Dorinda Medley "Made It Nice" (and Spooky) at Blue Stone Manor With Her Halloween Decor (EXCLUSIVE)
Dorinda Medley dished on her epic Blue Stone Manor Halloween decorations and her advice for those looking to go all out for the holidays.
Oct. 28 2021, Published 2:10 p.m. ET
While viewers first got to know Dorinda Medley when she appeared as a full-time cast member on six seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City, the Bravo star has long been known for decorating her expansive Berkshires home, Blue Stone Manor, to "make it nice" and festive for every holiday.
Many viewers have been missing Dorinda and her epic one-liners since she left the reality series in 2020, but she is next set to appear on the second season of the upcoming show, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. The Peacock original was also reportedly filmed in the infamous Blue Stone Manor — meaning that fans can finally return to the much-beloved residence to see some drama unfold.
Before fans can see Dorinda potentially duke it out with another former Real Housewives star on the small screen, the mom of one has another hurdle to tackle: the holidays.
The Dorobics instructor spoke exclusively with Distractify about her holiday decorating tips and how she is utilizing her Amazon smart home technology to create a spooky ambiance at her estate this Halloween season.
Dorinda Medley on why she always steps it up with her Halloween decorations: "It's in my blood."
When it comes to Housewives who can decorate a home from floor to ceiling for the holidays, Dorinda is always at the top of the list.
She showed off her Blue Stone Manor decorating skills on RHONY, but she admitted that she didn't put up her all-out, over-the-top props just for the cameras.
"It's in my soul. It really is. It's in my blood," she shared with Distractify. "I think my blood is made of candy corn and peppermint sticks. People think I just did it for the show ... [but] I come from a long line of decorators."
For Halloween 2021, Dorinda went all out with her light displays, her ghoulish life-size animatronics, and plenty of spooky pumpkins.
Though the Make It Nice author doesn't expect people to be as elaborate with their displays as she is, she advises people to "set the tone" with a decked-out entryway and to focus on lighting to create a "spooky ambiance."
As someone with a lot of experience creating an atmosphere in her Berkshires home, Dorinda has some words of wisdom for people who are looking to entertain with memorable events this holiday season.
"People have to be not afraid of decorating. They shouldn't be afraid of dinner parties. If you just plan a little bit, themes are great. Just make an effort, and people appreciate it," Dorinda said. "You'd be surprised what a couple strings of lights and some animated pumpkins can do. ... It's not that complicated — it's all about just making that effort."
Dorinda made that effort this year with a Dracula-themed dinner party. On the invitation, she advised her guests to "dress like you're going to Transylvania," which yielded a lot of excitement.
"It brings happiness. I don't care what is going on in your life or how grown-up you are, I don't care how cynical you are," Dorinda said about why making that effort counts. "How can it not make you happy? It brings the child out in every person."
The 'RHONY' alum shared how she brought Blue Stone Manor and her Halloween decorations into the 21st century.
Though Blue Stone Manor was first built nearly 120 years ago, Dorinda has brought the sprawling residence into the 21st century by connecting both her "unique vintage pieces" and her new Halloween decorations to her Amazon system.
Now, when Dorinda says the phrase, "Alexa, make it nice and spooky," all of the festive lights in her home turn on at once thanks to her Amazon Smart Plugs and her Echo Show 10 device.
Connecting the technology to her old and new decorations is perfect for the party planner, so she can avoid "literally running around like a mad person trying to turn everything on" before her guests arrive.
"I love the fact that Amazon has taken this 1902 house and made it a very smart, updated haunted house — and it was so easy," Dorinda said.
While setting up her Halloween home display was "easy," Dorinda's role on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip likely won't be a walk in the park.
When asked about her potential role on the upcoming show (and the long-awaited return of seeing Blue Stone Manor on TV), Dorinda played coy.
"I think everybody misses Blue Stone Manor, so I'm really looking forward to the next step and all of the adventures here," she teased.
Season 1 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip will debut on Peacock on Nov. 18.
