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28 Things That Will Finally Help You (Affordably) Design The Living Room Of Your Dreams

Including a $40 alternative to Samsung’s ultra-spendy Frame TV.

Posted on Oct 11, 2026 UTC

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by Chelsea Stuart BuzzFeed BuzzFeed Staff

I'm a seasoned Shopping Editor with more than 10 years of experience covering travel (my favorite), home decor, fashion, and pet products.

You deserve a living room that looks put-together — even if you’re working with a shoestring budget. If you’re searching for small space ideas, renter-friendly upgrades, or clever ways to hide cords and clutter, this list delivers. Keep scrolling for easy swaps that can help your space feel designer-level without the splurge.

1. A wavy console table on which you can display your most prized objets d'art. Or — more likely — that massive stack of junk mail you promised yourself you'd get to this week. Hey, at least it now has a pretty spot to call home!

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Such a beautiful piece!! The piece is very sturdy and it is just like the picture! I would highly recommend this. I love how there is storage on the top and underneath." —Rattermans

Get it from Amazon for $129.99+ (available in two finishes).

2. A trio of glass candleholders so gorg, you'll likely pass them down as a family heirloom. Psst, if anyone else ever needs to re-home these bebes, feel free to add me to your list!

www.amazon.com

And you can get candlesticks (like the above) for$9.99!

Promising review: "Bought these as a fun part of my dining table. I get compliments on them all the time. They’re a great price, super chic, and people are stunned when I say I got them from Amazon." —CDann 

Get it from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in seven colors). 

3. Aneasel-style TV stand if your style is *so* minimalist that you'd actually prefer to keep your space media-console-less.  

www.amazon.com

It's suitable for TVs 45–65 inches. 

Promising review: "I was skeptical at first about how sturdy this TV stand would be. To my disbelief, it is sturdy and super functional! It frees up a lot of space in my bedroom, and I love how it can be placed in a corner for an ideal viewing experience. Instructions were easy to understand, and I got the whole thing mounted and set up in less than 20 minutes. All the components are high quality, not cheap plastic. I have no doubt this TV stand will last for years. Another great thing about this stand is that it’s easy to pick up the TV and move it around. I recommend the safety mount if you have kids or pets for added peace of mind. If you want an affordable TV stand that adds a nice design element, I would recommend you purchase this." —Austin738

Get it from Amazon for $89.99+ (available in three finishes).

4. And a "Billion Dollar Art Gallery" brick, because you love the look of theSamsung Frame, but it's (way) out of budget. Simply plug the USB into your TV, and you'll have access to 500 beautiful paintings. 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

Billion Dollar Art Gallery is a small business that specializes in accessible art technology. You can even toggle it to display captions to learn more about the art's history. 

Promising review: "I love everything about this product. I love the case's detail, the etching on the USB drive, the selection of art, and the business idea itself is genius. I bought it years ago, and I'm revisiting it now because I use it every single day on my Frame TV. My tiny children are art savvy (and appreciative) because they have a billion-dollar art gallery playing in their house every day. Bravo, person who came up with this idea. I wish you'd make another installment. I'd buy another 500 images. There are a lot more in the public domain that I'd love for you to collect for me." —Amy 

Get it from Amazon for $39.99(available in three styles, including one for kids and a National Parks version). 

5. A set of travel "books" — inspired by the (spendy) Assouline travel series — that are actually covert storage boxes. They're perfect for stowing away necessary but ugly essentials like charging cords, remotes, and other bits and bobs that plague your coffee table. 

www.amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: "The color of these books is actually more vivid and beautiful in person. I’m thrilled with how it looks on the shelf — plus, it’s a very good hiding spot. I would 100% recommend these for anyone looking to add color to your home." —elishiva

Get a set of four from Amazon for $29.99. 

6. A wireless library light you can position over your impressive book collection or favorite family portrait. This thing costs less than 30 bucks, but it'll transform your den into a museum-worthy exhibit.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

The portrait lights are battery-operated and wireless so you don't have to worry about hiring an electrician or doing any installation your self. Each unit runs off of three AAAs (get a 36-pack before you forget!) and an included remote lets you set the light to different brightnesses and schedule a timer for 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes.

PS: If you're going for an antique look but don't have the budget to buy vintage, I saw a TikToker DIY these with some gold Rub 'n Buff metallic finish and an old makeup brush, and it looked truly incredible!

Promising review: "For the price, you can’t beat it. Super easy to install and lightweight. The gold had a slight orange tint to it, so be mindful of that. I actually just taped over the light and spray painted ours with gold spray paint I had left over, and then they were absolutely perfect." —Paris Seder

Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in three colors).

7. A spindle side table with *just* enough room for your daily mocha latte and current read. It really is the perfect size because once you're finished, you won't have room for cups to pile up; you'll have to take care of them right away.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This table is fancy and elegant, the material is of excellent quality and extremely well finished! The color yellow is very beautiful and vibrant, a true yellow. I am very happy with the purchase." —Danielle Maia

Get it from Amazon for $63.99+ (available in nine colors).

8. A bouquet of silk tulips if you love having flowers around, but keeping real blooms fresh just isn't your forte. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I was amazed at the quality of the tulips. They're very life-like, sturdy, and so attractive in my vase. I highly recommend this item!" —schoolteacher

Get them from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in 14 colors).

9. And a ribbed glass vase, because whether you go for the above, or you snag yourself fresh weekly flowers, this makes a bouquet feel even more special. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I’m honestly obsessed with this vase! The ribbed glass gives it a modern vibe, and it catches the light in the most beautiful way. I love how the shape has a little extra detail with the double layer — it feels unique but still super versatile. It’s the perfect size to hold a big, full bouquet like this one without feeling crowded or too bulky. Even when it’s empty, it still looks like a decor piece on its own. It fits right in with both cozy and modern spaces — definitely one of my favorite finds!" —Faofizah Siti

Get it from Amazon for $29.99+(available in 10 colors). 

10. Or a kinda creepy but also really cool hand vase that looks like it's reaching straight out of your wall with a fistful of blooms. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Obsessed! Perfect for a gallery wall! This is a must-have!" —yoyojody

Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in 12 colors).

11. Some pre-made wall panels certain to add instant character to your space. If you love the prewar look but are stuck in a new build, these are just the ticket. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Reviewers attached these in different ways, with some just using mounting tape in apartments for no damage to walls. Others installed them on doors and kitchen islands!

Promising review: "I really wanted an accent wall but don’t have any tools to create my own frames from molding, so this was such an easy DIY solution! I used liquid nails only to adhere to the wall and had no issues." —Megan

Get a single panel from Amazon starting at $15.99 (available in sets and tons of sizes).

12. A framed canvas painting that looks like an original work of art, but will run you less than $20. It comes in dozens of different styles, so whether your decor leans bohemian, transitional, or eclectic, you'll find the perfect fit. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Beautiful. This is great quality and it looks like a real painting. 💗" —Yana Cucias

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in four sizes and tons of styles).

13. A set of eight shelves for displaying your most enviable LPs. Beach House, Tame Impala, Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, Joseph, and Mac DeMarco???? I'd like to formally submit an application to be your roommate. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I probably spent a week reviewing various floating vinyl displays. You can get them individually. You can get them in groups of six. You can get them in various plastics. They all cost the same. Between $25–$30. With this product, you get eight solid pine wall displays with clear instructions. Nothing else out there comes close to the value AND quality. Stop looking and buy these." —Aaron Sarka

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $46.99 (available in three finishes). 

14. A set of simple wooden coat hooks so you can finally give your go-to coat chair a rest. Who even knows what you'll find at the bottom of that pile!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I love these! They were so easy to install. I only used three and did a staggered design. My entryway looks so much neater and clean now that I can hang my stuff. I’ve had no issues with them coming lose or seeming like they’re going to snap." —Lexi

Get them from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in sets of four and six).

15. A baroque-inspired mirror — with a gorg gilded frame — if you've long dreamt of owning ***that*** Anthropologie mirror but don't want to take out a second mortgage on your home in order to do so. 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I hopped on the gold ornate mirror trend and spent a long time trying to find one within my budget. I was worried at first because there weren’t any reviews when I first bought this. It looked amazing online and was the perfect size, so I went ahead and got it. I am THRILLED with this purchase!!! One of the best things I’ve gotten from Amazon. It’s beautiful and exactly how it looks in the pics. It came four-ish days faster than estimated. It’s perfect for my makeup desk. If there were different sizes of the same mirror, I would buy all of them." —McKinlee Mayer

Get it from Amazon for $67.99+ (available in 10 sizes and five finishes).

16. A lightweight, easy-to-install ceiling medallion sure to make you feel like you live in a French chateau and not a postage stamp–sized apartment where your kitchen, living room, and bedroom are all one and the same.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Lots of reviewers even paint it!

Promising review: "These medallions were much prettier than I expected and were super smooth for the reception of paint. It took me a few days to decide on the color placement and style, as they will be in rooms that are visible to one another. Pre-colored medallions are expensive; doing it myself saved me money I used to upgrade my chandeliers." —Cris

Get it from Amazon for $97.66+ (available in dozens of colors).

17. An acrylic coffee table so crystal clear, future guests will assume you're *really* on top of your cleaning. To the same point — reviewers suggest placing at least a coffee table book or two on top, or you could walk straight into it!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This table is beautiful. Packed remarkably well. I’ve had it a few months now and just love it. Makes my smallish living room look so much larger." —susan e smith

Get it from Amazon for $149+ (available in two styles).

18. A discreet cord cover that'll hide the cables that trail down from your mounted TV. Since you rent, you sadly can't punch a hole in the wall to hide them HGTV style, but this works, too.

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "This is the perfect solution for hiding a cord! It looks like it is just a part of the baseboard. Mine is covering a cable wire only, but I think they are big enough to hide more than one cord if needed. I didn’t cut mine, and I bought two. You can tell where the two meet if you look closely. However, I do not think anyone would notice. I can’t believe I let our cable cord sit across the floor for this long. I wish I had found these sooner!" —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $22.99+ (available in three sizes and five colors).

19. A paper standing lamp to add soft, diffused light to any space so you can continue to live your best life — AKA one where you never ever have to flick on an overhead light. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Super easy assembly, perfect size, does come with a bulb (huge plus), nice length for the cord, and a convenient on-and-off switch on the cord. Will buy more and def recommend! It is so much more affordable than other brands that sell the same style. The dimensions make it seem small, but honestly, it’s pretty big and brightens the room with a warm yellow glow." —Sam

Get it from Amazon for $23.99+ (available in various styles and sizes).

20. Some glue-on foam ceiling tiles if you live in a new build that's sorely lacking character and/or you love the look of the real thing but don't trust yourself to use a nail gun or miter saw. 

Amazon, www.amazon.com

A La Maison Ceilings is a small biz that sells a wide range of moldings, ceiling medallions, and ceiling tiles. 

Promising review: "If you’re even considering doing it, JUST DO IT!! I can’t even begin to tell you how easy this was, and the end result is mind-blowing! When people come over (we’re remodeling our newly purchased home, built in 1865), their jaws drop. When you actually get them on the ceiling and look at your finished product, you’d never guess it’s Styrofoam. My advice (from watching hours of YouTube videos and doing research) is to find the center of the ceiling and work your way out. It took us two hours to do a fairly large space. We definitely overestimated how many it would take, but I’m glad we had extra on hand in case we messed one up. Also — make sure your blade is SHARP!" —Steven

Get it from Amazon for $31.92+ (available in packs of 8, 48, 96, 144, and in 23 colors).

21. A combined floor lamp and end table if you're 1.) Trying to save space or 2.) Just absolutely enamored (like any sensible adult) with multitasking pieces.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I was looking for a lamp of this style and happened to come across this one. It had no reviews, so I was suspicious, but for the price, I took the chance. Best gamble ever! This lamp is so beautiful, and the quality is amazing. The marble base is like real, sturdy marble. Gold finishing looks so expensive. The table is not flimsy at all. I absolutely love it and can’t believe I was able to find this for such a deal." —Sarah Diaz

Get it from Amazon for $69.34+ (available in five lampshade colors). 

22. A set of two nesting drum tables that look like they'd be featured in one of Architectural Digest's celeb home tours. While they're pretty low-profile as is, if you ever need to free up additional space you can tuck them inside of one another like a Russian nesting doll. 🪆 

Amazon

Promising review: "Stylish, affordable, and a perfect upgrade for my space. Highly recommended." —Priya

Get it from Amazon for $148.78+ (available in 12 colors).

23. A flatweave rug made from super durable wool and plant fibers, so if it's in an area that gets heavy foot traffic or just happens to be your pup's favorite place to lie about, no one will be the wiser. 

Ikea

Promising review: "Not only is the rug cute, but my cats are obsessed with it. I've had it for about two months, and it still looks brand new, even with the scratches and bites on the strings. It looks amazing. I work at a pet store and recommend this rug all the time to customers with scratchy cats!" —Kiona

Get it from Ikea for $49.99. 

24. A multi-globe floor lamp if you have an empty corner that could not only use a little bit of light, but some mid-century modern-inspired flair. 

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "After seeing an orb lamp at West Elm, I went looking for one that wasn't $500. This lamp is definitely a shiny, brassy gold and not a satin, champagne-color gold, but I actually love the color! My new house has a much more vintage, Art Deco vibe than my last place, and I think it fits right in with that. The milky orbs are beautiful and make the light nice and warm. It is pretty bright, but that works for me. I have it in a corner of my office that I don’t look directly at very often, and think it will be the perfect alternative to overhead lights." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $79.99+ (available in five styles).

25. Or a Govee floor lamp that's Alexa-compatible, so when you're ready to plop down on the couch, you can set the vibe with a simple voice request. It has 16 million colors (not even an exaggeration, believe it or not) and can sync to your music! (I need someone to blast "All the Things She Said" and get back to me with a vid.) 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "Absolutely love this lamp! It fits perfectly in any corner of my home and provides the best amount of light to the area, especially at night. I don’t use the app to control it often, but when I do, it works great and is easy to use. I’ve had it for almost a year now, and it works amazingly. I’ve had zero issues with it at all." —Austyn Farr

Get it from Amazon for $99.99+(available in four colors).

26. A set of vintage-inspired prints, because if you're anything like me, you LOVE the look of a gallery wall, but get super anxious thinking about curating one on your own. You can order the set with matching frames, or source your own for a more eclectic look. 

www.amazon.com, Amazon

Promising review: "10/10 recommend!!! I wasn't sure what the quality would be, and these did not disappoint. The prints are gorgeous and come on heavy cardstock, and you can't beat the price for how many you get. I bought two different sets and love both." —Kerry Bishop

Get a set of 12 from Amazon for$12.99+ (available in three designs and framed or unframed).

27. A live-edge wood coffee or side table that looks like something you'd find in an antique shop — you know, one of the ones that seems so expensive you don't even want to go inside, so you just linger on the sidewalk and peek through the windows.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Welland is a small business in Southern California that sells home furnishings and decor.

Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE this coffee table. It was super easy to assemble, great quality, and gorgeous. I didn’t realize how big and bulky my old coffee table was until I replaced it with this one. I bought the end table, too! I highly recommend!" —Karin

Get it from Amazon for $69.99.

28. A hidden storage box that — first and foremost — actually conceals cords, cables, and even your router in its hollow interior. It's the easiest way to return to your living room to your OG vision!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Before adding this to your cart, you have the option to customize it, including selecting from 14 lengths and 15 colors (including custom colors). The CovoBox is made from reclaimed books and sustainable wood.

Covogoods is a family-owned small business creating home decor in Utah!

Promising review: "I’m pretty sure I’ve never loved a purchase from Amazon as much as I love this one, and I’ve been a Prime member since Day 1. This product is EXTREMELY well-made and very unique. Plus, it does the job of hiding the ugly routers and cords. And the customer service was great and responsive. I was a little hesitant to spend the money on this but after years of living with the husband’s pile of technology, the money was well spent!" —AmazonEmme

Get it from Covogoods from Amazon Handmade for $39+.

Need more decor? We've got you:

* If Your Home Yearns To Be A Little Less Boring, These 38 Products Will Add Some Whimsy To It

* Cheap Fall Decor Pieces That’ll Mean You Can Still Buy The *Good* Candy To Hand Out At Halloween

* If You Love The Feeling Of Sitting In A Well-Decorated Home, These 27 Products Are For You

* Surprisingly Cute Halloween Decor Pieces You Can Snag On Amazon

* Just 34 Pieces Of Decor That’ll Make Your Home Say “Ahhh, Fall Has Finally Arrived”

Plus, finds from All Modern, Amazon, Anthropologie, Article, Ikea, Target, Walmart, and Wayfair.

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Reviews in this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.