Stephanie Haskins and Ashley Mitchell’s nuptials are planned for next May, but zombies and skeletons already are holding a reception for them in their Smyrna townhome.
Haunting elements are combined with spooky and sweet selections by Florida designer Rita Haskins, who is Stephanie’s mom. She made the decor even more personal this year, inspired by their wedding and a popular post-apocalyptic horror TV show filmed in Atlanta.
“Ash and I are huge fans of ‘The Walking Dead,’ ” Stephanie Haskins said. “By decorating for Halloween, it sets the mood. We like entertaining our friends. It’s just something fun to do and an excuse to have people over.”
Snapshot
Residents: Stephanie Haskins and Ashley Mitchell and Blondie, their Pixie-bob cat. Haskins is a product specialist for Cisco; Mitchell is an electrical mechanic at Lockheed Martin.
Location: Smyrna's Creekside at Vinings
Size: 3,100 square feet, three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths
Year built: 2002
Builder: Ashton Woods
Architectural style: Georgian-style townhouse
Interior design style: Traditional with holiday flair
Design consultants: Haskins' mother, Rita Haskins of Vignettes from Boca Raton, Fla.
Favorite Halloween interior design elements: Incorporating zombies and skeletons in an entertaining way – such as the wedding party and a mad scientist-themed display. Each year, they change up the Halloween decor, which had a murder scene theme in 2013.
Favorite room: The kitchen, dining room and breakfast room, where the couple frequently entertains during the holidays and other times of the year. "Ash and I are both very social people and we like being around a lot of our friends and we enjoy throwing parties," Haskins said. "Usually when we hang out with friends, people are coming over to our house."
Favorite artwork: Paintings by Salvatore Principe, from his Signature Heart Artwork collection
Favorite outdoor features: Adjacent to the breakfast nook, the second-level balcony is a great place for morning coffee that overlooks their favorite outdoor activity, biking on the Silver Comet Trail. On the patio, there's a Primo Grill and custom-built picnic table that seats 10.
Resources: Halloween decor from Michaels, The Home Depot, Lowe's and Pike Nurseries, Grandin Road, Party City, HomeGoods, Pottery Barn, Costco, Scott Antique Markets, Ballard Designs
Decor tip: When decorating for a holiday, determine a theme, whether it's spooky and sweet, or gory and gruesome, or by colors, such as vintage black and orange, or black, white and silver.
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