Are you going to have guests coming over during the holiday season? If so, have you thought about the way your visitors might see your home? We will help you create a terrific first impression with lighting, decor and a little bit of maintenance. That way, when that doorbell starts to ring, you’ll be excited and eager to show off the home you love!
Here are 10 things to do before the holidays.
1. The Front Porch2. The Dining Room Chandelier
3. The Foyer
4. The Kitchen
5. The Guest Bathroom
6. The Guest Bedroom
7. The Living Room
8. Secondary Spaces
9. Sconces
10. The Breakfast Nook
#1 – The Front Porch
What does your front porch light say to visitors? Does it say come in…or go away?
Your front porch lighting provides a beacon to guide guests into your home, but it also provides safety by illuminating both the door and the surrounding area. It’s among the first things that visitors arriving at night will notice.
REPLACE: If your front porch lighting is too old, too small, not your style or just plain broken, then it’s time to replace. Picking the right size porch light is easy—it all depends on the height of the door and how many lights you want to use.
If you’re just using one light, look for one that is 1/3 of the door height.
If you’re using two lights, look for ones that are 1/4 of the door height.
This may sound kind of big, but you want to look for a light that will not be too small from a distance.
Mount the light (or lights) slightly above eye level, about 66 inches above the door’s threshold.
Look for a design that allows a lot of light to pass through for better visibility and safety.
REPAIR: If your front porch lighting just needs a little love, time to show some affection!
Is the bulb burnt out? Replace it with an LED bulb that will give off bright light and last a long time so you won’t need to do this replacing dance again any time soon.
Is the light dirty? Grab a bottle of Dawn soap and a soft microfiber cloth. Lather up the fixture, including the glass, and give it a good scrubbing with the cloth. Then, rinse it with your garden hose.
Have some pesky bugs taken up residence, or even died, in the light? Open it up and get them out of there (safely, of course) using the microfiber cloth.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Now is a great time to sweep, power wash, replace the welcome mat and add some pretty plants.
#2 – The Dining Room Chandelier
Food is the centerpiece of every holiday gathering, whether it’s a super casual Friendsgiving or Hanukkah with the whole family. And where is that food served? Your dining room, of course! How does that room look right now: is it welcoming…or foreboding?
REPLACE: If you’re not in love with your current dining room chandelier, dump it for something new! You’ll need to measure the width or diameter of your table and look for chandeliers that are between 2/3 and 3/4 of that size.
(By the way: it’s totally okay to just search the internet for “what is 2/3 of [measurement]” if you’re not very good at figuring out percentages by yourself. The internet will give you the right answer.)
An ideal hanging height for a chandelier over the dining room table is between 30 to 36 inches above the table. That way, the chandelier isn’t glaring right in your eyes, so you can see your guests.
If you have a really long dining room table, you can even use 2 smaller chandeliers to light it well! Look for chandeliers that are 1/3 the length of the table instead.
Replacing a chandelier is also a great time to add a dimmer. That will let you adjust the brightness of the lights to suit the mood—why not dim it down during the big holiday meal and light some candles for a gorgeous glow?
REPAIR: Give your dining room chandelier a little TLC. Dust it using a telescoping duster or a microfiber cloth. Remove glass shades and clean them with a glass cleaner and a soft cloth. Your chandelier will shine brighter through clean glass!
Got any burnt-out bulbs? Replace them with long-lasting LED solutions or eye-catching decorative bulbs, like these super cool candelabra bulbs that literally look like flames.
If you have a crystal chandelier, there are two different ways to clean those shimmering gems. The first one is a little easier and the second one is more involved.
Crystal cleaning method 1: fill a spray bottle with a solution that is one part isopropyl alcohol to three parts distilled water. Then, using a clean white cotton cloth or gloves, spray the cloth or hand with the solution and wipe the crystal. Follow immediately by wiping the crystal dry with a dry cloth or glove.
Crystal cleaning method 2: remove the crystals and label where they all go on the fixture. Use lukewarm water with Palmolive to clean each crystal, rinse and dry with a soft cloth and put the crystals back on the fixture.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Clear up any clutter that might have accrued in the dining room. Add a festive tablecloth and some candles in pretty candleholders. (Bring in some extra decorative flair by hanging ornaments or greenery from your chandelier!) Make sure your chairs are in tiptop shape and consider buying some extra folding chairs if you’re expecting a crowd.
#3 – The Foyer
The foyer is the grand entrance of your home. Does yours trumpet out HELLO THERE or does it cry out for attention?
Whether it’s very small or very big, there are different ways to give a foyer lots of welcoming foyer lighting. Smaller foyers can use recessed lights or close-to-ceiling solutions like flush mounts or semi-flush mounts. In a larger foyer, add drama with an oversize pendant or statement chandelier!
REPLACE: Don’t love the message your current foyer light is sending? Let’s change that—and the very first step is to figure out what size foyer light you should buy.
Measure the foyer’s width and length in feet. Then, add those two measurements together. You just found the ideal diameter or width for a foyer light! If you’re going to use a ceiling mount, you can stop here and go shop.
If you’re going to use a hanging light, you also need to find out a good height for that foyer light. Take the room’s height in feet and then multiply it by both 2.5 and 3. You’ll get two numbers that make a good height range for a pendant or chandelier.
Hang the light 7 feet above the floor. For a very tall or two-story foyer, you can hang the light higher, but do be careful about any sight line issues or other practicality problems.
If you have a picture window in your foyer, center the light there so it can be seen from outside as you approach the house. Great first impression, achieved.
REPAIR: If you like your foyer light, check it for dust, cobwebs and burnt-out bulbs.
LED bulbs are a great idea for hard-to-reach fixtures since they last a very long time. If the bulbs are exposed, why not try some cool decorative options, like tubular bulbs or Edison bulbs?
If you find dust or cobwebs, clean with a duster or a microfiber cloth. (Your foyer light will look brighter after you do this!)
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Imagine you’re a guest entering your foyer and think about what they might like to have. Maybe somewhere to put shoes and bags? Maybe an umbrella stand? Maybe some pretty flowers on a console table? Maybe all of the above? Just make sure you don’t clutter up the space!
#4 – The Kitchen
Even if you outsource the task of holiday meal prep to potlucks or grocery stores, you still need somewhere to plate those meals! That somewhere is going to be your kitchen, of course. Whether you’re cooking or assembling, make sure your kitchen is well-lit to suit your style and needs.
REPLACE: One way to add some extra helpful light to your kitchen is through bringing in under-cabinet lights. These useful fixtures add focused, bright task lighting that illuminates your countertops. It’s so much easier to prepare holiday meals when you can actually see what you’re doing! Learn more about under-cabinet lights here.
Many kitchens just include recessed lights, but have room to add other lighting options, such as statement-making pendants or adjustable wall lamps over open shelves. The more lighting options you have in your kitchen, the better!
If you want to add or replace pendants over a kitchen island, here are some pointers:
Measure the width of the island in inches and subtract 12. That gives you the ideal maximum diameter or width for pendants to go over the island.
Hang pendants 28 to 34 inches above the island, though if you need to go a little higher (like if you have tall people in your house), you can. Space pendants every 2 feet or so apart.
You can also hang a small pendant above your sink, but hang it up a little higher so people can stand at the sink without getting glare in their eyes.
REPAIR: Look carefully at your kitchen lights, change any burnt-out bulbs and clean out any dust or cobwebs you might see. Take off glass shades and clean them with glass cleaner and a soft cloth. If you have under-cabinet lights already, make sure those are clean too so they can shine their brightest.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Clear up clutter. Think about the dinnerware you’re going to serve meals on and purchase any items you might need. Add a holiday-themed cookie jar or some other fun décor to catch your guests’ eyes!
#5 – The Guest Bathroom
Don’t have time or money for a complete bathroom renovation? A new light fixture will modernize your bathroom faster than paint!
The guest bathroom (or, the bathroom, if you have just one) is, obviously, a super important room for holiday guests.
REPLACE: If your guest bathroom has an old, blah fixture that just isn’t your style, replacing it is fairly easy. The first step is figuring out which way you want to light your vanity mirror: bath vanity bars or sconces.
For a bath vanity bar, measure the width of your bathroom mirror in inches. That number is the limit for the width of your new light. Most folks choose bath bar lights that are about 75 percent as wide as the mirror.
For sconces, sizing depends on how you’d describe the size of your bathroom: small, average or large. Small bathrooms can use sconces of 12 inches or less. Average size bathrooms can use sconces that are about 18 inches tall. Large bathrooms can use sconces that are 19 inches or taller.
Mount those sconces at eye level, which is usually about 65 inches above the room’s finished floor. Place the sconces 36 to 40 inches apart, flanking either side of the mirror.
REPAIR: Replace burnt-out bulbs. LED bulbs are a great option here, too! Try ones with a color temperature of about 3000K for an ideal glow that isn’t too yellowish. That way, your guests will look terrific when they check themselves in the mirror!
Clean any light fixtures that are dusty or dirty. Clean glass shades with glass cleaner and a soft cloth.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Put out a nice, coordinated set of towels. Add some way to make the room smell good, whether that’s a candle, reed diffusers or a plug-in freshener. Make sure there are some easily-accessible extra rolls of toilet paper because no one enjoys having to ask their party host where that is. For the same reason, have an easily-accessible plunger set out, too.
#6 – The Guest Bedroom
Layer on the light to ensure guests can comfortably unwind before turning in for the night.
If you have a dedicated guest room, make sure it’s game-ready for the holiday season. To really see things through your guests’ eyes, spend a night in your guest room and evaluate what the room might need from there.
REPLACE: Guest rooms should have at least one table lamp at the bedside. If you don’t have one, let’s change that!
Table lamps of up to 30 inches tall are great for bedsides. The lamp should be no more than 1.5 times the height of the bedside table and the lampshade diameter should be no wider than the tabletop.
Along with that lamp, the guest room should have an ambient overall source of light, whether that’s a ceiling fan, a chandelier or a pendant.
Ceiling fan sizing is based on the room’s square footage, which you can find by multiplying its length and width. It’s likely that your guest room is either small (up to 75 square feet) or moderately sized (up to 175 square feet). For small rooms, use a ceiling fan between 29 and 36 inches. For moderately sized rooms, use a ceiling fan between 42 and 48 inches.
If you want a light fixture, measure the guest room’s width and length in feet–that gives you an ideal diameter for a light. Then, multiply the room’s height in feet by 2.5 and 3–that gives you a good height range for a light.
REPAIR: Replace any burnt-out bulbs you see. Since this room might not get a lot of use, LED bulbs are a smart choice.
Clean any light fixtures that are dirty or dusty. Use a sticky lint roller to get dust off of lampshades.
One easy way to clean fan blades is to grab an old pillowcase, slide it over one blade at a time, then pull it slowly off the blade. That way, the dust goes inside the pillowcase instead of on the floor.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Wash the bed sheets. Add some hangers to the closet if you have one. Add a candle and seasonal decorations to the bedside table. If your home Internet connection has a complicated password, type it out and put it in a pretty frame for easy reference.
#7 – The Living Room
Before spending quality time with your guests, make sure your lights are ready to party.
Your holiday parties will likely include some quality time spent with your guests in your living room. In some cases, your living room may also double as a guest bedroom. No matter what, it’s a good idea to make sure your living room is ready.
REPLACE: If your living room is being illuminated by a worn-out, blah old chandelier, say goodbye to it and give your home the gift of a pretty new light!
Before you shop, know what kind of size you need to look for. Measure the living room’s width and length in feet. This gives you an ideal diameter for a chandelier. Then, multiply the room’s height in feet by both 2.5 and 3. This gives you a good height range for a light.
Hang your chandelier 7 feet off the floor. If your living room is really tall, you’ll need to use more downrods or chains to make sure the fixture isn’t up too high!
REPAIR: You guessed it! Replace any burnt-out bulbs you see. Consider long-lasting LED bulbs or cool decorative bulbs if the bulbs are exposed.
Clean dusty or dirty light fixtures and shine up glass shades with glass cleaner and a soft cloth.
If your living room has a ceiling fan, dust its blades the easy way by putting an old pillowcase around each blade and then pulling it off slowly. The dust goes in the pillowcase, not on the floor!
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Candles and seasonal decorations are perfect accents for a living room.
#8 – Secondary Spaces
Help your guests get around your house in style with ceiling mount lights in your secondary spaces, such as hallways. Keep them on during your parties so no one is stuck wandering awkwardly in the dark trying to find your bathroom.
REPLACE: If you have old, outdated or not-your-style ceiling lights, this is the perfect time to replace them with something that is a little more you. To get a good width or diameter for a ceiling light in a room, measure the width and length of that room in feet and then add the two numbers together.
Let’s say you have a hallway that is 3 feet wide and 12 feet long. In that case, a 15 inch wide ceiling light will work nicely.
A general rule of thumb is to have a ceiling light every 8 to 10 feet in a hallway. So, in the case of that example hallway, just one light should be fine.
REPAIR: Check your ceiling mount lights to make sure there are no burnt out bulbs. Also, dust the fixtures and clean glass shades if they’re looking dull. If your ceiling lights use fabric shades, run a sticky lint roller over them.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Do your hallways or secondary spaces have any clutter that shouldn’t be there? Take care of it so it won’t obstruct your guests’ movement.
#9 – Sconces
Adding wall sconces will help you cleverly layer your lighting in any room. You can create an especially great look when you add sconces to your dining room.
Imagine dimming your chandelier down low but keeping the sconces on brighter so your guests can see the bountiful desserts waiting for them on your sideboard, where the sconces are mounted. Sounds pretty good, right?
You can also use sconces in your living room to highlight pieces of art, brighten up your mantle or just add another source of light and decoration to your space.
REPLACE: If you want to illuminate a dining room sideboard or buffet with sconces, hang the sconces between 60 and 72 inches off the floor. Go towards the lower end of that range for rooms with low ceilings and towards the higher end of that range for rooms with high ceilings.
If you want to flank a piece of art with sconces, place them so they are beside the center of the artwork. Ensure there are at least 2 free inches of space around the sconce.
REPAIR: Swap out any burnt bulbs you see in your sconces. Clear off any dust or cobwebs you may see. Clean the sconces’ shades, whether they’re glass or fabric.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Dust your sideboard or buffet. If you store dishes there, go through them to pick out the ones you want to use for holiday meals.
#10 – The Breakfast Nook
A breakfast nook, if you have one, is a great place to serve special holiday breakfasts to your family and guests. When it’s decked out with perfectly-sized lighting, it looks even better, too!
Because breakfast nooks are usually in the sightline of other lights (such as your kitchen lighting), it’s a smart idea to ensure that the lighting here shares some sort of similarity to your other visible light fixtures. They don’t have to be matchy-matchy or from the same collection of lights, but it looks very thoughtful and deliberate to play off similarities.
For example, let’s say you have globe-shaped pendants over your kitchen island. You could try putting a globe-shaped chandelier or pendant in your breakfast nook.
Or maybe your dining room has a chandelier with draped wood beads. Take a look at pendants with wood finishes or wood beads.
Perhaps your kitchen lights are very modern farmhouse in style. In that case, a modern farmhouse chandelier would be a great fit.
You can also look for lights in the same finish as other lights in the sightline, although you could also mix metal finishes!
REPLACE: Measure the width or diameter of your breakfast nook’s table. Once you have that measurement in inches, look for chandeliers or pendants that are between 2/3 and 3/4 of that size.
An ideal hanging height for a chandelier or pendant over the breakfast nook table is between 30 to 36 inches above the table.
We offer a selection of dinette and breakfast chandeliers, which are smaller-sized chandeliers that are designed to fit breakfast nooks like a glove.
REPAIR: If you already have lighting in your breakfast nook, check for and replace any burnt bulbs, then give the light a nice cleaning too.
WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Clean off your breakfast nook table and set places with fun holiday-themed placemats. Add another little touch of holiday decor, like some colorful ornaments in a vase or a pretty candleholder.
If you’ve found yourself replacing some lights, but you don’t know what to do with the old fixtures, why not donate them to an organization like Habitat for Humanity ReStore? Donations to ReStore keep big items out of landfills and help families build their own homes. That sounds like the holiday spirit to me!
Need some more advice? We’re here for you. Call us up at 1-866-688-3562 or email [email protected]. You can also leave a comment on this post.
Happy holiday season!
March 24, 2023
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