If your living room has become rather dull of late then perhaps a change is needed, but buying new furniture is expensive and time consuming. Changing the mood, feel and look of your living room does not have to involve purchasing a whole new set of furniture. Here are some simple steps you can take to give your living room a make over without overspending.

1. Rearrange your furniture: Changing the layout of your furniture can go a long ways to change how the room feels. Simply moving the couch to a different wall or putting a chair in the corner can make a room feel more open. Arranging furniture to face other pieces of the furniture rather than the television can make a more intimate setting.

2. Throw Pillows: Purchasing throw pillows that contrast the colors of your couches and chairs can add new life and color into your living room. For added fun you can purchase pillows that are not smooth; pillows accented with beads, buttons, tassels or anything else can be a very fun feature. Just be weary of pet…some cats or dogs may enjoy chewing on these more delicate parts of the pillow.

3. Lamp Shades: If you have table lamps in your living room, consider exchanging the shades. Lamp shades come in all different shapes, sizes, materials and colors so finding something different should be no problem at all.

4. Throw Rugs: Adding a throw rug to the center of the room can transform a room almost as effectively as new furniture. For a splash of color and a new pattern, you don’t have to go out and purchase an expensive area or throw rug from a specialty store; there are many department stores and discounted home stores that carry a large variety of rugs that will enhance your living room.