These 12 accessories will transform your living room … and they are under €50 including postage!

You don’t need to spend a fortune to freshen up your living room. We round up options that will give you change from a €50 note.

As one of the spaces where you spend the most time in your home, it’s not surprising that we can get tired of our living rooms after a while. There’s no need to get rid of everything and start again, though, even one new addition can transform how the space feels.

We’ve found twelve options under €50 that will help to refresh a room, from lamps to rugs, and everything in-between.

A chic pot

Nothing will make your living space feel fresh more quickly than a plant. There’s something about that hit of green that feels rejuvenating, and since it’s a living thing, its changing size and form will mean it won’t look the same from one month to the next.

Any plant needs a gorgeous pot to live in, and I’ve fallen in love with this one. Its stone-like texture will add a tactile calm to your space. This design €35, from Hay isn’t available yet, but if you just can’t wait, you can get a similar version from Industry & Co. Either one will leave you enough change from your €50 for a nice plant to go inside, too.

A bright rug

A rug is an easy way to add colour, or change the mood of a room – and you won’t even have to lift a paintbrush. This Langsted design from Ikea comes in six colours, so there’s an option to complement most styles. At €40 with €9.95 postage, this also comes in at just under €50. Alternatively, you can pick it up instore, and use the money you saved to buy yourself some meatballs.

A cool mirror

Even if you already have a mirror in your living room, adding another will bounce even more light around the room, and can brighten a corner that feels a little dark. I love the contemporary shape of this hexagonal Oliver Bonas design. At €42, with €7.50 postage, this is another one that comes in just under the €50 mark, but is a piece that you can keep for years to come.

A talking-point print

Adding something new to your walls will change how the whole room looks, and what better to hang than this blackberry print from Irish illustrator Sally Caulwell? Her prints celebrate the lifecycle of Irish plants, featuring a range of gorgeous natural shades in her characteristic geometric style. You’ll even be able to get a frame for it as part of your €50 budget. A4 Sally Caulwell Blackberry print, €28, Irish Design Shop.

A go-with-everything cushion 

Cushions are the classic way to quickly and cheaply update your living room. You may be tempted to go for a patterned option for maximum impact, but this can feed into the cycle of buying things, tiring of them, and then having to buy new things.

If you go for a more classic design, like this linen cushion cover from H&M, it’s much more likely to remain a fixture for years to come. Linen also wears very well, so these could be repurposed in a bedroom if you eventually change your living room colour. Available in eight different colours, you can mix and match or go for a monochrome look. Whichever you choose, at €9.99 each with €3.99 postage, you can get four for under €50.

A statement piece

If you’re craving something less neutral, this wall hanging from Zara will draw attention in a room with its varied textures and colours, ideal if you’re looking for something a bit different than a print. Keep it minimalist by hanging it solo on a wall, or create a more layered look by combining it with small photographs and pieces of art. It’s €35.99 with €9.99 postage, leaving you a little spare from your €50.

A side table

Side tables are endlessly useful, for perching a cup of tea on, or using to display some of your favourite trinkets. They also add another layer of height to a living room, providing something lower than the sofa but higher than any small objects on the ground like pots or footstools. This Ivar tray side table from Woo .Design is €29 with €9.99 postage.

An everyday vase 

A simple vase can be a permanent feature in your living room, and also one that changes frequently. Fill it with foliage from your garden as a nod to the season or fill it with interesting objects like stones to create a focal point.

This wide, clear Ewa vase from Habitat is perfect for either, and its elegant shape adds a touch of interest to whatever arrangement you fill it with. It’s around €22 with around €13 for postage, so it’s a relatively low-cost addition to your living room, but with amazing versatility.

A table lamp 

You may not think a small table lamp will make a noticeable impact in your room, but as we’ve learned, layered lighting is so important to creating atmosphere in any space. It can add brightness to a dark corner, and allow you to turn your main lights off in the evening, leaving a more muted glow than a harsh light.

This modern design from Arnotts will also help give your room a contemporary touch, with its exposed bulb and marble base. At €35 with €4 postage, it’s also well under our €50 budget.

Fresh handles 

If you have a cabinet or chest of drawers that’s perfectly fine, but just looks a little boring, a change of handles is a really easy way to make it feel like new. Anthropologie have loads of different options, from patterned ceramic to light-refracting glass, but I love the solid simplicity of this cast-iron Maurice design, which comes in four metallic shades. At €9 each, and €6 postage, you can kit out a whole cabinet without breaking the bank.

A textured light shade

Changing the shade on an overhead light will instantly refresh a room, and this Jaan rattan design from Made adds texture, too. This one cuts it pretty fine on the €50 budget, depending on the exchange rate you get on a particular day, but the light is around €43 with around €8 postage. I do feel it’s great value for such an eye-catching piece, so please forgive my minor deviation from the rules.

Photo frames with character

It’s nice to display personal things in your living space, whether it’s photos of loved ones or interesting postcards and prints you’ve picked up over the years, and an interesting frame can turn them into a focal point. You can even display things like pressed flowers, or whatever else takes your fancy.

These Kiko glass frames from Nkuku have a vintage feel, and can be hung on a wall, or off handles and hooks for a more unusual look.  The smallest size is around €8 and the largest €13, with postage around €16 to Ireland, so you can get a selection for under €50.

Featured image: Zara Home

Read more: Bamboo is back, and here are our faves for every room

Read more: How this couple turned an old Phibsborough repair shop into a home

Read more: 5 elements for a chic, uncluttered entrance hall