Budget-Friendly Living Room Makeover Ideas: Living Room Reveal
Give your living room a dramatic but budget-friendly makeover with these DIY projects & ideas
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Do you know when we first started this living room makeover I thought it would take about a week…
I always underestimate the amount of time things take 😅 You would think I would know better by now.
We did wrap this one up in just over a month & I think that’s pretty good considering everything that went into it!
The living room renovation was on our 2022 Project To Do List & it feels good to check it off the list.
We were both drawn to the living room during our first walk-thru of the house!
We loved the real fireplace & large glass doors leading to the back deck.
The room itself wasn’t all that special… but it had potential to be amazing!
Here are the listing photos (I always think it’s fun to look back on those):
The only thing we did to this space before the makeover was paint the walls Alabaster.
We painted them when we were completing the dining room makeover because the rooms are open to each other & it would have looked silly 😉
The previous owners installed the cabinets & open shelving.
They were fine but our DIY arched built-ins really elevated the space!
Budget-Friendly Living Room Makeover Ideas
Then we added the Washington Thin Brick & the hexagon tiles to really make that wall pop!
This is my our favorite room in the house, especially with a cozy fire burning.
Building the bookcases went super fast & cutting the arch went so much better than I thought it would!
The bricks we used are from Glen-Gery, they are apart of their Thin Brick Black Hills Series.
These thin bricks only require non sagging adhesive to adhere them to the wall, so the only mortar we had to mix was for the mortar lines!
We also built this really simple faux beam mantle stained in Pecan by Minwax.
I am really digging the contrast of the light natural wood & the dark bookcases.
This makeovers budget didn’t stretch to a new rug, so we decided to take it outside & pressure wash it instead!
The difference a little water makes always shocks me.
The coffee table is the same one we had but I sanded it down to take off some of the wear & tear marks it had accumulated.
I am not 100% satisfied with how this piece came out..
I will most definitely be revisiting it in the near future 😅
Sometimes taking a break from a project can help the creative process & I am really hoping that’s the case here!
I did find the money in the budget for these upholstered accent chairs!
The natural wood sold me & the dark gray fabric will help conceal any sticky toddler hand prints.
They are surprisingly comfy & pretty budget friendly!
Come See More Budget Friendly Accent Chairs Here
My only complaint about this living room is that there is not a lot of natural light.
Which seems weird considering the giant French doors & the fact that it’s not even closed off from the rest of the house…
Luckily our new tripod floor lamp brightens the space up a ton!
The oak wood base fits our natural wood vibe perfectly & the brass finishes modernize it just enough.
I went with a floor lamp this time because I was worried an end table would be too much for the room.
Check Out More Modern Floor Lamp Options Here!
The more my style evolves the more I want room to breathe.
Do you like a room to be packed with all the furniture or do you like more minimalist vibes?
I debated & debated about what to do with this large back wall.
It was so empty & sad before so I thought some family photos might warm it up!
These knockoff Pottery Barn photo ledges were a breeze to build & make it easy to swap out photos.
Those are my go to budget friendly frames from Michaels!
They have different finish options but the plain black looks so sleek & finished.
– Rug – Linen Couch – Ficus Tree – Upholstered Chairs – Black Frames
I am still in deep love with our linen couch!
It is plush, cozy, & just dark enough to not need to be spot cleaned daily 😅
In my head it’s already spring so I pulled out our blush velvet throw pillow covers to add a little color.
I get questioned constantly by my family how I have kept this plant alive this long…
Y’all it is fake & I am not scared to say it, but I am slightly offended by their disbelief that I could keep something alive for that long.
Tip & Tricks For How To Make Artificial Plants Look Real
Have you noticed anything missing from this living room tour???
Ahem the stack of toys piled up in the corner…
The cube storage unit is organizing & hiding them all!
I made over the old cube storage unit with $20, some scrap wood, & the longing for some organization.
Eli has done surprisingly well at putting the toys back in their assorted baskets so far & it gave me more storage so that’s a win win!
You Can Find The Cube Storage Makeover Here!
Ever since I shared this view on Instagram I get a ton of questions about whether or not that lamp is “usable.”
No I don’t have a fancy outlet in the floor (I wish) but I do have reachable light bulbs that do the trick!
On the other side of our new toy storage unit is my favorite couch in the entire world!
Our faux leather couch was definitely a design leap & I am so glad we made it.
It adds warmth to the room & cleans up ahhhmazzing!
Plus I have so much fun coming up with throw pillow combinations for it.
This room wasn’t in terrible shape to start with but now it has the character, charm, & warmth we going for.
It’a amazing that just a few DIY projects can lead to an entire space being made over!
Let me know what y’all think of our budget friendly living room makeover & which project is your favorite.
