Q: What are inexpensive or simple ways to update a room you decorated 5 years ago? It’s too soon to do a complete over haul or recover the furniture, but what are some easy ways to avoid boredom or that dreaded passe look?
A: It depends on how you define “inexpensive,” but the best bang-for-your-buck option is repainting. Seriously. I know it seems major, but a darker/lighter/different color will have the greatest impact for the lowest investment. If you repainted 5 years ago and don’t have kids or pets who claw the walls, you might be able to get away with having only the walls painted, not the woodwork or ceiling (= less time and money, obviously).
This falls under “easy” only if you pay someone to do it, which I highly recommend. It’s not the painting, it’s the prep (it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity…), and I’m telling you now that you will never ever get around to painting that room yourself. Even if you do, you’ll forever see all of the little mistakes you made and not enjoy the room as much as you should. So if $400-600 is within reason for you, consider painting. Runner-up recommendations are an area rug (on top of wall-to-wall carpeting if necessary) and/or a throw and new pillows on the sofa and chairs.
Q: What’s a good source for buying colorful pillows for living room/family room spaces?
A: How timely, given the first question! (I didn’t promise I’d answer questions in the order in which they were received, did I?) Apartment Therapy (NY) compiled a great Top 10 list of cool pillows, so you could start there – most of those are pretty modern. I love those embroidered state pillows you see all over the place now. So kitschy, so fun.
If you love color and your style is more country than rock & roll, take a look at Susan Sargent‘s applique pillows, which are gorgeous.
Finally, don’t dismiss out of hand the idea of having pillows made. I have a wonderful client who actually collects vintage fabrics – a yard here, half a yard there – and I won’t rest until I’ve convinced her to make her favorites into pillows. (This isn’t like ripping pages out of an illuminated manuscript…these fabrics aren’t valuable in and of themselves.) Her style is kind of funky and bohemian, so that look would work for her. If that sounds interesting to you, bear in mind that lots of things – dishtowels, iron-on t-shirts, bridesmaid dresses, etc. – can be made into pillows, with varying degrees of hilarity and irony.
If your taste is more traditional, it can make sense to have pillows made out of designer fabrics that you or your decorator find. Granted, this can be a more expensive route, but pillows can have a tremendous impact on a room – and it’s still cheaper than reupholstering.