Not sure where to begin with your coffee table update?
Favorite books, fresh flowers, and treasured travel mementos all are fashionable contenders.
Contain Clutter
A little storage can go a long way in updating your living room.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Use spare oversized glass containers for office supplies or small toys.
Large baskets or boxes conceal papers and magazines in style.
Stack them in a bookshelf for easy access that saves on floor space.
Credit: Jay Wilde
Update Artwork
Stuck in a style rut?
Simply swap out your living room’s photographs or paintings.
This is an easy way to get an updated look with little effort.
Take this room, for example.
A bright patterned area rug incorporates style underfoot.
To create dimension in size, color, and texture, layer a smaller rug on anoversized area rug.
A sofa slipcover and contemporary art put the finishing touches on the refresh.
Instead of heading to the store,rethink your living room furniture arrangement.
Start by ditching the norms.
Credit: Paul Costello
Pull your sofa away from the wall or bring your wicker patio furniture inside.
Slipcover a Sofa
Living room decorating ideas don’t need to revolve around dated furniture.
Asimple slipcoverin a neutral color gives your space a blank slate for stylish accessories.
If you’re feeling creative, consider dip-dying the slipcover for a modern ombre effect.
For an eye-catching look.
pile the couch high with colorful pillows in different sizes and textures.
Credit: Nathan Kirkman
Punch Up Throw Pillows
Modernize your living room in an afternoon with throw pillows.
Keep seasonal pillows related to the holidays in storage until you should probably make a swap.
Organize Bookshelves
Consider rearranging your bookshelves for a no-cost living room refresh.
For loose symmetry, gather a variety of collectibles in a similar color scheme and place them between books.
Other options include arranging your books by color and presenting collections in groups of three.
Reupholster a Chair
Updated living room decor starts with the textiles.
Credit: Annie Schlechter
In this case, a cozy armchair was in serious need of a new look.
With good bones, a worn chair can easily be rescued through reupholstery.
Pick a fun fabric and use your creativity to give flea market finds a modern look.
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Save scraps or leftover upholstery fabricthey can be used for curtains, a pillowcase, or framed as artwork.
To brighten a dark living room, consider swapping existing bulbs with LED versions.
Toset an ambient mood, choose a floor lamp with a drum shade that evenly distributes soft light.
Credit: Nathan Schroder Photography
For targeted lightingsomething you may want in a reading nookfind a fixture that directs light to one area.
Update Window Treatments
You don’t need brand-new blinds to upgrade your living room’s window treatments.
Improve existing curtains with a pom-pom trim, a contemporary paint treatment, or ombre dye.
Credit: Annie Schlechter
Or try your hand atcustom striped curtainsorDIY Roman shades.
Even new tiebacks can renew the look of your curtains.
Small changes in updating decor can make all the difference at an affordable cost.
Try a Nailhead Trim
Add sophistication and a traditional touch to your living room with nailhead trim.
