When I got my first apartment I was making less than $30k a year and while I had some savings it wasn’t a lot and I wasn’t about to blow it all on buying living furniture for an apartment that was older than me and less than 700 square feet.
The couch and loveseat set I bought was a market sample that I got a good deal on. The set was soft and comfy, but it was a dark green color that I wasn’t in love with but learned to live with. Until I just couldn’t live with it anymore. I had finally started to discover my style and what I really liked in furniture and I felt it was time for something new.
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So when I moved states I took advantage of that and got rid of the old couch, loveseat, and coffee table set (which I got for about $35 at an auction). Now came the hard part, trying to find new living furniture that I liked, fit my style, was comfortable, and didn’t cost a lot. I had a budget of $2,000 to spend in the living room but would I be able to stick to it?
Let’s start with the couch and loveseat. I figured they would be the hardest pieces to find so I started my search for them months before I even had a closing date for my new house.
As part of the search I physically visited store after store, some stores multiple times, I browsed page after page in online stores and even drove a few hours to visit furniture stores. I saw some things I liked but not enough to pay the high costs I was seeing.
Eventually, when my mom and I were walking around a local Rooms To Go store I saw the perfect couch and loveseat set. It was just the right color and had the perfect mix of elegance, style, and coziness. The couch and loveseat felt comfortable when sitting on them and I knew that I would be able to have several good weekend naps on the sofa like I did on my old one.
I was able to buy the set from the Rooms To Go online store while it was on sale. It was delivered within the week and the guys got them into the house and in place really quickly.
The total amount I spent on the couch, loveseat, taxes, shipping, and delivery was $1,584.66. That left me $415.34 for the living room tables.
Now onto the rest of the living room furniture that I bought. I also bought some side tables and a coffee table. As I previously mentioned, the living room table set I had was almost as old as the couch and loveseat I got rid of. I bought the table set at a charity auction. It was one of the last items to be auctioned off and most people had left and had no interest in them so I was able to get the set for way cheaper.
That living room table set was also something that I didn’t love. It was ok and served its purpose. Those tables moved with me from apartment to apartment and into my first house. But they were not moving with me to my second house.
When I first started looking for new living tables I was looking for
I figured that I would have more luck finding what I wanted by looking online versus in stores but soon found that my criteria were really limiting my choices so I would probably have to change up my criteria.
My expanded criteria removed the color and matching set criteria and I also relaxed some on the side tables being as deep as my old ones.
Boy did that help. When browsing Wayfair for what felt like the umpteenth time, I came across this coffee table. I like the color, it wasn’t a farmhouse style, it had storage, and the straight lines that I like. I quickly bought it. Now to find side tables that I bought to go with it.
Related read: 8 Ways To Update Your Home Decor On A Budget
The couch and loveseat set I bought was a market sample that I got a good deal on. The set was soft and comfy, but it was a dark green color that I wasn’t in love with but learned to live with. Until I just couldn’t live with it anymore. I had finally started to discover my style and what I really liked in furniture and I felt it was time for something new.
(This post includes affiliate links. Should you click an affiliate link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
So when I moved states I took advantage of that and got rid of the old couch, loveseat, and coffee table set (which I got for about $35 at an auction). Now came the hard part, trying to find new living furniture that I liked, fit my style, was comfortable, and didn’t cost a lot. I had a budget of $2,000 to spend in the living room but would I be able to stick to it?
Let’s start with the couch and loveseat. I figured they would be the hardest pieces to find so I started my search for them months before I even had a closing date for my new house.
As part of the search I physically visited store after store, some stores multiple times, I browsed page after page in online stores and even drove a few hours to visit furniture stores. I saw some things I liked but not enough to pay the high costs I was seeing.
Eventually, when my mom and I were walking around a local Rooms To Go store I saw the perfect couch and loveseat set. It was just the right color and had the perfect mix of elegance, style, and coziness. The couch and loveseat felt comfortable when sitting on them and I knew that I would be able to have several good weekend naps on the sofa like I did on my old one.
I was able to buy the set from the Rooms To Go online store while it was on sale. It was delivered within the week and the guys got them into the house and in place really quickly.
The total amount I spent on the couch, loveseat, taxes, shipping, and delivery was $1,584.66. That left me $415.34 for the living room tables.
Related read: How To Add Personality To A Room (With A Small Budget)
When I first started looking for new living tables I was looking for
- A matching set
- White in color
- Wide or deep side tables since my older ones were really deep
- Tables with storage - shelves and drawers
- Nothing farmhouse, something more modern or contemporary
I figured that I would have more luck finding what I wanted by looking online versus in stores but soon found that my criteria were really limiting my choices so I would probably have to change up my criteria.
My expanded criteria removed the color and matching set criteria and I also relaxed some on the side tables being as deep as my old ones.
Boy did that help. When browsing Wayfair for what felt like the umpteenth time, I came across this coffee table. I like the color, it wasn’t a farmhouse style, it had storage, and the straight lines that I like. I quickly bought it. Now to find side tables that I bought to go with it.
I found the side tables at Target when it had furniture on sale. I browsed through hundreds of pages there as well. I was worried that the side and coffee tables wouldn’t match but they look like they belong together.
They also go well with the new couch and loveseat and all of the new furniture works well with my existing living room furniture that came with me to the new house - TV stand, lamps, and rug.
Related read: Where To Find Affordable And Beautiful Bedroom Lamps
The amount I spent on the coffee table was $117.68 including taxes. The side tables came to $194.53 including tax. That brings the grand total for the living room to $1,896.87. A little under my $2,000 budget. Whew!
I love how light and airy the room looks and how comfortable, homey, and polished it is without feeling too formal.
When it comes to redoing a room I learned that it can be done within or below budget it just takes some work to make it happen. I also learned that you may even need to reset your expectations or expand your criteria to find things that you really like.
The next room that I will be buying furniture for is my dining area. I’ll let you know how that goes.
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