7 Steps to Redesigning Your Living Room

It’s important to always feel comfortable and happy in your home. As the name implies, your living room is likely where you spend a lot of your time. If you haven’t updated this space in years it may be time to do so. Interior design styles evolve rapidly, and what may have been on-trend 10 years ago is likely dated and tired by now. 

If you are thinking about redesigning your living room, we have broken the process down into 7 simple steps:

1. Choose a Style

The first thing you should do when redesigning your living room is to choose a style. Do you want the space to be modern or traditional? Do you like the minimalist look of Scandinavian design or the maximalist approach of the bohemian style? Unless you are planning to redesign the rest of your house as well, you should make sure that your new living room is able to blend coherently with your other rooms.

Choosing a design style is the first step because it is the foundation of your redesign. It is very important to stay consistent with your style so that your living room does not appear confusing and disjointed. A concrete style will serve as a guide when picking out colors, furnishings, and decorations later on.

2. Look for Inspiration

This step may not be necessary if you already know exactly what you want your living room to look like. But if you still only have a vague idea, looking for inspiration from others is a good way to move forward.

Pinterest is a great resource for finding different living room designs in the style you have chosen. You can see how others with similar styles arranged their furniture, where they primarily shopped, and what colors they used. Some rooms can even serve as inspiration for what you do NOT want to do.

3. Choose a Color Scheme

Next up is one of the most fun steps in any redesign project. A new color scheme can bring so much life to a space without much effort. Make sure you pick colors that complement each other and do not overwhelm the space. You may want to stick with one main color in a few different shades and choose an additional color for an accent.

If, for instance, you chose a western design style for your living room, you will want a color scheme that is dark but bold. Browns, dark greens, earthy reds, and sunset oranges. If your style is modern minimalism, your scheme will be black, white, and natural wood.

Once you have narrowed down your color choices, it might be helpful to start by painting the walls. It can be hard sometimes to visualize what the space will look like with a new wall color, and you may want to adjust the rest of your color plans once you see the new paint.

4. Choose Your Textures

Texture is not something we often think about when designing a space, but it can make a big impact. Designers use texture to create visual and tactile layers to a room and to create interest within one simple color palette.

For example, your western room may have a lot of browns. To make it more interesting, you will incorporate different textures of brown, such as wooden walls, cowhide furniture, and fur throw pillows.

A bohemian living room would be more adventurous with texture to create layers of softness. You will likely see wicker or bamboo furniture, hanging greenery, knitted blankets, and multiple rug layers. While chaotic to some, the different textures in this room are essential to the cozy and whimsical feeling of the finished product.

5. Set Your Budget

This might be a step you can do at any point in the design process, but it should definitely be done prior to shopping. It is probably possible to achieve any design style within your budget range; you just may have to get a little creative.

If you have a very low budget, your pieces can either be repurposed from your existing furniture, or you can look into second-hand stores. If you chose a high-end design style, you will need to be extra careful with your purchases. You may wish to plan for one or two high-quality statement pieces, such as a velvet couch or calf hide rug.

Expect to spend the most money on furniture if you aren’t planning to reuse yours. Paint can usually be sourced inexpensively, and decor items can be acquired over time.

6. Start Shopping

Everyone has a different preference for shopping. If the feel of an object is important to you, do some window-shopping at a few stores that specialize in your chosen style. See what items are currently popular and what your ideal room would contain. You may be able to find the same type of item at a lower cost online.

If price is your biggest concern, you might want to start online. See how much different items cost and work from there. Figure out what your must-haves are (like those cowhide pillows you saw on Pinterest), and set aside some of your budget for that.

If you think you can afford it in the near future, skip it for now and buy it when you are able. Making sure you have a few things you absolutely love will make the final product something you truly enjoy.

7. Get to Work! 

At this point, you have chosen your style, envisioned your ideal room, set a budget, and started window-shopping. Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Painting should always come first, so you don’t accidentally get paint on your new furniture! Move the big items in first and decorate slowly. While it may be tempting to do things as quickly as possible, you should take the time to make sure you have exactly what you want exactly where you want it.

With these 7 steps, redesigning your living room should be a breeze. Whether you are starting over from scratch or simply updating what you already have, we hope you end up with a room that meets all of your needs.