No matter what your budget is, you can get the sleek and clean look of a contemporary interior design in your living room. Changing out just a few things like wall art and accessories as well as a little paint can do wonders to your room and these changes do not have to cost a lot!

A vital element when decorating your living room with a contemporary theme is your wall treatments. For this design style the colors can make or break the look – consider adding shades of browns and black or a sharp black and white look to the room. Try using a neutral color paint on the walls, or if you want something different go with a leather or suede wall covering.

Decorative accessories are another important piece in pulling your contemporary look together. Concentrate on getting wall art and pillows that match your contemporary design style. For accent pieces you want the lines to be clean and avoid a lot of clutter. Be certain to add in loads of plain bowls with fruit as well as simple linear floral arrangements and you might even try some black and white photography to get a professional look for your living room. Additional touches such as vintage art déco accessories can help setup your room with a polished decorative appeal, but don’t go overboard because with the contemporary look less is better.

What’s on your floor can add to the decorating style, but if you can not afford new floors in your living room then you can mask your current floors with small rugs with a contemporary design – either a geometric print or a plain sisal rug. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford new floors, check out bamboo floors or slate or clay tile. Sleek lined furniture with chrome accents goes nicely with this look and you might try shopping at consignment stores if you are short on cash.

Lighting is vital in any room and the living room is no exception. To match your contemporary design style, you need to look at light fixtures in terms of both style and type. The majority of living rooms can work with a table lamp combined with recessed lighting. When you will be incorporating a contemporary style, take a look at a chrome ceiling fixture with recessed lighting but steer clear of anything which is scrolly or fancy.

An important decorating area that you must work on when decorating your room are your walls. You can make even the plainest walls look nice by incorporating great wall art and decorative accessories. Try adding simple, plain artwork, tribal masks or abstract art to your living room walls to highlight the modern feel of your contemporary theme.

Putting together a successful contemporary look in your living room can be as minor as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. So no matter what your budget, you can get a sleek contemporary look that will thrill the whole family!

Lee Dobbins writes for Decorating How To where you can learn more about decorating styles and your home.