Dressing the House Just in Time for Holiday Festivities

No, I am not talking about Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa decorations, but instead about what you may decide you want to do with holiday deadlines looming to get your home interior spruced up.

Key Takeaways

✓Rugs, pillows, throws, frames, mirrors, and greenery are six quick ways to refresh your home interior before holiday gatherings arrive.

✓Mirrors should reflect something worthwhile at all times, such as a beautifully set table or treasured artwork, not just an empty wall or ceiling fan.

✓Photo frames grouped together in bookcases, on mantels, or across console tables make a home feel personal and bring cherished memories into view.

✓Silk greenery stays fresh looking when you spray it with silk floral cleaner, which dissolves dust without wiping.

Rugs, Art Underfoot! Take a good look at your house now with cooler weather headed our way, and see if you don’t have a few opportunities for rugs. They fit most any room, whether you have wall to wall carpet, or particularly if you have hardwood or tile. Rugs are truly artwork for the floor and a great way to add color, softness and pattern. You may only need a 6×9 to anchor your seating grouping in the family room, or an 8×10 in the dining room. Surely you’ll find a spot for a welcoming runner in a hallway or foyer.

Pillows, Comfort, and Pizzazz! Now don’t overdo it, you might wind up pushing out the people with too many, but pillows are a wonderful seasonal way to add pizzazz and cushiness. Go for the beaded and beribboned tasseled and sequined works of art that abound in every home décor store and catalogue these days. Have fun, mix it up, keep your numbers odd and don’t forget seat cushions where you can.

Throws, Cuddle and Invitation! Hmmm, nothing is yummier than curling up with a good book or favorite movie and wrapping yourself in a fluffy fringed throw. Whether you like the luxury of chenille, the fuzz of acrylic, or the sexiness of a faux fur, adding a throw to a chair or sofa, or even the foot of a bed gives a hint of romance and welcome.

Frames, Family and Friends Drawn Near! So you have been stashing photos in boxes just waiting for that time you will have to put them all into albums or embark on that lifelong scrap booking project . . . Get over it! You’ll never have the time. So far better to find some terrific photo frames and capture your friends and family for fun around the house. Grouping like frames in bookcases, on end and console tables, across a mantel, or on a dresser, really makes a home personal and provides cherished memories.

Mirrors, Sparkle, and Space! Okay, now the rule is it has to reflect something worthwhile at all times, not just your lovely face walking by! So that means no you can’t put it over the mantel reflecting the ceiling fan and the empty wall, but you can put a big one in the dining room to reflect your glorious table with a creative centerpiece and seasonal abundance. You can also put it on the wall facing a treasured artwork, doubling your visual joy.

Greenery, Garden Memories and Delight! A touch of greenery, live or silk, is a must in every room; it gives the illusion of life even if no one is looking. It also is a super way to bring the garden inside when the weather gets frosty. So look for opportunities to include small mixed greenery on a tabletop, a single orchid blooming eternally atop an end table, perhaps a pair of topiaries on the mantel, or a leafy palm in the corner. Keep them clean, if silk, with silk floral cleaner (no wiping, just spray and dust dissolves!).

FAQ’S

What size rug do I need to anchor a seating area in my family room?

A 6×9 rug is often enough to anchor a seating grouping in a family room, while an 8×10 works well in a dining room. Rugs add color, softness, and pattern whether you have wall-to-wall carpet, hardwood, or tile.

Where should I place a mirror in my home?

Place a mirror where it reflects something worthwhile at all times, not just an empty wall or ceiling fan. A large mirror in the dining room can reflect a beautifully set table, or position one facing treasured artwork to double your visual joy.

How do I clean silk greenery?

Use silk floral cleaner and simply spray the greenery; the dust dissolves without wiping. Keep silk plants clean to maintain the illusion of life and bring garden memories inside when the weather gets frosty.

About Melissa Galt

Melissa Galt is a sought-after business coach, marketing consultant, keynote speaker and workshop leader who empowers designers to build highly profitable businesses, without the burnout. With over three decades as the principal of her namesake successful residential design firm, Melissa brings firsthand experience and proven strategies to guide creative professionals earn more in less time, with less stress.

She is the author of four transformative bestselling books, Marketing Luxury Design: Attracting Affluent Clients; The Language of Success: 35 Words to Boost Your Worth & Wealth; Design Discovery: The Proven Process to Land Ideal Clients & Grow Profit, and Proximity to Profits: 50 Strategic Locations to Meet Affluent Clients.

She is also the host of the weekly Design Business Freedom™ podcast, where she shares unfiltered advice on mindset, money, and marketing for interior design pros ready to elevate their game. When you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, book a complimentary Design Business Assessment with Melissa.

Melissa draws inspiration from her legacy of iconic creatives including her mother, the late Academy Award-winning actress Anne Baxter; her godmother, the legendary eight-time Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head; and her great-grandfather, American architectural icon Frank Lloyd Wright.