Hi everyone! Thank you so much for having me as a guest poster today! I am so excited to talk to you all about the holidays and some quick and easy renovations that you can do before your guests arrive.
I like to say that I live part-time on Amelia Island. That’s where my parents live and I am down there quite a bit throughout the year, so although I own my home in Atlanta, I feel as if I am a part-time Florida native, ha! I know most of Florida doesn’t get a ‘true’ winter filled with snow and the such, but the holidays are still celebrated just the same as Christmas in Michigan. Florida just doesn’t get the snow!
This year, though, we are celebrating in Atlanta and I am really hoping for a white Christmas because my parents are coming up from FL to visit and celebrate with us. Yippee! Each time they come to my home, I have it cleaned immediately before, I get my dogs bathed, we do any yard work that is needed, and I try to do a few improvements around the house. You see, this is my first home with my husband (that we purchased) and although I love it, we just have not had the time or money to do much to it yet, unfortunately. But, each time my parents come into town, I work so hard, in order to get it in tip-top condition! So far, we have purchased a new lamp for our master bedroom, we have pulled up our summer vegetable garden, we have had our pest control company come out to inspect, and we have purchased a new bedspread for our bed. All small things, I know, but we are definitely working on the bigger tasks, like painting our garage.
If you feel the same way as I do when guests come into town, then you are looking for quick and easy renovations to impress your holiday guests, right? I’ll help you out by giving you a few of my best ideas:
Granite
Although granite is a bit pricier to install compared to some other renovations, it just transforms a kitchen. My husband and I have been aching to install granite for some time now and I cannot wait until the day comes where we do finally install it. The reason why I wanted to add this to my list is because of the fact that granite is super quick and easy to install. If you have a company doing it for you, it won’t even take a full day. I would suggest booking it relatively soon, though, because they probably get very busy.
New carpet
We had all of our carpets replaced when we first moved into our home and it was the best decision we could have made. I highly recommend it! Installing new carpets in your home is very quick. Just like with the granite, it will not even take a professional carpet installer a full day to do your install and you will be good to go. The pricing of the carpet is pretty reasonable, as well. We replaced everything upstairs (bedrooms, halls, etc.) and it was just over $1,000. Not too shabby, in my opinion! After we installed the new carpet, we noticed that all of the old musty smells from the old homeowners were gone, so it was very much worth it for us.
Fireplace surround
Tile and/or brickwork for a fireplace surround takes quite a bit of time and it can be costly, but if you think of alternate solutions, you will be able to do a quick and easy fireplace transformation. Just think - a lot of the time, your fireplace is the focal point in your home, so you want to make sure you spruce it up before the holidays. One way that I’ve found to do a quick and easy renovation is by using Faux Brickwork. Located out of Florida, Faux Brickwork is the leader in the supply of faux brickwork to the domestic and commercial world. They supply faux brickwork to many luxury homes, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, offices, and retailers across the US. You may be wondering if Faux Brickwork actually looks like real brick. YES, it does! They are able to provide authentic looking brickwork to any setting by using high-quality materials that ensure you achieve the look and feel you are wanting. The Faux Brickwork panels are made from plaster, which is why they are not only authentic looking, but they are also very lightweight, making them easy to install on your own, which reduces the time spent installing them and it allows you to save money by doing it on your own. While Faux Brickwork offers a wide range of products and also offers a custom design service, you are also able to paint your Faux Brickwork panels, in case you want a different color. They say, “We don't make brick....we make brick look better,” and I can definitely vouch for that - they look amazing!
Simple decor options
I’m not sure about you, but I love to put holiday decor up! I visit my local Target or HomeGoods (my favorite!) and shop away, finding the perfect pieces. The good thing about Holiday decor is that you can save each piece you buy and use it for years to come.
There you have it - quick and easy ways to impress your Holiday guests!
