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8 Best Budget Living Room Ideas

The living room is one of the most important spaces in the house, so having a stylish and functional room is a must. Creating a beautiful and liveable environment can seem like a big project, but when done correctly, it can be completed with a relatively small budget. 

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8 Creative Living Room Ideas on a Budget

Rearrange Furniture

As a little kid, nothing made your bedroom feel more updated and different than rearranging the furniture. It instantly felt like you were in an entirely new space, allowing you to gain a fresh perspective on how to use the room more efficiently. 

This simple and no-cost strategy can easily be applied to restyling your living room. When an area becomes overly familiar and routine, it tends to lose its appeal and feel dull and predictable. When this starts to happen, the best thing you can do is purge the items you think no longer belong, clear away clutter, and rethink the furniture arrangements. 

Rope in family or friends to offer a new perspective and layout ideas to create a room that is both functional and free-flowing. 

living room ideas

Boost Basic Lighting

One of the biggest features most people overlook when designing or styling a room is the lighting. When done right, it can have a significant impact on the feel of the room, giving you more flexibility when setting the mood and allowing a space to take on multiple functions. 

Single, overhead pendant lights can lose their ‘wow factor’ in a room that is too large while having too many floor lamps can overpower and clutter a small area. To get the best of both, mix and match different sizes and shapes. Regardless of what you choose, ensure your chosen light sources are equipped with dimmers, as they can make a massive difference in a room that can be used for so many different activities. 

Go Bold With Wallpaper

The world of wallpaper has improved immensely over the years, and these days, we have access to hundreds of beautiful designs and colors from which to choose. Temporary wallpaper is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to transform a bland living room into something bold and exciting. 

If you choose to cover wall-to-wall, it can work out to be a pricey addition. Instead, opt for a single wall or feature area, like a chimney breast wall or accent alcoves, to adorn with chic, easy-to-apply wallpaper in complementary shades and patterns. 

Restyle Accessories

Often, the most effortless budget-friendly changes to make to your living room are simply restyling items you already own. If you have built-in shelves or bookcases, a fireplace mantel, or accent side tables, repositioning the adorning accessories can instantly make your space feel brand new. 

living room ideas

DIY Wall Art

Instead of splashing out on original artwork that will likely carry a hefty price tag, cut your costs and channel your inner artist by creating your own bespoke gallery wall. Choose a statement wall and build a color grid using framed pieces of colored cards or paper, shade-matched to complement the existing decor. 

Alternatively, you can go a step further by framing copies of your favorite prints or painting small artist scenes should your talents allow. The beauty of creating inexpensive gallery walls is their immense flexibility. You can change the designs based on seasons, significant holidays, or simply when the mood takes you. 

A Paint Refresh

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders when transferring a room. It is a simple way to inject bold flashes of color, instantly transforming the overall mood of your living room. Darker colors tend to feel more intense and work wonders in making a room feel cozy and intimate.

Alternatively, bright and refreshing colors can make the room feel open and welcoming, especially if you are fortunate enough to have large windows or patio doors as part of your living room design. 

Bring the Outdoors In

Pot plants and indoor trees are a beautiful and relatively inexpensive way to add life and stunning pops of color to your living room. If you don’t consider yourself a plant expert, choose a low-maintenance variety that requires average sunlight and can power through on those days you forget to water it. Arrange them to fill empty corners, to accent a sofa, or along a fireplace mantel or bookshelf. 

Furthermore, they have been scientifically proven to provide significant benefits to your mental and physical health, boosting your serotonin levels, reducing stress, and removing impurities from the air. 

living room ideas

Repurpose Vintage & Thrifted Finds

When it comes to decorating your home on a budget, it may be worthwhile visiting local antique stores, and secondhand thrift stores to seek out new furniture finds and elegant accessories. Because it is impossible to predict what you may encounter along the way, it gives you much more freedom when deciding on what may fit best. 

Furthermore, suppose you have no success with local stores in your area. In that case, there is a plethora of online marketplaces dedicated to buying and selling secondhand items, allowing you to expand your search far beyond the borders of your town. 

Refreshing your living room on a budget doesn’t have to be hard! There are tons of inexpensive ideas to make your space feel brand new without dropping a ton of cash. What’s your favorite budget decorating hack? Share in the comments!