The Before and After of 9 Living Room Makeovers

Living Rooms is usually the first room you think of Decorating or redesigning after moving to a new home or when it’s time for a change. Some rooms are outdated or not functional. Others may be too large or cramped.

Every budget, taste, and style can be addressed. Here are 10 living room makeovers that needed a new look.

Before: Too Big

When it comes to home remodeling and design, a living space with excessive space rarely gets a complaint. Ashley Rose, the author of Sugar & Cloth, faced some design challenges when she had to deal with large areas of hardwood floors as well as high ceilings.

After: Crispy and Organized

This living room’s makeover revolves around the venteless fireplace. It provides a visual anchor that prevents the eye from wandering up and away. The built in shelf of the fireplace is covered with dust jackets that are bright solid colors. This encourages the eye to focus more on the fireplace. The previous Danish-style midcentury chairs and sofa looked lovely. However, the new sectional with heavy leather chairs is more substantial and cozy.

Before: Cramped

Mandi, from vintage revivals wanted to give her mother-in law’s living space more than just a fresh coat of paint. The wall was removed to begin this major renovation.

After: Big Changes

This living room renovation included removing a wall to create more space and separate the living room from kitchen. After removing the wall, engineered hardwood flooring has been installed. The flooring is made of a thin layer of hardwood veneer fused to a plywood foundation. Iron Ore is Sherwin Williams’ dark wall colour.

Before: Empty, Green and Empty

Melissa, from the blog The Happier Homemaker, has some great ideas for updating a living space that’s way past its prime. This room had a niche over the fireplace that was perfect for an old 27-inch tube television. Melissa had to make some major changes in order to modernize the space.

After: Cheerful

Melissa capitalized on the house’s strong bones by keeping the basic living room structure with its parallel side corners. She removed the TV nook above the fireplace with a piece drywall, and framed it in trim. She added slipcovered Ethan Allen couches and Pottery Barn leather chairs to create a classic feel. Sherwin Williams’ grays in close shades (Agreeable Gray Chelsea Gray and Dorian Gray), which are all similar, complete the traditional and stately feel of this living room.

Before: Tired

This room was clearly well-used. It was comfortable, cozy, and familiar. Aniko, the designer from the blog The Place of My Taste, wanted to add some “love” and personality to the room. Aniko had some suggestions for the clients who didn’t want to give up their large, comfortable furniture.

After: Inspired

The cornerstones of this amazing living room design makeover are Neutral paint colours and gorgeous exposed wooden ceiling beams. The secondary color is blue. It adds a little flavor to the neutral base and works well with the light wood grain of the beams.

Home Office Before

This space has seen many transformations. It was originally a dark dining room. It was then brightened and made to appear more airy as a home-office. Julie, the author of the popular blog Redhead can Decorate decided that the gray needed to go and she wanted more space. The room was ready for another major change.

Expanded Living Area

This amazing living room renovation is all about light, color and punch. The former office was transformed into a relaxing space for the whole family. The X shapes on the oversized chandelier in brass mirror the diagonal ceiling beams. The old, dull gray paint has been replaced with a fresh, light-reflecting white.

Slim Budget Before

Many people have to makeover their living rooms on a very tight budget. Ashley, owner of Domestic Imperfection home blog, wanted to transform this sterile, imposing room into a welcoming space for her brother’s new wife. The most difficult part was the vaulted ceiling.

After: Faux Fireplace

Fireplaces add warmth and a sense of homeiness to any room. It is also very difficult to build them, especially if you are working in an old house. Ashley came up with a brilliant idea to create a fake fireplace using used fence boards bought from a local fencing company. The end result, which Ashley calls “wall accent plank strips thingy,” was incredibly cheap and eliminated the room’s empty feeling.

Before: Color Splash

Maggie’s walls were a vibrant guacamole color. Casey and Bridget from The DIY Playbook knew this crazy color didn’t reflect the owner or her style. So they decided to transform this condo living room.

After: Lush Eclectic

This living room transformation is dominated by white. A diamond-patterned Platinum indoor/outdoor rug and Wayfair’s Midcentury Modern-style furniture transform this space into a bright, cheerful one.

Before: The sectional that ate the room

This giant, comfortable sofa-sectional was a great choice for a living room. Kandice, the owner of the lifestyle blog Just The Woods, admitted that the sofa was taking up too much space and her husband didn’t like the coffee table. The sage green walls were a no-brainer.