These ideas are for a 12 x 9 living room with two doorways and one, large window... and starting with nothing. Something similar to below:
To begin, the living room wall colour should be a light, neutral colour. Something like a very light beige (to keep the room feeling bright and airy) with a few DIY and inexpensive, store bought accessories. For example:
Lets begin with the living room furniture essentials i.e., a sofa, a
chair, a coffee table, a side table, a pair of curtains and a
curtain rod. I guess I should also include a television in the room essential list?...
Possible inspiration board for the living room?...
2- Purchase a new sofa.
3- Buy the decorative throw/ suggling blanket from Homesense.
4- Buy the curtains from IKEA and the curtain rod kit from JYSK.
5- Buy the paint from a big box store. You will need 1 gallon of wall paint and 1 gallon of paint for the furniture. Buy the paint brushes and mini rollers at the Dollarama but the large rollers you will have to buy at a big box store.
6- The circle mirror should be purchased at IKEA for $15.
7- The four medium picture frames (with mats) should be purchased second hand.
8- Purchase the glass vase and candle second hand.
9- The plant pot should be purchased at a big box store and painted.
10- Purchase the plant itself at Walmart where they sell for $10.
11- For the wall hooks, buy the hooks themselves at the Dollarama (2 hooks x $1.25) and the piece of wood to mount them to at a big box store (where they will cut it for you) and paint it.
12- Buy the pillow fabric and fills at Fabricland (on sale or from the ends bin) and make the pillow yourself.
13- Buy the large canvas at XSCargo. They sell them for $8 each. Paint them with dollar store paint and brushes.
14- Buy a flat screen television from Costco for $169.
Budget-
Furniture-
sofa $500
solid wood, coffee table $40
solid wood, side table $10
Window dressings-
curtains $15
curtain rod kit $8
Accessories-
table lamp $10
floor lamp $10
picture frames (with mats x 4) $20
hooks (stainless steel x 10) $6.25
plant pot $5
plant $10
circle mirror $20
vase $1.25
candle $1
DIY large canvas $8
pillow fabric $10
pillow fills $15
television $169
-Total budget- $858.50
... which sounds like a lot (again) but if you didn't have to purchase the sofa and television it would only be $189.50! That's pretty good for a fully functional and nice looking living room.
