15 Free or Cheap Ways To Update A Living Room: Great Free and Low Budget Ideas!

Painting is always the top recommendation on any decorating list. That's because new paint really does improve the look of a room. And, it's a super cheap Living Room update.

You can repaint a room the same color. Or, go for a bigger change by picking a new wall color. I have to say, I'm LOVING the way switching to white walls makes my furniture and décor look better.

Click the "Read More" button to see how white walls makes my Two Story Foyer look SO MUCH better.

When we moved in, I made the mistake of putting most of my furniture in the exact same spot the old homeowners had theirs in.

Welp, over the years, I've figured out better ways to layout most of those rooms. In fact, our Master Bedroom feels 2x as big after switching where the bed goes.

And, our Living Room makes SO MUCH more sense with the couches facing our BIG, beautiful windows. Also, having the TV over the fireplace means that we never have sunlight shining on the TV.

That's a HUGE improvement on it's own. In fact, cutting the cord with cable, saves us tons of money AND it means I can easily put the TV on any wall in a room. Game changer, guys!

Click the "Read More" button to see the before and after pics from my Living Room makeover.

I'm a big fan of shopping your own house for wall art, decorations, and furniture. Just switching things from room to room can give both rooms a fresh new look.

Just avoid pulling anything out of a room that you think of as "currently perfect" or done.

You don't want to mess up one room to make another nice. You really want both rooms to be better after making these changes.

Most of the new décor I added to our bookshelves during our Home Office Makeover came from other rooms & our big closet of "stuff". Check out 21 Cheap And Easy Ways To Make A Home Office Look Better to see more.

Click "Read More" to see the before and after on my Family Room makeover.

Another CHEAP decorating trick is to frame pretty posters. You can get big, beautiful posters for a great deal, guys! And, places like Walmart and IKEA sell super cheap frames in so many sizes.

So, I'm always snapping up over-sized posters when I have a big wall space to decorate. I used 3 huge 24"x36" posters to fill this 15' wide 10' high wall.

Check out some of my favorite posters in 55 Absolutely Beautiful Vintage Style Art Posters for Your Walls.

Click "Read More" to see 7 helpful tips for decorating a large wall.

Even when I was a broke college kid, I was not afraid to take on a furniture makeover. It's one of my all-time favorite cheap ways to update a Living Room, or any room.

If you want to keep a stained look, check out How To Stain Wood Furniture Without Stripping. Using gel stain over the old stain on these stools was a HUGE WIN!

But, if you want to try a simple or unique paint update, check out 25 Beautiful And Easy Furniture Painting Tutorials For Beginners.

See how I painted over old stain without stripping on this POPULAR DIY Gray Distressed Chalk Paint Makeover tutorial.

Click "Read More" to see how to use Gel Stain to refresh your furniture.

When I was younger, I would constantly buy cheap little knick-knacks because they were affordable and cute.

But, having a table or mantle covered in a bunch of tiny things never looked good for me. I just couldn't pull it off.

One day, I realized all I needed was a few large pieces, like vases and plants, to get a pulled together, grown up look.

So, what I'm trying to say is, pull everything out of your Living Room, then add a few large items in to improve the look.

Bigger furniture, lights, mirrors, art, and décor seems to always look better in my house.

Click "Read More" to see my 21 Cheap Ways To Make A Home Office Look Better.

I'll even reupholster something I really like, from time to time. Here's a list of my favorite upholstery fabrics on Amazon.

I also have a tutorial for how to make Easy No-Sew Upholstered Seats to use on hard benches, coffee tables, window seats, and more.

Click "Read More" to see how I used velvet fabric by the yard to reupholster this wing chair with great bones, and tips for How to Reupholster a Wingback Chair, if you need help.

There are SO MANY great ways to make your own unique wall art too!

Most of them are SUPER cheap. For example, you can find cheap canvases to paint on at Walmart and Hobby Lobby.

Get an abstract look with your favorite acrylic paint colors. Or follow this tutorial for SUPER EASY DIY Acrylic Paint Pouring Wall Art to have a little fun making cheap art.

I've also used pretty Scrapbook paper and decoupage to make unique, new wall art.

And, since I'm also into DIY woodworking, I'm also a fan of using up scrap wood to make my own scrap wood wall art.

Click "Read More" to see the steps to do your own paint pours. Or, check out how I make simple 1x2 wood frames for canvas art.

If your flooring is looking kind of gross; clean that carpet, refinish your hardwood floors, steam clean your tile and restore your grout.

Making your flooring look new again is probably one of the most overlooked and cheap ways to update a Living Room.

Click "Read More" to see Are Steam Mops Good For Tile Floors.

Or, check out this guide for How to Clean Area Rugs At Home to get your floors and rugs looking new again.

And, check out my post on Does Grout Renew Work? My Before And After Review for my secret to amazing looking grout!

Of course, a good old thrift store, Goodwill, or online marketplace search is always a great way to find cheap furniture.

You generally just need a truck and 2 people to be able to pick things up.

Don't forget to look at the size and bones of used furniture. You can always use gel stain or chalk paint to update the look of anything.

And, if you're looking for soft furniture, like couches and chairs, you can always use a small and affordable upholstery cleaner to clean the fabric and make it look new again.

Check out How To Clean A Couch At Home With The Bissell SpotClean, if you want to see how easy it is.

Click "Read More" to see 30 Beautiful and Unique Drawer Pulls, Knobs and Hardware for great hardware update options on thrifted furniture.

Ask your friends for furniture or home décor they want to give away. Honestly, don't be afraid, just make a no-pressure post on Facebook or group text everyone.

I OFTEN have furniture, appliances, great kid's toys, and more that I am trying to figure out how to get rid of. If someone I knew asked, I could send them a list. I'd LOVE to help someone I know, anytime.

In fact, this sweet DIY Coffee Table Makeover has been sitting in my guest room for years waiting for a new home. It looks great, but it's size is better for an apartment-sized Living Room.

Click "Read More" to see what that coffee table looked like before I added a new top.

I LOVE stores like Target, Home Goods, Amazon, & At Home for stylish home décor options on a budget. I might even drive all the way to IKEA, if I know they have something I like.

Check out 25 Best Products At IKEA – From Cheap Finds To High End Looks to see some of my current favorites.

I'm really into these curtains I found for a steal on Amazon. I've used them in 2 rooms now.

I've also had a TON of luck finding beautiful, large area rugs for a great price on Amazon. In fact, I have 5 big area rugs from Amazon currently in my home.

Click "Read More" to see this list with the 20 Best Area Rugs On A Budget to see my favorite rugs.

I just finished installing this peel and stick wallpaper mural in our Master Bedroom and I COULD NOT LOVE IT MORE. It would be perfect in a Living Room too.

These types of murals come in so many styles and sizes. These murals are a cool, budget-friendly way to get large wall art for your Living Room.

Check out my picks for 25 scenic landscape wallpaper murals to see some great options.

Click "Read More" to see how easy it was to install that wallpaper mural.

Another beautiful way to update a Living Room cheaply is with DIY molding and trim projects.

Installing your own trim saves hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on labor. And that means, you can get a high-end look for a fraction of the price.

Click "Read More" to see my steps for installing this amazing 3-layer crown molding.

You might also like my 2 Piece Crown Molding or this DIY Lattice Board And Batten as a Living Room update too.

And, here's one last cheap way to update a Living Room. You can paint or update the ceiling pretty to make a huge improvement.

I've often toured homes for sale that have the grungiest ceilings, even when the walls look great. Don't forget the ceiling, guys.

A grungy ceiling can really make a whole room look bad. So, give your ceiling a fresh coat of paint. I'm a big fan of using an Eggshell Paint Sheen on Ceilings.

I LOVE the way that light sheen brightens the whole room.

You could also install trim on the ceilings, to elevate the style in your Living Room. Click "Read More" to see my steps for that low-profile coffered ceiling.