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View from kitchen

View from front door

What do you like and dislike about the room? Do you have a budget range in mind for changes? If so, does it cover paint, furniture, flooring, curtains, other?

There are sofas with washable, replaceable slipcovers that many people find dog-friendly. Ikea has several styles.

I think I would be spending money on new flooring and all that dark furniture is gobbling up light for sure Get some good ceiling light not those chandeleirs but good LED lighting with 4000K bulbs and some additional lamps both floor and end table.If you post a to scale floor plan it is much easier for us to get a feel for the space make sure you put measurements on the drawing making sure to mark windows doors and their sizes Use graph paper to make this easier. I sure hopre the walls you took down were checked first to see if they were load bearing.

I’m on a tight budget, about $3,000 for furniture, paint, and decor. The hall I took down was a half wall so no structural issues there. The lights are definitely being replaced, actually picking them up this weekend. The furniture must go after my 140 lbs Great Dane got mad and chewed every piece down the wood frame lol. Everything just looks so weird with this layout. I will try to do a to scale rendering.

I'd take up all the rugs and see what's underneath. If its hardwood you could rent a sander and DYI. That would open your budget more. Once the floor is done and you repaint plus the light fixtures, I think you could do it easily farm style with three grand if you go to consignment shops and thrift shops. Oh, and about the floor, you could even paint it and then poly if they're really bad. I did that when I was young and they lasted for years.

How’s this best I got for now.

Painting and fixtures are the only things I’m doing to this room. I have my paint color picked I’ll post a pic of that sample too. This is really about making this really old house look as good as possible. Furniture placement and sizing I have no clue where to start. I had a sectional first there was no good way to arrange it to look proper. The room is just so long.

The very top white color is the paint color

I also have new curtains the ones in the photo are the new ones. I couldn’t hang rest cause my rods were to short so had to order them. They should be here today. They are a rustic wood rod.

I would do light walls - white or light cream and a light (natural) wood look LVP vinyl tile - which will be practically dog proof and start giving you the look you want.

A color scheme of walls and floor:

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I would go slow on furniture if your dog is still in puppyhood chewing stage - just some light, washable slip covers till tat stage is over. If your dog jumps on the couch or sheds a lot - keep that in mind if couch shopping.

If you are painting over wall paper, please try to take it down first. It is not a good idea to paint over wallpaper.

Just my thoughts, not a pro. I would put a large entertainment center or bookshelves flanking a entertainment console for your tv on the wall with the door you don't use. completely covering it. If you want 2 couches put them facing each other about even with the windows. A sofa table facing the entry door will function as an entry drop off and hide the back of the couch from the entry. Do you have an eat in kitchen. It looks to me like the room is long to also have a dining area near the kitchen. You could do that or add a desk to that side of the room. I can't add houzz photos with my tablet but will give examples later

I do have an eat in kitchen. See this house was built in the 20’s and has been added on to over the years. So the living room use to have a kitchen in it lol. The kitchen is now part of the add on. So I guess it would make sense as to way it’s so big.

A console wouldn’t cover the door unfortunately but an idea I have been kicking around is letting it be an artsy type of thing idk. But I literally had never though to place the sofas across the room. Thinking now that’s a great idea! One of my biggest pet peeves is that there isn’t an actual entrance being it opens directly into the room.

Sounds like your priorities are clear and you are well on your way with new lights, paint color and curtains. What is the rock-like wall covering? If you take off a light switch cover or electrical outlet cover, you can see how thick it is. It might be just thin panels of textured faux rock installed in the 1950's or 1960's.

It would look better to remove it than to paint it if the 1920's walls are still in good shape underneath it.

With a 140 pound Great Dane who chewed on furniture, you may be able to get some advice from other big-dog owners on Houzz. I suggest you start a new post for that issue, titled something like "Sofas for Great Dane Dogs and their owners?"

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The rock wall is paneling. The walls are just the panels in this room. No dry wall behind it. It’s irritating with the short cut that were made but I guess that’s what happens with old houses I guess. That’s why I wanted this house so bad when my brother said let’s trade I had to jump on it. With recent budget hits I have to slow the process. I had planned on replacing all walls with new drywall and the ceiling. I still plan to but once I get my funds back to where I need them. LOL I took the hitch outta the pup, he got himself a nice new kennel.

Don't buy ceiling-mounted lights. You need lights that will send light straight out and hit the walls head-on, so table lamps and sconces. As important as more light is, eliminating dark shadows is just as important, maybe more. and that can only be done with multiple ligts sources shining from different directions.

If those walls are just panels, replacing them with wallboard would be really cheap and easy and look lots better.

Nice sized room but definitely not a fan of those ornate overhead fixtures that give you little light. Also not a fan of that faux brick/stone wall.

On what side of the house is the dark room located? If it's on the North, you may be "spitting into the wind" to try to lighten the room without recognizing that. Invest in white mini blinds (privacy) and sheers to hang over the glass so you can hang any drape panels beside rather than in front of the glass -- covering the frame and the wall beside the window rather than blocking light from entering it.

Painting the ceiling may be needed -- not just painting the walls. Changing the flooring to a light wood plank or tile would also help and be advisable with an indoor pooch. You can choose a room sized rug for the area you choose to designate as the sitting area rather than new carpet for the entire room.

Do change the current fixtures for a pair of modern ceiling fans -- silver metal, tinted plexiglass blades -- with a light fixture that gives off a lot of life. Than add light in each corner via tall thin lamps or floor lamps with large white shades.

Choose comfortable furnishings in light colors, including for any wood pieces. Smaller pieces will better fit a twelve feet wide room.

Avoid clutter that visually shrinks a room.

Keep a walk path clear from front door to kitchen door. You might set the furnishings in the room to create an "entry" at the door about 5' -- perhaps with a hall tree and/or desk or even a cabinet that could double as a dog house as well as a message center and cell phone charging space -- and use the remaining 16' or so as your sitting area -- clearly the tv will be the focal point of that.

Since, you're on a tight budget, consider making at least a couple visits to Habitat For Humanity Restore Store and see if they might have a comfortable rocking chair or a mid-century modern chair -- lightweight wood furniture that has separate cushions you could have covered or replaced.

Personally, my inclination would be to change the light fixtures and flooring and paint the walls -- and live with the chewed furniture a while longer. New furnishing in a dark room might help a bit but will not solve the problem of the room being dark.

Just curious -- if the question is not too personal: What one thing did you like better about the house you now have than the house you traded for it?

After having read all your posts, this is how I would proceed

1) de-clutter and toss as much as possible. "When in Doubt,toss it Out"

2)PRIME and paint all walls. Don't believe that one coat of paint will cover,it won't. Fun fact: Primer is typically cheaper than paint BUT in this case, because of the various surfaces, I might spring for a more spendy adhesion primer...depends what those walls are.

3) try cabinet that is between windows as a 'cover' for the extra doorway IF you must cover doorway.

4) extend curtain rods so that your curtains,when open, just meet the glass. This will allow max daylight

5) post new Houzz pics of your improved space along with a floorplan

Good Luck!

Kassie: It's not as much fun remodeling on a tight budget but, if you're careful to not "break the bank", it can still be fun. I do hope you continue to enjoy the challenge..

Ugh the pics aren’t posting I’ll try to fix