Occasionally I like to torture myself by flipping through the glossy pages of the latest issue of Metropolitan Home. Page after page of expensively minimalist interior design will slowly, insidiously, poison my mind into the belief that the only way I’ll ever achieve stylish living is by spending mountains of cash. Since I’m hardly swimming in the green stuff, I’m left feeling pretty much condemned to a shabby existence of mismatched futons and chipped second-hand end-tables.

Clearly I’ve got to stop reading those magazines. (Frankly, you’d be well advised to do the same). One thing I’m starting to realize: pretty pictures that show you how some rich yuppie couple hired a hotshot architect and interior designer to completely gut and re-build their palatial home provide absolutely no help whatsoever for those of us who can’t even scrounge up enough money for a new sofa and a coffee table.

For those of us for whom money actually is an object, home renovations have to take place just a bit at a time, and with as little monetary extravagance as possible. Knocking down walls, heightening ceilings and adding new rooms would undoubtedly do a smashing job towards spiffing up our apartments, but, realistically speaking, simply aren’t do-able options. Fortunately, there’s a lot to said for attention to the little things – below, some suggestions for minor room modifications that can make a big difference in altering the overall feel of your space …

Throw down some throw pillows
Throw pillows and floor pillows add the perfect cozy touch to your living room or bedroom. Add a few 18" square pillows to your sofas; stack some oversize floor cushions in a corner. They’re a very cheap and easy way to change a room’s overall color scheme – just switch pillow covers and you can change your room’s look from bland neutral to vibrant exotic.

Give your futon/sofa a fast facelift
Make a new cover for your futon; drape a blanket over your tired-looking old sofa for a casual cover-up. If you’re sofa’s truly an eyesore, try this idea: cover it with sections of stretchy material (I once saw this done with a crushed velvet-y spandex … obviously this works best if the sofa isn’t particularly curvy), using a staple gun to hold the fabric in key places. If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can also make some slipcovers (go to the library and see if you can dig up a book on sewing for the home … slipcovers are a very popular sewing project).

yes indeed ... we've got more ideas!