Cheap But Chic Ideas to Refresh Your Worn Living Room

By Victoria Robertson on July 15, 2018

This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.

Decorating a room is difficult to begin with, and even more so once you learn the cost associated with such décor. As college students, we are typically on a rather tight budget with limited experience in decorating, so our décor either falls flat or out bank account empties exponentially.

Luckily, these six cheap but chic ideas to refresh your tired living room provide you with affordable options that will make the most impact.

Photo Via: Pixabay.com

1. Throws/Pillows

Throw blankets and pillows are probably the easiest way you can bring a pop of color or simple visual marker to your living room, and it’s not a high cost at all. For one thing, these always have a dual purpose, as you can use them to cover up during a movie or simply lay them on your couch for that chic look.

In addition, these give you endless decorating possibilities, as you can truly change the aesthetic of a room with a simple accent piece such as a blanket or a throw pillow. Just try not to get carried away – when it comes to accent pillows/throws, less is always more.

2. Plants

You may not have a green thumb, something I myself am guilty of, but you can always opt for plastic plants that are realistic as well as less maintenance. That being said, as far as plants go, they do bring new life to whatever room they’re in, so it’s worth looking into.

You can go with a higher maintenance plant if you think you can manage to take care of it, or you can go with something very low maintenance (such as a succulent) to make sure the plant survives and makes your living room thrive. No matter the choice, the plant is definitely going to bring new life (literally and figuratively) to your living room.

3. Art

No, you don’t have to commission a portrait for hundreds of dollars. Instead, you can take a trip to any local store and pick pieces that speak to you and match the theme of your living room. Again, you don’t want to overdo it, so just a couple of pieces will be more than enough.

This is another opportunity to let your personal style shine; you can either pick pieces that speak to you personally, that evoke styles you enjoy, or that you simply couldn’t leave the store without. Plus, this is always a great conversation piece, so there’s that.

4. Decorated Furniture

Normal, average furniture pieces can be tired and boring. That being said, sometimes picking out pieces of furniture with that extra, decorative element can turn your entire living room around. For instance, if you have a normal, glass coffee table, but your living room has more of a tropical theme, opting for a wood piece might bring out your theme that much more.

Furniture can get expensive, so again, you don’t want to go overboard here. But, that being said, one or maybe even two pieces can really change the way your living room looks and feels.

5. Removable Wallpaper

Yes, wallpaper is a pain in the butt. However, the new, removable wallpaper gives you the option to take it down hassle free or bring new life to a room without having to commit your time and energy. For anyone that has painted a room, you know it’s a process, so wallpaper that has a nice pattern as an accent wall is a great way to change the look and feel of your room.

6. Accent Pieces

Finally, but certainly not least, accent pieces are the perfect way to tie together your living room. Again, it’s very easy to go overboard here, so you’ll want to pick out a small number of pieces and begin your decorating that way. It’s best to stick to one or two colors to avoid that gaudy look, but it’s entirely up to you how you decide to use accent pieces to speak to your room.

Spend some time walking through your favorite stores (don’t limit yourself to a day) and pick up pieces that are perfect for what you’re trying to do, you’ll be glad you limited yourself in that way, guaranteed.

Again, decorating requires a lot of work and is oftentimes more costly than you would think. However, this isn’t always the case, or at least, it doesn’t have to be. So long as you don’t go overboard, stick to a general theme and keep yourself on a tight budget, decorating your space effectively doesn’t have to break the bank.

These six options are a good starting point, but there are countless other ways to save money and decorate your living room at once. So keep it cheap, keep it chic, and you’ll be sure to refresh your tired living room in no time at all!

Happy decorating!

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