There are fixes for every budget and every taste and style to consider. Here are 10 before-and-after makeovers for living room spaces that were ready for a change.
After: Crisp and Organized
The star of this living room makeover is the ventless fireplace, providing a visual anchor to prevent the eye from wandering upward and away. Books on the fireplace’s built-in shelf are fitted with bright, solid-color dust jackets, encouraging the eye to focus on the fireplace area. While the previous Danish-style midcentury modern chairs and sofa were lovely, the new sectional and heavy leather chairs are more solid, cozy, and substantial, adequately filling the room.
After: Big Changes
In this living room makeover, a wall came out, adding space and separating the living room from the kitchen. After the wall removal, engineered wood flooring was installed. The flooring has a thin veneer of real hardwood fused with a plywood base. The dark wall color is Sherwin-Williams’ Iron Ore.
After: Cheerful
Capitalizing on the home’s great bones, Melissa kept the basic structure of the living room with its parallel side nooks. But she got rid of the TV nook over the fireplace by installing a piece of drywall and framing it with trim. For a classic look, she brought in Pottery Barn leather armchairs and a slipcovered Ethan Allen sofa. A triad of close-in-shade gray paint colors from Sherwin-Williams (Agreeable Gray, Chelsea Gray, and Dorian Gray) finish off the living room’s traditional, stately feeling.
After: Inspired
Neutral paint colors plus gorgeous exposed wood ceiling beams form the cornerstone of this living room’s amazing design do-over. Blue is the secondary color; it adds flavor to the neutral base color and plays well with the light brown wood grain from the beams.
After: Expanded Living Area
This stunning living room makeover is all about color, punch, and light. This former home office turned into a place for the entire family to relax. By happy accident, the X-shapes on the oversized brass chandelier mirror the unique diagonal ceiling beams. The dull gray paint was replaced with fresh, light-reflective white.
After: Faux Fireplace
Fireplaces lend warmth and a real sense of hominess to a room. They are also exceedingly difficult to construct, especially in an existing house. Ashley’s brilliant solution was to build a faux fireplace out of used fence boards purchased from a local fence company. The result, which she jokingly calls a “wall accent plank strip thingy,” cost next-to-nothing and eliminates the room’s vacuous feeling.
After: Relaxing
With the green gone, white is the controlling color behind this living room makeover. Midcentury modern-style furniture from Wayfair and a diamond-patterned platinum indoor/outdoor area rug transform this into a delightful, bright space.
After: Lush Eclectic
This freshened-up look does not shirk from making a statement. Now, the living room bursts with an eclectic personality. The plush velvet purple Wayfair sofa draws your attention to the unique gallery wall. The newly painted lighter color walls bring a breath of fresh air into the room. And, no elks were harmed in the making of this room—the head is estate stone, a lightweight stone composite.
After: Tile Change
Amanda instantly perked up the no-frills builder-grade living room with the addition of an IKEA Karlstad sectional. But, the critical element that genuinely turned the place around was the rehabbed fireplace surrounded by gorgeous, ornate artisan tiles; it formed a lively perimeter around the opening.
