How much does a living room makeover cost?

Ask ten people what a living room makeover costs and you will get ten answers, because "makeover" covers everything from new cushions to new floors. The honest answer is that it depends on how far you go, so it helps to split the work into three levels and price each one.

These are rough European ranges for a typical 15–25 m² living room, buying from mid-range to premium shops. Your room, your country and your taste will move them, but they are a good starting point for setting a budget.

Level 1: Refresh (about €300–1,500)

You keep your furniture and change how the room feels. This is where a small budget goes furthest.

• Rearranging what you own: free, and often the biggest single improvement. Pull the sofa off the wall, make a clear path to the window, and group seating around a rug.
• Textiles: new cushion covers, a throw and curtains, €100–400.
• A rug that is big enough for the seating area, €150–600.
• Lighting: one floor lamp and one table lamp to add warm, low light, €100–350.
• Plants and art: a large plant and one or two framed prints, €80–300.

Level 2: Rework (about €1,500–6,000)

You keep what is good and replace what is not. Usually that means one or two big pieces.

• Sofa: €900–3,000 for a good-quality three-seater. It is the piece you use most, so it is worth the biggest share.
• Armchair: €350–1,200.
• Coffee table and side table: €200–800.
• Storage such as a sideboard or shelving: €400–1,500.

The trap at this level is buying the sofa first and then discovering it is 20 cm too deep for the room. Measure the room, mark the footprint on the floor with tape, and check doorways and stairs before you order.

Level 3: Reimagine (about €6,000–20,000+)

Paint, floors and furniture are planned together, and you need tradespeople.

• Painting walls and ceiling by a professional: roughly €8–20 per m² of wall, so €600–2,000 for an average living room, more if walls need repairs.
• New flooring, supplied and fitted: about €35–60 per m² for good laminate or vinyl, €60–120 per m² for engineered oak. For 20 m² that is €700–2,400.
• Lighting changes such as new ceiling points or wall lights need an electrician, often €300–1,000.
• Furniture as in the Rework level.

Order matters here. Do the dusty, wet work first (electrics, plastering, painting, then floors) and let furniture arrive last.

Where budgets go wrong

• No total. Without a number, small purchases drift. Decide the total first, then split it.
• No plan for what stays. Most rooms keep something: a sofa, a bookcase, a family table. The new pieces have to work with it.
• Forgetting delivery and small things. Delivery, assembly, curtain rails, bulbs, picture hooks and paint supplies easily add 10%.
• Buying in the wrong order. Rug before sofa is fine. Paint after sofa is not.

A simple way to split your budget

For a Rework-level budget, a split that works for many rooms is:

• 45% on the one or two big pieces you sit on
• 20% on the rug and lighting
• 15% on storage and tables
• 10% on textiles, plants and art
• 10% held back for delivery, extras and surprises

The short version

A noticeable change starts at a few hundred euros if you rearrange well and choose a clear direction. A new sofa and a couple of key pieces usually land between €1,500 and €6,000. Once paint and floors are involved, plan for €6,000 and up, and get quotes before you buy furniture.

If you want this worked out for your own room, that is what we are building Gaudi to do: you set the budget, and it plans the style, the exact products and the tradespeople to fit it. Read more about where to start a room makeover.