It's spring cleaning time! Okay, so maybe that's not terribly exciting, but with Easter coming up this weekend and the potential for guests, it's hard to ignore completely. The problem is, once you start cleaning, you start noticing. 

How long have you had the same colors and styles in your living room? If you're finding yourself bored with your decor, it might be time to take a new direction!

Go Bold

Colors can be scary--you've probably walked into someone's house and seen a garish color combination that made you cringe, and you never want to be that person. However, if you go bold in the right way, you can make a statement in your living room that will get you noticed for the right reasons.

One of the easiest ways to pull his off is to choose a bright color like blue, green, or even purple, and then pair it with strong neutrals throughout the room. Using black and white with your bold color will keep it from getting too overwhelming and provide a modern feel.

Serenity

If you're looking for something more peaceful, you can go in exactly the opposite direction and create a super serene, calm environment easily by mixing and matching neutrals. Normally, you see brighter colors and neutrals paired to keep them in balance, but if you're looking for sweet serenity, try using only neutrals.

To keep it from looking clinical or boring, though; don't go monochromatic. Mix whites, beiges, browns, and grays for a peaceful environment that still draws your eye around the room. If you want, throw in some fluffy pillows to make an extra comfortable space.

Eclectic Fun

Is your taste a little more on the wild side? You can create a fun, eclectic living room that still looks like it came out of the pages of a magazine if you choose your pieces wisely.

First, start with a neutral base: neutral walls and a neutral floor will make the best base for your fun, bright pieces. Then, feel free to mix and match! Try varying textures of furnishings, like combining natural woods, wickers, and stone. Or throw colors and designs together with a patterned chair and a brightly colored throw.

Find those fun, random pieces you love and build around them. Use neutrals to layer the brighter stuff together, but really enjoy your space!

Focus

Another way to breathe new life into your living room is to create a center focal point and then build your decor around it. This could be anything: your fireplace, an amazing piece of art, a large, stand-out mirror, a gallery wall, or even an ornate rug. 

The idea is to use this piece as your inspiration for the rest of the room. Draw colors and styles from it, so that not only is the eye drawn to it as soon as you enter the room, but so that the rest of the room also complements it in a cohesive way that suggests elegance and balance.

Juxtaposition

Making a living room exciting can be as simple as putting together the unexpected, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to combine vintage or antique pieces with modern ones.

Pair a vintage lamp with a modern chair, for instance; or use a Victorian-inspired chair in an otherwise minimalist room. It's really about bringing the eye to the pieces you want by setting them side-by-side.

Come in Pairs

At the beginning we said that colors can be scary, but that you can pull it off--well, double the colors might be even scarier, but you really can pull it off! Bringing two bright colors together can make a room pop as long as the two bright colors go well together.

Specifically, look for colors that are complimentary or close to complimentary. Some combinations to try include: blue and green, blue and purple, purple and green, or purple and yellow. 

Everyone gets a little bored of their space from time to time, and the best way to combat that is to take it head-on. Use what you have and build on it to create an entirely new look you'll love!