DeGraaf Interiors has two convenient locations in Hudsonville and Cascade / Grand Rapids.
Ideas to make this holiday season special!
It’s a familiar scene: finding the perfect cookie recipe, taking photos for the family Christmas card, pulling out the decorations from storage, and preparing our ever-growing shopping lists. But the reality is, this holiday season looks a lot
different for many families. Family gatherings might be smaller in size, making the holidays feel a little less warm and cozy. It’s been a draining year, and what we could all use is some familiarity and comfort.
It feels more important than ever to create an inviting, comfortable environment for our loved ones this holiday season. And it just so happens that at DeGraaf Interiors, we specialize in creating welcoming and cozy spaces. Below are some ideas of ways
you can make the coming months feel special.
Decorate Your Space, Inside & Out
Just because there are less eyes on our home doesn’t mean we should skimp on decorations! Especially with little ones, reinforcing that it is still the holidays and we still want to celebrate is even more important! Take some time to think about how you
can up your decoration game this year. Some ideas:
- Order a few extra decorations online
- Spring for a real tree instead of a fake one
- Make decorative crafts with your children or grandchildren (you can find a few here!)
- Create a luminary display outside your home, or even organize one for the whole neighborhood
With more limited options for activities outside the home, many are going back to the basics: walking or driving through neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights and holiday displays. Imagine if every house in your entire neighborhood put out a few
decorations in their yard. The joy this would bring to everyone young and old would be hard to ignore. Even if it’s adding a few snowflake window clings and putting a quick wreath on the door, these small bits of cheer are sure to put a smile
on someone’s face. So don’t forget to decorate your home, inside and out!
Adopt A New Tradition
Making the holidays memorable is about more than aesthetics. Special activities will create long-lasting memories that feel like a cozy holiday blanket for your soul. Here are a few new traditions you might adopt this year: Buy or make an advent
calendar to make every day leading up to Christmas special
- Write a family letter to send to loved ones that shares about how your family’s year went
- Get an elf on the shelf and have fun putting it in a new spot each night (here are some funny ideas!)
- Give back by donating a gift to toys for tots or supplying food to a local food pantry
- If you’re feeling extra adventurous, go caroling!
Upgrades That Will Last Beyond The Holidays
Decorating and creating special memories will enhance the feeling of your home, but having a cozy and inviting foundation will make your space feel comfortable for the holidays and beyond! With most of us spending more time at home, an attractive
environment can facilitate a calmer mood. Colors and textures have an impact on our mindset, so try to create a space that sets the right tone. Here are some significant changes to your home that can do just that:
Makeover Your Fireplace
Most fireplaces are made traditionally with bricks. While this has made sense for centuries, there are many new materials at our disposal that can upgrade the look of your fireplace to be more modern and better suit the look and feel of your home. Most
notable of these materials is tile. Tile is so versatile that it can take on the appearance of almost any material.
Apply tile to your fireplace to take on the look of natural stone, or try a more bold look like subway tile to make an even bigger statement. View our tile fireplace gallery for ideas and to see how warm and inviting an updated tile fireplace might look in your home for the holidays!
High-Impact, Low-Maintenance Countertops
Apply tile to your fireplace to take on the look of natural stone, or try a more bold look like subway tile to make an even bigger statement. View our tile fireplace gallery for ideas and to see how warm and inviting an updated tile fireplace might look in your home for the holidays!
There’s no time like the holidays to realize that our time spent in the kitchen could be vastly improved. Not only can a countertop update spruce up the appearance of your kitchen, but it can also make clean-up time more efficient. While laminate countertops
are the usual go-to option for minimal maintenance, other solid surface countertops like quartz and granite have come a long way.
Quartz countertops are durable, and can include stain resistant, acid resistant, and impact and scratch resistant features. Granite countertops are naturally durable, with resistance to moisture, heat, and abrasion.
And if laminate still seems like the obvious choice, it just might be! Laminate countertops can take on the look of granite, marble, and even wood, while maintaining the benefits of laminate – giving you the best of both worlds with beauty and
resilience. Explore our countertop photo gallery to see how an update could enhance the look and function of your kitchen for all of that holiday cooking
and baking!
Plush Carpeting That’s Made For Walking and Sitting
You don’t know what you’re missing until you feel the comfort of walking across a soft, plush carpet. If sensory experience and texture is important to you, a carpet upgrade might be just what you need. And let’s face it – whether it’s due to
a room full of guests or a rambunctious group of kids – at one point or another during the holiday season, someone will end up sitting on the floor.
Quartz countertops are durable, and can include stain resistant, acid resistant, and impact and scratch resistant features. Granite countertops are naturally durable, with resistance to moisture, heat, and abrasion.
And if laminate still seems like the obvious choice, it just might be! Laminate countertops can take on the look of granite, marble, and even wood, while maintaining the benefits of laminate – giving you the best of both worlds with beauty
and resilience. Explore our countertop photo gallery to see how an update could enhance the look and function of your kitchen for all of that holiday
cooking and baking!
What most people don’t know is that selecting the perfectly soft carpet you want isn’t always going to give you that cozy feeling you desire. Without the correct carpet cushion beneath your carpet, you will likely be disappointed with
your purchase. Not only that, but choosing the right carpet padwill help preserve the look of a carpet and extend its life by protecting against wear. Review this and other tips on what to know before you buy carpet,
and then request a free in-home measure to make sure your carpet can be updated just in time for the holidays!
Keep Things Classic With Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are timeless. They’ll never go out of style. New varieties of hardwood flooring and faux wood floors using luxury vinyl plank make the options nearly endless. Almost any look can be achieved using hardwood and luxury vinyl flooring,
so the best way to approach this flooring style is to make a wish-list. (Perfect for the holidays!) Considerations for choosing the right wood flooring:
- Are you ok with a little TLC, or do you want low-maintenance?
- Do you want a real wood appearance, or is consistency more important?
- Do imperfections bother you, or do they add to the charm?
Hardwood floors typically have more imperfections and require a bigger up-front investment, but add more value to your home. Some people also just prefer real wood! 
Luxury vinyl plank – sometimes called luxury vinyl tile (lvt) – can mimic hardwood so closely that many can’t tell the difference. People often refer to lvt as waterproof wood flooring because it looks just like wood but is resistant to water damage as well as stains and scratches. Luxury
vinyl plank, a close cousin, is quickly growing in popularity, and is available in a wide range of options. Visit a DeGraaf Interiors showroom to see just how many!
Whichever option you decide on, hardwood flooring not only creates a beautiful, lasting impression – but it offers lasting value. In fact, in a national survey, 90% of real estate agents said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and
for more money! If you have been considering wood flooring or luxury vinyl plank, now is the perfect time to make the investment. By acting right away, you can have a beautiful hardwood floor just in time for the holidays!
Most Importantly – Have A Blessed Holiday Season!
Whether you choose to make a significant update to the look of your home, upgrade your decorating game, or adopt a new family tradition, the most important thing to do this holiday season is relax, spend time with your loved ones, and take into
account what we are grateful for. It’s been a crazy year, but there is so much to be thankful for. From all of us at DeGraaf Interiors, we wish you a very merry – and cozy – holiday season, and a brighter new year!
