Update your living room this autumn by making these easy and affordable changes
When autumn arrives and summer seems like a distant memory, we start spending more time inside our homes and planning more indoor and fewer outdoor activities. So, it’s only natural that, as summer fades, we get the urge to redecorate. You can update your living room and keep it on trend simply by changing your cushion covers, adding a statement lamp shade or just getting a new throw for your sofa. You don’t need to spend a fortune – we promise!
We’re going to look at a few easy and affordable changes you can make to update your living room this autumn. Ready?
Cushion covers: rich colours
Change your cushion covers to give your sofa a new lease of life. If you have a couple of favourite colours, use these as a base. If you don’t know what colours will best suit your living room at this time of year, we recommend being a little bolder this autumn.
For your cushion covers, opt for rich and vibrant colours rather than the neutral whites, ochres, browns and earthy tones that tend to dominate at this time of year. You can use these more autumnal colours on your sofa cover, rugs, curtains etc. to form the base palette for your living room, but use your cushions to add a pop of colour.
Changing your cushion covers is an easy and affordable way to update your living room for the changing seasons and to keep it on trend.
Choosing the right throw for your sofa
Once you’ve updated your cushions, another great way to give your living room a more autumnal look is to add a new throw. Look for one in a colour that goes with your cushions and sofa, or opt for a neutral tone that will look good all year round. This season, you can’t go wrong with greys and rich burgundies or blues.
As for fabric, there are a few options to choose from:
- Cotton: this natural material is soft, easy to care for and can be machine washed at up to 40°C, without bleach, on a normal cycle. What’s more, all the cotton used in our products comes from sustainable sources. This means that it is either recycled or has been grown using less water and fewer pesticides and fertilisers, which increases profit margins for cotton farmers.
- Wool: stain resistant, hard-wearing and a great insulator, wool is a great choice for those chilly autumn and winter nights when you want to wrap up warm on the sofa.
Choose the material that’s right for you this autumn!
A soft and cosy rug
Another textile that’s easy to update without spending a fortune this autumn is your living room rug. As we mentioned, we think it’s best to stick to neutral tones for the rugs and other large textiles that form the “base” of your living room.
In terms of the ideal texture and material, that depends on the result you want to achieve. If you want a warm and cosy look that will work for both autumn and winter, choose a high pile design or a rug made from a naturally warm material, such as wool.
Or, if you prefer more neutral materials that look great throughout the year, why not try a natural fibre rug?
Small details to create ambient lighting
Finally, don’t forget the importance of lighting. And we don’t just mean lights! Think about ambient lighting as a way to update your living room for the new season (when the days are much shorter) and make it all the more inviting.
What kinds of things could you add? Lighting chains, glass dome centrepieces with fairy lights inside, candles… Place them around the room or arrange them together to highlight a particular area, as shown in this image.
It’s another really affordable way to bring a little warmth into your living room and make you feel perfectly relaxed.
If you want more ideas for your living room this autumn, check out:
We love it when customers use our products in a creative way. Why not try to do something new with them yourself? But do remember, any modifications or changes that you make to IKEA products will prevent them from being resold or used for their original use, thus invalidating IKEA product warranties and your right to return.
