If your living room looks like it came out of a movie that might have featured Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff, that might be a sign you're ready for a change. Surprisingly, there are a few easy ways to modernize your living room, as a simple change of furniture can be hugely influential in redesigning your living room. Here are three ways to change the face of your house by switching up your furniture. 

Try Stark or Solid Colors

Nothing says "modern" like a black and white, clean-cut color scheme, and this decor is pretty easy to enact in your own home. If black and white seems too boring, then you'll be pleased to find out that a muted color blocking theme works on your home as well as in your closet. However, if your wallpaper is a bit more busy than your solid furniture, you could play the solid furniture off of some subtle tones in your wallpaper, making the busy pattern stand out even more.

Break the Sofa, Love Seat, Armchair Rut

The classic living room setup consists of a matching sofa, love seat, and armchair, and frankly, this scheme has been done ad nauseum. To switch it up and bring your living room into the new millennium, try adding some more modern pieces to your living room, like a futon instead of a classic love seat, or a cool barrel chair or a Barcelona-style chair instead of the classic plush American option. 

Have Some Fun With the Tables

These days, putting a sheet of glass over almost anything will constitute a table, and this is a great way to make your living room look sharp. Empty barrels or glued-together stacks of books turn into great end tables when a sheet of glass is attached to the top of them. For a coffee table, some wooden pallets or crates will do just fine as a table with a sheet of glass on top, and all these projects can be done in a weekend with a hot glue gun and some elbow grease. 

If your entire living room is indistinguishable from that of your grandparents, then pulling one or more of these three tricks will help greatly in turning your living room into a sharp, clean expression of yourself. Whether you're changing the color of your furniture, choosing different pieces or even making your own, a modern living room starts with new furniture that tugs at the cutting edge of interior design.