Some of us watch TV every night in our living rooms, while for some, the living room is strictly for entertaining company. Whatever role your living room plays in your home, odds are good that it’s due for an update — or at least a little freshening up! Once the holidays are over, many of us fall into a bit of a post-holiday funk, and a living room re-do can be just the thing to lift your spirits and provide an indoor project to see you through the cold and gloom of January and February weekends. The best part? You don’t necessarily need a big budget to make noticeable — and stylish — living room design changes!
Low-Budget Living Room Design Updates
Even if the most you can see your way clear to spend is $100, you can still make some high-impact changes to your room. Here’s a little inspiration …
- De-clutter! This will make your living room look and feel larger and won’t cost you anything but your time.
- Paint an accent wall in a beautiful color. (Bear in mind that this wall will stand out, so make sure it’s a wall that’s behind a piece of furniture you love, showcasing a nice piece of artwork or one with an architectural feature like a fireplace.)
- Rearrange the furniture — especially if it’s currently lining the walls. Push furniture more towards the center of the room (if space allows) to create a conversational grouping, and an instant update that again, costs you nothing!
- Update the lighting. Many people treat lighting as an afterthought, but good living room lighting can completely transform the look of a room. Make sure that you include an ambient (overhead) source of light, some task lighting (a reading lamp or two), and some accent lighting to create some mood.
Got between $200 and $300 to spend? You can build on the inexpensive (or free) stuff listed above to spruce up your living room design …
- Buy a piece of art that adds color and that makes you happy whenever you look at it. If it’s opposite a window, make sure to ask for non-glare glass so it won’t reflect the outdoors during the daylight hours.
- Add a large houseplant in a really nice pot. A distinctive plant visually warms up a room and it’s good for the air quality too, which is important during the winter months!
Pricier Updates
If you’ve got your heart set on a completely new look but your budget can’t handle the strain, relax. You can stretch the project over the entire winter, so focus on making one change at a time and don’t sweat making slower progress than you would if you had a few thousand dollars to spare! Some examples …
- Spring for new window treatments. Depending on what you choose, you can make your living room look more formal, more casual, more modern, or just more colorful.
- Add some colorful throw pillows in nice fabrics. Mix patterns and solids, or go for a bolder look by mixing patterns (large with small) that are unified by similar hues. Add a soft throw for even more texture.
- Add a beautiful new area rug — and make sure it’s big enough so that at least the front legs of your sofa and side chairs fit on it. (A too small area rug is an oh-so-common decorating mistake that makes interior designers cringe!)
- Update a piece of furniture. If you can’t afford a new sofa and your current one is still in good shape, consider having it reupholstered or covering it with a custom-made slipcover.
Keep in mind that pricier living room design updates can be done in stages. Even if it takes you months — or even years — to accomplish all of your living room decorating updates, you’ll end up with a beautiful new living room that’ll make you and your family happy and comfortable for years to come!