Budget-Friendly Living Room Makeover: Before & After

My good friend Sarah recently moved into a new home, and speaking from my own experience as well, it usually takes awhile after you move in to decorate your space…especially when you want to stay within a budget. One of the spaces she really wanted to decorate was her living room, and I was excited when she let me give her a Budget-Friendly Living Room that she loves!

Before…

Her living room is right off of the entry to the left, and it has two great-sized windows that bring in lots of light. The house was brand new when they moved in, so the paint was fresh and didn’t need to be redone. The space had to still have a desk for the computer, some kind of seating, and for the piano to stay in the room.

Her style is traditional, with a modern flair, and I wanted to go with pieces that would not only look great, but be functional as well. As a mom to 4 kids, this room is used for homework and music practice, so it definitely needed to be practical. With just a little more than $500, this space was completely transformed!

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After: Budget-Friendly Living Room

My game plan was to utilize white to keep the space light and bright, to contrast that white with darker accent pieces, and then choose chairs that could be the focal point and add a pop of color. Simple and clean, and still meet her style goals at the same time.

I adore this modern desk with the crossed legs—as soon as we both saw it, we knew it was just the right thing. Plus, it fit perfectly on this wall, so it was meant to be! I paired it with a leather accent chair, and the contrast of the white with the dark leather is lovely. Don’t you just love the nailheads on the chair? They add so much to the overall look–such a great accent piece for the whole room.

I added my favorite task lamp and little bit of greenery to liven up the space, then hung a wood sign above the desk.

I think we both kind of gasped when we saw these chairs. I had already picked out a chair very similar to this in navy, which is the color that I thought would go really well with the green wall color, but it didn’t have a pattern on it. Once we saw these, that was it. Aren’t they lovely? And just so perfect? They really do make the room, and at less than $130, they are a steal. At any furniture store, a similar chair would be at least twice as much.

I didn’t put the chairs in front of the windows, because it would have left the back wall too empty, and it would have blocked the entryway from the foyer into the room. It needed to stay nice and open, and this arrangement met all of our needs–and looked the best.

I used a saddle stool as a side table, because the chairs aren’t huge, and I didn’t want them to be overpowered. There also isn’t a lot of space in between the chairs, so the stool did the trick. You can never go wrong with greenery in a vase, and it’s the perfect accent.

To fill the space next to the chair, I added a large round basket with a cream, cable knit throw. It also lends a sense of coziness and comfort–I’m always a fan of baskets and blankets in every room! A large clock is the perfect thing for the back wall–it ties in the white of the curtains and desk, and is big enough to fill the space.

I chose crisp, white curtains, which are always a good choice. They’re hung high on the wall, and then further on each side of the window. This elongates the wall, makes the space look bigger, and doesn’t block the window so they continue to let in a lot of light. The bronze rods lend continuity with the rest of the darker wood in the room.

I kept the piano exactly where it was before–it really is the perfect spot for it, and didn’t need to be moved. A fresh green and white wreath ties in with the rest of the room.

This was SO fun for me, and I’m so happy that Sarah trusted me to do it! We didn’t have to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful space for her family that they all love, and that is the best part of all. Thank you, Sarah!! xoxo