How to Decorate Your Living Room With Simple Things: The Step-by-Step Guide to a Beautiful Space Under $150

TL;DR Summary: To decorate a living room with simple things, start with a 2–3 color story, then style flat surfaces using the 3-item vignette rule (one tall, one medium, one low). Add a floor lamp for warm light, one or two living plants, and use a decorative tray to anchor loose items. Total cost: under $150.

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Introduction: A Guide to Decorating Your Living Room With Simple Things

You don’t need a renovation. You don’t need a designer. And you definitely don’t need to spend thousands of dollars.

Learning how to decorate your living room with simple things is one of the highest-return skills you can develop — because the right $12 tray, placed in the right spot, can make your entire living room look like it belongs in a magazine.

I know this because I’ve been there: staring at a room full of perfectly fine furniture that somehow looked like a waiting room. No warmth, no personality, no life. I kept thinking I needed more stuff when what I actually needed was a system.

This guide on how to decorate your living room with simple things gives you that system.

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I. What “Decorating With Simple Things” Actually Means

How to decorate your living room with simple things means using small, affordable accessories — candles, plants, vases, trays, books, and lamps — arranged with intentional design principles to create a room that looks curated, warm, and expensive without a large budget.

It is not about buying more stuff.

It is about placing the right items in the right relationships with each other — so every surface tells a small, cohesive visual story.

“Decorating is not about making a stage set, it’s not about a look, it’s about a quality of life.” — Albert Hadley, legendary American interior decorator

Most bare living rooms don’t need a renovation. They need intention.

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: 23 Living Room Corner Ideas That Transform Wasted Space Into Stunning Design Features

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II. Step 1 — Start With a Color Story, Not a Shopping Cart

Before you buy a single thing, choose 2–3 colors that will repeat across your decor. This “color story” is what separates a room that looks designed from a room that looks decorated.

Without a color story, even beautiful individual items will clash or compete.

With one, even cheap items from Amazon feel cohesive and intentional.

How to Build Your Color Story:

• Pick one neutral base (white, beige, warm grey, natural wood tone)
• Pick one accent color you love (dusty rose, forest green, terracotta, navy)
• Pick one “pop” — usually black, gold, or a contrasting texture like rattan

💡 Pro Tip: Walk around your room and identify the one color already in it that you actually like — a rug, a pillow, a piece of art. Build your story from that. You’re not starting from scratch; you’re building outward.

Dive deeper with this step-by-step guide on: 10 Steps To A Minimalist Living Room: The Complete Design Guide

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Step 2 — Master the 3-Item Vignette Rule (The Secret Behind Every Styled Surface)

A vignette is a small, intentional grouping of 3 items that creates a “scene” on any flat surface — your coffee table, shelf, side table, or console. It is the single most powerful technique to decorate your living room with simple things.

Every styled surface in a design magazine uses this rule. Here’s how to execute it.

The 3-Item Formula:

• One tall item (a vase, a candle stick, a small lamp)
• One medium item (a stack of 2–3 coffee table books, a small sculpture, a bowl)
• One low/flat item (a coaster set, a small succulent, a candle in a vessel)

Place these three in a loose triangle — not in a straight line.

The Tray Trick: Place all three items on a decorative tray first. A tray acts as a visual frame. It instantly tells the eye “these items belong together” — even if they’re from three different stores.

A $12 rattan tray from Amazon can make $30 worth of random candles and a succulent look like a $200 styled vignette.

Pros & Cons of the Vignette Approach:

Pros	Cons
Works on any budget	Requires a little patience to arrange
Makes cheap items look expensive	Easy to over-decorate if you add a 4th+ item
Works on any surface type	Need to dust more surfaces
Endlessly rearrangeable	Can feel unfamiliar at first

💡 Pro Tip: The number one vignette mistake is symmetry. Don’t line items up in a row. Offset them. Overlapping the base of a tall vase with a stack of books creates tension and interest.

Dive deeper with this step-by-step guide on: Moody Living Room: The Complete Design Guide for Renters Creating Drama with Dark, Sophisticated Style

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Step 3 — Use Height Like a Pro: The Stylist’s Pyramid Trick

The fastest way to make your living room look decorated rather than cluttered is to vary the height of your objects. Every well-styled room contains a mix of tall, medium, and low elements — what designers call “the pyramid” — that guides the eye naturally around the space.

When everything sits at the same height, the room looks flat. When heights vary, it looks alive.

The Pyramid in Practice:

• Tall (above eye level): A floor lamp, a tall vase with architectural branches, a leafy plant (fiddle-leaf fig, monstera)
• Mid (seated eye level): A table lamp, medium vase, stack of books, a small sculpture
• Low (below knee): Candles, coasters, a small trailing plant, a flat decorative bowl

3-Step Action Plan to Add Height to Your Living Room:

1. Identify your tallest current item. Is it under 4 feet? Your room likely lacks a tall anchor. Add one floor lamp or tall vase (60–72 inches) in a corner.
2. Group your coffee table items using the tray vignette from Step 2, ensuring you have at least one item that rises 8–12 inches above the tray surface.
3. Add one low trailing element — a small pothos in a simple pot, a flat marble tray, or a cluster of votives — to complete the pyramid’s base.

💡 Pro Tip: Tall architectural branches (dried pampas, eucalyptus, or even bare black branches from a craft store) placed in a floor vase cost under $25 and add 4–5 feet of instant visual height. This is the #1 trick designers use in empty corners.

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: 9 Scandinavian Style Living Room Essentials

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Step 4 — Bring In Life: Plants, Branches & Low-Maintenance Greenery

Adding one or two plants is the single highest-impact thing you can do to decorate your living room with simple things. Plants add color, texture, life, and warmth — and even fake plants, when chosen well, look extraordinary.

You don’t need a green thumb. You need the right plant in the right spot.

Best Plants for a Simply Decorated Living Room: Top Picks on Amazon

• Pothos — trails beautifully on a shelf or bookcase, nearly indestructible, $15–$130
• Succulents — perfect for coffee table vignettes, drought-tolerant, $15–$30
• Snake plant (Sansevieria) — architectural, tall, tolerates low light, $15–$35
• Monstera — statement plant, one alone can fill a corner, $20–$45
• Faux option: Look for faux plants with real textures — avoid anything that looks waxy or plasticky

Styling Tip: Always plant in a pot that fits your color story. A beautiful plant in an ugly plastic nursery pot loses 80% of its impact. A simple white ceramic pot costs $6 and elevates everything.

💡 Pro Tip: Dried pampas grass or bunny tail grass in a tall vase requires zero watering, lasts years, and adds a soft, editorial texture that real plants can’t match.

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: How to Create a Conversation Area in Your Living Room (Even in Small Spaces)

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Step 5 — Layer Light for Warmth: Floor Lamps & Candles

Overhead lighting is the enemy of a cozy living room. The single biggest upgrade you can make when decorating your living room with simple things is to add a floor lamp and replace overhead lights with warm, low-positioned light sources like candles and table lamps.

Light at eye level and below creates warmth. Light from above creates the feeling of a doctor’s office.

• A simple arc or tripod floor lamp ($35–$80 on Amazon): transforms a dark corner and adds the tall element your pyramid needs
• LED candles ($15-$30 for a set): flicker-free, safe for renters, reusable, and create an instant ambiance
• Real candles in simple vessels ($10–$40): nothing beats the warmth of a real flame — cluster 3 votives on a tray for maximum impact
• A plug-in sconce (renter-friendly, $75–$145): gives the illusion of built-in wall lighting without drilling

💡 Pro Tip: Switch your living room bulbs to 2700K color temperature. It costs nothing but changes the entire emotional atmosphere of the room from clinical to warm.

Comparison: Overhead Light vs. Layered Light

	Overhead Only	Layered Lighting
Mood	Flat, clinical	Warm, inviting
Cost to implement	$0	$35–$80
Effort level	None	Low
Impact on room feel	Minimal	Transformative
Instagram-worthy?	No	Yes

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: Nautical Living Room Ideas and Decor Tips

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Step 6 — The Finishing Touches That Make It Look Expensive

The final 20% of decorating your living room with simple things is about editing, not adding. Remove anything that doesn’t fit your color story. Then add one or two “quality anchors” — items that look more expensive than they are.

Here are the finishing touches that reliably elevate a room:

The Coffee Table Book Stack: 2–3 oversized books (thrift stores often have gorgeous ones for $1–$5) stacked at an angle serve as both decor and a pedestal for a small object on top. Place a small candle or succulent on top of the stack.

The Decorative Tray as an Anchor: As covered in Step 2, a tray unifies loose objects. A marble, rattan, or wood tray ($12–$25) is worth buying before almost anything else.

One Sculptural Object: A small ceramic piece, abstract sculpture, or interesting stone bookend adds personality and stops a vignette from looking like a collection of products. Thrift stores and TJ Maxx are gold mines for these.

Coaster Sets That Double as Decor: Marble, stone, or terrazzo coasters left out on the coffee table look styled, not functional. They’re one of the best $15 purchases in home decor.

💡 Pro Tip: Before buying anything new, do the “$0 Restyle” — pick up every decorative item in your room, put it in a box, and only return the items you genuinely love back to the room. Most people discover they already own 60% of what they need.

Next, explore this practical guide that shows you exactly how to: Coffee Table Centerpiece: Elevate Your Living Room Style

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III. How to Decorate Your Living Room With Simple Things: By Design Style

Not every living room should look the same — and the best part about decorating with simple things is that the same core techniques work across every design style. Below are the 5 most popular decor styles and exactly which simple items to use for each one.

Think of this as your cheat sheet. Find your style, grab your items, and apply the vignette and height principles from the steps above — just with style-specific pieces.

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Style #1: Modern Minimalist — “Less, But Better”

The modern minimalist living room decorates with simple things by leaning into negative space, clean lines, and a monochromatic palette. Every item earns its place — nothing is decorative “just because.”

The goal here isn’t a bare room. It’s an intentional one.

Simple decor items that work:

• Concrete or matte black candle holders — no ornate detail, just clean geometry
• A single large-leaf plant (monstera, fiddle-leaf fig) in a simple white or stone pot
• One oversized low bowl on the coffee table — ceramic, matte, neutral
• Black-spined coffee table books stacked flush, no colorful covers showing
• A sleek arc floor lamp in black or brushed nickel

Your color story: White + warm grey + black + natural wood

💡 Pro Tip: In minimalist rooms, how you place things matters more than what you place. Leave deliberate empty space on shelves and surfaces. The empty space IS the design.

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Style #2: Warm Bohemian — “Collected, Not Cluttered”

The bohemian living room decorates with simple things through layered textures, organic shapes, earthy tones, and pieces that look traveled and collected over time — never matchy-matchy, always soulful.

The secret to boho that doesn’t look chaotic? Anchor it with one earthy neutral (terracotta, warm sand, deep rust) and repeat it at least 3 times across the room.

Simple decor items that work:

• Pampas grass or dried bunny tail grass in a tall rattan or terracotta vase
• A woven rattan tray as the base for your coffee table vignette
• Small trailing plants (pothos, string of pearls) on shelves or hanging macramé planters
• Taper candles in earthy tones — rust, terracotta, cream — in simple clay or brass holders
• Stacked coffee table books with linen or natural-toned covers
• A mix of small ceramic sculptures or hand-thrown pottery pieces from thrift stores

Your color story: Terracotta + warm cream + rust + rattan natural + forest green

💡 Pro Tip: Boho is the one style where more textures are always better. Mix rattan, ceramic, linen, and dried botanicals in the same vignette — the material contrast IS the style.

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Style #3: Scandinavian Hygge — “Cozy by Design”

The Scandinavian hygge living room decorates with simple things by prioritizing warmth, softness, and the feeling of shelter. Think candlelight, natural materials, soft textiles, and the quiet pleasure of a well-made simple object.

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish concept that roughly translates to “cozy togetherness.” Your decor should make people want to sit down and stay a while.

Simple decor items that work:

• Clusters of white or cream candles — pillar candles, tapers, and votives grouped together on a tray
• A chunky knit or wool throw blanket draped over the sofa arm
• Simple wooden objects — a small turned wood bowl, wooden candlesticks, a wood serving tray
• One small potted plant in a simple white ceramic pot (a succulent or small fern works perfectly)
• Soft neutral linen coasters or stone coasters in warm grey or sand
• A small stack of well-loved books — spine up, casually placed, not overly arranged

Your color story: Warm white + soft grey + natural wood + sage green + charcoal

💡 Pro Tip: In a hygge room, candles are non-negotiable. Scandinavians light more candles per capita than any country in the world — because they understand that warm flickering light is the fastest path to a cozy atmosphere. Invest in a beautiful cluster of 3–5 candles before anything else.

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Style #4: Classic Traditional / Transitional — “Timeless and Pulled Together”

The traditional or transitional living room decorates with simple things through symmetry, rich textures, and a “collected over a lifetime” elegance. It favors pairs, classic silhouettes, and a palette that feels warm but refined.

Transitional design is the most popular style in American homes because it sits comfortably between traditional and modern — familiar but never stuffy.

Simple decor items that work:

• A pair of matching table lamps on either end of a console or bookcase (symmetry signals “designed”)
• Classic glass or ceramic vases in navy, deep green, or warm white — filled with simple branches or eucalyptus
• Decorative bookends (brass, stone, or ceramic) flanking a small stack of hardcover books
• A silver or brass tray on the coffee table anchoring a small floral arrangement or candle
• Architectural branches (magnolia, olive, or eucalyptus stems) in a tall floor vase
• Classic marble coasters or a marble tray — marble reads as traditional luxury at any budget

Your color story: Warm white + navy or deep green + brass or gold + cream + rich wood tones

💡 Pro Tip: In traditional spaces, symmetry does the heavy lifting. If you can only afford two of one item rather than one expensive piece, choose the two. A pair of $15 candle holders flanking a vase looks more “designed” than a single $40 piece placed alone.

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Style #5: Coastal / Organic Modern — “Breezy and Grounded”

The coastal or organic modern living room decorates with simple things through natural textures, an air-and-light palette, and materials that feel like they came from the earth or sea — linen, stone, driftwood, rattan, and living greenery.

This style has exploded in popularity because it works in almost any home, feels endlessly calm, and is incredibly easy to achieve with affordable items.

Simple decor items that work:

• Woven seagrass or rattan baskets as planters or storage on open shelves
• White or natural linen throw draped casually over the sofa
• Tall glass vases filled with simple white flowers, pampas, or even just water and a single stem
• Smooth river stones or a small piece of driftwood used as a natural sculpture on the coffee table
• Leafy tropical plants — monstera, birds of paradise, or a simple pothos in a woven pot
• Sandy, stone, or bleached-wood textured coasters

Your color story: Warm white + sandy beige + natural rattan + sage or dusty blue + driftwood grey

💡 Pro Tip: Texture over color is the mantra of coastal organic modern. Almost every item should be in a neutral tone — but the mix of linen, stone, rattan, glass, and living plant creates a richness that feels luxurious without a single bold color needed.

Next, explore this practical guide that shows you exactly how to: 5 Secrets to a Designer Look Living Room For Less

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IV. Quick-Reference: Simple Decor by Style

Style	Key Simple Items	Color Story	Avoid
Modern Minimalist	Matte bowl, single large plant, arc lamp	White, black, warm grey	Clutter, ornate details, bright colors
Warm Bohemian	Pampas grass, rattan tray, taper candles, trailing plants	Terracotta, rust, cream, rattan	Matching sets, cold tones, plastic
Scandinavian Hygge	Candle clusters, wood objects, chunky throw, white pots	Warm white, grey, natural wood	Shiny surfaces, bold colors, busy patterns
Traditional / Transitional	Matching vases, brass tray, bookends, marble coasters	Navy, cream, brass, rich wood	Randomness — symmetry is key here
Coastal / Organic Modern	Glass vase, rattan basket, linen throw, leafy plants	Sandy beige, white, sage, driftwood	Hard plastics, cold greys, heavy dark woods

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: Creating a Sophisticated Living Room: Expert Tips and Ideas

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V. Decorating a Living Room with Simple Things When You’re Renting

Renters can achieve every trick in this guide without damaging a single wall or risking a security deposit. The key is knowing which damage-free tools to use: Command strips, tension rods, and removable wallpaper are the renter’s decorating toolkit.

As a renter, the temptation is to live with bare walls and minimal commitment. But a bare living room doesn’t photograph well, doesn’t feel like home, and doesn’t protect your mental health — research from the Journal of Environmental Psychology consistently shows that personalized spaces reduce stress and increase wellbeing.

Here’s what works without tools or landlord permission:

Renter-Safe Methods

Zero-Damage Decorating Essentials

• Command Picture Hanging Strips (Amazon): Hold up to 16 lbs per pair. Use two pairs for anything over 11×14 inches. Remove cleanly with zero wall damage.
• Leaning Gallery Wall: Instead of hanging art, lean 3–5 frames of varying sizes against a wall in a layered arrangement. Add a plant in front to ground it.
• Removable Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper: Covers an entire accent wall for $60–$100 and removes without residue. Brands: Chasing Paper, Tempaper, Murals Wallpaper.
• Tension Curtain Rods: Mount curtains in any window without drilling a single hole.
• Furniture Raisers: Lift your sofa or console 3 inches to create a “leggier” look that reads as more expensive — a design trick professional stagers use constantly.

Keep reading for a designer-approved guide to: Formal Living Room: A Design Guide with Expert Tips and Ideas

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VI. Your 3-Step Weekend Action Plan to Decorate Your Living Room with Simple Things

You don’t need a contractor, a big budget, or a weekend off to transform your living room. This 3-step plan — built around what you already own — will deliver noticeable results in about 4–6 hours.

1. Saturday Morning (2 hours): Edit & Rearrange

Remove everything from shelves, tables, and surfaces. Pull the sofa 14–18 inches from the wall. Reposition all seating to face inward and form a conversation zone. Then put back only the items that serve a purpose — style or function. If something doesn’t earn its place, store it.

2. Saturday Afternoon (1.5 hours): Add Height, Texture & Light

Using only what you own, create height layers on your coffee table and shelves. Drape a throw over one sofa arm. Add a lamp to a corner that currently has no light source. If you have a candle, group it with two other objects of different heights on a tray.

3. Sunday (1–2 hours): Add Life & Finish

Add one plant (real or high-quality faux) to the room’s largest empty corner. If you have wall art leaning against walls, hang it — even imperfectly hung art beats floor-leaning. Do a “squint test”: stand in the doorway, squint, and see which zone draws your eye. If nothing stands out, add one warm-toned accent (a pillow, a vase, a plant) to that area.

Next, explore this practical guide that shows you exactly how to: Eclectic Living Room: A Guide to Mixing Styles with Confidence

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VII. Your Simple Living Room Decor Shopping List (Budget Breakdown)

Here’s exactly how to decorate your living room with simple things for under $150 — with specific items to save on versus splurge on.

Where to Save (Under $40 each): Top Picks on Amazon

• Decorative tray: rattan or wood (~$18–$32)
• Set of 3–4 votives or LED candles (~$15–$25)
• Small succulent or pothos plant (~$22-34)
• Marble or stone coaster set (~$14–$38)
• 2–3 coffee table books (thrift store: $1–$5 each)
• Small bud vase (~$8–$14)

Where to Splurge (One Quality Anchor):

• A good floor lamp ($90–$200) → [Wayfair link / Amazon link]
• A tall statement vase (12–18″) for your tallest vignette (~$25–$45) → [Wayfair link]
• A real throw blanket (chunky knit or woven) (~$35–$55) → [Amazon link]

Total estimated spend: $90–$150

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Conclusion: Your Living Room Is One Tray Away

Decorating your living room with simple things isn’t about talent, budget, or how long you’ve lived somewhere.

It’s about knowing three things: your color story, the vignette formula, and how height creates visual life.

You now have all three.

Start with the $0 Restyle today. Then pick one surface — just one — and build your first vignette using the 3-item formula. I promise you: when you step back and look at it, you will feel that shift. The room will finally feel yours.

And that feeling? That’s worth more than any renovation.

→ Pin this guide for when you’re ready to shop your first simple decor haul.

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps me keep creating free content like this. I only recommend things I’d genuinely put in my own space.

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How to Decorate Your Living Room With Simple Things – Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I decorate my living room with simple things on a $50 budget? 

Focus on the tray vignette technique first — a $12 tray, a $10 set of candles, and a $8 small plant will transform your coffee table. Then add one floor lamp as your budget allows. You can have a beautifully styled surface for under $35.

Q2. What simple things can I put on a coffee table to make it look nice? 

The best coffee table decor uses the 3-item rule: one stack of 2–3 books, one small plant or candle, and one decorative object (a small bowl, sculpture, or interesting stone), all placed on a tray. That’s it — resist the urge to add more.

Q3. How do I decorate my living room without spending a lot of money? 

Start with the $0 Restyle — remove everything and return only what you love. Then add one floor lamp for warmth, one plant for life, and a tray vignette on your coffee table. Most people spend under $60 and are shocked by the transformation.

Q4. What is the easiest way to make a living room look decorated? 

Add a tall element (floor lamp or tall plant), a tray vignette on your coffee table, and switch to warm-temperature bulbs. These three changes require zero design experience and cost under $60 combined.

Q5. Can renters decorate a living room with simple things? 

Absolutely. Everything in this guide requires zero nails, no painting, and no permanent changes. Floor lamps, trays, plants, candles, and vases are 100% renter-friendly and move with you.

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