There’s no place like home sweet home for the holidays. And there’s no better time to give a humdrum home a fast and festive facelift – just in time for family and friends who come calling. From inspiring front entry ideas, a fresh kitchen facelift, the guest bedroom-turned-junk room in the off season, affordable ideas abound with a little help and some innovative products from Lowe’s.

Welcome home

“Since your front entry is the first thing people see when they arrive, you want to express your style and make a welcoming statement,” said Elaine Griffin, leading New York designer and author of Design Rules. She continued, “Hardware can be the diamond earrings of your front door.” For about $75, you can transform your front door into a knockout. Choose a Valspar paint color to match the architectural style of your home. Install a kick plate, dynamic door numbers and door knocker. Flank your door with matching topiaries at least four feet tall. And the finishing touch? An oversized wreath, to express your home’s unique personality.

Quick & easy kitchen facelift

Modern Masters® Countertop Transformations could be the easy and affordable secret ingredient you’ve been missing in your kitchen. This weekend you can give your old, tired or damaged laminate countertop the high-end look of natural stone for under $250 (covers the standard 50 ft. kitchen countertop). Simple to apply, this innovative countertop coating system builds from the adhesive base coat layer, to decorative color chip layer, to durable top coat layer. It doesn’t get any simpler or more beautiful than this.

Cabinets need a mini makeover? Change the hardware for an instant fix, most pulls cost less than $4 each. For one of the most impactful weekend projects of all, add a backsplash – try the artsy look of sea glass or tumbled marble tile, chalkboard paint looks creative and is functional too.

Home away from home

Banish the thought of boring old guest rooms and make visiting family and friends as comfortable as possible. Start by adding textural interest to ordinary walls with one of Lowe’s new, prepasted, paintable wallpapers, starting at just $34.98 for a 56 sq. ft. roll, then paint it in a soothing shade like Peaceful from Valspar’s newest color palette Creative Ideas for Color™.

“Don’t forget about extra touches. Dress the walls and the floors for your traveler to create a welcoming space they can relax in while away from home,” said Melissa Birdsong, vice president of trend, design and brand at Lowe’s. “Peruse our new selection of allen + roth™ drapery panels and hardware, both stylishly designed and sensibly priced. Check out the ultra-soft chenille and jute-blend area rugs from allen + roth arriving at Lowe’s stores now.” Birdsong also recommends “layered lighting: good general lighting overhead plus that all-important bedside table lamp your guest wants to really feel at home.” Placing framed photos of good times spent together, plus a few goodies in their room such as water and fresh holiday snacks won’t hurt either.

Get free advice and learn more from the experts at Lowe’s stores in the United States and Canada, plus how-to videos and more at Lowes.com and LowesCreativeIdeas.com/style, and become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/LowesCreativeIdeas.

About Lowe’s

With fiscal year 2008 sales of $48.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 14 million customers a week at more than 1,675 home improvement stores in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.