Home page News 6 Easy Ways to Get Your Home Holiday Ready

6 Easy Ways to Get Your Home Holiday Ready

Posted by Gabrielle Alyse on November 09, 2017

A cheery living room decorated for the holidays.

This year, get ready for the holidays the easy way, so you can get the stress out of the way and start relaxing! Not to mention enjoying all the delicious treats and drinks everyone loves to make.

Whether it’s upgrading your area rugs, throwing on a fresh coat of paint, or surrounding yourself with winter greenery... There are lots of easy, quick fixes.

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1. Your Guests Flock to Your Kitchen

They can’t help it, really. It’s where the food is, and everything smells so good!

If there are kids running around that need to be entertained, put them to work decorating cookies.

There’s going to be heavy foot traffic through your home this time of year, so make sure to invest in some of the best area rugs for your kitchen. Having a big overhaul of your kitchen with a new carpet installation, or repainting the walls is a lot of work, and it can get stressful fast.

Area rugs are the unsung heroes of quick interior design fixes. All you have to do is find the size you're looking for, whether it's a rug to go in front of your kitchen sink, or a runner to run the length of the whole room.

Moroccan Trellis Carpet Runner Misty Gray & Linen White

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Like what you see? It's the Moroccan Trellis Skid-Resistant Carpet Runner in Misty Gray & Linen White.

What makes an area rug the "best," you ask?

There are three basic requirements that make an area rug awesome for your kitchen:

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It has a rubber, non-skid backing that keeps family, and pets if you have them, from slipping and tripping over wandering area rugs.
It’s comfortable, of course! You want your feet to feel warm and cozy.
Last, but certainly not least, the best kitchen rugs are easy to clean.

2. Decorating Starts With a Clean Slate

What does this mean? It means if you’ve been putting this off since spring, it’s that time of year again.

Do a deep clean of your house to get everything sparkly and freshly washed.

Are there seasonal items you can switch out or put away? Yes, this includes picture frames, coffee table reading material, and your preferred interior accessories.

Fresh flowers make a table look beautiful no matter what time of year.

Sometimes, it really is as simple as creating some space for the holiday decorations you’re about to bring out.

Coats! The "most wonderful time of the year" gets chilly, so there will be lots of extra coats and scarves lying around these days.

Make sure there’s extra space in your coat closet for your visitors. While you’re at it, now is a great time to think about whether or not you want to do any rearranging of your furniture.

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Lots of people coming over means you need a place for everyone to sit. If you don't have a designated entertaining space in your home, you can make one really easily by rearranging your furniture to make clear walkways and defined gathering areas.

3. Decking the Halls

Here’s the first question: Go big? Or keep it simple?

Everyone has a different approach to decorating. Some people have a big budget, and some people prefer to DIY their way to holiday happiness.

Pro tip: decorate your Christmas tree with a theme to make it look extra chic.

Decorations are sparkly, beautiful, and so much fun. But sometimes, all you need is some greens - a tree, garlands, maybe a wreath.

Whatever you choose, it will be well worth the cost. They look like Christmas and smell amazing.

For those who love all things glamorous, Christmas is a perfect opportunity to show off your flair for fabulous decorating.

Lights look amazing indoors and out. You can set them up yourself, or you can hire someone else to do the heavy lifting for you.

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The important part is that your house looks festive, whatever that means to you.

4. Staying Cozy and Warm

The floors get really cold this time of year.

If there’s snow in your area, it’s going to melt after about 30 seconds on your floor.

Rugs keep all that slush from turning into a safety hazard. If you’ve been wondering how to protect your hardwood floors, this is it.

Mix up your throw pillows, and move extra blankets within easy reach. They add to the cozy factor, especially when they’re made of heavy, soft, winter materials.

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If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, get those flames roaring and curl up with a mug of something delicious to drink. You don't have to worry if you don't have a fireplace at home.

There's nothing like a flickering flame to make your best glassware sparkle and shine.

Candles are wonderful.

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They provide beautiful lighting, and if you like the scented ones, they're an easy way to make a room smell delicious.

5. In-Laws. Notice. Every. Thing.

Does your front door have scratched paint? Maybe it’s your walls that got scuffed up.

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A fresh coat of paint doesn’t take an overwhelming amount of work, so why not make the time to knock it out one crisp fall weekend?

Are your wood stairs all scratched up from your dogs? Or your high heeled shoes?

Skid-Resistant Carpet Stair Treads Moroccan Trellis Vanilla Cream & Coffee Brown

Stair treads can add a beautiful design to your stairs, and a little extra soundproofing to balance all the added noise that comes with a full house and a holiday gathering!

Care to have a set of your own? They're the Moroccan Trellis Skid-Resistant Carpet Stair Treads in Vanilla Cream & Coffee Brown.

What about that giant water stain in the middle of your floor? Yes, that one, under your dining room table.

You think they might not notice, but wouldn't you rather just forget about it yourself?

House Home & More has a variety of area rugs in hard-to-find sizes, large and small. Whether you're looking to fit a rug under your kitchen breakfast table, or a bigger rug under your dining table, you can easily find what you need.

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Say your floors are flawless - wouldn't you like to keep them that way? Besides, bare, uncovered floors make for a very echo-y room.

Your older relatives might be hard of hearing but put 30 people in a room and it will get very loud, very fast.

6. Don't Forget the Little Things

Do you have a guest room? Hosting this year?

Little details like making the extra towels easy to find, or setting out a few candles in the bathroom makes your guests feel extra welcome.

Help houseguests feel cozy with candles, extra towels, and warm drinks.

Some people go so far as providing travel-sized toiletries, extra toothbrushes, even bathrobes. But you don't have to turn your home into the Ritz to make your guests feel special.

Greet them with a big hug and a smile, and you're off to a great start. Flannel sheets on the bed make it extra cozy, so they'll feel snug as a bug in a rug.

If cocktails are your thing, here's the single most important pro-tip to remember: have lots of extra ice. Lots of guests mean lots of drinks, and that means you need to have enough ice to keep all those drinks cold.

Scent is a powerful influencer. Just smelling nutmeg is enough to get me fantasizing about a fresh pumpkin pie.

Clove oranges may be an old tradition, but it's a good one.