The living room is the main room to relax and entertain, but if yours isn’t giving off the right vibes it might be time for a redesign. We have some top tips on how to update your space for less than £1,000.
1. Let in the light
It’s amazing how much larger a room can appear once you let some daylight in. Consider swapping out your curtains for some simple blinds, the lack of fabric will let in more light and they are mostly cheaper than curtains to boot.
2. Maximum impact for minimum effort
Rooms tend to accumulate odds and ends over time which can lead to a room looking cluttered, just a simple clear out of all your unwanted things can have a dramatic effect on a room. Be ruthless, simplicity is key, evaluate everything and clear away everything that’s unnecessary.
3. From the floor upwards
An update to the flooring will change a room in an instant, a new carpet or even better a solid floor will produce a clean, fresh feel. New timber or tile effect laminates are excellent for providing a quick and easy update to a rooms flooring.
4. A new view
Even something as simple as moving around furniture can have a profound effect on the sense of space in a room, try to look at is as objectively as possible. Different sized furniture may be able to utilise the space better, something like moving or removing a door can open up the layout of a room, enabling new possibilities. In a similar vein, moving a radiator, or replacing a horizontal radiator with a vertical one can make a huge difference. If the end game is redecoration, non of these suggestions should be too extreme.
5. Light up
Always consider lighting when undertaking any decorating project, just like with adjusting the curtains, changing the lighting can totally transform a room. Try replacing a shaded light fixture with an un-shaded multi-lamp fitting to brighten and freshen up a room. Installing a dimmer switch will allow you to bring the light level down for a different ambience for the evenings. Where possible try using lighting at different levels to create a layered 3d effect.
6. Change the colour scheme
Start by putting a mood board together before considering picking up a paintbrush, it will help keep you on track with colour balance and pattern, but also with the budget. This is one of the most drastic and effective way to transform a room sp plan it out carefully. Buy nice or buy twice, hardwearing paint is a must and well worth the additional cost. You may save in the short term using standard paint but they will require you to refresh the coat more often so the value for money is not as great as it first appears.
An easy way to achieve a sophisticated look is to install a single panel of wallpaper enclose in a large architrave frame, this can look just as impressive as a whole feature wall at a fraction of the cost as it will only use one roll. Don’t be afraid to splash out on more expensive paper, you’ll be using a small area to make a large statement and because it’s such a small area the extra costs will be negligible, you’d only need one roll, and it would make a massive statement.