Giving an Older Home’s Living Room New Life

Before & After: Virtual Rendering

Here we have an older home whose living room just needs some freshening up. The room is a great size with lots of natural light and a fireplace that could use a little TLC.

Let’s start with the fireplace. It’s a great feature, and simply cleaning it up — or giving it a limewash if needed — instantly brightens the room. Since the stone currently stops halfway up the wall, it interrupts the eye, so I chose to extend the stone all the way to the ceiling.

Moving to the window, I would remove the blinds, as they make the space feel dated. I added gray-blue curtains that hang close to the ceiling to help the room feel taller. The current rug is too small for the space, and a larger rug helps ground the room. I also swapped the wood coffee table for a soft ottoman to enhance the cozy feel.

I painted the walls a more neutral, less yellow tone to contrast with the flooring, and I stained the ceiling beams and mantle in a richer wood color. Overall, this dated living room now feels like a warm, inviting, and cozy space!

Make sure you’re following along on Instagram for weekly room transformation ideas! I’ve sourced both high-end and budget-friendly furniture for this space. You can shop the links below or on my Amazon and LTK storefronts. Use the link below to submit your space to be considered to be featured next week!

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