(BPT) - As the holidays approach, the decorator in us gets excited about how to deck the halls and drape the tinsel to create a festive home for the season. Social media is full of inspiration, but before you embark on decorating projects, the following are a few easy ideas to ensure your home is as functional and welcoming as it is festive for family and friends.
Create a safe, cozy area for fireside chats
In the harbor, a warm, roaring fire is a cozy centerpiece for after-dinner storytelling and catching up with family and friends. What better to combat the early fall rain than a fire? Whether your home is equipped with a gas or wood-burning fireplace, it is important to ensure the unit is in good working order. First, inspect the area and repair any damage to key pieces such as the baffle, damper or mantle that may have occurred during the year. Next, schedule a time for a thorough chimney sweeping to remove excess buildup of soot and creosote. A clean, maintained fireplace not only makes for a festive environment but can also serve as an element to heat your home, reducing seasonal stress on your furnace. There are many local businesses that can help you out with anything from new installs to cleaning the pipes on your already loved home centerpiece. Get going and gather your family around the fire!
Corral guest clutter in your main living areas
There’s nothing like visiting with old friends or reconnecting with family members who come home to the South Sound for the holidays that you haven’t seen in awhile. Of course, with the increased foot traffic in and out of your home comes the question comes of where to put your guests’ belongings so they are out of the way and organized. If you have a coat closet, be sure to clean it out and make room for your guests by storing your coats in another room. You might also consider using an additional coat rack and strategically placing some festive decorative baskets for holding shoes and purses. It’s probably even perfectly acceptable to throw your own coats under the bed so they’re out of the way, and you become the hostess with the most-est!
Create a kid-friendly space
The harbor is a family community. If you plan on hosting friends and family members who have small children, take some time to kid-proof your home, particularly anywhere they are likely to play. Along with putting plug covers on all of the outlets, remove any common hazards young kids might get into. Secure electrical and window treatment cords, protect hard-edged furniture and put breakables out of reach. Once the groundwork for a safe, kid-friendly space is cleared, add toys, games, comfy pillows and more so they’re entertained and feel welcome. This follows with that old adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you take the time to focus on the children early, they tend to play nicely after the adult conversation starts and leave you to it! Bonus points to you if you provide something bold, like painting on a paper tablecloth after dinner!
Prepare the outdoors, too
When it comes to prepping for holiday guests, don’t forget about high-traffic areas outside the home. Be sure to clear the walkways of any snow and ice and replace outdoor lights with fresh bulbs to help guests safely navigate their way to your home. If it’s rainy, and it often is this time of year around Gig Harbor, make sure that the lighting is especially good. No one wants great Aunt Freida to take a fall before dinner.
‘Tis the season to repair, repaint, refresh
A pristine paint job is the perfect backdrop for holiday entertaining. Throughout the year, the walls of your home take a lot of abuse, from kids banging their toys into the corners and chairs hitting the walls, to the nail holes and cracks that appear over time. To restore your walls to their former glory, fill in those dents, holes and cracks before you repaint with ALEX Plus Spackling, which delivers professional strength and durability when making repairs on a range of surfaces such as drywall, wood and metal. If you have troublesome recurring cracks that just won’t go away, ALEX Flex Spackling is the perfect solution for a lasting, seamless repair. And for the ultimate professional finish, use ALEX Flex Premium Molding and Trim Sealant to fill gaps and cracks around interior window and doorframes and along baseboards, chair rails and crown molding for a crack-proof, seamless finish. With your walls repaired and looking like new, you’re now ready to paint and decorate for a fresh, updated look.
These quick and easy preparations will help you and your guests feel more at home, setting the stage for all to enjoy the festivities and fun of the season, from Halloween through New Years and beyond.