With just a dash of effort, a pinch of rearranging, and a sprinkle of new décor, you have a recipe for rejuvenating your living space. Check out our helpful living room update ideas below, and then decide which ones you want to try today — you’ll love how quickly and easily your living room makeover will come together.
Lay Down a New Area Rug
Laying down a new rug can instantly refresh a space. A large oriental rug can deliver some traditional formality to the living room, while natural-grass sisal and jute usher in coastal calmness. Geometric glam is a welcome addition when you include a boldly striped or chevron-printed floor covering. You can layer or overlap rugs for an even bigger statement.
For more advice about rug sizing and placement, visit our Area Rug Size Guide.
Toss Around Throw Pillows
You can transform the look of a sofa, or a space, with little to no effort by adding throw pillows in various colors, patterns, and textures. Add texture with woven designs in a monochromatic color scheme, or create an ombre look by arranging pillows from light to dark along your sofa. Inject some seasonality into your living room with pillows in themes and colors representative of the season. The same principles work with throw blankets, too.
Curate a Collection
Hang a grouping of vintage-style maps on the wall, or line up glass paperweights along your media cabinet. Arrange chunky candles in the same color — but different heights — on your coffee table. Stick with decor in the same color or material family — think creams, whites, and beiges together or metal with metal.
Go Green — Literally
Treat yourself to a vibrant bouquet from the local farmers’ market, or choose to add some lush houseplants to your interior space. Peace lilies, dieffenbachia, philodendrons, and dracaena can transport you to the tropics. Even a few thoughtfully positioned pots of succulents can change the feel of your living room.
Supply Some Little Libraries
Books have a special way of warming up a space. Create piles or pyramids of books in varying heights for visual interest on your coffee table. For an on-trend focal point, arrange books by color in a bookcases or turn your books backwards, with the spine facing inward for a more neutral effect. You can even get creative and stack books in a non-functioning fireplace.
Try a New Arrangement
Rearranging your living room furniture layout lets you visualize the space in ways you might not have thought of. Pull your sofa away from the wall to create a cozy seating area instead of pushing it up against the wall. Try setting larger furniture pieces, like chairs and accent tables, on angles so everything isn’t parallel and perpendicular when you rearrange — this can add some organic flow to the space.
Hang Curtains
Need an easy way to add color or patterns to your space? Hang up fresh curtains in a color palette or fabric you love! While natural light is important to the aesthetic appeal of any space, stylish window treatments can quickly transform a space in a big, bold way. Try voluminous taffeta for extra elegance, or go for light canvas to add some seaside flair.
Dress the Walls
Create a statement-making accent wall using paint, art, or shelves to up the style in any family room space. Even one dazzling new piece of art — or a painting you bring in from another room in the house — can set a new scene in the living room. If you want to promote a relaxing vibe in the living room, go for abstract artwork in soothing neutral tones. For budget-friendly wall art, create a gallery wall by framing and hanging personal photos. No matter how you choose to decorate your walls, just make sure it appropriately fits the wall.
Whether you try one or try them all, these simple living room updates only require a few accessories and your unique interior design perspective to up your living room’s overall design.
