How to Change Up Your Living Room (and Why You Should)

If you’re like most people, you spend the majority of your time at home in or around the living room. But you also leave your living room completely unchanged for prolonged periods of time. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you remain stuck in a stagnant environment for too long, it can start to take a psychological toll on you.

The solution is to periodically introduce new changes to your living room, so you have something fresh and interesting to engage with. But how can you do this? And why is it so important?

How to Change Up Your Living Room

There are many viable ways to make changes to your living room, but these are some of the most common:

• Rearrange the furniture. Never underestimate the power that furniture arrangement can have on a room. Sometimes, shifting your couches and tables just slightly can instantly make your room feel like it’s more inviting, or that it has more space. And if you move all the furniture in your living room, it will almost instantly feel like a brand-new room. Give it a try and see for yourself.
• Change the furniture. Of course, if you’re getting tired of the furniture you already have, you can also make some upgrades as a mode of change. Get rid of the old pieces of furniture you’re sick of, and invest in something that better fits your style (or is more comfortable).
• Invest in new art. Next, invest in some new art to hang on your walls. One of your best options here is to purchase canvas prints of your favorite artwork; you could even get a canvas print of a favorite family photograph. The texture and resolution of canvas can make any image more vibrant, and because the possibilities are limitless, you can add any type of image you want to your room.
• Paint the walls. Are you bored of looking at the same color all the time? Why not paint the walls? Even high-quality paint is relatively inexpensive, allowing you to paint even a large room for less than $100 (assuming you’re willing to put in the time). Consider adding distinctive highlights and contrasts to make the room pop even more. Plus, if you decide you don’t like it, you can always paint it a different color in the future.
• Install new lighting. Next, consider installing new lighting. You’ll have a variety of options here, depending on what you already have. For example, you can install specific spotlights to highlight a specific piece of furniture or special location within the living room, or you can install softer, more radiant or ambient light. You can also install different colored LEDs to make the room (or certain areas of the room, like the TV or mantle) even more unique.

Note that many of these are inexpensive, or even free, so they’re certainly worth considering, no matter what your budget is.

The Benefits

So what are the benefits of making these changes?

• Accomplishment and reward. After making these changes, you’ll likely feel a sense of accomplishment, activating the reward centers of your brain. It’s a temporary effect, but it will be reactivated every time you change your living room for the better.
• Exploring new interests. This is also a good opportunity to explore your new interests and hobbies. For example, you could learn about feng shui and apply that to your furniture. Or you could showcase a recent art piece you created, or display one of your new collections.
• A fresh environment. Being stuck in the same living room, day after day, can make you feel trapped and unstimulated. Changing things up will grant you a fresh environment, which will make you feel more engaged.
• Excuses to socialize. If you overhaul the living room, you’ll have a great opportunity to invite people over—and they’ll probably want to see your work. Use this as a springboard to host a get-together with your favorite people.
• Seeing your house in a new light. Finally, a living room makeover can help you see your entire house in a new light, improving your quality of life overall.

How Often to Make Changes

Ideally, you’ll change something significant in your living room on a periodic basis. How that manifests in your own life should depend on your own personal tolerance for change and stagnation. For example, if you crave novel stimulation, there’s nothing wrong with making tweaks to your living room every month. But if you can go longer periods without something “new,” you might only change your living room once a year. Get to know yourself, and go with the pace that makes the most sense to you.