Ditch Old Decor Ideas and Try New Elements To Revive a Room

It doesn’t matter how much you love your house; the day will come when the desire for a little change comes on strong. When that happens, it’s time to explore some new home decor ideas that can shake up the look of a space. The changes you make can be as big a repainting or buying new pieces of furniture, or as modest as restyling your space or adding some accent element. Whichever you choose, there are plenty of new design options to consider and most all of them can be adapted to the particular style of home interiors that you really like. Take a look at these great home decor ideas:

Create a Focal Corner

Wall unit storage for living room

We’ve all heard about accent walls to create interest, but how about creating a focal corner in your living room? The natural instinct is to place a sofa parallel to a wall, whether directly again it or not. Instead, how about positioning it in the corner, like this elegantly tapered one? The area around the sofa has been decorated to keep the eye directed into the corner, from the mirrored panels to the art grouping and the placement of the accent cabinet. It’s a novel way to rearrange your living room for more a more dynamic look.

Pick a Not-So-Basic Table Base

Wall unit storage for living room

Often, when choosing a dining table, it’s very easy to focus on the top of the table, from its shape to the material and the finish. Paying more attention to the base of the table, however, can really pay off in terms of design impact. This is particularly true in an open or very spacious floor plan where people have a good view of the entire table. This particular dining table has a beautiful rectangular marble top with rounded sides, but the real star of the show is the base. Its undulating form is comprised of many wooden slats that form a wave pattern.

Add Drama With Art

Wall unit storage for living room

Art is a quick and fabulous way to add a little something extra — or something really extra — to your living space. Pick a sculpture or pick a painting, but select something that makes change in the overall space. This is one case when size really does matter because the wow factor is what you’re after. This very large artwork is visually in step with the overall color palette of the room, but its subject matter really draws the eye despite the muted tones used. We also love the concept of leaning a large work against the wall instead of hanging it.

Add A Funky Shape to the Room

Wall unit storage for living room

When it comes to replacing a piece of furniture, choosing something that is funky and a little different is a good way to bring new life to an area of the room. This does not mean the piece has to be brightly colored, eclectic, or what some would consider weird. This console shows how a piece can be a little funky but still be elegant and sophisticated. The traditional top is paired with a unique base that could be considered an abstract design or two birds kissing; whatever you prefer to see. In any case, it’s out of the ordinary and makes a great accent piece for this seating area.

Display in a Linear Way

Wall unit storage for living room

Gallery walls feature photos or paintings that are often hung in an orderly geometric fashion, but going linear can create an unexpected contemporary look. The photos above this bed all have the same shape and are matted and framed in an identical way. Instead of hanging them across the wall at a level that is a couple of feet above the horizontal cabinet, they are hung mere inches above it. This creates a very linear look and visually connects the frames with the shelving unit. We love the dramatic flair that this arrangement provides.

Create a Dedicated Work Space

Wall unit storage for living room

Whether you’re working from home all the time now or if you just need a spot for off-hours use, a space dedicated to work can help you be more productive while keeping your environment tidy. If you don’t have a room that you can transform into a home office, it can be a challenge to carve out a workspace in an apartment or smaller home and still have it be attractive. This desk is attached to the wall and is more convenient than a plain shelf because it’s wider and angles out at the right end, making the space very user friendly, especially with the addition of a laptop or computer. When not being used as a desk, it blends on with the wall shelving and looks very sophisticated.

Ditch Dated Light Fixtures

Wall unit storage for living room

Many homeowners don’t immediately think about swapping out light fixtures to achieve a new look, but it can be a very simple change with dramatic results. It’s easy to overlook a fixture that’s been hanging in your home for years, even if it has become dated. Replacing an older, existing fixture with a new design that has a contemporary shape or is made from unexpected materials quickly revives the look and creates interest. The key is to look beyond the big box stores for unique designs or vintage fixtures that you’re not going to see in an average suburban home.

Nix Attached Mirrors

Wall unit storage for living room

We’ve all seen one — or even owned one: A dresser with a mirror attached to the middle of it. Most often found in mass-market bedroom sets, these are older designs that need to go away. If you still have one of these, keep the dresser and dump the mirror. Instead, hang a collection of smaller, individual mirrors. This still gives you a functional mirror but adds more dimension. These types of mirrors even function as an element of wall art!

Incorporate Greenery

Wall unit storage for living room

We’re not here to rehash the “faux” versus “fresh” debate when it comes to greenery, but we can say for sure it’s a great way to make a room look more lively. This shelving unit is a great example because without the large vase full of branches and the smaller side table arrangement, the room would look nice, but a little blah. By adding the arrangement of copious tall branches on the low cabinet, it fills the space, focuses the eye and adds life to the space. If you’re using fresh greens, it’s a marvelous decor idea to try out because there’s very little long-term commitment involved.

Make Your Shelving Artful

Wall unit storage for living room

Shelving units take up a lot of space — sometimes the whole wall — so why not make them interesting to look at? Instead of a utilitarian bookshelf, opt for a design that combines closed storage with open sections to make it more versatile as well as more interesting to look at. This allowed you to store what you need and highlight only those things that you want to display. The mix of materials and door sizes in this example elevates the wall unit to another level when it comes to style.

Any of these decor ideas are a great inspiration for upgrading a room in your own house. Next time you enter the space you want to refresh, cast a critical eye at each and every element in the room and how it is arranged. Before long you’ll have a list of your own great redecorating ideas!