Preparing for the Holidays

Thrifting WonderlandRoom makeover19 Comments on Preparing for the Holidays

Welcome, friends, to today’s blog! With Halloween behind us and Election Day wrapped up, I’m feeling ready to dive into holiday preparations. Thanksgiving comes a little later this year, so I’m getting a head start on Christmas decorations to enjoy them a bit longer. This weekend, I began refreshing the Great Room, and I’m excited to share the first look with you today. Let’s celebrate the start of a cozy and festive season together!

This weekend was all about tackling two big projects (along with some general cleaning and packing away), and I’m happy with how everything turned out, even with a few challenges along the way! One of the changes I’d been envisioning for a while was updating the color on the fireplace wall. It was a darker grey, which seemed to draw light out of the room, and I wanted to bring a brighter, more inviting feel to the space. Take a look and see if I managed to achieve that vision!

The difference is striking—the yellow brings so much more light and warmth compared to the grey! I went with Sherwin Williams “Pineapple Cream,” a soft yellow with green undertones that complements some chairs I already have in the room and also ties in beautifully with the yellow in the loveseat. It’s amazing how much a change in color can transform a space! I’ll show you the finished project in just a bit—can’t wait to hear what you think!

The second project centered on the built-in bookshelves next to the fireplace. Although I love their crisp white finish, all that white can feel a bit stark when I’m aiming for a cozy, festive atmosphere at Christmas. I wanted to add a hint of color and texture to the back of the shelves, but without anything as permanent as paint or wallpaper. After a bit of brainstorming, I came up with a solution to achieve that soft, layered look—and I think it adds just the right amount of festive charm!

First, my husband measured each section of the back wall on the bookcase. Thankfully, since they were built to be uniform, the measurements were straightforward. Next, he cut white foam board to fit each section precisely, ending up with 14 pieces. I then cut Christmas paper slightly larger than the foam board, leaving about an inch extra on each long side while keeping the ends untrimmed. Using masking tape to secure the paper allowed for easy removal later, in case I want to switch to a different pattern after the holidays. Finally, we placed each board in its section, pressing them snugly against the back of the bookcase.

Here’s the bookcase before and after. The next step was to unearth some of my Christmas pieces to fill the bookcase and see how the whole thing came together.

Switching back to project number one you can see the completed painted fireplace surround. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out. I love how the flowers pick up on the color.

Here are some close-ups of the completed shelves. I love them and will probably add a bit of greenery closer to Christmas.

Here they are—the completed shelf unit and freshly painted fireplace wall, side by side! I’m so happy with how they turned out, especially considering it all came together in a day (with some waiting for paint to dry). The warm “Pineapple Cream” color on the fireplace wall really brightens up the space, and the subtle holiday paper backing on the shelves adds just the right amount of festive charm. I’d love to hear what you all think—do these updates bring that holiday feeling?

Here’s one last photo from a bit further back—I just love how the soft yellow complements the loveseat on the right and ties into the colors in the rug. The space feels so much warmer and more inviting! Over the next few days, I’ll be focusing on the cabinet on the other side of the fireplace. I’m considering some updates there too to keep the refreshed look going throughout the room. Stay tuned!