How to Update a Living Room on a Budget

Your living room is where many families spend several hours of their day. Despite all the time spent in this room, many people do not update their living rooms because they think they cannot afford it. The fact is, however, that updating a living room can be done on almost any budget. Here are some inexpensive things you can do to give this room a new look with a small price tag.

Paint the Walls

Start by giving your walls a fresh coat of paint. Remove any old wallpaper and paint over that outdated wood paneling. These wall coverings, though popular in their day, now only date the space in a negative way. With just $30 in paint, you can take decades off the feel of your living room.

Cover Old Sofas

The outdated sofa is the next thing to tackle. Purchase an inexpensive slipcover or make one out of low cost sheets. Just a little bit of fabric is all that is needed to turn an ugly comfortable sofa into an attractive comfortable sofa. So look for a fabric in a neutral color and modernize this important piece in your living room

Paint Wooden Furniture

Next, give your wooden pieces of furniture a coat of black, brown or white paint. These colors are timeless and can make almost any piece of furniture easier to look at. Not to mention, by paint all of your wood pieces the same color, your mismatched furniture will look more like a set.

Update Lighting

Take a look at the light fixtures and lamps in your room. Do they feel outdated as well? If so, see if you can find some inexpensive replacements that are more up to date. The clearance sections in Lowe's or Home Depot are great places to find good deals.

However, if brand new lighting is not in the budget you can still get an updated look. Paint the metal on the fixtures a new color like brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze. Then replace the shade with a more current one. The overall effect will be very up to date, but the cost will be much less.

Hang New Curtains

Old curtains can drag the look of your living room down. So go ahead and replace those worn out pieces of fabric. Entire sets of curtains can be found on sale for around $20 at stores like Bed Bath and Beyond. However, if that is out of your budget, just make some simple curtains from inexpensive flat sheets. Two panels can be made for around $6 if you shop smart, so there is no reason to leave those ugly curtains up.

Create New Art

Finally, replace old art on the walls with something you made yourself. This does not have to take much creativity either. Just get some inexpensive canvases and acrylic paint at your local craft shop and paint some simple designs with colors you have in the room. The result can be simply stunning and should cost no more than $20 for two medium size paintings.As you can see, updating your living room does not have to cost a fortune. With these inexpensive fixes you can make your living room a place where you want to spend time. So start looking around your room to see the things you need to change. Pretty soon you will start seeing an updated room without breaking the bank.