Living Room Makeover

Last year I was happy do a little home improvement.  One project we took on was to do a little makeover in our living room.  Today I’m going to share some of the items we purchased and (hopefully) provide a little insight and inspiration on how you can decorate and do room makeovers on a budget!

We started with a new couch.  As you can tell our old couch was seriously dated!  The couch was actually one that my mom had given me.  She’s still in love with it, so I actually felt kind of bad getting rid of it, but I’ve been wanting a chocolate covered sofa for a while!

I chose the chocolate because I wanted neutral colors to go with our walls, and I wanted something dark so that it could me “mess proof” if there is such a thing.

If you’d like a new sofa but can’t afford it, you can always look for a nice slipcover.  And you can also find a lot of used sofa on Craigslist and yard sale groups on Facebook.

Personally we got a great deal on our new sofa, and we got the money by selling our old sofa and selling a lot of other items in a yard sale last fall.

Our lamps also needed a serious update!  These, too, were hand-me-down lamps!  And I replaced them with something  modern.

Basically we’ve gone from something gold and oversized to something in nickel that is also small and sleek.

I also purchased a new computer and desk last fall.  This desk serves as a nice, minimalist, yet functional workspace.  It allows me to get a little work done, while still spending time with the family.  And because I’ve placed it by our new couch, it doubles as an end table.

On the other side of the side table, I’ve used a stack of books to prop up the lamp so that it can be at an even level with the lamp on the other side of the couch.  And I’m really happy with how this looks.  Even if we replace this table with something taller, I would still like to find a way to use the books in our decor.

As an English and history, I had plenty of books on hand.  I used a mix of old and new books, all with dark covers and boldly written, easily readable titles.  Together they make a great conversation piece.

If you’d like to do something similar and are in need of books, you can find great deals at used books stores, online at places like Ebay, and at library sales.  (I’ve gotten some excellent titles at our library for as low as 25 cents a book!)

We also needed wall art.  I picked up these simple wood panels.  I just love the look of wood, and it’s so popular right now!  This also matched very well with our couch and provided great contrast with our walls, and it gave the modern rustic appeal that I was looking for.

Next I have some shelves.  I wanted to continue with the chocolate/espresso color scheme, but I also wanted to add a splash of bold colors.  Shelves are a great way to do this in an affordable way.

With just a few inexpensive elements, I was able to ad a mix of yellow, red, orange, and green to our otherwise very neutral room.

The shelves are filled with affordable ($5 and under elements).  Think candles, flowers, figurines, lanterns, books, and pictures.

We also have a clock.  My husband prides himself on the fact that he picked out this clock.  He says it is the best thing in our living room. (haha!)

And here again, this is an easy way to easily add a touch of color and create the atmosphere you desire, while also adding something practical and functional to your room.

Finally I added some wall art.  We have a very skinny wall area that only required a small piece, and I just happened to find this cute quote art, featuring an espresso color frame, a canvas color very similar to our walls, and a splash of bold colors similar to the items I used on our shelves!

Did you see something you like?  I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions!