Have friends and family coming to your home for the holidays this year? Check out our tips for how to get the house fresh, clean, and ready! John Elliott Interiors is the best interior design company at the Lake of the Ozarks and we are here to help get you the design you want for the holiday season... and in every other season. Keep reading to learn all about how to get the house ready with a clean slate for your décor this year. 

 Fall is a great time of year! Pumpkin spice has already entered the scene this year, and it's time to start thinking toward your fall and holiday décor. Before you do though, it's important to start with a clean slate. John Elliott Interiors thinks cleaning and refreshing your home is a great way to do this, and we have the tips to help you get started. Keep reading to learn more! 

Although red and green are the two most popular colors associated with Christmas time, there are quite a few different color schemes that show off your holiday spirit beautifully. Choosing which holiday colors you will decorate your home with could be personal preference, an attempt to work with the current color scheme of the room, or you could choose to reinvent an entire space with an entirely new look. John Elliott Interiors has a few festive ideas for you in today's blog.


Red & Green
You simply can't go wrong with the classics! Bright reds and greens always bring a festive feel to any holiday display, like the glorious shade of Santa's suit and the consistent look of an evergreen. This will probably be the easiest color scheme to find Christmas decorations in due to the popularity of this pairing, allowing you to mix and match decor you have used in the past with new items. 

Silver & Gold
This color pairing is so perfect for the holidays, it even has a song honoring it! These metallic colors bring an upbeat energy to your holiday decor. They are neutral enough that you can choose just about any pop of color to go along with them if you like. Many silver and gold decorations are perfect for carrying you through a New Year's Eve celebration too.

White Christmas
Here is yet another gorgeous idea for your holiday decorations that has a song named after it! Bring the snowy look of the outdoors inside when you choose to decorate everything in a crisp, clean white. Alone this color can be absolutely breathtaking, but it is also a great color scheme for allowing you to add pops of color here and there. The best part is that you can leave many of your snowy decorations out all winter long. 

Blue & Silver
Winter wonderlands not only have snow but plenty of icicles too. Shiny silvers and icy blues are a good way to duplicate those naturally shimmery decorations of the outdoors.


Purple & Gold
If you prefer a bolder, more royal look during the holidays, purple and gold pull this off beautifully. Purple and yellow are complimentary colors on the color wheel, and shining up that yellow to a glorious gold makes everything seem a lot more merry and bright.

Green & Brown
If you'd like to incorporate a more rustic look of the outdoors, the green of the evergreen needles and brown from the bark give you just that. Other natural elements like firewood, pine cones, jute string, and more lend to the natural feel of it all. Pops of red plaid ribbons also look beautiful alongside this type of decor. 

Cranberry & Cream
Muted shades of red and white offer a soft, cozy feel to any room. Off-white and cream decor paired alongside cranberries, poinsettias, and other classic holiday red items give off a very warm and inviting vibe in any room.


If you simply can't make up your mind about which color scheme you want to incorporate this year, go all out and decorate every room in your home with a different one! You can find many beautiful accent pieces in our home interiors store at the Lake of the Ozarks that not only fit into your holiday decorating plans but also look beautiful on display every day of the year. Come into John Elliott Interiors and have a look around, and if you don't see exactly what you have in mind, don't hesitate to ask for help.

Having the family over may not feel like Fa la la la la and Happy New Year when you have to get your house ready for the company and commotion. Yet, the holiday season is filled with friends, family, and food, so we wanted to provide you with a few ways to throw an AMAZING party in your beautiful home while still maintaining some sanity. Here are a few time-tested tips to help you get through the holidays and hopefully enjoy them even more.

Make a List and Check it Twice

You and Santa have a few things in common this year, but thankfully it’s just the Christmas list and rosy cheeks. But seriously, there’s nothing that can make you feel crazy than not having a list. It’s easier than ever when you have a smartphone, too. Open up the notepad, and start making notes about the menu, the decor you still need to purchase, and the gifts that you need to buy. You can email yourself a copy to keep on hand, and then start doing and erasing! Before you know it, you’ll have the whole list done and it will be time to enjoy the holidays with family.

Get a Head Start

Take a look at your list from the tip above, and think about your menu. If there is anything that you can make ahead and freeze - do it! This will take the immediate stress off of your day and make everything feel like a breeze. Soup and stew is a great holiday/winter food. The items generally freeze well and can be thrown into a crockpot that morning. Quiches, tarts, and pies also freeze well and can be purchased pre-made (or made ahead and frozen) to save you some heartache. Before you know it, it will be time to party and you’ll only have to purchase fruit and veggies and warm some things up.

Keep a Stock

If you really want to make the holidays easier, keep a stock of drinks and snacks on hand to grab on the go or serve at minutes notice. For drinks, keep sodas, mixers, hot cocoa, coffee (regular and decaf, and plenty of tea on hand. For snacks, you can go wrong with crackers, cookies and mixed nuts. You can even toss the nuts in maple syrup, bake them until their caramelized and you’ll have a very special snack.

Decking the Halls

You don’t have to go above and beyond when decorating your Lake of the Ozarks home. Even just a simple bowl of lights or vintage ornaments in an extra punch bowl can make a striking statement on the table. If you have extra vases, you can put some Epsom salt in the bottom, add some ornaments and a pretty bow - and you have the perfect centerpiece for your bar or table. Need to add some Christmas joy to your outdoors? You don’t have to light your entire house to show a little Christmas spirit. A simple wreath on your door, a few potted evergreens with ornaments, and maybe some garland around the posts on your porch can do wonders. Keep it simple and enjoy the beauty every time you come home.

The countdown is almost complete, and in less than 24 hours your family will be gathered around your table enjoying a great meal and being thankful for all of the great things that have happened this year. Of course, this doesn't come without its share of challenges because while you're probably thankful for your family being together, you also have to not only prepare your home for visitors but then clean up after they leave. Here are 5 tips to help you keep your sanity as you host Thanksgiving this year!

Make a Gameplan

It's go time, and if you haven't completed a game plan with recipes and ingredients, it's time to get it wrapped up and finalized. Keep in mind that while your family is excited for food, they are mostly excited for family, so if you find something stressing you out - cut it out. Before the holiday gets started, take a walk through your home, straighten up little areas that have been getting used the last few days, spray some room spray or light and candle and get ready!

Stick to the Basics

While having an extravagant menu and ornate decorations straight from Pinterest is always the "goal" when hosting your family for a holiday, keep in mind that the basics are the most imporant. When you find yourself getting wrapped up in the details and stressing out about which serving utensil goes with which dish - take a breather and go back to the basics. Your family wants to visit, have fun, and eat. They won't care if little signs are made for each dish or if you remember to set the decorative pumpkin on the front porch. Food, family, fellowship - that's the most important!

Set Your Thanksgiving Timeline

One of the biggest questions you'll be asked during Thanksgiving is "when's dinner?" Every family has a different timeline for the event, so find what works for you and stick to it. In the hectic planning of the main meal, don't forget that your guests will want to grab a few bites to eat throughout the day, especially if you'll have overnight guests before Thanksgiving. Plan a very simple egg-based breakfast, think omlets or quiche. If you serve a later dinner around two or three o'clock, plan on serving an appetizer around lunch time. You don't have to fix a full meal, but spinach artichoke dip and beer pretzels should keep everyone quite content. Finally, plan what time you want to serve your main meal, and then plan for dessert a few hours later, just so everyone's food has time to settle.

Label Serving Dishes

With all of the family coming in, you will probably be asked several times "how can I help?" It's easy to say that you've got it under control, but with a bit of preparation you can make it easy for your family to participate in preparing the meal. Once you've decided on your menu, take a few moments to label your serving dishes with sticky notes. When someone asks to help, you can point them in the direction of the serving dishes and have them start plating everything up!

Plan Ahead for Leftovers

Finally, leftovers are an obvious occurrence every single Thanksgiving. Instead of trying to figure out what to put everything in, and how to send leftovers with others without losing all of your Tupperware, buy some aluminum pans with lids, or cheap plastic containers. You can send leftovers back, and still keep your containers - everyone is happy!

Happy Thanksgiving from John Elliott Interiors

We love to help you create the perfect home interior design at the Lake of the Ozarks for just this reason. Using your home to host holidays, gather family, and enjoy time together. We want to help you create an interior for your life, and that is exactly what the holidays bring about. If you've been considering updating your home's style lately, let's get started! We provide incredible luxury furniture at the Lake of the Ozarks, along with other accessories, faux plants, and more. Stop by and see us, or give us a call to learn if we have just what you're looking for. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

’Tis the season to start pulling out the Christmas decorations, decking the halls, and decluttering old and worn decor. As you begin to decorate your home, it’s important to evaluate what you have and make sure that the style still matches your home, and that the quality is up to par. This will not only help keep the holidays merry and bright but will add to your peace of mind as you decorate with only the things you love. Here are a few tips from your local furniture store at the Lake of the Ozarks to help get you started!


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A new year has arrived, which means now is the time to conquer the home design projects on your to-do list. If your home is a hot spot for entertaining, consider upgrading the guest rooms with a trendy makeover for 2017. Hosting guests in your home this winter should be fun and stress-free, and John Elliott Interiors is here to help you create a warm and inviting spare bedroom your guests will love. Here are some cold-weather inspired design trends that will turn any lackluster bedroom into a cozy space for winter.

Chilly-Weather Inspiration

To put your spare bedroom to good use for winter guests, just look outside - winter itself can be a great inspiration. From the icy blue and white of the sky to the branches and bark of the visible trees, consider wrapping your room in touches of winter. Add blue bed coverings and window treatments and incorporate a vase of branches or twigs on the bedside tables. Metallics and nature-inspired details work well in accents like throw pillows and candles.

Rustic Hospitality

We're seeing rustic accents used to add winter warmth to interiors, bring the trend into your guest bedroom by adding country style accessories to your room. Bring in an iron bed and cover it in warm flannel. Add trendy menswear fabrics in the way of pillows and throws - a playful mix of antique patterns and textures throughout the room will envelope your guests in warmth.

Luxurious Layers

When the winter chill sets in, we layer sweaters with jackets and jackets with scarves. Similarly, layering textiles on your bed and furniture will cozy up any winter-inspired bedroom during the colder months. Ensure your guests stay extra-warm by layering blankets at the foot of the bed. Think, cable-knit blankets and soft cashmere throws.

Silver for the Season

For a glamorous touch, bring on the silver. From chrome hardware on your furniture to elegantly displayed mirrors, silver brilliantly reflects the winter light coming in through the windows and adds sparkle and style to your sophisticated guest room.

Winter Wonderland with Artwork

Add causal elegance to your guest room with a collection of framed artwork reflective of the season. Photographs, prints or paintings of winter landscapes will create a focal point that is to the point...and that is creating a winter wonderland your guests will enjoy.

To put a fresh, cold-weather spin on your guest bedroom, use winter as your inspiration. Whether you want to add a few accessories or do a floor-to-ceiling makeover with touches of winter, John Elliott Interiors will be your guide. Our Lake of the Ozarks interior designers are full of ideas to turn your guest room (or master suite) into a warm and trendy haven.

The transition from fall to winter at the Lake of the Ozarks can mean drastic temperature changes and for most of us extra layers to stay warm, but did you know, you can dress your home for chilly winter weather as well? The cooler temperatures provide the perfect excuse to update your home with fresh accessories and hues inspired by the season. John Elliott Interiors is your Lake of the Ozarks design resource and we offer these simple interior decorating ideas to cozy up your home this holiday season.