You don’t need to redecorate or splash out on new furniture to update your living space – follow our ideas for giving your living room a quick makeover on a budget.

Have a clear-out
Take a bin bag and blitz the room for rubbish. Pay special attention to the mantelpiece where bits and pieces tend to accumulate and remember to check down the back of the sofa (you might even find some cash!).

Next, arm yourself with a box or basket and scour the room a second time for things that aren’t where they belong – toys on the floor, DVDs out of cases, etc. Return the items to the rooms where they belong or throw them away.

Empty an overflowing magazine rack into the recycling bin. Declutter your ornaments and other knick-knacks – get rid of anything that’s outdated or broken. Be ruthless – give away or store sentimental items.

Noticing a difference already?

Get a brighter outlook

Give your windows a good clean so that the sunlight can really stream in. You can make them sparkle using scrunched-up newspaper and a vinegar/water solution. Hoover or wipe down blinds. Wash and iron curtains – or at least spot-clean them and steam to get rid of creases. Replace missing curtain rings or blind hooks so that they hang neatly.

Wake up your walls

Pep up your paintwork or wallpaper by sponging down your walls from ceiling to floor – a good way to refresh the whole look of a room without redecorating. Touch up chipped paintwork on walls or furniture using a tester pot of paint from a DIY shop.

pot plants

Add a splash of colour

Just one new touch such as cushion covers, throws or a rug – can breathe new life into the whole room. Have fun choosing which colours and textures to go for, then go hunting in charity shops or bargain stores. If you’re good with crafts, you could even customise your soft furnishings with embroidery, printing or fabric dye.

Plants and flowers also add colour, lift the atmosphere of a room and are easy to swap around or replace. Try giving the kids responsibility for watering and taking care of them.

A place for everything…

Have a box or basket where bits-and-bobs go – for example, schoolbooks, shoes, letters, keys – get everyone to use it rather than leaving things lying around. Sort out the contents on a weekly basis.

Get arty

Make your own bespoke wall art by finding pictures – or even fabrics – you like and mounting them on picture frames. You could choose an image that has special meaning for you and your family – frame a piece of fabric from some clothing your child has outgrown, or make a photo-collage from a holiday you enjoyed together.

Look for frames in charity shops – find a matching set or go for a vintage-style mix-and-match selection of different sizes and styles.

Let there be lightliving room

Lighting can transform the look and feel of your room. Put an uplighter in the corner of the room to make it appear bigger, or highlight your room’s best feature, such as a pretty fireplace, by placing lights either side.

Mirrors can also open up a space – pick one up in a second-hand shop and hang opposite a window or landscape painting.