Top 6 simple DIY minimalist living room ideas on a budget

Experiment with different styles, colors, lights, and organizing techniques with these minimalist living room ideas without spending money and repurposing what you already have!

Decorating your home is a wonderful feeling. And what better place to start than the one you spent the most amount of time in? We may be a bit biased here, but we believe every living room should get some tweaks here and there from time to time.

We know that what we see is a big part of how we feel. That applies heavily to the interior decor as well, especially to living rooms. Not only does it give new life to your home, but it also makes everyday life much more colorful and replenishes liveliness.

But in the midst of decorating, a lot of people tend to go overboard and end up spending a lot. Enter minimalism. If you’re someone who’s on a tight budget but still wants their living room to look distinct and unique, minimalism is the way to go. 

Simply put, it’s the art of doing more with less. In this article, we are going to be exploring some of the most ergonomic and minimalistic living room ideas to simplify your life without burning a hole in your pocket.

1. Declutter & Organize

The first step to minimalism is decluttering your surroundings. This is only possible if you’re ready to give up the things that you don’t really need (or hide them in smart storage – read #4). 

To do so, the first thing to do is to rethink what your essentials are i.e. the things that you absolutely need in your living room. Feel free to take your time with it. 

In fact, it’s better to write what you need on a piece of paper. Once you’re done with that, start to rank them in order according to their importance. 

Then work your way from the bottom up trying to get rid of as many as you can. What’s left are your essentials.

2. Define the Center of Attention

For most living rooms, the center of attention is the TV. Make sure to build around that. Don’t be afraid to try alternative ideas, but be mindful of the entire living room whenever you make any change. 

Remember, form follows function. Our recommendation? Minimize TV wobble. The last thing you want with your TV is to constantly worry about its structural integrity and the risk of it falling down. 

Thin TVs are notorious for this issue. Fortunately, a thin TV gap spacer stabilizes this. Literally. Feel free to check out the link mentioned above to learn more if you need more info. Once your TV is set firmly in place, you can start rearranging all the other essentials.

3. Pick a neutral color scheme

Minimalism is anything but flashy. Try picking more neutral or mild colors when rethinking your living room. Grey usually does a great job in the world of minimalism. 

If that doesn’t work for you, try opting for a dual combination of colors. For instance, navy blue and white work really well together. Other good combinations include pink and grey, navy blue and yellow, and white and violet. 

You can use these combinations for the color of your walls, furniture, and other accessories. This helps give out a beautiful contrasting effect, thus, pleasing the eye. Remember, consistency is key.

4. Opt for Smart Storage

Minimalism isn’t just about throwing away stuff. It’s about creating the feel of simplicity and easiness. You don’t necessarily need to get rid of your belongings if you can figure out how to store them in a more manageable way such that they’re not directly visible. This is where smart storage comes into play. 

Opt for furniture and accessories that can double as storage units and help you minimize the clutter in your living room. You can get really creative with it. 

For instance, cable managers are a must considering the number of electrical gadgets an average person owns. Sofas, couches, and ottomans with in-built storage space work really well too. 

This help to reduce the number of furniture items in your living room, as well as saves you some money by not having to buy more and more storage units.

5. Get creative with shapes

One of the best parts about minimalism is the freedom it offers to try unconventional ideas. Since decluttering and opting for smart storage leaves you with a lot of usable space, you can find new ways to smartly use that extra space. 

Conventional shapes for furniture are usually limited to just squares and rectangles. Don’t be afraid to go for oddly-shaped furniture like an artist palette-inspired table or honeycomb bookshelf or an oval carpet. 

The more unconventional a design choice, the more attention it will draw. You can use this to your advantage by mapping out the layout of your living room and also targeting specific focus points.

For instance, if you want more attention drawn towards the windows, you can install an oddly-shaped wall clock on top. If you happen to have a beautiful ceiling, try adding light bulbs hanging from the ceiling so that it naturally draws attention upwards.

6. Fill blank spaces with plants

The question for many people new to minimalism is “how minimalistic is too minimalistic?” Well, that depends entirely on the individual. While some take it to the extreme, others prefer a more moderate approach. If you are someone from the latter category, you might not like having blank spaces in your living room.

To stir up some inspiration, you can fill blank spaces by adding potted plants. Try going for more leafy plants that cover more area. This helps give your living room a more natural vibe and draw out attention without having to go overboard.

Thank you for reading this article. We hope we were able to help stir up some creative ideas for your next living room redo. Feel free to come back to this article and experiment with different styles, colors, lights, and organizing techniques to see what works the best for you and what doesn’t.