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Dorinda Medley Dishes on Turning Bluestone Manor Into a Smart Haunted House for Halloween

The Halloween enthusiast took decorating to the next level with her Ring and Amazon devices.

By Marenah Dobin Oct 21, 2021 9:30 AMTags
Ecomm Dorinda Medley Halloween Amazon DevicesMichael Simon

We interviewed Dorinda Medley because we think you'll like her picks. Dorinda is a paid spokesperson for Amazon Devices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!.

We all know that Dorinda Medley likes to "make it nice," especially when it comes to the holidays. The Real Housewives of New York City alum is truly the hostess with the mostest, outdoing herself with the thematic decor for every single holiday. In an interview with E! News, Dorinda remarked, "Halloween is actually my favorite holiday, it's my dirty little secret, but I mean I love Christmas too. What I love about Halloween is you can really have all your fantasies come out and you can really create these things. For Halloween, you can really theme it out and make people believe that you've created another world."

If you can't celebrate Halloween at Bluestone Manor, taking inspiration from Dorinda's Halloween decor is the next best thing, so you can feel like you're in the Berkshires. In addition to the classic decorations that she re-uses every year, Dorinda took her decorating to the next level for 2021, incorporating Amazon and Ring devices to create what she described as a "smart haunted house." 

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Make It Nice with Dorinda Medley's Travel Must-Haves
Michael Simon

E!: How can we use the Amazon Echo Show 10 to enhance our Halloween decorations for an event?
DM:  This thing is great, especially for someone that's an entertainer and a hostess and lives in a big house that has a lot of interactive items and devices of lights and music. I love this because now all I have to do is go to the Echo Show 10 and yell out, "Alexa, Make it nice and spooky" and all of this, just in a second, turns on. No more running around, and no more unplugging no more plugging. That's it. Then I can say, Alexa turn on my Halloween music. It goes right on.

E!: How can we incorporate the Ring Doorbell into our Halloween decor? 
DM: I'm so excited about it. Look at this Ring Doorbell. Look at the Halloween-themed [decorative] plate.  When you press this, it screams. I could have chosen screaming, thunder, ghosts. The scream is pretty scary. I've made a smart haunted house and I'm loving it.

 

Echo Show 10 HD Smart Display with Motion and Alexa

Dorinda isn't the only one who adores this device. It has 15,900+ five-star reviews from happy Amazon shoppers, who have praised the Echo Show 10 for its smart home capabilities, music, timers, and other features.

Ring Video Doorbell 4

This doorbell has HD video and night vision camera features, motion alerts, and customizable privacy settings.

Ring Video Doorbell Holiday Faceplate

Of course, a Ring Doorbell has all of the functional features you could ever need, but if you want to take the Halloween vibes to another level, get this decorative plate. There are a few colors and patterns to choose from.

Michael Simon

E!: How do these smart devices make you a better hostess when friends come over to Bluestone Manor?
DM: One of the things I say in my Make it Nice book is that no one wants to see a hostess that's out of breath running around, disorganized and disheveled.

With the Ring Doorbell, I can see who's at the door, and then I can plan. As I'm going to answer the door, I can say, "Alexa, make it nice and spooky," the lights are on, "Alexa, music come on." The music is on and by the time I get to the door, dressed as Dracula's girlfriend with a long black fish tail braid, I've created the whole atmosphere in seconds.

I mean I don't know about you but when I entertain, it's all about setting up and creating the atmosphere. A lot of times, at three or four o'clock you want to go up and start getting ready, you don't want to have to run downstairs to turn on the lights turn on the music, create the atmosphere. Now, with the Echo Show 10, I can just do all of that. It just makes it so much easier to entertain. I am obsessed with this.

E!: What do you love about using these smart devices for Halloween and in general?
DM: The Echo Show 10 so easy to install, coming from someone like me, it's so so easy. Believe me. Listen, this is an old house so I didn't think it would take the technology, the house was built in 1902. All you need to do is buy Amazon Smart Plugs, that's it.

You plug your stuff in it, and then you use the Echo Show 10 and the Alexa to set up your routines, you get it all on Amazon, and then all of a sudden, your house is all interactive. I love it for the ease of setting up. I love it for the fact that it's so useful and helpful for someone that lives in a house that requires the lights and music. And I love it because it creates a sense of safety. I really love that Ring doorbell because now when it rings I can see immediately who's at my door.

To see more of Halloween essentials that Dorinda recently got from Amazon, keep on scrolling.

Amazon Smart Plug, Works with Alexa – A Certified for Humans Device

Turn your space into a smart home or apartment with these Amazon Smart Plugs. These plugs allow you to use Alex voice control for any outlet in your home. These are stress-free, tinker-free, and struggle-free. These smart plugs have 373,900+ five-star Amazon reviews.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss recently recommended these Amazon Smart Plugs in her roundup of essential college items she made with her daughter Riley Burruss.

Peiduo Halloween Spider Web Lights Decoration Plug In

Plug these spider web lights into your Amazon Smart Plugs. These festive lights are also waterproof.

Juegoal 2 Pack Lighted Pop Up Halloween Decorations, Jack-O-Lantern and White Ghost with Witch Hat, Each Pre-Lit with 40 LED Lights

How cute are these? They're adorable, festive, and just what you need to add some spirit to your decor.

Halloween Skeleton Grim Reaper

This scary skeleton is just what you need to amp up the spookiness at your house. It's voice-activated to scare anyone who walks by. And, yes, you can plug this into that Amazon Smart Plug too.

2 Pack Door Curtain Decoration with Bloody Prints

Add a gruesome touch your holiday decor with these bloody curtains.

If you're looking for more Amazon picks from Dorinda, check out her kitchen must-haves.

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