Living room interiors and TV unit cost
Design IRL Editorial · Figures checked 7 November 2026 · For owners doing up a living room, on its own or as part of a whole flat · How we make our guides
A living room has less built-in woodwork than a kitchen or bedroom, so the fixed work often costs less than people expect. The sofa and the TV wall are where the money goes.
What drives the cost
- The TV unit: a small wall-mounted or floor unit, a unit with a back panel and storage, or a full wall of panelling.
- The sofa: a ready-made 3+2, an L-shape, or a custom or branded piece.
- False ceiling and lighting: plain gypsum with downlights, or a designed ceiling with cove and profile lights.
- Walls: plain paint, a feature wall in texture or wallpaper, or panelling in laminate, veneer or fluted wood.
- Soft furnishings: curtains, a rug, cushions and art.
The whole-home rate in our calculator is an average across the flat, and the kitchen pulls it up. Don't multiply a living room's area by it. Price the living room item by item instead.
TV unit options
| Type | What it is | Approx. ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| Wall-mounted or floor unit | A low cabinet or floating shelf, laminate | ₹8,000–25,000, plus ₹5,000–15,000 for drawers and cabinets |
| Unit with back panel | Storage below, a panel behind the TV, open shelves | About ₹1,100 per sq ft; a 7×7 ft unit is about ₹54,000 |
| Full TV wall | Panelling across the wall, storage and lighting | ₹80,000–1 lakh, more in veneer or stone |
Plan a concealed conduit from the TV to the set-top box and speakers, and a power point behind the TV. Hiding wires after the panel is up is hard and messy.
What a living room roughly costs
For a living room of about 200 sq ft, in a metro, before GST.
| Item | Essential | Premium | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV unit | ₹15,000–40,000 | ₹45,000–80,000 | ₹80,000–1.5 lakh |
| False ceiling and lights | ₹16,000–35,000 | ₹35,000–75,000 | ₹75,000–1.5 lakh |
| Feature wall or panelling | — | ₹30,000–80,000 | ₹80,000–1.6 lakh |
| Paint | ₹9,600–18,000 | ₹14,000–30,000 | ₹24,000–48,000 |
| Curtains | ₹8,000–20,000 | ₹20,000–40,000 | ₹40,000–80,000 |
| Sofa | ₹20,000–75,000 | ₹75,000–1.5 lakh | ₹1.5–5 lakh |
| Coffee table, side tables, rug | ₹5,000–20,000 | ₹20,000–50,000 | ₹50,000–1.5 lakh |
| Room total | ₹0.74–2.1 lakh | ₹2.4–5.1 lakh | ₹5–12.4 lakh |
The fixed work alone (TV unit, ceiling, paint) is about ₹41,000–93,000 at essential level. One interiors company puts living-room woodwork in a 3 BHK at ₹50,000–85,000 for essentials, ₹1–1.5 lakh premium and ₹2–3.2 lakh luxe. A Gandhinagar guide puts a whole living room at ₹50,000–1.2 lakh for a budget 2 BHK, and a Bhubaneswar guide at ₹1–1.8 lakh.
Worked example: a living room in Bengaluru
Say a 220 sq ft living room in a Bengaluru 3 BHK at premium level.
| Item | Working | Typical ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| TV unit with back panel, 8×7 ft | 56 sq ft × ₹1,100 | ₹61,600 |
| Profile lighting on the TV wall | 6 m × ₹2,000 | ₹12,000 |
| Designer gypsum ceiling | 220 sq ft × ₹180 | ₹39,600 |
| Cove lighting | 40 running ft × ₹220 | ₹8,800 |
| Feature panel behind the sofa | 90 sq ft × ₹500 | ₹45,000 |
| Paint, walls and ceiling | 660 sq ft × ₹35 | ₹23,100 |
| Fixed work, before GST | ₹1,90,100 | |
| GST at 18% on fixed work | ₹34,218 | |
| Sofa, L-shape | Shop price, GST included | ₹1,10,000 |
| Curtains, tables and rug | Our estimate | ₹55,000 |
| Total | ₹3,89,318 |
How to save without regret
- Spend on the sofa. It is used every day and is the piece people notice first.
- Skip the full TV wall. A good low unit and one painted or panelled feature wall look as finished for much less.
- Use lights to do the work of a ceiling. A simple border ceiling with cove and a few spots can replace a layered design.
- Buy the rug, art and cushions after you move in, when you know the light and how you use the room.
- Keep panelling to one wall. More walls add cost and make a room feel smaller.
Order in the right sequence
Fix electrical and TV conduits first, then the ceiling, then the TV unit and panelling, then the final coat of paint. Order the sofa early: made-to-order pieces can take 2–6 weeks.
Who to hire
An interior designer can plan the room as a whole: layout, TV wall, ceiling and lighting. A lighting specialist helps when the ceiling is the main feature. Sofas, rugs and tables come from furniture showrooms or makers. These figures are approximate and vary by city, room and spec.
Find the people
Sources
Most published cost figures come from firms that sell the work. We give ranges and you should get 2–3 quotes.