1. Paint a Room or Accent Wall: Do you find that there is a room in your house that you want to change, but you aren't sure what can be done in time for the holidays? The least expensive and quickest way to make a dramatic impact in any room is to add a new paint color. Use some of the existing colors in a nearby room that you enjoy or pick new colors that you have always wanted to try as a baseline for your transformation. If you can't figure out how to get started, look for inspiration in home and design magazines or hire a designer to help you pick a fresh color for your walls.
2. Rearrange Your Furniture: Rearranging furniture is FREE and can make a dramatic impact in your space. Use this tip in conjunction with the new paint color and you will have a whole new look for the holiday season! If you've struggled with the layout of a room, do what I would do--take everything out of the room and start with a fresh perspective. Start reworking the room one piece at a time with the largest pieces first, and don't forget to try something new--place a piece on the diagonal or add in a new piece or two taken from other areas in your home. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish with a fresh perspective and a few furniture sliders!
3. Clean Up or Cover Up Your Carpet: This is also fast and can be done for not little money. If you have a few stains or have just been putting off addressing your carpet issues, get them professionally cleaned or do it yourself by renting a deep-cleaning carpet cleaner from your local grocery store. A deep-cleaning will lengthen the life of your carpet and will keep your room looking bright for the season. Or, for the last minute spruce up, find a large area rug or two at your local home goods store, and layer it on top of your not so stellar carpet.
4. Change Up Your Artwork: Put some new art on the walls by either going shopping for new pieces, reworking items you already have into a new arrangement or a little bit of both. Your art could have a holiday or winter theme, or it could be unrelated to this time of year. Either way, changing the wall "eye candy" in a room can give your space a whole new feeling.
5. Accessorize: If there is any tip in here that is a no-brainer, this is the one. Most people already accessorize in some way during this time of the year. Whether it is lights on the outside of homes, festive holiday garland or decorated trees, you will see accessories everywhere during the holidays. If you are looking for specific ideas on how to accessorize an area of your home, a great resource to use is HGTV's online website, which has links to dozens of articles and photos to give you inspiring ideas that you can use throughout your home.
6. Spruce Up The Guest Room: If you are planning to have guests this holiday season, think about investing in upgrades for the guest bedroom and guest bathroom. Update elements of the space that are easily changeable such as the lighting, artwork/accessories, guest towels, window treatments, or a few small furniture pieces. Another idea is to change out the bedding if it is tired or mismatched. Go for a hotel feel with clean white linens and neutral colors, and add a punch of holiday spirit with a few small accessories.
I hope these tips have inspired you to do something different in your home this holiday season. Now it's time to make the changes and start celebrating!
It's that time again. Chilly winter air has started to settle in, the leaves have fallen and almost every store is having a sale every other day--the holiday season has arrived! While the holidays are full of fun events, great food and reconnecting with loved ones, it also causes stress for many. There are travel plans to worry about, guests to host, presents to buy and a frenzy of other factors that can make this time draining. 
This month, we would like to highlight Peter Kalian, Vice President at George Mason Mortgage. George Mason Mortgage was founded in 1980 and is one of the area's largest mortgage lenders with a focus on residential lending. 
