Inexpensive & Easy Ways to Update Your Apartment Living Room

Looking for simple ways to update your living room with a small budget? There is an endless supply of ideas to give simple, inexpensive updates to your living room to give it a fresh breath of life. For anyone who loves to design and decorate, then you’ll love some of these easy changes you can make in your living room. If you are living in one of our Aspen Square apartment communities, we always want you to feel like you can make your apartment a home. Decorate to make it yours, but if you plan on painting or making any big changes, always check your lease agreement first.

New Throw Pillows

Have a few throw pillows in your apartment? Change them out seasonally to help decorate. From bright and colorful for Spring, to warm and cozy for Fall, dressing up your apartment could be as simple as changing out throw pillows! Not only are they cute and relatively inexpensive, but they’re also comfy.

Swap Out Lampshades

Another easy switch you can make to your apartment is switching out the lampshades. This doesn’t mean you have to invest in new lighting, which can get expensive, but just purchase a new lampshade or do a little DIY to decorate your current one. Either way, something as simple as changing out your lampshade give a whole new life to your space.

Floating Bookshelves

Have limited space for furniture but want to decorate with some nick-knacks you’ve collected over the years? Install some simple floating shelves for a modern look, which will also give yourself a place to display some décor! Whether it’s books, art, or nick-knacks, floating shelves will allow you to decorate in a unique way without taking up floor space.

Statement Wall

Having an apartment can sometimes make you feel like you’re limited in what you’re allowed to do to decorate. Before you paint your walls, always look at your lease agreement, but we have an even better solution than painting! Create a statement wall in your living room with removable wallpaper. The styles you can choose from are endless, and the best part is the wallpaper doesn’t damage the wall and it’s super easy to remove if you ever choose to move out!

Photo Wall

Create a wall of photos in your apartment to add visual interest and to make it homier. The photos can be of you, your friends, pets—anything! Get creative when it comes to designing your wall of photos, and if you ever get stuck, just look to Pinterest for inspiration!

Re-Finish Furniture

If you’re a DIY fan, then give your furniture new life by refinishing them! Something as simple as re-finishing a side table or coffee table can give old and worn furniture an entirely fresh new look. It would be as simple as sanding down the wood and re-painting or staining. While projects like this can take a little more time and effort, the result will be well worth it.

Change the Furniture Layout

Sometimes all your living room needs is a little shift. Literally. Rearrange the furniture in your living room to try out a few different layouts. You’ll be surprised to learn how many different options there are once you get things moving. Once you find something new that works, it will feel like an entirely new home.

New Curtains

Curtains can dress up an entire space! Redesigning your space could be as simple as buying new curtains. With many styles, colors, and textures to choose from, the possibilities are endless. If your space feels small and stuffy, create an illusion of higher ceilings with longer curtains that hang above the window and drape down to the floor.

Add Greenery

Bring the brightness and lightness of outdoors inside with some simple greenery! Try out a small potted plant here or there to brighten the space. If you’re not known for a green thumb, an easy solution is to plant succulents, which require less care and maintenance. If you still don’t feel confident in your ability to keep plants alive, fake plants can still get the job done without any of the worry.

Couch Covers

Sick of your old couch but don’t have the budget to purchase a new one? Try slip-on couch covers. These will not only protect your couch, but if you find one you love, you can also use it to give your couch a face lift and look brand new all over again.

Organize Clutter with Baskets

We all collect...stuff. There are probably some days when your living room might be clean and then other days when it just...isn’t. Help reduce the amount of clutter in your home by purchasing decorative baskets that can collect your things and have them hidden away until they need to be used.

Decorate Your Bookshelf

Another fun furniture DIY is to decorate the back panel of your bookshelf. Simply remove all the shelves and paint, or put wallpaper, on the back panel. From there put the shelves back on, books back into place, and you have an entirely new piece to lighten up the room!

Arrange Books by Color

Speaking of books...have you ever tried to arrange them by color before? Sort your books by the color of their spine and then arrange them on your shelf into a rainbow. Sorting by color makes the shelf look organized and fun! It might even be a conversation starter when you have guests over.