The living room is typically the heart of the house. It's considered the family room, the relaxing room, and the room to receive visitors. And since it has to live up to all of that, it is usually considered one of the most well-furnished rooms of the house. But sometimes even when you have a nice living room, you can feel like something is off. These are some of the most inexpensive ways to give your living room a quick upgrade.
Rearrange the Furniture
If your room is matching well with similar colors and you're happy with the furniture, you don't have to go out and buy more. The simplest and least expensive thing you can do is change it around a little bit. Living rooms in particular are supposed to have a “focal point”, a place where all the furniture is facing. It could be towards a television set if you spend a lot of time watching that during your down time, or the pieces could all be facing the center of the room to make it feel more open and sociable.
If that's still not the issue, it could be as simple as changing the position of some other pieces. Any bookshelves, coffee tables, desks, plants, or other pieces can be switched up every now and then to see what kind of effect it has on the room. A little extra touch can go a long way with that as well. For instance, if you've got particularly long and flowing curtains, tying them up so that they're not in the way may give a more structured appearance to the rest of the room. Small things like this may give you that something extra you've been looking for without spending a dime.
Paint or Play with Colors
It's easy to want to keep your room the same for long periods of time, but a fresh coat of paint or a pop of color can be just what you need in the room. Changing a room's color can have numerous effects, including making it feel smaller or bigger, and possibly changing how you feel when you walk into it. However, that doesn't mean you should change the colors completely if you're happy with how it looks now. If you have a strong base already, such as neutrals or one dominant color in the room, you could try adding some small complementary tones for a well-balanced look. For example, if you have a lot of white or gray in your living room, then adding colors such as blue, purple, red, or brown can mix well with your decor. You could change something as simple as the cushions on your sofa or the shades on your lamps for this kind of effect, it doesn't have to be something major right from the start.
In addition, using wallpaper has the added bonus of providing texture or patterns. If you're perfectly happy with the colors in your room, then this may be the fix you're looking for instead. Again, it doesn't have to be something eye-catching or commanding. Maybe get the same color as your current walls but with some soft flower patterns, or vertical stripes to complement the room as you see fit.
Add a Fireplace
Fireplaces may not seem like an inexpensive way to update your living room, but with the large variety on the market, you easily can find one that fits your budget. They can easily make your room look more put together, regardless of which one you choose. The gas log fireplace is always a popular option, or you can look at electric or wood burning depending on the fuel you want to use. You can even get them to hang on your wall, or cozy up in a corner if you don't have the room for a full heater. So if you think that you don't have the space or budget for the traditional full heater, you can still have one that works in your room.
Not every fireplace needs to be attached to a chimney today, and some only need to be attached to a wall for ventilation depending on the type you choose. That's common with free-standing options, which are small and lightweight to give you the freedom to move it around as you see fit. After all, if it won't be permanent, you should be able to move it as freely as anything else in your home.
