Paint, light and layout first
A new color, better lighting and a rearranged layout can make a living room feel new at refresh budgets.
See What Your Living Room Could Become
Upload a photo of your living room and see a remodel based on your budget. Below: what each budget covers, where the money goes, and the changes that make the biggest difference.
Remodel My Living RoomWhat can you do with your budget?
Pick a budget to see what a living room project at that level typically includes.
Renovate
$20,000–$32,000
Planning range for a $25K living room project
What this budget typically covers
- New flooring
- New paint
- Updated lighting including recessed lights
- A refreshed fireplace surround if there is one
- New furniture
Where the money typically goes
- Labor & installation$5,200–$8,300
- Flooring$4,400–$7,000
- Furniture & decor$3,600–$5,800
- Paint & finishes$2,000–$3,200
- Lighting$2,000–$3,200
- Contingency$1,600–$2,600
- Built-ins & millwork$1,200–$1,900
Preliminary planning estimate only. Actual costs vary based on location, labor, materials, existing conditions, project scope and contractor. Renovue does not provide contractor quotes.
The same living room, different budgets
Original photo
$15K · Refresh · Modern Farmhouse
Living Room remodel cost
Living rooms have fewer trades than kitchens or baths, so the budget goes mostly to visible surfaces: flooring, paint, lighting, millwork and furniture. Flooring is usually the largest single line once a budget allows it.
| Budget | Scope | Planning range | Largest cost categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15K | Refresh | $12,000–$19,000 | Labor & installation, Paint & finishes, Furniture & decor |
| $25K | Renovate | $20,000–$32,000 | Labor & installation, Flooring, Furniture & decor |
| $50K | Transform | $40,000–$65,000 | Labor & installation, Flooring, Furniture & decor |
| $100K+ | Full transformation | $85,000–$150,000 | Labor & installation, Flooring, Built-ins & millwork |
Preliminary planning estimate only. Actual costs vary based on location, labor, materials, existing conditions, project scope and contractor. Renovue does not provide contractor quotes.
Living Room remodel ideas
Replace carpet with wood or LVP
New flooring is the most transformative mid-budget change in most living rooms.
Recessed and layered lighting
Adding recessed lights plus lamps on dimmers fixes the single-ceiling-fixture problem common in older homes.
A media wall or built-ins
Built-in shelving around a TV or fireplace adds storage and a custom look at higher budgets.
Refresh the fireplace
A new surround or mantel modernizes a room without touching the firebox.
Where to save
- Keep existing hardwood and refinish it
- Use paint and lighting before replacing furniture
- Choose ready-made shelving with custom trim over full custom millwork
- Phase furniture purchases after the construction work
Where spending more pays off
- Flooring that suits how you live (kids, pets)
- Recessed lighting and dimmers
- One quality anchor piece, like the sofa
- Window treatments that control glare
Costs people miss
- Floor leveling under new flooring
- Electrical work and drywall patching for new lights
- Ceiling texture removal (and testing older textures for asbestos)
- Moving furniture out during flooring work
How Renovue works
See it.
Upload one photo. Renovue remodels your actual space — same walls, windows and camera angle.
Price it.
A preliminary planning range for your budget, and where the money typically goes.
Plan it.
Turn it into a Project Plan: scope, sequence, materials and the questions to ask your contractor.
See what your living room could become.
Your first remodel is free. No account needed.
Visualize My Living Room