If your home is due for a design update but you have a limited budget and even less time, you’re in the right place. We came up with 14 home decor ideas to get you started. With something as simple as an accent wall, colorful light bulb, or new throw pillow, you can make an entire space feel fresh, on-trend but timeless, and refined. The best part? You can tackle each of these decorating ideas in one day, even though the results will look like they took way longer to pull off.
1
FIND ANOTHER SPOT FOR FLOWERS
If you constantly keep a vase of flowers in your kitchen or living room, extend that love for fresh blooms throughout the house. It’s the perfect excuse to invest in a new vase for your bedroom or bathroom. A globe-shaped vase adds a nice bubble detail. Or if the upkeep for real flowers is too much, go for faux alternatives.
2
SWAP OUT ART
Whether you have a few tiny frames—like in this bedroom designed or medium-sized ones on a gallery wall, you can easily swap them out with fresh finds. Tear our pages from a coffee table book, or stop by a flea market for new works.
3
ADD A MIRROR
Place a large mirror above your mantel, or dedicate another empty wall space—whether it’s in your hallway, entryway, or bedroom. Not only will it look good, but it’ll make the room feel bigger and brighter.
4
REFRESH COFFEE TABLE BOOKS
If you can’t resist a good coffee table book, bring a new one into your collection. Or if you keep them in various parts of your home, simply rearrange your stacks for a new look. the four stacks could easily be given a new layout and order using only the books on the table.
5
RE-STYLE A BOOKSHELF
From the inky stained wood to the modern side chair and clean-lined ladder, this home library, is a gorgeous contemporary take on traditional design. You could fill it with books—or you could add in decor accents and accessories like vases and sculptures to break up the monotony of a wall of books. Or, color-coordinate your books. Not only will it feel more cohesive, but if you’ve got a lot of bright colors in your collection, they’ll stand out even more.
6
SET UP A COZY READING SPOT
No designated reading nook? No problem. If your home doesn’t have any leftover real estate to convert into a reading nook, design your formal living room to serve double duty as a cozy lounge area.Strategically chose furniture with fabrics and shapes that are both sophisticated and homey, perfect for entertaining or unwinding alone.
7
DON’T BE AFRAID OF BLACK PAINT
The soft black paint color in this bedroom makes it feel special and intimate in ways you’d never be able to achieve with a lighter hue (this specific shade is Farrow & Ball Railings). The eclectic furniture lends itself nicely to the darkness, too, adding a more lived-in and homey vibe.
8
STYLE AN EMPTY FIREPLACE
Rethink how you style an empty fireplace. In this texture-rich environment, interior the empty fireplace was turned into a little gallery to display pottery and artwork.
9
SET UP A BREAKFAST NOOK
Breakfast with a view? We’re in. This one is country-chic and just a touch rustic but still polished. It also proves you don’t need to have an actual built-in nook to achieve the right vibe.
10
SPRUCE UP YOUR ENTRYWAY
If you don’t have a grand foyer—or you do but it needs some love–introduce a small console table. For a formal yet modern aesthetic, opt for a traditional table and then hang modern abstract art above it. Then lean some portraits against the wall for a laid-back take on the gallery wall.
11
GET INSPIRED BY NATURE
This space is rich with texture, which creates warmth and dimension. There’s also plenty of character even though it’s sticking to a strict color palette. For a similarly inviting and grounded environment, get inspired by nature. Think seagrass, rattan, jute, wood, brushed concrete, and marble.
12
SIMPLY TIDY UP
This probably isn’t what you want to hear since we don’t think of cleaning up as fun, but adding a few pieces that ease organization can make a huge difference. Consider installing coat hooks or bringing in a stylish coat rack coat by the front door. Then place a small folding chair underneath it to sit on when you take off your shoes. This will prevent those dreaded (and previously inevitable) clothing pileups.
13
APPLY ACCENT WALLPAPER
You don’t have to wallpaper your entire room—just pick a wall and accent with it. It’s fast, easy, and makes a big difference.
14
COLOR-BLOCK YOUR WALL
For a graphic statement, color-block your wall. Paint half of it a bold color or opt for two neutral tones. Here, black creeps up about a quarter of the way while the rest is a nice shade of steel gray, creating an understated-yet-unique statement.
