Canvas the Area

Hang canvases painted with interior latex paint to brighten blank walls. Think big: The canvases should fill the wall.

Create a Side Table

Stack modular storage units (from $22, amazon.com) to make a stepped side table with surfaces for displays and lighting. Create miniature still lifes in the cubbies, or stack reading material that you’re going to get to…someday.

Make Your Own Art

Even photocopied art looks sophisticated when it floats between two pieces of glass in Umbra’s Document Frames (from $13,umbra.com). The wall color shows through the glass, creating the illusion of a custom mat.