The Best Ways to Spruce Up Your Living Room in One Day

From time to time we love to feature writer’s who love interior design as much as we do. Let us introduce you to Emma Joyce, an interior design enthusiast from Sydney and the editor-in-chief of the Smooth Decorator (we love a good Sade reference) blog. Emma says, “I just love spicing up my living space and fining new ways to keep with the latest trends.” Music to our ears!

 

After a while, we all need to change certain parts of our lives, and our living room is no exception. No matter what our motivation for such a big change is, there’s something in creating new surroundings and changing our interior. The secret lies in rearranging the furniture, adding something new and boosting the overall look with a few simple upgrades. And here’s how to do it in ONE day.

 

Rearrange the furniture

This is probably the easiest trick ever, but also the most complex one because people often don’t know how to mix their furniture up. If you have enough space to rearrange your furniture and come up with a new layout, try to think of all the times you wished your sofa was in the other corner of the room. The best way to be sure your new layout works is by locating your favourite spot in the entire room, arranging your main seating area there and organising everything else around it.

However, if there’s no space for such a change, swap smaller pieces of furniture to create a sense of something new. Smaller pieces like chairs, floor lamps and coffee tables can be relocated easily and help you with creating a brand new space.

 

 

Clear cluttered areas

You’d be surprised in what ways clutter can transform a room and make it a lot smaller than it actually is. If you wish to avoid that, clear all the surfaces in your living room and remove everything you don’t actually use. If you want to keep something close by, add some additional storage space to hide the clutter and add more options to your living area. There’s always room for storage in hidden parts of the room, or, alternatively, you can use some multi-functional furniture that doubles as storage space.

 

 Shelf x 2 by WeWood

 

Many people like to show off their most prized possessions and display them in their living rooms, but this is just another source of unnecessary clutter. To avoid this, simply create a small display area and rotate what you want to show.

 

1. Tower bookcase by Boca do Lobo

2. Cascando twist coat rack by Cascando

3. Ribbon shelf by Universo Positivo

4. Wrongwoods sideboard by Established & Sons

5. Metal spook storage stool by Universo Positivo 

Tricks with textures

Use blankets to change the look of your furniture without having to reupholster the whole thing. Add a few colourful cushions to create a cozy feeling and boost the look of a tired seat. A favourite of mine, is to layer different trendy rugs to create depth with different materials. 

 

Africa rug by Nanimarquina

Memento rug by Illulian

Gaucho rug by Asiatic

Granada rug by Illulian

A fresh coat of paint

Nothing says makeover better than some new colours and there’s no better place to display a new shade than your walls. You can also find great inspiration in colour-blocking technique on your walls, especially if you want to uplift the whole design and create something new. 

 

 

Plants make the difference

Plants are always a great addition to any room, and they have more benefits than just looking nice. You can create a small area in the corner and add lots of small plants on a coffee table or by the fireplace. Alternatively, if you want to go big, you can add huge plants in colourful flower pots to really emphasise the natural element in your home. Apart from that, creating a green wall is a brilliant idea for a centrepiece of the room. If you’re not an avid plant enthusiast, though, ask your local florist to recommend you some low-maintenance plants instead.

 

 

The main thing to remember is having fun and always keeping the end result in mind. Decorating your living room doesn’t always have to be a long project that will use all of your energy and budget – sometimes it is the simplicity behind your design choices that results in a more stylish vibe.