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From minimal spaces to family havens: 30 women share how they style their living rooms.

After spending more time at home recently, I've spent countless hours looking to upgrade my living room. My search history currently consists of couches, cushions and the perfect rug that won't cost me an arm and a leg. Anyone else?

While interior design and homewares accounts on Instagram are a great source of inspiration, they tend to make you realise how expensive furniture really is. 

Watch: How to make your room look bigger. Post continues after video.


Video via Mamamia

I asked the Mamamia community what their living rooms look like, and most had a combination of new purchases, second-hand gems and beloved furniture passed down from family - which makes upgrading my space seem much more achievable.

Here's how 30 women have decked out their living space.

Jessie

"This couch is second-hand, and the coffee table/s are second-hand from Facebook Marketplace. We knew we wanted something marble because it went with the kitchen island and lightened up the room. It’s one of my favourite pieces."

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Jess

"I call this style 'can’t be bothered'."

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Tamara

"Our downstairs area is open plan, so the living room and kitchen have no separation. It was important to me to create a cosy spot to relax in, and we're lucky that this space gets so much sunlight and opens out onto the garden. The coffee table was reclaimed from the side of the road, and the glass side table was a score off Gumtree (it used to be office furniture). The couch was a splurge from Freedom. My number one design tip is you can never have too many coffee table books!"

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Tanya

"My reading nook. I love my little animal print and butterfly chair."

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Talia

"The lounge area is probably my favourite space in the house - it’s also the main space. The rug I pinched from my mum, which was lucky for me because have you seen how expensive rugs are?! I love the colour it adds to the room. The sofa is from MCM House, it’s my first and only investment piece so far. It’s super comfy and has a deep seat, so it's perfect to curl up on and watch TV."

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Andi

"I wanted something cosy but also minimalist. So I chose a few statement pieces and warm tones to bring the room together. Our building is art deco so we chose the mirror to match along with the darker wood of the wall cabinet."

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Jacinta

"It's simple and easy to maintain styling of our living room (simple is key with two kids and a dog)."

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Lily

"Our living room has such high ceilings - it makes it feel so light-filled and I love it. The style is a collection of things we love - lots of plants, second-hand tables we've found through family or hunting second-hand stores, and our lounge that we got on Facebook Marketplace, jazzed up with blankets and cushions."

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Nicole

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Angela

"Bright and colourful with a mix of new and rescued furniture we've up-cycled."

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Melanie

"My lounge room is my haven! I’m very lucky to have so much greenery surrounding me and lots of beautiful light, it’s so calming. I love the relaxed boho vibe with bright pops of colour, so I tried to style with that in mind."

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Renny

"When I moved into this apartment, it was filled with furniture of unknown origins. It still kinda is… I slowly just started replacing things and it looks very different to how it did. Goodbye huge three-piece-brown-lounge-from-side-of-road and hello lush-velvet-extravaganza. We use our lounge area a lot, so it was pretty important to have enough space for us all to lay out and watch movies, but also to have couch dinners."

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Zoe

"I call this style "when you have a toddler"."

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Bek

"We have an older weatherboard-style home. When we moved in, I kinda went with colour and stuck to it. I’m always tossing up between eclectic-tidy-maximalist vibes or minimalism with light tones. I'm not sure I have the restraint or the dollars to start over at this point."

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Michelle

"We recently redid the whole thing! We still need to repaint and get a picture for the wall behind the couch, but we’re 80 per cent there!"

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Sophie

"I love our lounge room as I've come to realise how many people are afraid of colour and pattern. I like that ours is a bit eclectic and has personality."

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Amy

"Just waiting on my perfect coffee table to jump out at me! (The smaller rug over the top is just flattening out for the bedroom). Love my plants - even the droopy ones. This room gets so much sun. It’s like a little greenhouse."

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Ingrid

"We have two [living rooms] but this is my favourite. We mostly use it on weekends, to listen to music or with guests after dinner."

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Allison

"I recently discovered the term 'grand millennial' which I feel perfectly describes my style. A mix of classic older pieces mixed with modern."

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Debbie

"A couch you can flop onto was my main criteria! And earthy tones."

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Kate

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Emma

"Lots of repurposed/recycled furniture. The rug is usually straight and flattened and furniture is in the centre of walls, the photo just doesn’t look like it. I promise."

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Alice

"My furniture (and man) free living room. Yes, I have kids."

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Lizzie

"First time living alone as an early 20s professional woman and this is my living room! I love the abundance of natural light I get from my large north-facing window, the comfy lounge to sprawl out on, and the mid-century armchair that my mother restored for me as a housewarming gift. There’s space to entertain but it still feels cosy. My bookshelf and an artwork from one of my favourite Aussie artists get to take pride of place as I’ve chosen to not have a TV."

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Nicole

"I love the natural light from all the big windows, and most importantly, my three beautiful kitties."

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Simone

"Apartment life means my kitchen and living area are all in one but I love it! The colours are really calming for me and it’s a space I love coming home to. The best thing is my coffee table which has a lift-up lid to become a dining table if you’re sitting on the couch!"

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Renee

"I like to keep things pretty relaxed and not too matchy-matchy. A bit of colour and a bit rustic. I'm not into the glossy, shiny look... like myself, really!"

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Sally

"My living room is my happy place. It is so light and bright. I love buying second-hand furniture whenever I can. I’m a bit of a minimalist with decorating too, as I wanted the view to do the talking."

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Elisabeth

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Samantha

"Spent so long looking for the perfect rug with blue tones. Finally found it and love it!"

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Loved this post? Here's a look at how 27 women style their bedrooms.

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