Last Updated on March 6, 2025 by Tanya Janse van Rensburg
All of us have had that moment when we walk into our living rooms and quickly realize that is needs a refresh.
Here are a few ways to bring new life into your living room, without having to break the bank.
The first thing you should do is to recover and varnish your furniture.
While choosing one of the many designer sofa and lounge suites is definitely an option, you can also give your furniture a fresh new look without replacing it.
Reupholstering your furniture is fairly easy, and giving all the wood in your living room a fresh lick of varnish would only take a few hours.
This will make your furniture look like new and immediately improve your living room.
When it comes to painting, there are two routes you can take.
The first one is simply giving your living room walls a fresh layer, and getting rid of any marks, dirt, or peeling that it may have.
Paint can also discolor over time, even if you clean it regularly.
You can also take the leap and repaint a wall and create an accent wall.
Not only will this bring some color into the space, but it can also make a focal point that grabs the eye and adds some depth to the room.
Adding some artwork to your living room is another quick and easy step you can take to add a layer of interest to the space.
Whether it be pieces you find at an antique store, or ones you buy at an auction, art is great at changing the look and feel of your space.
Sometimes, the only thing you need to do to make your living room feel new and fresh is to just change the furniture around.
More often than not, the itch you feel to change your space will most definitely be scratched with a bit of rearranging.
Lighting plays a massive role in how a room looks and feels. It can set the mood, it can make a space feel sterile, and it can make it feel super cozy.
Because lighting has so much power, it could be the exact thing you need to change.
The best type of lighting is the kind that doesn’t require your bright, overhead lights. Instead, purchase a lamp or two and place them around the space to take the coziness to the next level.
You shouldn’t overlook the difference you can make by changing the handles, switches, and knobs around your living room.
Whether it be on drawer units, your doors, or your wall light switches, they can easily be upgraded and changed.
This is also a very affordable change, as you have a very good chance of finding incredible hardware at secondhand and antique stores, for a fraction of the cost.
There is arguably no better way to make your living room feel fresh than by adding something that makes the air fresh.
House plants add color, and great smells, clean your air, and will make your room feel light and airy.
Plants are particularly great for those who live in colder and darker countries, such as the UK, as they bring a bit of the outdoors inside and can break up the dreary colors of an overcast day.
Many designers will agree that centerpieces are not only brilliant ways to add some chic sophistication to a space, but it is also an easy way to refresh your living room.
Plus, there is a good chance you won’t have to buy anything to make it happen.
A centerpiece is simply a piece of furniture, art, plant, coffee table, or anything in between that you use as the main focus of your room.
For instance, a well-curated bookshelf can be a centerpiece, and can add a new dimension to your space.
Your curtains or blinds are probably another part of your living room that you haven’t changed in a while.
Not only do they get worn out and dirty, but the faded color or damage can age a space in an instant.
Instead, rip down your old curtains and put up a new set, or remove your blinds and get something a bit more modern.
If you don’t want to get rid of your blinds or curtains, take an afternoon to give them a wash and scrub to refresh them.
Finally, while it isn’t as fun as some of the other tips on this list, a deep clean can make a world of difference.
From deep cleaning your carpets to dusting and scrubbing every surface you can reach, a clean is almost as good as a brand-new living room.
Take a day to remove everything from your shelves to dust, move furniture to vacuum underneath it all, clean your windows, and everything in between.
You will shock yourself at how fresh and substantially better your living room will look and feel after a few hours of cleaning.
Refreshing your living room doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. Simple updates like rearranging furniture, adding plants, or changing curtains can instantly transform the space.
Whether you choose to repaint, upgrade hardware, or introduce cozy lighting, these small changes create a big impact.
With just a little effort, you can give your living room a fresh, stylish look that feels brand new.
Start today and enjoy a space that truly reflects your style!
