20 Simple Room Makeover Ideas & The Way Day Steals to Knock Them Out With!

1. Give a Mini Lamp Its Moment

I’ve seen some of the prettiest mini lamps lately and think they’d be super cute in spots such as a bookcase, kitchen desk, or the top of a dresser. My favorite is {this lamp with a scalloped shade} that comes in two sizes and multiple color options:

If you want to place your petite lamp in a spot where there’s no outlet, try a rechargeable light bulb! The Way Day sale price on this cutie is too good to pass up!

2. Soften Your Space With Arched Elements

If you have a room that could use some softening up, adding arched elements can often do the trick! For example, instead of rectangular mirrors over a bathroom vanity, look how amazing {these arched mirrors} (on big sale!) look:

Or consider {these mirrors} that we used in the bathroom of our last house. While rectangular in shape, they have soft, curved corners:

You definitely don’t have to limit your use of arches to bathrooms either! Consider an oversized arched floor-length mirror like {this one} in your bedroom, an arched cabinet like {this one} or an arched bookcase like {this} in your living room, or an arched console table like {this one} in your entryway.

3. Add a Statement-Making Planter

A large plant in a statement-making planter can give any room in your home a designer look! When I added {this large round white planter} to our sunroom at the end of last year, even Jeff remarked about what a difference it made to the feel of our space (my planter is the largest of the three size options):

These are some of my other favorites in a range of sizes and colors:

Sources: 1. Black & white planter | 2. White dot planter | 3. Gray striped planter |. 4. Gray urn planter | 5. Set of 3 woven planters | 6. White ball planter | 7. White waves planter | 8. Self-watering wall planter | 9. White ribbed planter | 10. Set of 3 textured white planters | 11. Gray tapered planter | 12. White planter on wood stand

4. Go Green Without a Green Thumb

Adding greenery can add so much life to your home. It may be just the thing you need to wake up a tired space! Nothing beats live greenery, but if you don’t have a green thumb or have a space that doesn’t get enough light, there’s no shame in going with faux. {This faux palm tree} fools everyone that comes to our home:

5. Snag a Look for Less Find

Another way to add a designer feel to your space is to snag a look for less find! There is SO much markup on designer furniture pieces, and if you love the joy of the hunt, you can save a lot by shopping Wayfair for similar pieces.

For example, {these counter and bar stools} that come in tons of colors cost much less than you’ll find them elsewhere, especially when you factor in that shipping is free!

Another great find is {this pendant} that is super similar to the more pricey version I had over the island in our last home:

6. Add Ambiance With Outdoor Lighting

Make your outdoor space one that you’ll love spending time in this summer by adding outdoor lighting to light it up at night. One simple option is to add string lights around the perimeter of your outdoor space, like we did:

There are a variety of different styles of string lights, but my favorites are globe string lights like {these}. Another fun option is to add solar powered LED floor lamps such as one of these (scroll & tap the image to shop it):

You simply leave them in direct sunlight during the day, which charges the LED lights and provides hours of illumination at night! And if you like to dine outdoors in the evening, a pair of {these portable table lamps} that are USB charged will add instant ambiance to your table.

7. Coral Shoes With a Stylish Basket

Do shoes seem to multiply in a certain spot in your home? The simplest, most budget-friendly fix is to corral them in a pretty basket such as {this one}:

See my post on shoe storage ideas for more solutions using on-sale finds from Wayfair.

8. Swap Out Your Bedside Lamps

If the lamps on your nightstand are either dated or too short or tall, now’s the time to swap them out. I highly recommend {these table lamps} which are the perfect size for nightstands and work with any style and color in your space. Also, I’m picky about lamp shades and think the color and shape of these are perfect!

9. Install a Roll or Two of Wallpaper

Don’t be intimidated by wallpaper! There are so many things you can do with just a roll or two instead of committing to wallpapering an entire room. Consider wallpapering the back wall of a closet, the back of a bookcase, or an accent wall. One of my Wayfair favorites is {this light blue palm print wallpaper}:

If you feel more comfortable starting with peel and stick wallpaper, check out {this fun lily pad print}:

or {this peel and stick grasscloth} that comes in tons of colors:

10. Add Style & Pattern With an Area Rug

A great rug can take any room from ho-hum to gorgeous! My tried and true Wayfair favorites include {this rug} we recently added to our sunroom (mine is the light gray/ivory option),

and {this blue-striped rug} we have in our living room:

We also had {this area rug} for years in the family room of our previous home, and it wore extremely well. If you want to stick with a patterned neutral, {this rug} and {this Loloi rug} look like winners:

Or if you gravitate toward rugs with a lot of color, my daughter bought {this fun rug} for her apartment and loves it:

Check out my rug size guide for sizing tips plus pics of my other favorite rugs from Wayfair.

11. Size Your Nightstands to Your Bed

I’d say that about 90% of people have nightstands that aren’t appropriately sized for their bed. One good rule of thumb is to choose nightstands that are level in height with your mattress or within 1-3″ (higher is better than lower). Also, the larger your bed, the wider your nightstands should be.

We initially had narrow nightstands in our guest bedroom, but about a year ago we swapped them out to {these 2-drawer nightstands}:

They are a much better proportion and make this bedroom look so much more upscale!

Of course, the size of your bedroom can be a limiting factor in the width of your nightstand. We have a pretty short wall for the bed in our own primary bedroom and decided the comfort of having a king bed outweighed the style trade-off of having to use narrow nightstands. If you’re in the same boat, {these narrow nightstands} we have in our space are a great find because they aren’t very wide but are a nice height for most beds:

12. Fuse Function & Style With a Swivel Chair

Have you ever had a swivel chair? Finding out that a chair swivels is kind of like realizing that a dress has pockets 😂 – such a bonus! They can add so much function to your space too! We have a pair of swivel chairs in our sunroom that’s open to our kitchen, and it’s so nice for people to be able to swivel around to be part of the conversation in either space.

These are my favorite, highly-rated swivel chairs to snag on Way Day deal (they’re all available in multiple color options):

Source Links: 1. Modern armless swivel chair | 2. Blue notched arm swivel chair | 3. Armless swivel barrel chair (set of 2) | 4. Leggy swivel barrel chair | 5. Pillow backed swivel chairs | 6. Blue swivel barrel chair | 7. Wood accent swivel chair | 8. Wide boucle swivel armchair

13. Throw On Some New Pillows

Whether it’s on your bed, sofa, a favorite chair, or your outdoor living space, adding a few new pillows can make all the difference! And here’s a simple tip for getting a designer look: don’t get too matchy matchy with your pillows. The combination of a solid color pillow, a patterned pillow, and a simple stripe or geometric print are a winning mix.

{This pleated throw pillow} that comes in four color options (mine is sage) is one of my favorites. The colors are subtle, making them easy to mix and match with other pillows, and I love the texture that the pleating adds:

And the price is amazing too, considering that they come with feather filled inserts. These are a few other Wayfair pillows that caught my eye:

14. Say Bye to Your Bed Skirt

I used to use headboards and bed skirts on every bed, but once I bought a complete bed with side and footboards, I was hooked! It’s such a high-end, clean-lined look! The only downside is that they tend to be pricier than headboards alone. My favorite upholstered bed that’s well-priced (especially considering shipping is free!) is {this upholstered bed} that I used in the guest room of our last home:

and the primary bedroom in our current home:

There are several fabric options to choose from, but both times I went with the Zuma White fabric. It’s a great, not-too-white, not-too-yellow color. Also check out the Hanson bed {here} that’s has a slightly different profile of headboard “wings”.

These are some other favorite skirtless bed options:

Sources: 1. Wood platform bed | 1. Tufted upholstered platform bed  |  2. White bamboo-inspired metal bed  |  3. Black canopy bed  |  4. Grooved border gray upholstered bed  |  5. Notched border upholstered bed  |  6. Arched metal bed

Quick Tip: Some beds require a box spring while others don’t, so be sure to look for those details in the description if you have a preference.

15. Create Visual Interest With Texture

You can make your home more cozy and interesting by incorporating texture into each room. Nubby linen or cotton drapes on your windows and furniture or accessories with jute, seagrass, or sisal will give your space that yummy, tactile feel. These are a few of my favorite textural pieces to consider bringing into your home:

Source Links: 1. Jute pouf | 2. Set of 3 handled seagrass baskets | 3. Woven bench | 4. Beaded round rattan mirror | 5. Round braided fringe jute rug | 6. Faux coral | 7. Set of 3 paint dipped baskets

16. Forget Your Dated Flush Mounts

The price point for lighting is all over the place, but there are lots of stylish options even if you’re on a limited budget. For example, one of my go-to flush mount light fixtures is {this simple flush mount light} that’s reasonably priced and has a classic design that works with just about any design style. In our last home, I used this fixture in both our guest bathroom and laundry room in the warm brass finish:

It also comes in Bronze, Polished Nickel, and Satin Nickel.

I’ve gathered together some of my other favorite flush mount lights too, in a range of price points. They include the glass star flush mount we have in the laundry room of our current home (light #1), the brass drum semi-flush mount we had in our home office (light #3), the scalloped fabric flush mount we had in our CT bedroom (light #4), and the budget-friendly flush mount we have in our powder room (light #8):

Links to lights:  1. Star flush mount  |  2. Clover shape semi-flush mount |  3. Drum semi-flush mount  |  4. Scalloped white fabric fixture with black trim  |  5. Quatrefoil fabric + metal shade  |  6. Simple bowl flush mount  |   7. Low profile star flush mount  |   8. Simple white flush mount

17. Pitch Your Pedestal Sink

Looking to update your powder room? If it has a dated pedestal sink, this home decor idea is simple: consider swapping it out for a small space vanity. Not only will it update the look of your bathroom, but it will also add extra storage space for extra rolls of TP, hand towels, tissue boxes, and more. I made the swap in our powder room, switching out this pedestal sink:

to {this small space vanity} with a ton more countertop space plus two drawers and a shelf with storage space beneath:

I did the same thing in the guest bathroom of our previous home, swapping the pedestal sink for a 24″ vanity:

Wayfair no longer carries the exact vanity I bought for our guest bathroom, but {this 24″ gray vanity} is very similar (I swapped out the knobs for a dressier option!). These are some other pretty options in 24-30″ sizes that are perfect for small-space bathrooms (most of them come in multiple color options):

Sources: 1. Gray 24″ two-drawer vanity  |  2. White 30″ slotted shelf vanity  |  3. Blue 30″ vanity  |  4. White 24″ two-door vanity  |  5. Driftwood 30″ vanity  | 6. Light gray 30″ two-door vanity  |  7. Green 24″ vanity  |  8. White 30″ vanity with bottom drawer  | 9. Blue 30″ two-drawer vanity

And if you’re looking for a larger vanity, I can’t recommend {this Saur vanity} we used in our recent remodel enough! I love the look of it (including the top and sinks), it has great storage space, including built-in drawer dividers, and it comes in a ton of sizes:

18. Swap Out Furniture Hardware

On a super tight budget? You can completely transform cabinetry or a piece of furniture with paint and new knobs or pulls. I’ve done this with a dresser, bathroom vanity, nightstand, and several other pieces, and the transformation is huge! My long-time favorites are {these Blackrock pulls} and {these Oberon knobs} that come in multiple sizes and finish options:

Also, check out {these mushroom knobs} that I added to our kitchen and {these acrylic pulls}:

19. Finish Off Your Bedroom With a Bench

If you have space at the end of your bed for a bench, add one! They elevate the look of your space, and I love mine for having a spot to sit and put shoes on and for stacking my decorative bed pillows when we go to bed. I adore {this cane bench} that we currently have in our guest bedroom (and the price is great too!):

Another Wayfair favorite is {this white leather laced bench} that I used at the foot of my daughter’s bed in our previous home:

20. Add Stylish Storage

Adding extra storage space to your home doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style! There are plenty of consoles, cabinets, & sideboards that are full of storage space and are also beautifully designed pieces. An example is {this rattan sideboard} that I bought for our dining room soon after moving in:

It’s crazy how many things I was able to pack inside! It’s a quality solid wood piece and neutral enough to work with tons of other colors and styles, so it’s a piece that I feel I will always be able to find a spot for in any future homes too (an important consideration because it wasn’t cheap!).

These are some other favorite stylish consoles, cabinets, and sideboards at a variety of price points:

Source Links: 1. White sideboard with linen-like doors | 2. Wood & rattan sideboard with black base | 3. Natural fluted cabinet | 4. White sideboard with arched doors | 5. White fluted door sideboard | 6. Black sideboard | 7. Small white rattan cabinet | 8. Natural sideboard (set of 2)