6 Living Room Upgrades That Instantly Make Your Home Look Good, Designers Say

Upgrading your living room so that it feels more current and fresh does not need to require spending tons of time and money. Here, three interior designers highlight six of their favorite ways to give a living space a boost in just a few simple steps. In a matter of just a few hours, your living room can boast a totally new and improved feel.

Bring in Some Plants and Flowers

Do not underestimate the power that plants and flowers have in elevating your living room. As it pertains to plants, Kim Liptak especially likes to weave a fiddle leaf fig tree into the living rooms she designs.

“They are elegant and really fill up a space,” Liptak says.

That said, she’s all for going the faux route if you don’t have much of a green thumb—Liptak has learned over time that this type of plant can be difficult to care for properly.

Flowers, whether real or faux, will also make a major statement in any living room, the designer explains. Supplement your blooms with the addition of some branches, too—simply shop your yard for these if you can.

“It’s free and makes a big statement,” she says.

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Switch Out Your Throw Pillows

Bringing some new throw pillows into the mix can take your living room from blah to beautiful, designers say. Liptak likes to source these affordably, noting that big box stores often have great options that will make an impact without breaking the bank.

Embrace the Art of Color Drenching

If you’re choosing to repaint your living room, why not embrace a color drenching moment? Kelly Collier-Clark, the founder of House of Clark Interiors, is all for taking this approach that’s extremely popular these days among designers.

It involves painting the walls, ceiling, and trim of a room using one singular color.

Doing so, Collier-Clark explains, “creates an illusion of expanded space and highlights cohesion.”

Reposition Your Furniture

This living room upgrade is entirely free yet could make all of the difference in how you feel about your space. That’s right—repositioning your furniture and trying out a new configuration can be super impactful, designer Natalie Howe says. ”

Some of the best design changes don’t require spending a dime,” says the founder of Natalie Howe Design. “Move a chair, shift your rug, or reimagine your focal point and watch your space come back to life.”

In doing so, you might also discover opportunities to display certain accessories or hang pieces of art that you’ve been keeping stored away. Continue to shop your home as you tie your newly laid out space together.

Refresh Your Artwork

Speaking of artwork, Howe also recommends redoing the pieces that you have on the wall in order to breathe some new life into the living room.

“You don’t necessarily need new pieces—just rearranging what you have can make the room feel completely different,” she says.

If you’re feeling crafty, you might even wish to take on a DIY project and create your very own abstract or collage to hang up.

And don’t be afraid to think a bit outside the box, she urges, noting that you don’t have to stick to literal framed prints or canvases.

“Try mixing in something unexpected, like a sculptural piece, a small antique, or even a textured object to add depth and personality,” Howe says. “It’s a simple way to give your space new energy.”

Skip the Matching Furniture Set

Designers are always telling us about how tired they are of seeing matching furniture sets in today’s homes. Collier-Clark encourages people looking to refresh their living room to part ways with their matchy-matchy furniture and instead switch things up a bit.

For example, your accent chairs don’t need to be from the same collection as your sofa, she explains. The goal here is to create a “thoughtful, curated aesthetic,” she says.