Our living rooms are often the centre of our homes. They're where we relax, entertain, unwind, spend time with friends and family, sit down with a good book, enjoy popcorn and a movie, and so much more. They're called living rooms after all!
When you spend so much time in a space, it makes sense that you might be feeling the need to shake things up. If your living room is in need of a makeover but you don't necessarily have the budget for a major overhaul, don't worry. There are dozens of ways to freshen up and breathe new life into your space without having to roll-up all those coins stuck between the couch cushions.
Here are five budget-friendly ways to revamp your living room.
1. Paint an accent wall—or the ceiling!
Sometimes all you need is a little bit of paint to completely revamp a space. There's no need to paint all four walls either. An accent wall can add depth and dimension to a room and transform the vibe from dull to bright, cozy, warm or whatever else you please.
If you're feeling adventurous, accent ceilings have also become popular in recent years. Rather than painting a wall, try painting the ceiling an exciting colour. Teals and ocean colours are trendy this year, as well as greens and earthy tones. Pantone deemed "Greenery" the colour of 2017.
Photo Source: Pinterest
2. Clean up clutter
Look around your living room—does everything you see need to be there? Chances are you've got things lying around that are taking up space and cramping your style. It's time to put clutter in its place. Minimizing the items in a room not only makes the aesthetic more coherent, but it can add serenity to a space. Who doesn't want to feel calm in their living room?
There are many ways you can do this, including:
- Hide unsightly things like cords and controllers in functional storage that adds to your style, such as the trunk pictured above.
- Clear everything off mantels and flat surfaces and truly think about how you'd like to feel in your space. Choose items that mean something to you and/or contribute to your overall aesthetic. Less is more.
- Minimize what you keep on your coffee table, which tends to be a gathering spot in a living room for both people and possessions.
Photo Source: Ideal Home
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3. Rewrite your bookshelves
Are you guilty of having messy bookcases littering your walls with chaos? Good—that means a living room revamp can be as simple as revisiting your bookshelves. The key to a clean-looking space is to not only avoid clutter as mentioned above, but to also curate your belongings so that each item has a place and a purpose.
One way to add visual interest is to wallpaper or paint the back of your bookcases. This can be used as an alternative to an accent wall, especially if you've got multiple bookshelves in your living room. It's also a good opportunity to display your favourite books. To make this work though, you have to avoid cluttering your shelves and hiding the beauty.
Better Homes & Gardens recommends:
- Accessorizing with streamlined vases and metallic décor
- Leave space on shelves to let the accessories shine through
- Use decorative bookends to add interest and support books
Photo Source: Better Homes & Gardens
4. Create a gallery wall
If you have miscellaneous photos and pieces of art lying around, a gallery wall just might be your gateway to a living room face-lift. Gallery walls create a point of interest while also adding personality to your living space.
Gallery walls can be anything you want them to be. You can have an assortment of different frames and photos to create a more boho chic look, or you can create something more streamlined with matching frames or frames of one colour. You can paint frames you already own to save money. You can choose a theme – perhaps all family or travel photos – or a mix of different things from quotes to favourite photos to pieces of art you've collected throughout your life.
In terms of arrangements, you can vary it like in the photo above or you can simply place multiple photos or pieces of art of the same size in a row. There are endless options!
Photo Source: Pottery Barn
5. Reimagine and rearrange
If all else fails, switch everything around. Imagine how the space could be laid out differently and move your furniture around completely. This isn't just budget-friendly way to revamp your living room, it's completely cost-free.
If everything is pressed against a wall, try moving it away from the wall. Use furniture to cleverly divide your living room into different areas—or to bring it all together.
Play around with things until you're happy with the new layout. And don't forget—you can always move things back if it's not quite up to par. Don't be afraid to switch things up. A new living room can be yours in no time.
Photo source: Apartment Therapy
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