If you watch HGTV you might think it takes a minimum of 4 weeks and thousands of dollars to make any kind of significant impact on your living room. Yes, there are lots of homeowners going that route but there are simple and fast ways to upgrade your living room in just a single weekend. If you’re looking around and feel your space needs a makeover, keep reading.
5 Ways to Upgrade Your Living Room in Just a Weekend!
1/ Rearrange your Furniture to Create a New Look
SOURCE: Kelly Nan
When was the last time you took a really good look at your furniture arrangement? We decide where it should go normally when we’re under pressure. Either we just had new furniture delivered or we’ve moved homes and the movers are anxiously waiting to hear where to put everything. We make this super important decision and we never stop to question if it could use an upgrade.
If your furniture isn’t in the best position, just this simple change will have a massive impact on the room. Next time you walk into your living room take a look and try to envision the space with nothing at all. Where would you put the largest piece of furniture? If it’s different from what you’re living with, give this method a try. It’s possible that you could create a brand new space in just a day.
2/ Change your Artwork for an Instant Update
SOURCE: Hunker
You might be tempted to scroll past this one if you’re on a budget but stick around. There’s a huge impact that can come from art. Aside from a full renovation, nothing else will be as impactful in helping to upgrade your living room.
Put aside your panic because we’re not talking about original oil paintings or custom photography. There are lots of great resources for buying art that is affordable. You can start by looking at your local HomeSense where I’m always amazed at the great pieces they have in all shapes and sizes. If that’s not it then head over to Etsy. Here you can buy original pieces or vintage pieces and all at prices that are easy on the budget. This is a great resource for you if you have frames that are still in good shape but need an update of the art itself. A lot of the artwork is sold as digital downloads so you buy and receive your art instantly. You have to send it to a printer but that’s the only real expense and you’ll be able to purchase, print and upgrade your living room quickly and affordably.
3/ Paint One or All of the Walls
SOURCE: Haneens Haven
Paint is one of the most affordable and quickest ways to dramatically change your living room. In case you didn’t know, we’re moving away from all the neutral colours we’ve been living with and the world of colour is now at our doorsteps. If you’re ready and excited to embrace this new trend, the living room is a great place to start. I’ve written an entire blog post about the best dark paint colours for your living room which you can read here.
If you’ve got all your paint and supplies ready to go you can paint the entire living room in just a weekend. Even if you’re not quite ready to go all the way with a new colour you can change the look just by adding paint on a single wall.
If you’re just adding colour to one wall be sure that colour exists somewhere in the space already. You want it to blend into the space rather than sticking out. Pull colours from your artwork, your area rug or your decor.
4/ Focus on Decor
SOURCE: Retro Flame
One of the things I see often in client homes is that they decorated their spaces but stopped when it was 80% complete. It’s usually the decor items that become either too time consuming or just plain confusing. If that’s you, I want you to commit to finishing your space. An afternoon shopping trip is all it’ll take to get the job done.
The best tip I have is to always buy twice as much as you think you need. The chances are you’ll use it all but if not, you can return the few pieces you don’t use. I bet if your living room doesn’t have enough decor items you’ll find a spot for those leftover pieces somewhere else in your home.
Focus on pillows and throws for big impact. If you want to completely change the colour scheme when you upgrade your living room, this will help. You can keep all your large furniture pieces and just upgrade those pops of colour. It’ll look like a new space when you finish.
NEED HELP WITH HANGING ART IN YOUR SPACE? READ THIS POST
5/ Go For an Injection of Colour
SOURCE: Pinterest
If your space is too neutral and you want to add some personality maybe it’s time for an injection of colour. The easiest way to do that is through your window coverings or area rug. Since these are both significant in your space you’ll see a massive change when you upgrade them. You don’t have to go completely bold to make a statement. A neutral background with a bit of bold colour is all it takes to give your living room a new personality.
6/ Add Wallpaper
SOURCE: Etsy
Regardless of whether you own or rent, you can add wallpaper to a living room for a massive upgrade and huge injection of drama. Wallpaper has been popular for so long and it’s not going anywhere so you’re safe to give it a go. If you can’t use regular wallpapers there are so many amazing removable papers now. They go on easily and come off without damaging the walls underneath.
If you’re considering a delicate wallpaper like seagrass you should invest in a wallpaper hanger as this isn’t a DIY job. Many others are suitable as DIY projects although you will need at least 2 people to tackle this one.
7/ Change out the Decor on your Coffee Table
SOURCE: Edition Noire
You definitely won’t need a whole weekend for this one. If you’re looking for a quick fix, try giving your coffee table a makeover. An item that holds a big punch is coffee table books.
Go for something large with a bold spine. You don’t want subtlety or the statement will be lost. The book becomes the anchor for the rest of the decor items. Now you can add a candle, some flowers and a couple of small items. See how quickly the room is transformed with such little effort? Give it a try and see how you do.
8/ Switch Out Your Light Fixtures or Lamps
SOURCE: Studio McGee
If you moved into a home and inherited the light fixtures it might be time to ask yourself whether you like them or not. When we’re in the midst of a big move we don’t have time to take on projects that aren’t urgent. And suddenly we’re just living with these things that we just don’t love. You can change the entire look and feel of a room by switching up the fixtures. Or start slowly and change your lamps first. Either way, when you purchase with intention the room will shift into a style you love.
I hope you have some ideas about how to upgrade your living room this weekend. It doesn’t always have to be big and bold. Sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest impact.
If you need help designing your home or your away-from-home-home, contact me to discuss how I can help.
If you know your design style but you struggle with which paint to use, take a look at my Made-For-You paint palettes. They take the guesswork out and give you the confidence to get started.
