Spring Refresh: Our Living Room Makeover and Simple Decorating Ideas

I planned to write a punchy list—“10 Ways to Bring Spring Into Your Home” or “5 Ways to Make Your Living Room Look Effortless With Florals”—but after weeks of finishing Olivia’s room and prepping for a yard sale, my brain is running on half power. Instead, I kept it simple: I cleaned, dusted, and set out a few grocery-store blooms. It felt good.

Refreshing your home is more than tidying up. It lifts your mood, brightens your perspective, and announces the new season with a small celebration: “This spring is going to be great.” Even a few vases of simple flowers can make a living room feel lighter and more welcoming for a day—or longer.

Home life is full of beautiful messes. Lola knows how to relax on the couch—sometimes that’s exactly what the room is for.

That tray on our DIY ottoman often doubles as a catchall for toys and remotes, and the antique book sometimes becomes a makeshift coaster for a sippy cup. Piles of folded laundry live on the sofa more often than decorative pillows do. Those are the little signs that this is a lived-in, loved family room.

There are days I wish the mess would disappear, but then I remember I’ll miss these signs of family life when they’re gone. So while I enjoy a tidy, pretty room today, I’ll always embrace the joyful chaos of our home.

Simple, Comfortable Living—Spring Edition

We’ve been in spring-cleaning mode while the weather warms up, but I also remind myself to be grateful for the mess. This room is for family movie nights, building blanket forts, and impromptu dance recitals on the rug. A living room should be lived in.

I’ll enjoy the tidy and the pretty today, but I’ll embrace our crazy, chaotic little family life always.

Quick side note—this room has come a long way. It wasn’t ugly before, but now it feels like a truer reflection of who we are.

Before:

Room Details and Sources

For anyone curious about colors, finishes, or DIY projects in this living room, here’s a compiled list of the main elements and projects that shaped the space. These notes offer a snapshot of how we pulled things together and can help if you’re planning your own spring refresh.

• Wall color: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
• Trim and ceiling color: Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Door and window color: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
• Ceiling fan
• Sofa and accent chairs
• DIY ottoman built from a repurposed coffee table
• Area rug
• End table and DIY nesting tables
• Light sconces and mercury glass lamp with shade
• Lanterns and woven blanket basket
• DIY window seat crafted from a kitchen cabinet
• Decor accents such as a mercury glass vase, wooden candle holders, wooden beads, and small water hyacinth baskets
• Curtains, pleated white pillows, and a mix of pink accent pillows for color and texture
• Spring botanical prints and other layered accessories
• DIY limewashed fireplace and painted concrete flower for added character
• Wagon bench (for seating or display)

Tips for your own spring refresh: clear surfaces, add a few seasonal flowers, swap or layer pillows, introduce light fabrics, and embrace projects that make the room more personal. A few thoughtful changes can transform a room from tidy to inviting, without losing the lived-in warmth that makes it home.