There are two myths about interior design: that it requires an entire overhaul of your space and that it has to be way over budget to look stunning. As a designer, I refuse to believe either of those is true in every case. In fact, I'm going to show you how to transform a living room space with ten versatile furniture and decor pieces while staying within a $200 budget.
This room transformation requires minimal investment, and if you follow the basic guidelines, you'll see that you don't even need to be an expert designer to get the right look for your home. These home decor finds surprised me with their quality, versatility, and affordability, and I'll be revisiting some of them in future designs as well. This is how you transform your living room decor on a budget.
Whenever I'm designing a room refresh, I like to start with a statement accent piece. An accent chair, table, or even a floor lamp are great jumping-off points. But this luxe storage ottoman and stool hybrid was too stylish to pass up. This is the piece that sets the tone for the rest of the design and captures the attention of your eye almost instantly. The practicality of the storage space and the wooden top option make this a striking accent piece that serves the space functionally as well as aesthetically.
You can never have too many throw blankets and they are such easy and affordable ways to update a space. On your bed, sofa, accent chairs, and even draped in a basket, they add layers and texture to your design scheme. I love switching blankets out seasonally and this golden throw feels cozy in autumn and vibrant in spring.
What screams luxe louder than faux fur? White fur pillows add another layer of luxurious texture to your design and start bringing neutrals into the color palette. This pack includes two pillow forms along with the covers and added the volume I was looking for in this design.
Once I had the solid color pillows with a soft texture accounted for, I knew a colorful and textured pillow would complete the textile lineup for this design. This tassel detail pillow cover adds more warm colors to the mix and a new texture layer to contrast the velvet and faux fur.
Here's a designer's real life hack to managing decorative throw pillows when you actually want to use your furniture: decorative storage baskets. I knew this living room update would need a proper way to stash pillows when it was time to actually sit down and relax. This woven storage basket is practical, pretty, and perfect for stashing throw pillows during a movie night.
Trays are a versatile decor item in practically any room of your home. I love using trays on kitchen counters, nightstands, and ottomans. An acrylic tray feels right at home with other modern luxe details like gold and faux fur in this vignette. This tray was much larger than I expected for the price and it gives me the luxurious look of glass without worrying about my toddler using it as a crayon tray.
If you want an interior space or a styled vignette that instantly looks high end and professionally curated, you need the right collection of vases. You could start from scratch and build your collection from pieces you've thrifted or discovered, or you can go the easy route with a designed collection like this one. These are on the smaller side, which is perfect for this space in my home. I also have similar ones on my night stands. The variation of sizes and shapes brings contrast, while the smooth texture and neutral colors create harmony. The quality of this collection is topnotch and if I didn't open the Amazon box myself, I'd think they came from a local boutique or artisan gallery.
A good designer never leaves her vases bare - at least, not all of them - but I didn't want typical greenery or florals. I wanted a cozy, soft, and unexpected choice for this design. Cue the pampas grass. The pricing on this bunch is unbeatable! I didn't even use the entire count for this design and had leftovers to style my fireplace mantel. To make this look balanced, I trimmed down the stems where needed, mixed the four different grasses, and varied the heights and volume for each vase.
What do elegant, cozy, glam, and rustic style all have in common? They beg for candles within their design. For this look, I wanted flameless candles that felt like they belonged in the space and weren't obviously flameless. These flickering flameless candles absolutely blew me away! So much so that I've now given them as gifts to multiple friends. They look real and even make that subtle flickering sound, but the best part is that they are actually aesthetic. Finding flameless candles that look stylish is a tough task for designers, but this collection is my new go-to. I chose the gold finish to elevate the warmth of the space, but they also come in an elegant, clear finish and a moody dark gray.
The small details can often feel like the hardest part of a room refresh. It's helpful to ask yourself what's missing. If the answer is nothing, then your design is finished. Here, I felt the space needed a grounding shade of black, more curves to balance all the sharp edges and harmonize the vases, and something to tie in the more bohemian and rustic characteristics within the decor. These black wooden beads were the answer. Saving on finishing touches like these helped me splurge more on the larger items, but I consider this small decor item a great investment (even though that investment was small). These work on top of a stack of coffee table books, wrapped around the base of a lamp, and styled in a tray for added texture and depth.
Looking for more easy ways to transform your home? Check out Karen's peel-and-stick wallpaper journey and Mary's home and kitchen favorites.
