How I Gave My Living Room a Whole New Look for Just $100

Have you ever looked around your living room and wished for a total makeover, but your bank account had other ideas? I understand.

I wanted to redesign my living room but had just $100 to work with yet I pulled it off with some smart strategies.

Here’s exactly how I gave my living room a whole new look for just $100. These simple steps will work for anyone wanting a fresh look on a budget.

1. Thrift Store Gold

Walking into my local thrift store with $25 in my pocket felt like a treasure hunt. The key was having a plan.

First stop: the frame section. I picked up three large wooden frames for just $12 total. They were ugly, but I knew the bones were good. What matters with frames isn’t how they look now but how they could look with a little work.

Next, I found a large mirror with a chunky frame for $8. The glass was perfect, but the frame was dated oak. No problem. That’s fixable.

The last $5 went toward a brass floor lamp with a missing shade. The base was solid and had great lines. Sometimes looking past the obvious flaws reveals the best deals.

2. Feature Wall Painting

Nothing changes a room faster than paint. But instead of painting all four walls, I went for a feature wall approach.

I bought a gallon of paint in a deep, rich blue for $22. This was enough to cover the wall behind my couch, creating an instant focal point. The color made the whole room feel more intentional and put together.

With the remaining $8, I bought a small can of white semi-gloss paint and a cheap brush. This was for all my thrift store frames and the mirror frame. Two coats of white paint unified all these pieces and made them look surprisingly high-end.

When painting thrift store finds, sanding isn’t always needed. I just wiped everything down with a damp cloth, let it dry, and applied paint directly. 

For frames that had a glossy finish, I roughed them up a little with fine sandpaper I already had.

3. Textiles on a Budget

Fabrics add warmth and comfort to any space. I reserved $20 for this category, splitting it between:

A large piece of fabric from the clearance bin at the craft store ($12) that I turned into two throw pillow covers. I simply wrapped the fabric around my existing pillows and secured it with safety pins on the back sides that face the couch.

Two tea towels on sale for $4 total that I draped over the back of my couch as small throws.

A yard of fringe trim for $4 that I hot-glued to my existing plain lampshade. This small detail added a custom look that appears much more expensive than it was.

4. Rearrange and Repurpose

This step cost nothing but made a huge difference. I completely rethought my furniture layout, pulling everything away from the walls and creating conversation areas instead.

The TV had always been the focal point, but I shifted focus to the window view by moving the couch. This instantly made the room feel bigger and more inviting.

I “shopped my home” by bringing in a small bookshelf from the guest room to create a display space for my newly painted frames. I filled the frames with wrapping paper I already had for an instant art collection.

The lamp from the bedroom replaced the living room lamp temporarily while I worked on updating the thrift store find.

5. DIY Statement Pieces

Store-bought art is expensive, but DIY versions can look just as good. I spent $15 on:

A set of acrylic paints in blue, white, and gold ($10).

Two large sheets of canvas paper ($5).

Using the paints, I created abstract art by simply making large, sweeping brushstrokes in colors that matched my new feature wall. I wasn’t trying to be perfect, just bold and confident with the strokes.

For the second piece, I painted the entire canvas gold and then used the blue to make simple geometric shapes. Once dry, I framed these in two of my newly painted thrift store frames.

6. Lamp Makeover

With my old brass lamp from the thrift store, I had two challenges: updating the brass and creating a new shade.

For the brass, I used $5 worth of spray paint in a matte black finish. Two light coats transformed it completely.

For the shade, I got creative. I found a damaged drum shade at the thrift store return section for just $2. The fabric was stained, but the frame was perfect. 

I bought a yard of white cotton fabric for $3 and simply wrapped it around the old shade frame, securing it with hot glue.

7. Smart Plant Strategy

Plants add life to any space, but buying large houseplants can be expensive. Instead, I:

Asked friends for cuttings from their houseplants. Most plant owners are happy to share.

Propagated these cuttings in clear glass jars I already had. The glass jars placed on the windowsill created a mini garden that added color and texture.

Arranged them in groupings rather than scattering them around. This created more visual impact than having one plant here and there.

8. Lighting Tricks

Good lighting can make even the simplest room feel expensive. I rethought my lighting without spending a cent:

Removed the heavy curtains and replaced them with the sheer ones from my dining room. This brought in more natural light.

Changed all overhead bulbs to warm white instead of cool white (using bulbs I already had).

Added a table lamp from the bedroom to create a reading nook in what was previously a dark corner.

Created a low-light evening setting by using just lamps instead of overhead lights after sunset.

The Final Touch

The last part of the makeover was styling, arranging everything to show off the changes in the best way. Here’s what you can do:

Create height variation by stacking books under some display items.

Make small vignettes (little groups of 3-5 items) rather than spreading decor items evenly around the room.

Add personal items like family photos in the newly painted frames to make the room feel like home again.

Keep only what you really love and store the rest. A less cluttered room instantly looks more expensive.

New Look, Small Budget

I still can’t believe how much better my living room looks after spending just $100. What I thought was a money problem was a chance to get creative.

You don’t need to spend a lot to make your home look good. With a clear plan and some hard work, your $100 can create a room you’ll be proud to show off.