Looking for something to fill your Saturday afternoon? A little refresh to your living room can make a big difference – and is easier than you’d think. Here’s a crash course in living room makeovers with three stages to amp up the style factor in one of your most-used spaces.

Beginner: Refresh your throw pillows.
We believe that there is no such thing as too many pillows. They bring new colors, trendy prints, and instant seasonal touches to a space. Be sure to check out our Room Service Pillows & Furniture Boutique opening on Saturday full of new accents with fun, summery patterns – trust us, your couch will thank you.

Intermediate: Revamp your coffee table set-up.
Nothing brings a room together like a well-decorated coffee table. The Everygirl has compiled a great guide on how to style a coffee table with tips for feminine, neutral, and bright looks.

Photographer: Danielle Moss, Stylist: Alaina Kaczmarski, courtesy of The Everygirl.

Whether your coffee table is a DIY project thrift store find, a pair of $7 Ikea end tables, or the statement piece you splurged on, it’s worth taking the time to decorate and style like you would any other area of your home. After all, it’s frequently the centerpiece of many homes, especially if you live in a smaller house or apartment.

Including these five items make styling a coffee table an easy task:

1. Natural elements to add color and bring the outdoors in (especially you,  city dwellers)

2. Candlelight to add ambiance and possibly fresh scent to the room

3. Books to entertain visitors

4. Decorative accents to spark conversation among guests and add interest

5. Tray to organize the previously stated items

Advanced: Re-finish your furniture.
Really want to make it take it up a notch? This weekend project requires rolling up the sleeves, but we’re absolutely obsessed with this DIY Ikea hack from Little Green Notebook:

If you’re lucky, you can find vintage etageres in thrift stores or on Craigslist. Sometimes eBay comes through. But buying new will set you back at the very least $1200 and up into the thousands. That’s when I was surprised to see in this pretty room by Ana Antunes (via VT Interiors) that these pretty brass-looking etageres were actually IKEA shelves painted gold!

Simply take black Ikea shelves with glass bottoms and spray-paint it with a high-quality gold paint (Jenny from Little Green Notebook suggested Rustoleum’s Metallic spray paint in brass)

Everything styled to your liking? It’s time to invite over some friends, put on something playfully chic (this outfit from our Pinterest style board would do nicely), and let the compliments start flying in.

For more weekend project inspiration, visit us on Pinterest.

- By Katie Flynn, Editor

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