Give your family room a style refresh

Before spring arrives and before winter has left, there's a dull, gray drag of time where your family room can feel heavy and stale. Give it a pre-spring lift with a family room a refresh. You don't have to do an all-out redecorating job; just making a few key changes and swaps can breathe new life into your family room's look.

Start at the bottom

The first place to start is underfoot. A new rug makes a good beginning for your decor refresh by giving your room a new starting point for style and color. Look at colors in your rug to use as a guide for selecting new accent pieces and accessories.

Find a predominant color that's strong or punchy for accessories for the room, such as toss pillows. Because velvet is still hot, look for a pair of velvet pillows in a new hue to give your room some panache.

Climb the walls

Pump up your room's look by adding new artwork. A few pieces that tie in with your rug's color scheme can help unify the room. Look for a key statement piece, and then tie in with a pair of prints that you can place at opposite sides of the room. This will help you carry the look throughout the room and give it a pulled together feel.

If you're especially daring, give peel-and-stick wallpaper in a bold print a try. Add it behind your sofa or on a far wall. This helps to draw your eye into the room and give the room depth.

Rearrange the room

One tried and true way for creating a new look in your family room is to move the furniture around. If your sofa is aligned to face the fireplace, turn it perpendicular, or vice versa. For furniture against the walls, pull pieces out into the space using your rug as your anchor.

Try a new arrangement on the mantel. Add prints or pictures on one side of the mantel and prop them against the wall. Add in two or three prints for a layered effect. On the other end of the mantel, add a grouping of lanterns or candlesticks. Tuck in a few small accessories, such as decorative topiary or wire balls.

Create depth

Just like adding a color to a far wall helps draw your eye into the room and add depth, you can also create depth by adding a tall plant in the corner farthest from the entrance to the room. This will give your room some much needed greenery and help anchor your eye, making the room feel larger and more welcoming.

Add a large pendant light fixture overhead. Oversized pendants in wicker or rattan are budget friendly and make a whopping design statement. Tuck a small side table next to a chair, change up your coffee table accessories, and add an inexpensive pouf or pair of soft ottomans next to the coffee table and you'll have a refreshed family room all without breaking the bank or investing in new furniture.