Design Tips To Warm Up Your Home for the Holidays

Design experts offer these simple ideas for decorating the inside of your home this season.

Create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your home to get you and your guests in the holiday spirit, with these tips from Home Improvement Expert Eli Mechlovitz:

-- Rugs: In addition to literally warming up your cold floors, a throw rug will create an inviting, cozy atmosphere in your room as well. A soft rug invites you to sit on the floor, perhaps by the fire, and enjoy a glass of wine and a good book. It also means you can kick off your shoes without getting too cold. Add warm autumn colors like deep reds and gold for extra warmth.

-- Books and photo albums: Whether they fill empty space on a bookshelf or are placed on a coffee table, books and photo albums create a 'lived in' look and feel. It makes people want to wrap up in a blanket and snuggle on the couch while reminiscing through old albums. However, don't go overboard because you don't want it to look cluttered. There should be a few books and albums strategically placed to invite sitting and relaxing.

-- Welcome guests: Place a welcome mat at your front door. Choose one with rich autumn colors or hang a welcome sign by your front door or in the entry way.

-- Greenery or artificial flowers: Fill your house with warm, rich colors, especially red, orange, gold and green. And add scented candles or plug-ins (think holiday flaovors like pumpkin spice or cranberry).

-- If you have a fireplace: turn your furniture towards it. Arrange all of your pieces pointing towards the fireplace. The flames encourage people talk, feel cozy, and enjoy good times.

-- "Holiday up" the bathroom: Bathrooms are often forgotten when we get our home ready for the holidays. Add some themed towels, colorful scented candles, and sparkly holiday soaps for some holiday warmth in a room that every family member and most guests end up spending some time in.

-- Choose seasonal throw pillows for your furniture: Add holiday-themed throw pillows to the chairs and couch, along with a cozy blanket hanging on the back of the couch. the colors will warm the room and make the area extra cozy.

-- Add curtains to your windows if you don't have them already: The colors will add emotional warmth and the curtains will physically warm.

-- Add twinkly lights throughout your hoome: Decorate the indoor greenery with lights, drape them over the doorway, and string them up in the bathroom or any other place that needs a little extra light.

-- Place holiday candy jars around the house: Add glass jars filled with peppermints, butterscotch, and colorful holiday ribbon candy around the house. Place the jars on coffee tables and kitchen counters.