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5 Quick Holiday Home Makeovers

Practically point-and-click, these decorating tweaks won't make you break a sweat — or the bank — as you prepare your home for holiday visitors.

from Reader's Digest | December 2011 / January 2012
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Courtesy Kikkerland
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1. Brighten Up the Bathroom

Even if you sing Adele while you soap up, this "Yellow Submarine" shower curtain by Jan Habraken lightens what can be the house's darkest room. And it's kid-friendly yet not adult-repellent, says ohdeedoh.com ($16, amazon.com).

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2. Stow Your Stuff

Sweep off those surfaces in time for guests, suggests ohdeedoh.com. The felt storage bins at West Elm are 16 inches square and can hold unopened mail, unread magazines, unfiled papers, and more ($16, westelm.com).

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Courtesy the Maine Float-Rope Company
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3. Put Out the Welcome Mat

Maine's lobstermen must now replace their "float rope" with "sink rope" to avoid entangling sea creatures, reports charlesandhudson.com. The Maine Float-Rope Company keeps float rope out of landfills by making it into doormats. Solid or striped, they'll add some summer to your doorstep beneath the graying skies of winter ($49.95, mainefloatrope.com).

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Courtesy Restoration Hardware
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4. Add Seating

At around $800, this chair is a splurge, says thisoldhouse.com. But the nostalgia value of the Grand Leather Bean Bag Chair may be worth it. Upholstered in leather, this could become the go-to perch for those who enjoy sinking into a chair — and who can get back up (restoration hardware.com).

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Courtesy Huset
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5. Tame the Bedside Table

That jumble of drinking water, reading material, writing implements, and ringing alarm clock next to your bed can coexist, says Martha Stewart Living. The Ferm Living "one-bedroom apartment cabinet" ($121, huset-shop.com) gives you additional bedside storage — and lets you prop your open book on top when your eyelids start drooping.

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Your Comments

  • Ornith2297

    Ok, who has $800 to spend on a bean bag chair? Perhaps you’re forgetting what economic state most people are in at present. How about low cost classy looking options for seating, etc. What’s up w/that xmas front door mat that’s all caddywampus looking like it was made in China? Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!