Homes and Gardens

WHY DO WE GET SUCH A THRILL out of being spooked? When I was a little kid, I loved anything that was frightening. Shows and movies like Dark Shadows, Night Gallery (yes, I’m dating myself), and even the relatively tame Disney version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow got me looking under my bed for the Headless Horseman before tucking in. I read ghost stories and Stephen King books that made me sleep with the closet light on. Why did I put my younger self through so much terror? I think it’s because I was always lucky enough to feel safe at home. The contrast between making up things in my imagination (did I just see a shadow move past the end of the hallway?) and the reality of feeling completely…

It’s a storage lifesaver, but some things you might want to stash in a shed can be ruined by temperature swings, moisture, and (eek!) pests. As you do your fall cleanup, check our list of items not to keep in the shed. BHG.com/ShedStorage Fall Pruning Do you know if you’re cutting back the right things in your garden at the right time? Find out how to avoid fall pruning and trimming mistakes from our garden experts. BHG.com/FallPruning Sweepstakes $50,000 Dream Home We want to help make your Pinterest board fantasies come true. Enter for achance to win at BHG.com/50kHome. Details on page 102. Follow Us Tap here and follow us on Instagram as we introduce fun new cooking tips, trendy drinks, decor tips, and more innovative creations from our BHG editors and friends. Get Social With Us @mybhg @betterhomesandgardens @bhg @better.homes.and.gardens @bhg…

The Dream List 1 TEXTURAL GROUND Instead of defaulting to painted drywall, create a backdrop with depth. McQuaide adds texture and age by wrapping the space in paneling. The modest material references the home’s circa-1900 history and seaside location while establishing a laid-back air. The lime plaster range hood is also authentic in a home of this provenance. You can achieve a similar suedelike look with limewash paint. 2 MATERIAL MIX Avoid one-note schemes by choosing unexpected pairings that generate drama. To contrast the wood planks, McQuaide used sleek slabs of robust-vein marble as the room’s showstopping focal point, making the kitchen fresh rather than fusty. (Quartz, porcelain, and laminate surfaces can be less-expensive alternatives.) Handmade ceramic pendants, above, with utilitarian chains accentuate the high-contrast effect. 3 IMPERFECT PATINA Incorporating living finishes imbues this recently renovated…

Explore a Sophisticated Take on Spooky This Halloween. For Gwen Hefner (@themakerista on Instagram), Halloween is a celebration of the season she’s loved ever since she first read Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein. Her Halloween decor style is an homage to that sort of mad science but with a side of “dark academia”—the trending social media aesthetic that puts a Gothic spin on traditional collegiate style. The look is built around idealized details associated with higher education, literature, and classical art. Dimly lit library shelves stuffed with vintage books, old paintings and collections of oddities, ornate candlesticks, and dark wood all create a sense of richness and mystery. “I want things to feel spooky and creepy but beautiful,” Gwen says. Meet the Maker Gwen The creative visionary behind the popular website and social media account…

PHOTOS: (BLAIR EADIE) BLAIR EADIE/ATLANTIC-PACIFIC, (ROOM) COURTESY OF COLOURS OF ARLEY, (VASE) GRANT WEBSTER, (NAPKINS) JACOB FOX…

Try a new vein of the green spectrum with olive tones this fall. For interior designer Kylee Shintaffer, they bring “a sense of warmth and richness,” especially to rooms with moody, diffused light. From muted manzanilla to more vibrant Castelvetrano hues, “there’s an earthiness that feels really grounded,” she says of the verdant color she carried throughout a home in Bigfork, Montana, below. “Wood tones are always beautiful paired with olive, as are dark chocolates and ivories. We like colors found in nature, colors that have a bit of earthiness and muddiness to them versus being too clear.”—KYLEE SHINTAFFER, interior designer PHOTOS: (OPPOSITE) STYLING BY: JESSICA THOMAS, (THIS PAGE) ERIC PIASECKI/OTTO ARCHIVE…