10 Ways to Refresh a Blah Living Room—Without Spending a Fortune

Give your room the once-over

Before you start redesigning, take a look at your room with a critical eye, looking for problem spots. Is there a lot of clutter that’s making your space feel too busy? Are your couch cushions falling flat (literally!)? Is your paint color not doing it for you?

Figure out what’s bugging you the most, so you know where to focus your design efforts.

Rearrange your furniture

Get ready for a workout! A new furniture arrangement could be the answer to your blah living room. “Rearranging your floor plan can give a space a fresh perspective and make you look at what you already have in a new way,” says Liz Goldberg, founder and creative director of CAROLYNLEONA.

Try a fresh coat of paint

Across the board, the designers we spoke with all sang the praises of a coat of paint as a best-bang-for-your-buck change you can make fast.

And as for the color? White was the overwhelming choice. “We are big fans of picking a creamy, white paint for your room and painting the walls, ceiling, and trimwork all the same color but in different finishes,” Goldberg says. “We like flat on the walls if there is not a lot of traffic, or eggshell when you have high foot traffic space or kids running around.”

Galey Alix of Galey Alix Design recommends Sherwin-Williams Pure White in particular. “The key is to order your paint in the flat finish—it brightens up your room instantly, elevates your walls by removing any sheen, and this particular color is the truest white I’ve found. It doesn’t pull blue, gray, yellow, or pink in different lighting settings, which is hard to come by in the world of white paint!”

Refresh your furniture

If your furniture has seen better days—whether you have sagging cushions, dirty or threadbare covers, or scratched or chipped paint—that’ll make your living room look uninviting and tired. Lily Li, senior design consultant at BoConcept, recommends fluffing or rotating the cushions regularly to help them keep their shape, and giving upholstered furniture a steam clean or run the slipcovers through the wash to give them a refresh.

If the wear is impossible to disguise, but you aren’t ready to give up the sofa, consider a slipcover. “Slipcovering a worn sofa in a fresh neutral—like a crisp linen or a textured cotton—can completely transform the largest piece in the room,” says Vyanca Soto, owner and principal designer at Market Studio Interiors in Fullerton, California.

Mix in a new piece of furniture

You don’t have to splurge on all new furniture—just bringing in a single new piece (even if it’s borrowed from another room) can be enough to give your room a fresh look. “Rooms often feel dated when an entire collection is purchased from a store rather than mixing pieces for a personalized look,” Goldberg says. “We love a room that does not feel too matchy-matchy—ideally two different sofas and a coffee table that is not identical to the side table.” 

Don’t be afraid to go in a different direction from what you already have in your living room. “Today’s spaces are all about unique pieces layered with different textures and tones,” says Thea Bloch-Neal, founder and lead designer of Curated by Thea. “Think boucle, stripes, velvet, and rich hardwoods.”

Ditch the rug

Rugs are the first place where wear often shows up, especially if you have kids and pets, Alix says. If your rug has seen better days, you can ditch the area rug, or consider replacing or removing the wall-to-wall carpeting.

No money for a new stretch of carpet (or updated flooring)? “A great cost cost-effective way to update a carpeted living room without spending the money to remove and replace it would be to add an area rug on top of your existing carpet,” Alix says. “There’s nothing wrong with placing a rug over it, as it immediately breathes new life into the room and helps define the area better.”

Rearrange and refresh your collections

Your living room won’t feel finished without a few pieces of art or other collections. But your displays may be a little tired at this point. Goldberg recommends grouping together a set of a certain item—like beautiful books or a set of globes—for a high-impact display.

And don’t be afraid to “shop around” in other rooms in your house—your favorite seashells from a vacation could be just the accent your coffee table needs. “Sometimes simply restyling what you already own can make a big difference,” Li says.

Rethink your accessories

If you can’t swing a big update, refreshing the small touches like throw pillows, curtains, or throws can be surprisingly effective at refreshing your space. “Swapping out tired throw pillows for modern, textured options—think stonewashed linens, tonal boucles, or subtle patterns—immediately refreshes the space, and it’s the fastest way to make a room feel collected and modern,” Soto says.

Upgrade your lighting

Overhead lighting is definitely considered dated, so springing for new lamps can be a game changer. “Lighting is crucial,” Bloch-Neal says. “Focus on layering softer accent lighting instead. Distinctive table lamps and floor lamps not only improve the atmosphere, but also serve as sculptural design elements that make a big impact.”

Declutter thoughtfully

It may just be a case of too much stuff, too little space that’s making your living room feel blah. “Editing is everything,” Soto says. “Often, it’s not about adding more, it’s about subtracting the right things. Take a fresh eye to your space and ask: what feels heavy, fussy, or disconnected? Clearing visual clutter, introducing negative space, and carefully layering a few thoughtful, tactile pieces gives a room breathing room, and that’s what makes a home feel modern, personal, and luxuriously effortless.”