Spending extra time at home can leave you itching to make some changes to your living space. The great thing is that you don’t need to undertake a major renovation to get a whole new look or feel to your space. Changing one part of your space or restyling an area can yield a great new interior and refresh the way you feel about it. Even better, this can often be done by shopping what you already have, or with the addition of just a few modest items or DIY projects. Pick one of these and give it a try. It’s always nice to have renewed joy in your living space!

Jazz up an Empty Fireplace

When not being used regularly, the fireplace is just a dark hole in the living room. You don’t need to live with a black gaping maw in the off-season. Filling the empty space can liven up the area and add visual interest. Here, it’s chock full of wood, which gives it a rustic look. You can always fill the space with a candle arrangement that adds atmosphere when you don’t want the warmth of a fire. Other options are placing plants at the front of the space, use a painted panel to add color or a fanciful decorative one to cover the hole. It all depends on the style of the room and the kind of look you want.

Restyle The Bookcase

Restyling your bookcase is another great way to alter the look of a room without spending much — if any — money. This can be done in a wide range of ways. If the shelves are completely full of books, lighten the look by emptying some of the spaces and adding decorative accessories, a few framed photos or other mementos. Or, when the shelf is completely full of all arts of items, you can give it a more streamlined and uncluttered look by using decorative baskets, boxes or bins to corral smaller items and create some open space. the most pleasing arrangement is one that includes a variety of items and a certain amount of clear space. The best thing is if you tire of the look or decide you don’t like it, all you have to do is move things around again.

Refresh Your Entryway

The entryway is the first place people see and a spot you regularly pass through, so you want it to be inviting and functional, as well as pleasing to the eye. Depending on how much space you have, adding a seating element or a table for plants or fresh flowers is an ideal way to liven things up. If you have an overhead ceiling light, swapping it out for a more dramatic pendant or small chandelier is a very eye-catching addition. You can do this if even the light is not directly over the center of the space, and this photo is a great example.

Swap Out Throw Pillows

There’s a reason that swapping out the throw pillows is on virtually every list for was to freshen up decor: It’s a fast, fuss-free way to change the accent color in a space or just alter the feel of the room. This sofa in the 2020 Kips Bay Show House in Palm Beach has pillows covered in various prints. They could easily be substituted with options in bold teal solids and prints that would emphasize the wall color instead, or pick up on the maroon shade in the carpet to a great degree. Each would alter the look significantly.

Declutter

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard this one too, but clutter is often a major reason for being unhappy with a living space. For most people, things tend to be a certain way for a longer period of time and the “stuff” starts to be a constant presence. Clearing surfaces and areas of all the accessories, books, magazines or other belongings is a good way to start. Then put back only what absolutely needs to be there. If there are items that must be conveniently at hand, try to find ways conceal them, such as in cabinets, boxes or baskets. You don’t have to be minimalistic, just be thoughtful about what you put out and why.

Go Minimal

As we just said, you don’t have to minimal, but it certainly is the ticket to a clean and uncluttered space. Moreover, it doesn’t have to go modern to be a minimalist. Any type of style can be done with a minimalist hand. It’s all about being judicious and keeping the volume of small items to a minimum, as this transitional living room demonstrates: The furniture is comfortable, a little on the formal side, and yet there’s nothing fussy in the room to make it feel cluttered.

Move the Art Around

Just because your favorite painting has hung over the sofa for years doesn’t mean it would look great hanging in the entryway or the bedroom. In turn, putting a gallery wall or wall sculpture over your sofa could transform the vibe of the living room as well as offer a chance to highlight other pieces that you already own. Decorating inertia often sets in and we tend to leave art pieces where we originally put them, but shifting things around can totally make space feel new.

Add a Lamp

Most people don’t have nearly enough type of light in a room so adding a lamp of some type not only creates another layer of illumination but it also adds atmosphere. Whether you add a table lamp, reading light or a floor lamp will depend on the space and what you’re trying to achieve, but it will definitely make spending time in the room more comfortable when you have better illumination.

Edit a Collection and Put it on Show

Lots of people collect things and they usually want to display them too. It’s generally not a good idea to display everything all at once if the collection is large, but a carefully edited selection can help you highlight your favorites and create an interesting decor element at the same time. Items are most often displayed on shelves, but you can also be creative in devising a display space. These cobalt blue pieces of Pieper Glass have been artfully arranged in a special framed box that shows them off like the works of art they are.

Incorporate a Natural Element

Any style of decor can benefit from a natural touch, especially as the weather turns cooler because these are the items that help inject a little coziness. A space that doesn’t have a connection to the natural world in some way can often feel a little cold or sterile. A touch of nature can be something really textural like a cushion with an organic vibe, some sport of basket, rustic wood piece or a pot of greenery. What you choose can take many forms but the bottom line is that it somehow connects you to the natural world.

Set up a Reading Nook

It doesn’t take much to set up a cozy reading area. All you need is a corner or alcove, a comfortable chair — or chaise — a little side table and light good enough for reading. If you have a dark corner of the room, you’ll want to include a floor lamp or other light source. This is a great way to create a cozy space and probably make better use of a neglected corner in your home.

Spruce up the Powder Room

Most powder rooms are pretty basic, but there are ways to amp up the decor, even if you’re stuck with builder-grade or outdated fixtures. Try adding an interesting mirror in a different shape or with an ornate frame. Change out the standard ceiling light for a statement chandelier to really make an impression on guests. Also, the powder room is a great place to try out the large-scale wallpaper prints that are currently all the rage. It’s a smaller space so changing it again later won’t break the bank.

Any of these ideas for refreshing your home can yield quick results and help you fall back in love with your home. Just try one and see. We bet you’ll end up trying more of these upgrades!