Transform every room in your home without any renovations

Decor fatigue happens. One season you absolutely love something, and the next, it’s meh. But scrapping it all and starting anew isn’t an option for most of us—and it doesn’t need to be. Besides, the pieces in your home are there because you’re drawn to them. Maybe it’s the composition that’s off. This room-by-room, before-and-after makeover shows you how simply rearranging furniture and decor you already have (with a few key additions) can do wonders for your home.

The Entry

Before: The entry is the first place guests see when they enter the home. As such, it should be warm and welcoming. With nothing dressing up the space, the exposed brick wall feels cold and awkward. There’s nothing to direct the guest about what to do or where to go.

After: A large, usable footprint gives this entryway an advantage over most others, making it easy to dress up without it feeling cluttered. We warm up the space with soothing greenery, a brightly patterned rug, the perfect complement to the industrial exposed brick. We also have enough space to add in a bench; this makes it easier for people (guests and hosts alike) to set down their bags and remove their shoes comfortably, without tracking dirt throughout the home. There’s also enough space for a standing coat rack, a great addition for the winter months. Most importantly, it makes a welcoming statement about the home the second someone walks in the door.

The Living Room

Before: The living room is the spot where most leisure time is spent. It’s a place where we lounge, unwind, and entertain. So it’s important that it has a vibe to match. What this room has going for it is a usable rectangular shape and the right amount of furniture to fill it: a large sofa, a substantial coffee table, and two matching club chairs. This room’s biggest problem is its lack of personality. Right not it feels sterile, not like somewhere you’d want to spend time.

After: As we mentioned, this room is already in pretty good shape. So our main task is peppering in accents and furniture that give it the cool, comforting feeling a living room should have. To balance out the starkness of the bright-white sofa and the black club chairs, we add a neutral Moroccan rug with small pops of color throughout. Because the space is so large and the furniture so neutral, a light rug ties it together without feeling overwhelming or out of place. Hints of color are sprinkled throughout with coffee table books that work double-duty as decor and reading material. A throw blanket and pillow complete the look, inviting people to put their feet up and rest (if you’re into that, of course.)

Reading Nook

Before: Having a bonus area to spend time is always a plus. But if it doesn’t feel like an actual thought-out space, odds are you won’t be spending much time there. This reading nook has the perfect chair for kicking back and getting cozy, but feels like it’s awkwardly placed in the middle of the home. It feels more like the only spot this chair could fit, rather than a dedicated reading nook.

After: We want to take this space from awkward to an area someone might actually use. To do so, we create a tight, focused scene to make it feel like its own room. Bringing in elements like a small rug, geometric modern art, and a tall lamp to add height, we build a well-defined area that has the polished look of the rest of the home. Importantly, we add another area for someone to unwind in.

Bedroom

Before: The bedroom is our most-personal space. It’s where we start and end every day, so it’s no surprise we’d want it to project a calm and soothing vibe. But calm and soothing aren’t synonyms for drab and boring. Here, the space feels unfinished and the gray bedding just blends into the background.

After: Our goal is to keep the feeling serene while livening the room up. First, we swap out the dull gray bedding for crisp, bright white. It keeps the room feeling fresh and airy without competing with the colorful new rug we added to ground the space. We swap out the oversized bench for a smaller chair, allowing us to open up the room (and the door to the armoire). The new additions are still understated, but add a pop of visual interest where it was seriously lacking.

Dining Room

Before: We might not eat every meal in the dining room, but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten about. Here, a great table and the perfect space for it end up feeling sad and uninviting, like an afterthought.

After: It’s amazing what a little color can do. Introducing bold, bright color to the space instantly energizes it. A black-and-white photograph adds interest without overpowering the rug, and also gives people something to ponder while they eat. Finally, swapping out a blah lighting fixture for a longer dual-arm design adds interest and dimension. Whether it’s going through the mail or actually sitting down for a formal meal, traffic to this space is sure to increase.

Whether your rent or own, it’s easy to change up the whole look of your home in a day. All you need is some time and a lot of imagination (an extra set of hands wouldn’t hurt either). The key? Use what you have, just find ways to use it smarter. Your dream apartment is closer than you think.