How To Spruce Up Your Home’s Interiors For The Holidays

The holiday season is upon us and, even if you’re not planning on a full home makeover, you might be considering some more minor repainting to give the interior of your property a fresh lease of life. A few quick changes can really make your home sparkle throughout the holidays, both creating a more pleasant environment for you and your family to live in and making a lasting impression on all those guests - both invited and unexpected - you’ll inevitably be hosting during the festive period.

Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about taking on a spot of home DIY over the holidays.

Take stock first

Before you make any firm plans, walk through your home to get an idea of what needs doing the most, and where low-effort jobs will have the greatest impact. Of course, it’s easy to miss things given that you spend every day in your home, so it can be a good idea to take a friend around with you - they’ll be able to point out things you might not have noticed. Focus on the areas around the entrance to your home before other rooms, since your main hallway will be the first interior space guests see and will influence how they see and experience your property while they are with you.

Dining rooms and bathrooms are other obvious spots to direct your refurbishment efforts - and don’t forget the kitchen, since friends and family are bound to socialize there during get-togethers. Write down the parts of your home you would like to work on - including what specifically you want to do, whether it’s touching up walls, doors or trim, or breathing new life into furnishings. Don’t forget to look up, either! Refreshing the color or design of your ceiling can drastically alter the appearance of a room. Next, rank your wish list in order of priority, so that you can make the most of limited time in a season when you’re bound to be preoccupied with other tasks like gift shopping and preparing your holiday meals. You might get to all the tasks on your list, but tackling the most important ones first will allow you to make the greatest impact.

Choosing colors

Whether you’re repainting entire walls or simply looking to add a little extra sparkle to a room’s accent piece, you will want to give careful consideration to the colors you bring into your rooms. It’s understandable to be overtaken by all the festive obsession with reds, greens, silvers and golds, but do remember to select colors that you’re comfortable living with for the rest of the year, too. Neutral shades like off-whites never go out of fashion, and have the added benefit of working well with whichever temporary holiday decorations you roll in while also feeling bright and breezy enough when summer comes around again.

Unless you’re up for redecorating your entire home every few months, it’s probably wise to avoid smothering entire rooms in deep, intimate shades of red and doing your trim in dark, moody wood. Color schemes like these will certainly feel warm, comforting and cozy in the winter months, but might not be quite what you’re looking for when the mercury begins to rebound outside. That said, if you do want to go down the traditional Christmas color route then, while crimsons and dark greens are seasonal favorites that work particularly well in dining rooms when complemented by hints of gold and silver, there are plenty of other possibilities and so there is no need to limit your imagination. One underrated way of dreaming up new festive color combinations is to look at those used on the gift bags that proliferate at this time of year - you’ll likely find inspiration here, whether it’s a simple variation on the traditional red-and-green blend, or something wildly different.

Don’t forget the trim

It’s easy to think that giving a room a new look for the holidays means a full-on job repainting every surface, but the truth is that even a new lick of paint on your wood trim can make a world of difference. You could make the switch between black, white or stained wood trim, or simply bring tired-looking panels back to life with a fresh coat. Wood trim is the frame that surrounds everything else you do with the decor of your home, and its widespread surface creates much more of an impression than you might think. As a result, refinishing it is a relatively low-effort project that could pay big dividends in terms of your home’s holiday-readiness.

Do the job properly

You want your home to look fantastic around the holidays, so there’s no point skimping by only doing a half-hearted job. That means not only seeking out high-quality paints and taking the time to pick out the finish that is best suited to the room in question, but also doing the proper preparatory work to clean, strip and prime your surfaces before you even get to the painting itself. Of course, it goes without saying that you should try to give your surfaces a number of coats. After all, you don’t want your beautiful new paint job to easily pick up scuffs and marks while your home is filled with family during holiday reunions, or for relatives to suddenly spot dodgy patches as they munch on their Christmas turkey.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize

A repainting job might be the ideal scenario, but there’s no denying that it takes time and effort. Careful and considered use of eye-catching accessories can be a great way to complement the more major work you manage to get done, or can even stand in its place to add elegance to your property if repainting ultimately has to wait until after the holidays. Seasonally inspired artworks, garlands or banners strung across mantel centerpieces, and traditional objects like candles and pine cones can all go great lengths to bringing the festive spirit into your home.

Are you dreaming of a freshened up holiday home, but would rather spend your time enjoying the festivities than stuck up a ladder painting your wood trim? Give the team at Sharper Impressions Painting a call and we’ll take the stress out of holiday decorating jobs, leaving you with the perfect home to spend quality time with your loved ones.

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