Quick Ways to Refresh Your Living Room

With winter's dreary days quickly disappearing, in its place comes the need to decorate and refresh our home decor. The living room is good candidate for a quick and easy decorating update. It might be fine the way it is, but it just needs to be refreshed for the new season. I'm not talking major remodeling here, but a little change here and there can work wonders to rejuvenate and refresh any space.

Remove or Replace the Living Room Rugs

One of the easiest ways to refresh the living room doesn't involve buying anything. If you have area rugs over wood floors or even over carpeting, roll them up and store them. Just as those area rugs make a room feel warm and cozy for the winter, their removal makes the living room feel cooler and refreshed for the spring and summer. If you prefer some type of rug under foot, then another option is to replace those traditional style area rugs with a cool and casual sisal rug for quick seasonal change.

Paint the Living Room

Stop by a local home improvement store and grab a gallon or two of paint for a refreshing new look for the living room. The cost is minimal and can be a quick weekend project with a huge impact. Try a fresh new color that makes you feel happy. It's just paint and can be easily changed again in a few months. If the living room is currently a dark rich color, go for a pastel, fresh citrus color or even white for a cool summer look.

Buy Slipcovers

Slipcovers can do for your furniture what paint does for the walls. Buy a set of white or off-white cotton canvas slipcovers for a really quick way to refresh your living room decor for the new season. This can become your new tradition to bid winter farewell each year. It's a classic way to refresh the living room and it only takes a few minutes. Now that's what I call a quick change!

Change the Living Room Accessories

Change the living room accessories for a whole new look that's a simple but effective update. If you have lots of dark or rich colored accessories such as candles, vases, picture frames or other trinkets, try replacing those with all white accessories. Another refreshing change is to replace your usual living room knick knacks to those inspired by the sand and sea. And you don't have to live near the ocean to enjoy this look in your home. Gather sea shells or a starfish collection and put them in a beautiful bowl or basket for a coffee table centerpiece.

Maybe you don't want to bother with a seasonal change of accessories. Then try this little trick used by real-estate professionals to make a home feel less cluttered to potential buyers. To instantly refresh the living room, just box up at least half of your accessories. You'll be surprised how light and airy the room will feel by just paring down the items in it.

Add Fresh Flowers and Green Plants

Treat yourself and your living room to fresh flowers and new green plants. Nothing can invigorate and refresh a space faster and easier than live plants. Not only will your living room look better if you strategically place tropical plants throughout the space, but you'll breathe easier. Make it a habit to buy yourself a bouquet of fresh flowers or pick them from your garden. Place them on a table beside a favorite living room chair where you'll enjoy their fragrance every day.

Update Your Home Fragrances Seasonally

While we're on the subject of fragrance, I always change the fragrances I use in my home with the seasons. I tend to gravitate to spicy, woodsy or fruity home fragrances in the winter like cinnamon or apple. For a quick change, I refresh my living room every spring and summer by switching to floral scented candles, potpourri and other air fresheners. When I change the fragrance to lavender, lilac or honeysuckle, it refreshes and totally changes the mood in the room.