5 easy style tips to revive your living room after Christmas to make it feel like 'new'

When all the decorations have come down, our living rooms can feel a little lacklustre and uninspiring. We want to banish all the tinsel and snowman decorations while still holding onto that warm and cosy feeling of Christmas time.

From buying new houseplants and savvy storage solutions to hanging art and layering up with chunky blankets, there are plenty of ways to transform your living room after Christmas. As a rule of thumb, the more natural textures, plants, and cosy lighting, the better.

The New Year is a time when we look at our homes and lives with fresh eyes and it's a good opportunity to reappraise your living room layout and perhaps do some living room decluttering.

5 easy ways to refresh your living room in winter

When decorating your house after Christmas, be guided by what makes you happy, gather inspirational images on Pinterest, and don't worry about making mistakes.

1. Refresh your artwork

If things are feeling a little flat and dull now the decorations are down, try hanging up some new artwork on blank walls – you can follow our artwork placement tips if you're not sure where to start. Choose printable art from Etsy to keep costs down, or frame photographs and postcards.

Interior designer Amanda Lucas, from Rooted Fig suggests going for black and white photos as they'll go with whatever colours you have in the rest of the room. She also recommends using frames that are all the same size if you want to make your living room look expensive.

If things are looking a little tired and dated, hanging some new picture frames on the walls is always a good way to spruce things up without spending a fortune and welcome positive energy into your home.

Amanda Lucas

Amanda Lucas is an interior designer and the founder of Rooted Fig interior design studio. She has worked in interiors for eight years, designing kitchens and homes clients love to come home to.

2. Rethink your storage

The new year always gets us in the mood to organise our homes, and plenty of storage is the key. The chances are your living room storage could be working harder, so consider ottomans, bespoke living room shelving and window seats with storage underneath.

Professional home organiser Laura Price from The Home Organisation recommends introducing an ottoman with hidden storage to replace any furniture that doesn’t get used. "It’s a place to sit but also offers storage for blankets or all those extra games you acquired over Christmas!" Laura says.

Replace free-standing storage units with built-in shelves to make your living room look bigger: "Built-in shelves not only make a space feel more streamlined but can also maximise vertical space, making your living room feel more open," Laura adds.

"Now your Christmas tree has gone from the bay window, is it just a wasted space for clutter? Why not look at getting a window seat made, as it can have storage underneath," suggests Amanda Lucas. "By having a lovely cushion made you can add another seating area and focal point to a room, framed by the curtains!"

Laura Price

Laura Price is the owner of The Home Organisation. Laura Price's goal is to help others experience the benefits of living an organised life after discovering that organised homes brought her peace when raising three children in a hectic home. Hence the birth of The Home Organisation, a dedicated team of professional organisers.

3. Update soft furnishings

If you want to make a living room feel different, it's always a good idea to swap out items that take up a lot of surface area, from rugs and curtains to other soft furnishings, like armchairs and cushions. Head to our round-up of professional decluttering methods if you have trouble knowing what to keep and what to get rid of.

"A new rug and new accent cushions will transform the space quickly!" agrees Amanda Lucas. "If you need additional seating, consider an accent armchair or footstool pouffe," suggests Sophie Clemson. "They can easily be moved around or into another room; this would also come in handy at Christmas time for your visitors.

"If you want to update your living room after Christmas, our exclusive interiors membership, The Living House Insider, is filled with budget-friendly homeware finds, tips, inspiration, and some brilliant discount codes from our favourite home brands."

Sophie Clemson

Sophie Clemson is an interior designer at The Living House, an affordable online interior design company that helps busy families transform their homes easily, online and within their budget. Sophie has worked in interior design for eight years and aside from designing, she loves to find a good bargain or Facebook marketplace find.

4. A fresh lick of paint

"How about refreshing the walls! Why not add a feature wall colour – feature walls have certainly come back around and it doesn't feel such a dramatic change when you're only painting one wall," says Amanda Lucas.

"Alcove units are a firm favourite in a lot of homes! They create such an impact and add such a lovely feature to your home. You can have them in a bold colour or something more neutral," she adds.

Paint is an inexpensive way to transform the look and feel of your living room for the new year, making it feel brand new. Whether you paint all of the walls, a feature wall, or just your window frames and coving, some colour can breathe new life into a space. From mocha tones inspired by Pantone's colour of the year to soft greens and warm whites, there are lots of natural tones to inspire you.

5. Add more greenery

If in doubt, add houseplants. "A plant is always a great space filler, it will add greenery and height to the room," says Sophie Clemson. They're a great way to decorate empty corners and make a space feel more relaxing.

Hang them from the ceiling or invite a larger plant in a large wicker basket to bring texture, life and all the happy vibes. Similarly, fresh flowers and seasonal foliage will always look great and can help make your house smell good. Maybe this is the year to treat yourself to a fresh flowers subscription, or simply picking up supermarket blooms more regularly.

FAQ

How to decorate a home for January and February

In January and February, we all want a reset after the festive celebrations, but we still want our homes to have that cosy glow. There are lots of ways to continue the hygge-ness. I'd recommend a sheepskin rug, at Dunelm on the floor for a soft landing as you get up off the sofa. Sheer curtains won't keep things warm but they will maximise the natural light coming in, and we all need some of that in late winter. Then, of course, you can add candles, lamps and potpourri in a wintry fragrance to scent-scape your home. Lastly, ensure the kitchen cupboards are well stocked with your favourite hot drinks and snacks.