For many of us, our living room is the place we spend a large portion of our time when we are at home. Whether we are cuddled up watching Netflix or Dish TV, playing cards with the children on the floor, or entertaining friends with a glass (or two) of wine, it’s a well-used space, and sometimes it might end up feeling a little worn down. Here are some easy things you can do to upgrade your living space.
Light it up
The light in a room can really bring it to life. There are a few changes you can make to the lighting in your living room. For example, if you use LED bulbs, they have a much longer lifespan and you won’t have to change them as often, plus you can choose whether you have a warm or cool-toned bulb. Adding a floor lamp, or a cosy lamp on a side table can create a different mood, and it can cost very little to swap out the boring plastic light switch plates for something a little more stylish.
A gallery wall
Your living room should show off your personality and one of the best ways to do that is through family photographs. A gallery wall can make a really striking focal point on a wall and allows you to display an array of photos of friends and family, or perhaps your favourite prints of landscapes and quotes in a way that looks fun and eye catching.
Upgrade your soft furnishings
You might not be able to afford a whole new sofa and coffee table, but you can switch out your cushions, throws and make your own curtains to give the room a completely different vibe. You might want to go with something neutral, or light and airy, or perhaps you like the idea of bold colours and patterns that you can swap out in different seasons. It’s a cheap and easy way to inject some personality and colour into a blank canvas.
In fact, you can do exactly the same with your sofa. No, not by buying a whole new one every few months, but with loose sofa covers! Despite the name, these aren’t actually ‘loose’ as such – they’re actually made-to-measure, so they can be fitted very neatly over your sofa, and changed or removed whenever you like. Getting sofa covers in a few different shades and styles allows you to change the look of your sofa throughout the year to match the changing seasons.
A lick of paint
A coat of paint on the walls can make all the difference, even if it’s just refreshing the paint that’s already on the wall and has gotten a little grubby. These neutral, timeless shades are stunning and subtle enough for a whole room, but beautiful enough to work as a feature wall if you don’t want to commit to all four walls of colour. Painting your skirting boards and any moulding is also something that makes a huge difference when it’s done and shouldn’t take too long. You could even consider a matte paint instead of a gloss for a more modern look.
Investing in your living room is an investment into “you-time” and a room you spend so much of your life in. You can mix and match all these ideas, or if you do all four, you will be left with a room that is almost unrecognisable, but without maxing out your credit card.
*This is a collaborative post.
