All the time spent at home over the past year has left many of us itching for a change. Maybe you’ve tried swapping artwork or adding some new throw pillows in your space, but the small adjustments still aren’t cutting it. For simple updates that will create an eye-catching impact in your home, designer Ty Larkins of Ty Larkins Interiors encourages us to look at the bigger picture.

“We are often asked, ‘What interior design act has the greatest transformative effect on a space?'” says Larkins. “The answer to this question is fairly straightforward, simple and somewhat intuitive: any action that changes or modifies the greatest amount of visual coverage the human eye can perceive in a space.”

Larkins explains that the eye gravitates to the largest surfaces in your home first, such as walls, floors and ceilings, as they hold the most visual coverage. Therefore, for the greatest impact, update the biggest elements in your space. Adding a fresh coat of paint on the walls or a large area rug to the living room floor are simple swaps for an effortlessly refreshed space.

Even for total home transformations, Larkins often implements this technique to revamp existing structures rather than conduct major reconstruction.

“This space we designed [below] —which was previously dark and rustic—employs this design tool to its maximum effect,” says Larkins. “Repainting the walls, ceilings and even the brick floors served to lighten and modernize the space without actually changing any of these surfaces.”