This €10 Decorating Hack Transforms the Living Room, Says an Interior Designer

The living room is often the first room you notice when you arrive home, and it’s also the one you get tired of seeing the same way the quickest. When swapping the sofa or repainting the walls isn’t on the agenda, you may feel that a full makeover is out of reach. An interior decorator asserts that a single object under 10€ is enough to shake up the atmosphere.

In an article published on July 6, 2025 at 2:33 p.m. by Le Journal De La Maison, stylist Sol Van Dorssen, who works for the magazine El Mueble and founded Dress Your Home, shares her favorite trick for waking up a living room without breaking the bank. She insists: “You don’t need to buy new,” while betting on a highly targeted change. Her secret lies in a few cushion covers…

Why a 10€ cushion cover can transform the entire living room

For Sol Van Dorssen, the starting point is clear: this small object is the cushion cover or the armchair cover. Changing only the outer shell of the cushions already on the sofa instantly creates a sense of novelty, without touching the furniture. The Nestenn network recalls that a cushion cover for the living room often costs around 10€ per piece, a micro-budget enough to rethink the room’s dominant colors.

In Le Journal De La Maison, the decorator sums up this idea with a simple formula: sometimes 10€ is enough to make all the difference. Rather than discarding, keep the existing cushions and change only what the eye sees first. Textiles take a major visual role in a living room; a few renewed cushion covers thus alter the overall perception of the space, from style to comfort.

Changing cushion covers: the simplest decor gesture in the living room

Sol Van Dorssen aims to reassure; for her, there’s no need to replace everything since you reuse the existing cushions. She mentions for example Ikea, Zara Home, or Mango Home Collection and describes how a quick stroll through these stores is enough to give the living room a different look. In a few minutes, the old covers slide into a drawer, and the new ones take over.

The site Elle Adore also emphasizes the power of textiles, recommending changing only the cushion covers to achieve a nearly new effect. Fabrics play a key role here: corduroy velvet for a wrapping feel, very graphic bouclé wool, soft washed linen, or light cotton gauze. By mixing two or three textures on the cushions and on an armchair, the living room immediately feels more lively.

Bien choisir ses housses de coussins : conseils pratiques et idées de décoratrice

For those who enjoy DIY, Sol Van Dorssen suggests buying fabric by the meter and sewing your own covers. This option, highlighted in her Dress Your Home projects and her shoots for El Mueble, allows colors to be perfectly matched to the sofa and rug. The budget stays controlled while producing pieces that are nearly unique, tailored to the size and style of the living room.

• Vary textures rather than multiplying patterns, to maintain a soft ambiance.
• Stay within the same color family around the sofa so that the covers harmonize with one another.
• Balance the number of cushions on the sofa and on the armchair so that the eye moves naturally.

With this decorating tip centered on covers, each season can give the living room a fresh energy, without exceeding the famous 10€ per piece in most retailers.