After last year’s gatherings were largely canceled or held virtually, many of us are gearing up to host holiday guests for the first time in a while. If months of working, schooling and otherwise hunkering down at home have left your home less than guest-ready, you still have time to make some updates before the season of entertaining begins in earnest.
You likely won’t have time for a full renovation ahead of the holidays, but there are a variety of quick yet impactful spruce-ups you can tackle in the coming weeks.
First, get focused. A whole-home makeover probably isn’t feasible within a few weeks’ time, so concentrate your efforts on gathering spaces and other areas visitors are likely to interact with, such as powder rooms or guest bedrooms.
For holiday dinners, consider where guests are likely to congregate before, during and after the meal, suggests New York City interior designer Elizabeth Gill. Depending on the layout of your home and your entertaining style, that could include the kitchen, living room, formal dining area and more. Once you’ve narrowed down your main entertaining zones, use these ideas to prepare your home for holiday hosting.
1. Tie up Any Loose Ends
Before the holidays arrive, wrap up any unfinished projects or lingering to-dos, suggests Florida-based interior designer Brittany Farinas. If you’re in the middle of a bathroom remodel or living room makeover, for example, do what you can to expedite the process so guests can experience the final result instead of a rough draft. For projects you’ve been putting off, use the upcoming holidays as your motivation to finally get it done. “If you’ve been thinking of wallpapering that powder room for a while or just haven’t gotten to it, now is the time to go for it,” Farinas says.
