Redecorating Your Living Room for Under $500

Do you love the designer rooms you see in magazines? Ever wish you could have that look without spending a year’s salary? Well you can.

The first thing you need to do is choose the style you like. The easiest way to do this is to find a photo of a room similar to the look you want. Don’t worry if you don’t like the colors aren’t or if the furniture doesn’t exactly match your taste. What you’re looking for is the basic style.

Once you know your style, it’s time to put together a budget. We can’t decorate for under $500 if we don’t know where the money will go. Where you spend your money will depend on how many of your current pieces you can reuse in the room.

Furniture is probably the most important part of your make-over because its style often determines the style of the room. It can also be the most expensive. I recommend shopping for it second-hand. Look for pieces that reflect the style you want to achieve and make sure they are in good shape structurally. You can purchase a slipcover for around $100 if the fabric isn’t what you’re looking for. You could also recover it if you want to.

Next you’ll want to choose a color scheme. I recommend choosing a color you really like and then choosing 2-3 colors that are either complimentary or contrasting to that color. You can use a color wheel to determine which colors will look good with your choice. We’ll talk more about these colors later.

Your first color choice will become the wall color. If you’re not sure, buy a quart instead of a gallon and paint a test patch. Live with the color for a few days before proceeding. If you decide you don’t like it, go back to the previous step and choose a new color. Once you’ve decided on a wall color, empty the room completely and paint.

After you’ve painted, you’ll want to decide on the placement of large pieces before actually bringing them into the room. Create a diagram help you decide where to place the furniture.