Here’s how to makeover your home with little fuss and minimal time involved.

1. Rearrange: Change the view, make a new focal point and stop “arresting your furniture – “everything up against the wall!” Keep moving pieces until you discover a refreshing setup. The key to a newly arranged living room is that it can have zones, like a new armchair with a lamp for reading, a couch and chair for entertaining, and a corner with a desk as a home office.

2. Take It Away: Subtracting pieces helps a room breathe. Choose two or three key elements like the color green, glass, and something modern, then take away everything that does not have some of the key elements. Pare down your magazines/books so that they won’t overpower the accessories on display.

3. Dress It Up: Adding new pillows and a nice throw can make it look like you’ve got a brand-new couch or armchair. Reframe photos with matching frames and buy new lampshades.

4. Brighten Up: Flowers should be for every day, not just special occasions. Even the humblest grocery-store bouquet brings a burst of color and life to a space.

5. Hide Away: The credenza is the perfect place to stash media technology. Let’s be honest. No one wants to stare at a stereo or DVD player.

6. The High’s and Low’s: To emphasize the ceiling’s height, use dramatic draperies that cascade from ceiling to floor. The pictures on the wall, on the other hand might need to be lowered – the center of the pictures should be at eye level.

– Rebecca Cole, On The House