There are quick fixes and then there are quick fixes. Naturally, you'll want to avoid the kinds that leave guests pondering your "new" sofa cover ("Is that a tablecloth?") and your sanity.
Everyone wants to switch things up quickly while saving a few bucks. But looking past ho-hum ideas like brightening wall colors or rearranging furniture can be a stretch.
(Photo: Brian Patrick Flynn)
So we thought long and hard—with two of the industry's most enterprising designers—about what changes will make the biggest bang in your living room, for the littlest outlay, with the most lasting impressions.
1. Paint the ceiling.
Everyone knows that a coat of paint transforms any room in minutes and is the cheapest way to go. And it begs repeating here.
A little-known designer trick, says decorator and self-styled "Decor Demon" Brian Patrick Flynn, is to treat the living room ceiling as you would a wall. "Homeowners usually leave it white and focus on furnishing the room instead," says Flynn. "With a white ceiling, no one notices
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