This Basic Austin House Was Transformed into a Modern, Gothic, “Halloween 365” Home

Written by

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
I grew up watching TV shows like "This Old House" and "New Yankee Workshop" with my parents, and learned early on that not only is it possible to remake your home’s surroundings to fit your lifestyle and personality, but that it’s also fun. When I got to college, I started…read more
Emily Meyer
Emily Meyer
"I'm a life-long maker and creative that's into bold colors and patterns, whimsical editorial images that spark your imagination, over the top costumes, and adventure. In my creative career I've worked as a leather and exotic skin craftsperson, was a seamstress to small…read more
published Oct 1, 2024
Halloween

This Basic Austin House Was Transformed into a Modern, Gothic, “Halloween 365” Home

Written by

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director at AT Media
I grew up watching TV shows like "This Old House" and "New Yankee Workshop" with my parents, and learned early on that not only is it possible to remake your home’s surroundings to fit your lifestyle and personality, but that it’s also fun. When I got to college, I started…read more
Emily Meyer
Emily Meyer
"I'm a life-long maker and creative that's into bold colors and patterns, whimsical editorial images that spark your imagination, over the top costumes, and adventure. In my creative career I've worked as a leather and exotic skin craftsperson, was a seamstress to small…read more
published Oct 1, 2024
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Home Type
Bedrooms
Square feet

1300

Sq ft

1300

Meghan and her husband, Oliver, explain that they had only about three weeks to find a home when they were moving from Venice, California, to Austin, Texas, eight years ago. “This is one of the first places that I found and coming from a small two-bedroom apartment in Venice Beach, the huge backyard is what drew me in,” Megan writes.

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Credit: Emily Meyer

Megan says they ended up falling in love with this 1,300-square-foot townhome, as well its high stairway ceilings, kitchen full of windows, and the cozy living room. And she’s spent the last eight years turning it into a truly stylish, The Nightmare Before Christmas-themed home. They share the home with their 13-year-old daughter, Juliet, 10-year-old son, Nicholas, Wednesday the dog, Flower Pot the cat, and Frito the bearded dragon.

Credit: Emily Meyer

“The house was very basic, lol! The living room was actually painted brown. Our bedroom was a light gray, and all the other rooms were painted white,” describes Meghan, who chronicles her home’s style on Instagram as Mother Spooky Witch. “Our house is modern/gothic now. Our bedroom and the living room are Halloween 365 days a year. The kitchen is a little more neutral, but still has a spooky flare. My kids’ bedrooms were decorated by them — more modern/neutral.” 

Credit: Emily Meyer

Meghan shops at big-box stores like Spirit Halloween and Lowes, but she also loves small shops for her Halloween collecting. “My favorite Nightmare Before Christmas-inspired small shop is CraftsByBigJoe on Instagram. His pieces are absolutely incredible!”

Credit: Emily Meyer

“We don’t have tons of extra space, so we really try and maximize what we have,” Meghan says, explaining that Oliver is a “master organizer” and finds a way to keep their Halloween decor that isn’t kept up all year long “neat and organized.” They store most of the interior decor in plastic bins in the garage. “We do store all of our animatronics and inflatables in the original boxes they came in. We may be running out of space, and my husband loves to remind me of it, but we still have the attic hahaha!”

Thanks, Meghan and family!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.