5 Inexpensive DIY Ways to Decorate a Living Room with Style

Everybody wants their home to look stylish and classy. For those who aren’t too creative-minded, or rich, this can be tough, but fear not. After spending months perfecting my own living room, which is still a work in progress, I have assembled several inexpensive ideas to help that will make your living room look like it received a makeover by HGTV.

1) Artwork. You don’t have to have Warhol’s, Picasso’s, or even George Rodrigue’s. Just visit local thrift stores or consignment shops to find art that appeals to you. You will know immediately if you like it. If not, don’t buy it. You can easily find paintings for under $10. Try not to clutter the walls. Just one or two per wall will suffice. Remember, when decorating, quality always beats quantity. Another tip – do not buy art that is all the same size and do not hang it all at the same level.

2) Framed photos. It’s good to have one or two of family and friends but do not overdo it. It will look kind of, well, you know – typical. Go for the unusual. Take unique photos yourself, not of yourself. Find what inspires you. Experiment with different effects and coloring. Make sure that you buy good frames. Photos will look great on your walls.

3) Homemade tables. Now that we’ve covered your walls, literally and figuratively, we should tackle some tables. These can be coffee tables, or end tables, or nightstands. The key here is be creative. One of my favorite tables that I made was from an old wooden mini-refeirgerator crate from the 1950s. It’s about 2-feet square and I placed a surfboard on top to make the perfect end table. You can also use vintage detergent boxes, shipping cartons, anything. These types of antiques can commonly be found at estate/tag/yard sales.

4) Large quantity items. Let me explain. I have a large glass jar that I filled with a set of old billiard balls. It looks remarkable. The balls were 25 cents a piece at a local flea market. It makes a wonderful addition to my fireplace mantle. The trick here is to go for vintage items. Other ideas you can try include filling vases with several old dice. Use different colors and shapes. You can also try collections of old kitchenware items. Use them in unique ways.

5) The old and the new. You do not want every piece in your living room to be old and you don’t want them all to be new. You need a nice combination of the two. I have several old steel-blade electric fans, vintage books, and old oil lanterns alongside my Blu-Ray LOST seasons, and new Chuck Taylor shoes. I do it in a classy way. Together they look great. So much for the eye to see. I also take common vacation souvenirs and make them look different. I have a surfing statue that I placed on a several-thousand year old rock that I found in a field. It makes it look like the surfer is ramping off the rock. Alone, either piece wouldn’t be complete. Together, it’s folk art. Use your imagination. For under a couple hundred dollars you can furnish an entire room and make it look as great as rooms that cost several thousand dollars, and had the help of professional interior decorators. Do it yourself. It will mean so much more.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *