How to Decorate a Living Room for Less Than $250

You don’t have spend an arm and a leg to decorate your living room. True, decorating is going to cost you some money, but if you’re creative and good at looking for deals, you can create a nicely coordinated living room for under $250. Assuming you already have a few key pieces of furniture, the only things you’ll need are some inspiration and a few room accessories. Want to know how? Read on to learn how you can pull together your $250 living room.

Have a Plan First

Before you even begin decorating, have a general idea of what you want to do with the space. Having a specific plan is even better. Decorating plans usually go over budget when people aren’t focused and continually change their minds. Looking at pictures of decorated living rooms or having inspiration in hand will make the task easier.

Start with the Focal Point

When you have a limited decorating budget, you have to get lots of bang for your buck with your focal point. A good idea is to start with an interesting rug. The rug will also be an anchor for the rest of the room, as you’ll pull your color scheme and patterns for the rest of the room from it. Given your $250 budget, you won’t want to spend any more than $100 on your rug. Wait to purchase one from stores having a sale or offering a coupon. Many home decor mega stores mail out discount coupons frequently.

Create Your Own Wall Art

You don’t have to be an artist to create something interesting to hang on your walls. Go to your local art store and purchase four medium stretched canvases (you can get one for around $10) and between two to four acrylic paint colors and brushes. Paint each canvas a single, solid color. Hang them in a group on one of your living room walls for a simple, but eye-catching, display. The total cost for all of your supplies should be no more than $60.

Add Color and Texture with Seating Accessories

There’s nothing like fun pillows to make a room pop. Not only do pillows and blanket add color, they add texture and dimension to a room. Get the most out of your budget by purchasing only one or two elaborate or detailed pillows (which tend to be more expensive) and purchasing more solid colored pillows. An inexpensive throw placed on the back of your sofa or chair is also a nice touch. Budget no more than $60 for these accessories.

Add Final Accessories

By the time you’ve purchased your rug, artwork and pillows, there will be less than $50 left for any final accessories. Check our your local thrift store or flea market for insanely low prices on vases, candle holders and other decorative items. Also check the clearance rack of your local Marshall’s or TJMaxx. You can find all kinds of items at very low clearance prices (think $3 for a decorative coffee table bowl).

If you don’t already have furniture, you’ll need to add at least another $200 to your decorating budget. Even then you’ll need to be thrifty and search on Craigslist for furniture bargains.

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Rachael Weiner: I’m a communications professional for a non-profit, which financially necessitates my status as an apartment dweller. Constantly “on-the-go,” I’ve resided in five different apartments across the United States over the past five years. Roommate issues, budgeting, organizing and handling problem neighbors are my specialty.