{"id":94627,"date":"2019-11-21T06:39:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T14:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=94627"},"modified":"2026-03-31T00:55:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:55:55","slug":"easy-living-room-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/easy-living-room-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Cheap and Easy Living Room Updates for Rental Apartments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s natural to want to change your surroundings from time to time, no matter if you\u2019re renting the home of your dreams or an apartment that could use a few upgrades. But, between work, family, friends, maintenance, and all of the errands we run to keep up in our busy lives, we often avoid revamping our living spaces\u2014especially when considering the spending that comes with it.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily, there are plenty of ways to shake things up and upgrade your living room with minimal resources. Here are seven upgrades you can make on the cheap and in a flash:<\/p>\n<h3>Rearrange the room<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94639\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/kara-eads-L7EwHkq1B2s-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"799\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/kara-eads-L7EwHkq1B2s-unsplash.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/kara-eads-L7EwHkq1B2s-unsplash.jpg?resize=500,283 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/kara-eads-L7EwHkq1B2s-unsplash.jpg?resize=768,435 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/kara-eads-L7EwHkq1B2s-unsplash.jpg?resize=150,85 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to revamp your living room is also the cheapest because it\u2019s free: rearranging your furniture and decorations to make the room feel like you\u2019ve just moved in. Test a few layouts to find one that feels both spacious and cozy\u2014the two characteristics everyone should aim for when designing a living room.<\/p>\n<h3>Revamp wall artwork<\/h3>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have a photo or art arrangement on your wall, now\u2019s the time to get creative. You don\u2019t need a lot of money to design one; a few frames will suffice, and you can use them to display anything from book pages to dried flowers. If you already have a few, try mixing them up or repainting the frames in one or several new colors.<\/p>\n<h3>Repaint furniture<\/h3>\n<p>Whether your furniture is starting to look a little dingy or you want to change the color tone of the room, you can easily make it look different and brand new by painting over it. There are plenty of online DIY guides that can help you choose the method and materials to work with; you only need to purchase paint and a few tools to turn it around.<\/p>\n<h3>Create an accent wall<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-area-rug-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"798\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-area-rug-1.jpg 798w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-area-rug-1.jpg?resize=500,282 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-area-rug-1.jpg?resize=768,433 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-area-rug-1.jpg?resize=150,85 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Just because your landlord won\u2019t allow you to repaint the walls doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t add a bit of flair to your living room. Nowadays, you can get inexpensive and easily removable wallpaper in any shape, color, and size. Use it to add a bit of color to an otherwise muted color palette, or go for a neutral tone to give the space a different feel without it becoming overpowering.<\/p>\n<h3>Get thrift store chandeliers<\/h3>\n<p>If you winced at the idea of a massive chandelier in your apartment living room, fret not. Chandeliers are very versatile. They can make a room more stylish if you\u2019re looking for an elegant touch or add to a quirky space\u2019s bohemian flair. You can even get one on the cheap from your neighborhood thrift store and install it yourself with the right video tutorial.<\/p>\n<h3>Declutter<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019d be surprised at how big of an influence decluttering can make on a place. Areas that were once tight and cramped will open up, and your living room will look brighter and cleaner. This one is quick, free, and allows you to change the entire feel of a space in less than a day.<\/p>\n<h3>Green it up with houseplants<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-94633\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-plants-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-plants-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-plants-1.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-plants-1.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/10-things-living-room-plants-1.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Finally, houseplants are a welcome addition to any living room. They brighten up the space, make the apartment look livelier, and purify the air around them. Start with a few that are easy to care for, and expand your garden when you\u2019re feeling more in charge. But, keep in mind that some plants are toxic to pets, so if you\u2019ve got a furry friend around, make sure you only bring in safe greenery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you\u2019re looking for an apartment with the perfect living room for relaxing and entertaining, check out thousands of listings for <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/apartments-for-rent-near-me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\"><strong>apartments near you<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s natural to want to change your surroundings from time to time, no matter if you\u2019re renting the home of your dreams or an apartment that could use a few upgrades. But, between work, family, friends, maintenance, and all of the errands we run to keep up in our busy lives, we often avoid revamping&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":94636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38973],"tags":[38994],"class_list":["post-94627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-living","tag-organizing-your-apartment","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v24.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>7 Cheap and Easy Living Room Updates for Rental Apartments - RentCafe rental blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There\u2019s plenty of ways in which you can shake things up and upgrade your living room with minimal time and spending.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/easy-living-room-updates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Cheap and Easy Living Room Updates for Rental Apartments\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There\u2019s plenty of ways in which you can shake things up and upgrade your living room with minimal time and spending.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/easy-living-room-updates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RentCafe rental blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-11-21T14:39:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T07:55:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2019\/11\/how-to-make-your-apartment-greener-header.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"889\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"401\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Irina Lupa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Irina Lupa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/easy-living-room-updates\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/daily-living\/easy-living-room-updates\/\",\"name\":\"7 Cheap and Easy Living Room Updates for Rental Apartments - 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