10 Easy Ways to Freshen Up Your Home Before Holiday Guests Arrive

Although the window has closed on doing that bathroom remodel or recovering your sofa or whatever projects you had planned to knock out before end of this year, there’s still time to add some simple decorative touches. Here are 10 easy ways to freshen up your home before holiday guests arrive. . .

one. Lighting is important. Turn your overhead lights off and add a lamp in the corner of your kitchen or even on a bathroom counter if you have the space.

two. A runner in your kitchen or entry is an easy way to add some pattern and color (or to forget about the floors you might not love for the moment). This one is just $32 and comes in some good neutral shades.

three. Speaking of floors, one quick fix is to layer a thin dhurrie rug (like this one) over carpet that’s seen better days.

four. Another layering trick: these inexpensive blankets are good for draping over the back of a sofa or using as a makeshift cover for a dining table or console.

five. Christmasy smells are the best. I’m loving this candle and you can’t go wrong with the classic orange and clove display.

six. Don’t stress about bare windows. These bamboo shades are a great price, add a little texture and look so pretty layered under curtains if you decide to add them later.

seven. Garland is a fast update for a dining room chandelier. I used four strands of this faux boxwood garland to create this look.

eight. Big, new pillows are are the easiest way to revive a tired couch or to give your bed a different look. You can get a 2-pack of these pretty 24″ velvet ones (in tons of colors!) for just $23. (I’d use these 26″ down inserts with them for an overstuffed look.)

nine. The quickest guest bath facelift: a fresh shower curtain, white towels rolled in a basket and hanging a fun piece of art.

ten. Frame the pictures you’ve been putting off and hang them on the wall. I swear our gallery wall stops everyone when they come into my kitchen and they completely forget to look down at my (probably) dirty floors. (I’ve listed some of my favorite frames in this post.)

See my 10 best hosting tips here.