Decorating your home can be a daunting and time-consuming task, especially if you’re an impatient person who wants to see big changes fast. The good news is that there are many quick and easy ways to give any room in your home a mini makeover in a short amount of time. With a little creativity and know-how, you can implement impactful updates that transform the look and feel of a space without spending a fortune or waiting weeks for remodeling projects to be completed.

If you’re an impatient decorator looking to refresh your home’s style, these 8 quick changes can help you do just that.

Out With the Old, In With the New – Accessories and Accents

One of the fastest ways to update the look of any room is by replacing some of the existing accessories and accents. Most homes tend to accumulate knickknacks, photos, art, throws, candles and various decor items over time. Even if you love certain pieces, keeping everything in rotation and on display can make a space feel cluttered, mismatched and stale.

Take an afternoon to go through all the accessories in a room and remove anything you no longer love or use. Donate or re-gift unwanted items to declutter. Once you’ve pared down, bring in some new decorative accents that reflect your current tastes. A few key additions like throw pillows, a vase, coffee table books, a blanket or fresh flowers can instantly give a room new life.

Aim for accessories in on-trend colors or materials like velvet, shearling and marble. The combinations are endless – the important thing is to mix up what you already have with newer decorative pieces to create a updated, curated look.

Lighting

Outdated lighting can make any space feel dreary and dark. By replacing light fixtures and adding supplemental lighting options, you can completely transform a room’s ambience.

For maximum impact in minimum time, consider the following quick lighting changes:

• Swap out dated ceiling fixtures: If your dining room or foyer is still lit by a basic builder’s grade chandelier or dated fluorescent fixture, upgrading to a stylish modern option can make a huge difference. New lighting options like drum pendants and cluster chandeliers add instant style.
• Add table and floor lamps: Even if overhead lighting is sufficient, strategic table and floor lamps create a warmer, cozier ambiance. They’re ideal for living rooms, bedrooms and dens. Choose metal midcentury or curved floor lamps and ceramic table lamps for an on-trend look.
• Install dimmers: Dimmers give you control over a room’s lighting. Bring in electricians to install dimmer switches for overhead lighting and buy cord-dimmer lamps where possible. Dimmers create ambience and allow you to adjust the mood of a space any time.
• Use smart bulbs: Smart bulbs like Philips Hue let you change a light’s color and brightness from your phone. Use them in floor and table lamps or existing fixtures to shift the lighting scene. Play with colors to match your decor or create holiday lighting themes with ease.

Fresh lighting can transform how a space looks and change the entire vibe. Experiment with different fixture styles, smart bulbs and supplemental lamps to give your home a lighting makeover quickly.

Refresh Walls with Paint or Wallpaper

Repainting or wallpapering just one focal wall can make a dramatic visual impact in any room. Unlike renovating an entire space, which takes major time and money, changing up a single wall is a relatively easy weekend DIY project (or quick professional job) that offers big design returns for your investment.

Some ideas for focal wall updates:

• Paint an accent wall in a bold, saturated color like navy blue, emerald green or mustard yellow to add punch. Use high-quality paint with some sheen for best effect.
• Paint a pattern like wide horizontal stripes, Moroccan tiles or abstract shapes to add interest. Use tape for clean lines or freehand it for an organic look.
• Install removable wallpaper on the focal wall only. Choose a lively print like jungle leaves, geometric patterns or floral designs.
• Hang wood, metal or 3D tiles as an accent wall to add rustic, industrial or contemporary texture.

Don’t be afraid to take risks with your wall colors, prints and materials – remember, it’s just one wall you’re updating, not the entire room! A statement-making focal wall gives the eye a place to land and transforms the look of the space.

Rethink Flooring

Old, outdated flooring like dingy carpet, worn hardwood or broken tile can make an entire room look drab and dated. Replacing floors throughout a whole home is no small task, but switching out flooring in one room or area can be a doable quick change with a big payoff.

Here are some impactful flooring update options perfect for impatient decorators:

• Rip up old carpet and refinish the original hardwood underneath, an affordable way to uncover hidden beauty.
• Swap out old laminate flooring in the kitchen or entryway for stone-look luxury vinyl planks, which are DIY friendly and mimic high-end tile.
• Replace a high-traffic area rug in the living room or bedroom with a patterned wool rug for fresh new style underfoot.
• Update tile flooring by painting a stenciled design, mosaic pattern or contrasting grout color for a whole new look.
• Freshen things up by layering a large area rug overtop old carpeting or floors. Choose a rug with colors and patterns that complement your decor.

Strategically changing up the flooring in heavy use areas or small spaces is an impactful update for impatient decorators seeking quick room transformations.

Display Artwork in Fresh Ways

Even if you love the artwork you’ve accumulated in your home, displaying it in a tired, haphazard way can make a space feel stale. But art is easily rotated and refreshed to give rooms new life. Here are quick tricks to update your art display:

• Rearrange framed art and gallery walls so they feel cohesive. Group pieces by color palette, style or subject matter.
• Fill blank walls and large expanses of empty space with new affordable art, including canvas prints, art posters and large photography.
• Take art off the walls completely and display it in new ways – lean canvases on the mantel or shelves, create an art ledge for framed pieces, install floating ledges to hold sculptures and vases.
• Opt for oversized statement art pieces and lean them against a wall rather than hanging for a modern, impactful look.
• Freshen up your frames by spray painting them in metallics like gold and rose gold or deep matte shades like navy blue.

With a little creativity, you can breathe new life into your existing artwork. Don’t be afraid to move things around and get inspired by art displays you love on social media, blogs and Pinterest.

Update Cabinets and Built-Ins

Kitchen and bathroom cabinets, bookshelves, built-in media centers and other permanent storage fixtures can start to look worn and dated over time, even if their basic structure is still solid. Luckily, there are simple cosmetic changes that can give these fixed elements a fresh new look with little time and money required:

• Paint cabinets, shelves and built-ins in a bold, vibrant hue like teal, burnt orange or lime green for an instant color transformation. Use proper cabinet paint for a smooth finish.
• Coat cabinet doors, panels, handles and hinges in a metallic like matte brass or bronze for contemporary flair. Spray paint is perfect for this project.
• Swap out tired cabinet hardware for new knobs, pulls, handles and hinges in an on-trend style. Try glass knobs, blackened bronze pulls or sleek angled handles.
• Change the look of open shelving by painting the back wall a contrasting color before restocking with decor.
• Apply decorative paper, contact paper or self-adhesive wallpaper inside cabinet interiors for a pop of pattern when doors open.

With some paint, new hardware and decorative finishes, you can make tired cabinets, shelves and built-ins look brand new in very little time. Focus on high-visibility changes that make major visual impact.

Style Your Shelves

Most rooms in your home probably have shelves, from bookcases and display shelves to floating ledges and mantels. Styling shelves in a cluttered, haphazard way makes a space feel messy and stale. But clearing shelves off completely then restyling and editing them is an easy refresh.

To breathe new life into your shelves:

• Edit first: Remove all items, then re-add back only your favorite decorative objects you want to display. Less is more.
• Style symmetrically: Place matching accents at each end and use balance. Alternate items from largest to smallest across the shelf.
• Vary heights: Incorporate tall and short accents – vases, candles, boxes, sculptures, baskets – for depth and dimension.
• Cluster creatively: Make visual impact by clustering multiple items together in decorative vignettes, rather than scattering things randomly.
• Add books: Even if they are just for decorative appeal, books and colorful book sets instantly give shelves a lift.

Take the time to clear everything off your shelves, wipe them down, then thoughtfully style and arrange your favorite items in tidy vignettes to give the space a quick refreshed feel.

Update Window Treatments

Out of date, sagging window treatments like faded curtains or damaged blinds can make a whole room seem worn out and dark. But new window treatments offer an easy style update that also brightens up the space. Consider these quick changes:

• Install clean-lined wood or faux wood blinds in place of old drapery panels or blinds. New blinds add warmth and let in natural light.
• Hang curtains in lightweight, natural fabrics like linen, cotton and jute for an airy, casual vibe. Use ceiling-mounted curtain rods for height.
• Splurge on one showstopping statement window treatment like elaborate drapes, roman shades with trims or an ornate medallion valance over the focal window.
• Layer lighter sheers behind new drapes or blinds for softness and privacy.
• Add decorative touches like textured tie-back sashes, crown pleating at curtain tops and trim embellishments.

When it comes to impatient decorating, quick window treatment updates get you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of elevating a space.

Rearrange Furniture

Sometimes a room just needs a good shuffle to feel new again. Moving furniture out of existing positions and layouts forces you to reconsider how the space is used and creates new sightlines.

Before starting to rearrange furniture, clear everything out of the room that you can. Start from scratch when possible. Then keep these tips in mind:

• Float furniture away from walls instead of pushing everything flush against them.
• Break up large furniture arrangements into groupings of 1-2 pieces instead.
• Angle furniture diagonally across corners or face pieces toward each other to create intimate spaces for guests to connect.
• Play with asymmetry and bounce ideas off the architecture, like placing sofas beneath picture windows or floating chairs around focal fireplaces.
• Mix up seating heights – low coffee tables, bar stools, highboys – and furniture sizes to add dimension.

Be bold in reconfiguring your furnishings into new positions free of clutter. Rearranging a room helps you see the existing pieces in a fresh way.

Incorporate Greenery

Nothing livens up stale decor faster than fresh greenery. You don’t need time-consuming landscape projects to add more plants inside your home – even a few potted succulents or cut flowers go a long way towards bringing spaces to life.

Some quick ways to incorporate greenery:

• Set fresh flower arrangements on tables, consoles, counters and mantels. Swap blooms seasonally.
• Add a large statement plant like a fiddle leaf fig tree or monstera in the corner of a room or foyer.
• Style small potted succulents along windowsills, tabletops and open shelving. Mix up pot styles and shapes.
• Hang dangling air plants and ferns in macrame plant holders. Let them trail near windows for bright light.
• Establish a mini indoor herb garden in the kitchen, either in pots on the windowsill or in a decorative planter box.

The beauty of incorporating plants and flowers is that they can be moved and changed up anytime to reinvigorate rooms. Don’t be afraid to play around with placement and have fun finding unique vessels to contain your greenery.

Conclusion

For the impatient decorator who wants to implement impactful changes without lengthy renovations or tedious projects, these 8 quick updates offer fast ways to breathe new life into tired rooms. By swapping out furnishings and accessories, updating lighting, adding fresh artwork, rearranging furniture or incorporating greenery, you can give your home’s style a lift in very little time.

The key is identifying fast changes with maximum visual impact, like an accent wall or statement light fixture. Start with one focal point update, then keep momentum going. Before you know it, you’ll give your home the mini makeover you’ve been craving without endless waiting and work. Sharpen your decorating eye to spot quick changes with big design impact to refresh every room.

Frequently Asked Questions About Quick Decorating Changes for the Impatient

Decorating and designing your home can be an exciting endeavor, but also a daunting one, especially if you’re an impatient person. To help impatient decorators tackle home updates easily, here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

What are some fast DIY decor projects for impatient people?

Some fast, easy DIY updates for the impatient include:

• Painting an accent wall in a bold color
• Stenciling or stamping a pattern onto plain walls
• Hanging new art, mirrors or wall shelves
• Rearranging and restyling furniture
• Swapping out throw pillows and bedding
• Replacing lampshades for an updated look
• Adding a fresh coat of paint to dated furniture
• Organizing and styling shelves and bookcases
• Incorporating new greenery like potted plants and fresh flowers

Where can you buy affordable home decor items quickly?

Some places to shop fast and affordably for instant home updates include:

• Target – for furniture, rugs, bedding, lamps, wall decor and accessories
• Ikea – for furniture, organizers, kitchen items and storage solutions
• Homegoods – for trendy furniture and decor at bargain prices
• Amazon – for quick shipping on furniture, decor, lighting and more
• Etsy – for unique handmade wall art, pillows, ceramics and decor
• Facebook Marketplace – for great deals on local secondhand furniture and decor
• Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army for budget artwork and accessories

What quick changes have the biggest impact on a room?

Some instant updates with huge visual impact include:

• Painting the walls or adding wallpaper
• Hanging eye-catching light fixtures
• Bringing in bold artwork or mirrors
• Reupholstering or replacing furniture
• Switching out tired window treatments
• Installing modern or patterned area rugs
• Adding pops of black or metallic accents
• Incorporating large statement plants or greenery

How do you update a room quickly on a budget?

Some budget-friendly ways to quickly refresh a room include:

• Buying a few key new decorative accessories like throw blankets, accent pillows and trays
• Rearranging and re-styling existing furniture
• Painting over cabinets, built-ins and dated trim work
• Replacing outdated hardware on drawers, cabinets and furnishings
• Hanging a showstopping light fixture as the focal point
• Adding peel-and-stick wallpaper or contact paper to dressers, shelving, etc.
• Painting the ceilings, doors and trim a bold color
• Displaying fresh flowers, plants and greens from the garden

What are quick ways to decorate for the holidays or seasons?

Some fast ways to decorate for seasonal holidays include:

• Christmas: Hanging seasonal wreaths, putting out candlesticks and a holiday-themed runner
• Halloween: Displaying pumpkins and faux cobwebs, adding Halloween dish towels
• Easter: Using pastel dishes and linens, displaying fresh florals and bunny accents
• 4th of July: Hanging flags and bunting, putting out red/white/blue dishes and decor
• Fall: Incorporating seasonal throws, switching to warmer lighting, displaying gourds and foliage

How can you quickly make over a rental apartment?

For a rental makeover on a budget and timeline, try:

• Using peel-and-stick wallpaper as a temporary backsplash
• Getting slipcovers for dated furniture that you can remove later
• Hanging stylish tension curtain rods with drapes – no drilling or holes
• Using painter’s tape to decorate walls with temporary patterns
• Decorating with floating shelves that don’t require drilling
• Buying a stencil and stenciling an accent wall with paint
• Investing in metal and ceramic vases to use as decor – easy to pack and move

What quick changes can update a bathroom?

For a fast bathroom mini-makeover, consider:

• New shower curtain and bath mat in bold colors
• Swapping out dated fixtures like towel bars and toilet paper holders
• Adding floating shelves or a new wastebasket, towels and shower caddies
• Updating lighting with new vanity and ceiling fixtures
• Applying peel-and-stick wallpaper or tile for the quickest backsplash
• Stenciling or painting an accent wall in a vibrant hue
• Hanging new artwork, framed photos or an eye-catching mirror

How do you decorate a bookshelf quickly?

To style a bookcase fast, try:

• Editing books and items down to just your favorites to avoid clutter
• Grouping books by color for a coordinated look
• Placing bookends upright and anchoring each end
• Incorporating decorative objects at varying heights – frames, vases, plants
• Lighting up the shelves with tabletop accent lamps
• Adding baskets for quick organization and hidings clutter
• Styling symmetrically so each side mirrors the other