"Home for the Holidays" sounds all nice and warm and fuzzy, but when you have a big family, all that togetherness can get a leetle bit suffocating. I come from a family with 5 siblings; 3 of us siblings have a total of 8 kids, so you can imagine what holiday family reunions can be like! Suddenly you have shoes piled up near the front door, while the garbage disposal and the toilet are working overtime. The toilet (heaven forbid should it break down!) becomes the the rarest and most prized commodity, second only to finding an inch of space where to put your private stuff!
Today I had the opportunity to pick the brains of contractor and expert craftsman Chip Wade,master carpenter on HGTV's Designed to Sell and host of HGTV's new series Elbow Room. In my interview, Chip shares some handy tips and space-saving solutions to get your house in holiday shape for guests in no time. You'll probably be hosting a holiday party or putting up some holiday guests at some point, so click on the video and listen to Chip answering my holiday home questions:
Here's a summary of the notes I took during the interview. It's not a word-for-word transcript of the interview, but it'll give you a good idea of the topics we covered and Chip's most important tips.
Me: We have a small guest room that's already overflowing with my family's winter coats and old books. Do you have any suggestions for making space for our guest's clothing -- and where to store their gigantic suitcases?
Chip: I'm a big fan of multi-purpose furniture. The guest bed takes up most of the room's square footage, so turn your bed into a storage unit. Even just raising the bed can free up a lot of space for storage. You could put a central divider under the bed, creating 2 big channels to store suitcases.
Me: How can I make sure my kitchen and bathrooms can handle all of the extra use they'll be getting during big get-togethers?Corrente: Model #:C43904-WH
Chip: With so many guests, you bathroom will be working overtime, so stock up on multiple packs of air freshenter, and don't forget a plunger! Also make sure you have a functioning quality toilet; if yours is getting old, get a new one before the guests arrive. A great choice is Delta's Corrente toilet,. They're easy to install, everything in you need comes in the box: the old toilet removal kit and all hardware, all for less than $200. One thing that makes the Corrente different from other toilets is that it does not have bolts going through the tank, which are a major cause of toilet leaks. Also, the water supply hose is connected near the top of the tank, above the water line, which eliminates another major cause of embarrasing and wasteful water leaks.
Me: We don't want to hammer extra nails into walls for our holiday decor, but we like our home to look festive with the season. What are some ways to hang wreaths and garland without marring walls or furniture?
Chip: Great question. Skip the finishing nails; instead, go to Home Depot and get a pack of command strip hooks. They will hold quite a bit of weight because they use compression tape, which gets stronger the harder you push on it, but will pull off easily without marring paint on walls.
Me: Where can we find more information and fix-it tips for those last-minute holiday disasters?
Chip: Check out Delta Faucet on Facebook; they have lots of tips!
And there you have it. The holidays are about spending time with family and friends -- opening your home to them shouldn't have to cause any stress, or cramp your holiday spirit! Just heed Chip's tips and be prepared :) Disclosure: I received a gift card as a thank-you for participating in this opportunity, courtesy of Delta and the Home Depot. The views and opinions expressed by my interviewee are his own, while the views and opinions expressed by me are my own. Tweet this!
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Marie-Grace mini doll and 6-book Marie-Grace & Cecile set: $35.99
Sugar's Travel Carrier Set: $22.99
Honey's Travel Carrier Set: $22.99
Pepper's Travel Carrier Set: $22.99
Doll Diner Set: $44.99 (???)
