How to Decorate the Living Room on a Budget

Last Updated on December 14, 2024 by Ellen Christian

If you’re interested in how to decorate the living room on a budget, keep reading for a few ideas that will transform your room without breaking the bank. 

Decorate the Living Room

My husband and I have been working on remodeling our home for several years. While our living room doesn’t need a complete remodel like our kitchen, it does need work done.

Our home was built in 1865 so when we think about how to decorate the living room, it’s more than just adding new curtains. We have a few things that need to be done and a few things we’d simply like to do to change the look.

Simple living room designs

My husband and I prefer simple living room designs that are open and peaceful. I’ve been working on decluttering and creating a more minimalist living area.

Because of this, we don’t go heavy on the decorative nic nacs and decor items. I’d prefer a simple vase of flowers, a scented candle, or a framed photograph of the kids over something more complicated.

Check out my thoughts on how to decorate with artificial succulents.

How to decorate living room walls

We have an old home so hanging anything too heavy on our walls does not work well. We have several paintings in our living room.

One is a farm scene with sunflowers and the other is an abstract painting that our daughter made in college.

You can make a DIY painting with a paint by numbers kit, which will even have a personal sentimental value and still look good on your living room wall. If you’re interested in this option, you can get more details here.

If you have a small room, adding a large mirror on one wall can help the room look larger. And, there is nothing wrong with leaving the walls blank if you prefer.

Plain white or cream colored walls can be very restful.

Small living room decorating ideas

If you have a small living room, you may want to consider not adding too many decor items to the room. Busy carpets, lots of throw pillows, and cluttered bookcases can all make your room look cramped and overstuffed.

In this case, flooring with a few scattered throw rugs rather than wall to wall carpeting may be the best choice.

How do you make a small living room look bigger?

If you cannot afford to expand the dimensions of your living room, your next option is to make your living room look bigger. You can do this by putting a mirror on one wall to help your room look larger.

You should also use light colors on the walls and the floors. Oak or bamboo flooring would be ideal for a small room.

Living room ideas on a budget

If you need a few living room ideas on a budget, take time to look through decor magazines and find styles that you love. Once you’re sure what you want to include in your living room, include lower-cost options that mimic the looks you like.

Update the doors of your entertainment center instead of the entire piece of furniture. Choose a laminate flooring that looks like real hardwood.

How should I arrange my living room?

How you arrange your living room will depend on what you use the room for. Do you entertain in your living room? Or, does the living room double as a game room and movie room for the family?

If you entertain, you will want to have a wide open floor plan that allows guests to mingle. You’ll probably want the television out of the way or hidden.

If everyone uses the living room for video games and movie night, then you’ll want to arrange seating around your television.

Make sure you have plenty of storage to keep movies, video games, game systems, and controllers out of the way when not in use.

I’m not a fan of wall to wall carpet in living areas. It’s too easy to stain whether that’s a dropped appetizer or a spilled sports drink. Laminate flooring is both stylish and durable.

If you’re interested in how to decorate the living room, new flooring is a great place to start.

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