Skip to main content

6 easy ways to do a living room remodel on a budget

As a place for fun movie nights, watching TV, family game night, and more, the living room is a special place to bring together friends and loved ones. If you feel like your living room could use a little update, then not to worry. There are so many easy and affordable remodeling ideas that will take your living room from bland to grand. HGTV suggests to do some research and plan before jumping all in. So, we’re glad to see you here!

Revamp your flooring

Although flooring is a feature that is low and commonly overlooked, it actually is a key aspect that can tie a whole room together. You may think your current living room flooring lacks personality, or maybe it’s filled with scuffs and scratches. Either way, there are a variety of ways to restore the beauty of your floors.

  • Refinish your hardwood floors. You can either have them refinished for a low cost or refinish them on your own with some rented equipment and hard work.
  • Pull up the old carpet. Whether you want to replace your existing carpet with more carpet or a new hardwood floor, you can save huge costs by doing the manual labor yourself.
  • Use peel-and-stick tiles. A trend growing in popularity is peel-and-stick tiles. These tiles have an adhesive backing that allows you to firmly press them onto existing hard floors. These tiles are inexpensive, easy to use, and will completely transform your living room space.
  • Add a fun rug. There are a variety of beautiful rugs out there from Oriental-style rugs to wool rugs. If there is a certain spot on your floor that you want to cover up, a stylish rug can get the job done in seconds.

Lighting is everything

You can change the whole feeling of a room with some simple lighting features. Choose different lamps, wall fixtures, chandeliers, and more to find the perfect fit for your living room design.

Stokkete/Shutterstock

Focus on the walls

Adding some texture, color, and design to your living room walls is a quick and easy remodel project that you can do on a budget. Applying these ideas can help turn a lackluster room into a dwelling space with depth and dimension. With new advancements and technologies coming to light in the world of interior design, it has never been easier to accomplish DIY projects for such affordable prices. When it comes to your living room walls, there are plenty of fun options to add personality, style, sophistication, design, and so much more.

  • Keep it simple with a fresh coat of paint. Nothing is simpler than a fresh coat of paint to transform your walls. Some of the best colors for a living room include crisp white, mint green, deep blue, soft yellow, and calming beige. While these are merely suggestions, it is important to pick a color that matches your own personality and style.
  • Have fun with wallpaper. A few years ago, wallpaper was thought to be old-fashioned and out of style, but with new designs and applications, this decorating material has never been more popular. One particularly popular product is peel-and-stick wallpaper.
  • This kind doesn’t need pesky wallpaper glue so you can simply peel off the wallpaper’s backing to reveal adhesive material. Then, simply press onto your walls and you’re done.
  • Use new painting techniques. If you’re looking to spice up your living room with more than one color or some fun texture, you can try a variety of painting techniques. Creating a feature wall in your living room allows you to seamlessly tie in two different colors. You can also utilize textured paint rollers that will create intricate painted textures right on your wall.
goodluz/Shutterstock

Rearrange your furniture

Sometimes, changing up your living room can be as simple as switching around your furniture. You can change up furniture for different purposes. For example, if you want your living room to be a movie night masterpiece, ensure that all of your comfy seats are in perfect viewing angles of the TV.

The best part about this idea is that it is completely free. All you need is a little muscle, design, and determination to get the job done.

Update your furniture

If your furniture has seen better days, then it may be time for an upgrade. Since there are so many stores and online stores selling furniture, you can find a lot of great options for affordable prices. You also shouldn’t feel like you need to replace everything at once. Focus on the important pieces first. Something as easy as a new couch or TV can change the whole vibe of your living room.

Add some stylish decor

When it comes to revamping your living room, sometimes all you need is a new style. Pick a style that you love and add pieces of decor to carry it through your living room. Some fun styles you can choose from include:

  • Rustic
  • Industrial
  • Nautical
  • Vintage
  • Chic

Many decor pieces can be found for great prices at thrift shops or you can have fun with some creative DIY projects. The important thing is to pick a theme and then carry it throughout the space.

As with any home remodel, doing it on a budget takes the stress off your wallet and the project. It can be a fun way to get creative and let your inner interior designer shine. Get inspired by some of these easy, quick ways to update your living room and enjoy all that a project like this has to offer.

Editors' Recommendations

Deb Goncalves
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Deb's work has appeared on Moms, Babygaga, and WorldAtlas. When she's not working (that's hard to say about a Capricorn), she…
Don’t celebrate Christmas? Try these winter decor ideas instead
Here's how to decorate in favor of seasonal winter themes
Christmas decorations in house with wall sign on floor

Not everyone celebrates Christmas. But that doesn’t mean you can’t join in on all the festive fun. Sure, you may not want a Christmas tree in your living room or stockings hung over the chimney with care, but who said you had to decorate solely for the holiday?

If you want to take part in decking the halls but prefer a more seasonal approach to your decor, then we have some amazing winter decor ideas. Decorating the home during the winter months can be a great way to celebrate the season and welcome in the new year. And even if you don’t celebrate on December 25, you can still make your home look fabulous without opting for classic Christmas tropes.

Read more
Want a luxe living room or bedroom? Upgrade your TV wall with an IKEA fave and this easy DIY project
Use this IKEA TV stand idea from TikTok to upgrade your entertainment center
Luxury beige wall living room, modern flat television on brown wood panel wall, gray leather sofa, mid century style shelf in sunlight from window white sheer curtain for interior design background 3D

 

There are several living room trends that aim to add a luxe touch to our interiors, especially when it comes to dressing up the TV and TV stand. TVs can be a bit of an eyesore in the home, especially in modern designs that beg for more simplicity and elegance. While there are several fantastic trends like the picture frame TV or the classic built-in consoles that hide the TV behind a cabinet door, this idea from TikTok helps dress up the space without draining your wallet.

Read more
Zillow says these are the 2024 home design trends to watch (and the ones on their way out)
Zillow shares the home design features that are trending and those that aren't for 2024 interiors
Brown living room walls with neutral color palette design

A recent release from Zillow highlights some of the home design trends that today's buyers crave and some that are slowly falling out of style. Zillow analyzed some of the most popular keywords added to home listing descriptions to identify trends that homeowners are searching for.

"When certain keywords appear in a rising share of listings, it's a signal that today's home buyers may be gravitating toward those features," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert, in the Zillow press release.

Read more