How Much Does It Cost to Furnish a Living Room?

Furnishing an entire living room can be an exciting task, especially if you’re moving into a new home or first apartment. From choosing the perfect sofa to finding the right decorative accessories that tie the space together, costs can add up quickly. The best way to avoid overspending is to understand how much things will cost ahead of time, and budget accordingly. In this guide, I’ll break down the costto furnish a living room, so that you can make informed decisions and create a beautiful space that reflects your style and personality.

Understanding Living Room Price Ranges

The price range for furnishing a living room depends on several factors such as the quality of furniture, the size of your room, and your decorating style. In general, most homeowners tend to underestimate the overall cost to furnish a living room. They think about the cost for some of the major pieces of furniture, but forget to include the cost for things like decorative items, art, and window treatments. All of those small extras are necessary to give the room a finished and completed look, and can quickly add up. 

In this post, I’ll be sharing some example budget ranges for furnishing a living room.

• There is a “Low Budget” category for anyone with a tight budget or a very small room.
• There is the “Average” category, which represents a typical size living room and purchasing new furniture through local and online retail stores.
• And finally, there is the “High End” category for anyone that has an unlimited or higher overall budget. The High-End budget category is for those seeking out luxury items, or desiring one-of-a-kind pieces, regardless of price.​

The budget ranges I’m going to share with you assume that you’ll be buying all (or most) of the items on the list, to completely furnish your space. You can reduce your overall budget if you are inheriting furniture pieces from a friend or family member, or if you can repurpose items you already have.

Also, the budgets in this blog post don’t include any professional services or labor you might need to update your living room. For example, if you’re going to be hiring a painter to freshen up your walls, or a handyman to install new light fixtures, you’ll need to add that cost in separately. If you’re thinking about hiring an interior designer to design your living room, you can expect to pay them about $2500 or more just for the design (that doesn’t include the furniture).

How do you start setting up a decorating budget?

For any room, it’s important to start by thinking about your wants and needs for the space. The first step is to create a wish list of everything you’d like to do, or buy, to decorate your living room (assuming money were no object). Then, prioritize your list into “must haves” – things that either need replacement, or are functionally necessary for your space.

In the sections that follow, you’ll see a list of furniture and decor items that are typical for a living room. You can customize this list to your specific wants and needs, and use it to help you come up with an overall decorating budget for your space. 

Here’s a few more tips to keep in mind for your living room decorating budget:

• Set a Clear Budget: The best time to set up a budget is before you start shopping! Knowing how much money you are willing to spend on your design project will help you make decisions more quickly and avoid overspending.
• Shop Around: Compare prices at various furniture stores and online marketplaces. Sometimes, the differences in price can be substantial, especially between high-end retailers and discount outlets.

How much should you spend when decorating your living room?

I want you to keep one important thing in mind as you read this post…great design does not depend on how much money you have to spend! It’s also not about your room size, or the overall size of your home. You can create a beautiful, functional, stylish looking living room at any price point.

The budget ranges in this post will give you a ballpark estimate of how much you could expect to spend to completely decorate your living room from scratch. You can spend less by repurposing items you already have, or shopping for bargains, and the Low Budget Range will be a good estimate for you to create your overall budget. If luxury and high-end finishes are a priority, use the High End Range for each room for an estimate of total cost.

Cost to Decorate a Living Room

The living room is often the most expensive room in the house to furnish because it’s typically the largest room with the most furniture. Here are some typical ranges for furnishing a living room, categorized into Low Budget, Average, and High-End.

• Low Budget Range: $4000 – $7500
• Average Range: $10,000 – $20,000
• High End Range: $30, 000 – $40,000

For a basic living room setup, including a small sofa, coffee table, two end tables, and a modest area rug, the cost range could be as low as $1,500 -2,000. Once you start adding in accent chairs, accessories, art, plants, and window treatments, you can expect to fall into the Low Budget Range shown above. 

When decorating a small living room, you can expect to spend a little less, and should aim for the low end of the budget ranges shown. For a small living room, you may not need as much furniture to fill the whole room, or as large of a size, which can keep your costs down. For a larger living room, you’ll need larger pieces and more of them, which can shift your budget to the higher end of the budget range.

For those with a flair for unique styles, flea markets and thrift stores can be treasure troves of fantastic finds that add character to your living room without breaking the bank. Incorporating these can be a cost-effective way to personalize your space, particularly if you’re furnishing an entire home and want to maintain a manageable budget.

​These budget ranges are a great place to start, whether you’re outfitting your first apartment, or furniture shopping for a large, custom home.

Living Room Budget Breakdown

Here is a list of home furnishings you’ll likely need for your living room.Depending on the size of your space, you may not need all of these items, or you may need to add additional items, like a console table or extra sofa. On the flip side, if you already have furniture pieces you’re planning to reuse, you can save some money or distribute your budget elsewhere.

• sofa/sectional
• 1-2 accent chairs
• area rug
• chandelier or ceiling fan
• coffee table or ottoman
• window treatments
• 1-2 side tables
• art/mirror
• lamps (table and/or floor)
• throw pillows
• decorative accessories

When it comes to furnishing a living room, you should start with the three most important purchases…your sofa, rug, and accent chair(s). Those items will constitute a sizable chunk of your overall budget, and are critical for establishing the look and feel of your space. 

The top priority item for your living room should be the sofa. You can expect a good quality sofa to take up about 25-30% of your budget.

The next most expensive purchases for a living room will be an area rug, accent chair(s), and any large light fixtures (like a chandelier or ceiling fan). These items individually represent about 10% of your overall budget, or around $1000 each. A coffee table or ottoman will take up about 8-9% of your budget, and side tables will be about 7% of your budget.

The remaining 25% of your budget should be allocated to all of the decorative items that will showcase the style of the room and express your personality. Things like throw pillows, decorative accessories, window treatments, art/mirrors, and lamps are included in this category.

Example Budget for Decorating a Living Room

Here’s an example breakdown for a $15,000 living room furnishing budget:

>> Want to know when to splurge on your furniture or home decor, and when to save your pennies? Check out this post.

>> High quality furniture doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Learn how to spot a great quality sofa in this post. 

Knowing the total cost to decorate a living room upfront will not only help you create a reasonable budget, but it can also help you narrow in on the price range you should aim for when shopping for specific items. The ultimate goal is to end up with a beautifully furnished room that looks fantastic and reflects your style, so it’s important to have enough money set aside to buy the essential items you need to create a room you will love.

Conclusion

While the average cost to furnish a living room can vary, understanding your needs and researching options can give you a better idea of what you’ll spend. Whether you’re creating a minimal, affordable living room, or you want a luxurious space in your new house for entertaining, there are options for every budget. Remember, the key to successful home decorating is balancing your personal style with your budget constraints to create a space that is uniquely yours.

For more budget help, check out my posts on the Cost to Furnish a Bedroom and the Average Cost to Decorate a Room

Learn the steps to decorating any room in your home

Looking for an easy, step-by-step recipe to follow to design and decorate any room in your home? Check out my Room Design Recipe course! It will teach you everything you need to know to decorate your entire house like a pro, one room at a time!