4 Inviting Living Room Makeovers
See how designers removed walls, brightened up finishes and replaced decor to create these welcoming living spaces
Although the kitchen is frequently described as the heart of the home, it’s usually the living area that has the more comfortable seating. The following four inviting living rooms have been made over by designers to better suit the lifestyle and aesthetics of their homeowners. Take a look at these before-and-after transformations. Which space would you most like to come home to?
After: Christen opened the wall between the living room and kitchen and removed the wall that hid the stairwell. She lucked out when the original oak floors hidden beneath the green carpeting turned out to be in good condition. She had them refinished and stained.
Christen had the gas fireplace clad and reframed with large slabs of marble. Along with fresh white paint, this change made the space feel lighter and brighter. The turquoise sofa is custom and upholstered in an indoor-outdoor fabric.
Here the designer and homeowner is seen in her remodeled living room with her son John Paul, who attends college away from home.
Read more about this living room makeover
Find an interior designer near you
Read more about this living room makeover
Find an interior designer near you
2. Plain and Simple to Cheery Warmth
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Cindi and Randy Maddox; she’s an educator, he’s a doctor
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Designer: Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design
Before: When Cindi and Randy Maddox became empty-nesters and downsized to a cottage half the size of their previous home, they enlisted the help of designer Kathryn J. LeMaster to help them figure out what to keep and what to let go. Though they were paring down their belongings, they wanted to keep their eclectic, colorful, collected-over-time style.
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Cindi and Randy Maddox; she’s an educator, he’s a doctor
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Designer: Kathryn J. LeMaster Art & Design
Before: When Cindi and Randy Maddox became empty-nesters and downsized to a cottage half the size of their previous home, they enlisted the help of designer Kathryn J. LeMaster to help them figure out what to keep and what to let go. Though they were paring down their belongings, they wanted to keep their eclectic, colorful, collected-over-time style.
Photo by Rett Peek
After: LeMaster helped the couple sort through their pieces, taking cues from their possessions to pull in turquoise, coral and lime green in a color palette that flows throughout the home. Cindi chose a sunny yellow (Humble Gold by Sherwin-Williams) for the living room walls and leaned on LeMaster for the decor and layout plan. The green tile surrounding the fireplace came with the home.
The aqua and coral accents in the living room are the same colors found in the kitchen. A local shop made the custom coffee table. The homeowners brought the artwork and fireplace screen from their previous home.
After: LeMaster helped the couple sort through their pieces, taking cues from their possessions to pull in turquoise, coral and lime green in a color palette that flows throughout the home. Cindi chose a sunny yellow (Humble Gold by Sherwin-Williams) for the living room walls and leaned on LeMaster for the decor and layout plan. The green tile surrounding the fireplace came with the home.
The aqua and coral accents in the living room are the same colors found in the kitchen. A local shop made the custom coffee table. The homeowners brought the artwork and fireplace screen from their previous home.
Photo by Rett Peek
LeMaster created a gallery wall in one corner of the living room to feature Randy’s guitar collection. He built the bookcase behind the sofa, which houses the homeowners’ collection of cookbooks.
Read more about this living room makeover
LeMaster created a gallery wall in one corner of the living room to feature Randy’s guitar collection. He built the bookcase behind the sofa, which houses the homeowners’ collection of cookbooks.
Read more about this living room makeover
3. Neutral Mishmash to Transitional Sophisticate
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Lake District neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin
Before: The owners of this San Francisco row house had completed a beautiful kitchen remodel a few years before, and they wanted to update the adjacent living room to match that style. Their furniture was a hodgepodge, but the photos the couple saved to their Houzz ideabook revealed they preferred a transitional style and a palette of blues and grays. The homeowners also wanted to be easily able to watch the San Francisco Giants on their large TV from anywhere in the room.
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple
Location: Lake District neighborhood of San Francisco
Size: 170 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin
Before: The owners of this San Francisco row house had completed a beautiful kitchen remodel a few years before, and they wanted to update the adjacent living room to match that style. Their furniture was a hodgepodge, but the photos the couple saved to their Houzz ideabook revealed they preferred a transitional style and a palette of blues and grays. The homeowners also wanted to be easily able to watch the San Francisco Giants on their large TV from anywhere in the room.
Photo by Dean J. Birinyi
After: Designer Sabrina Alfin used a soothing blue-gray (Marilyn’s Dress, Benjamin Moore) on the walls, adding shades of gray, indigo and a few hits of black and white for a sophisticated look. The fabric and accent pieces were inspired by chinoiserie. The artwork above the sofa is from Lo Forti Fine Prints in Marin County.
After: Designer Sabrina Alfin used a soothing blue-gray (Marilyn’s Dress, Benjamin Moore) on the walls, adding shades of gray, indigo and a few hits of black and white for a sophisticated look. The fabric and accent pieces were inspired by chinoiserie. The artwork above the sofa is from Lo Forti Fine Prints in Marin County.
Photo by Dean J. Birinyi
This attractive chair was a must-have for the husband, who was letting go of his black leather easy chair for the sake of the makeover. Alfin took him to showrooms so he could test chairs that were large enough for his 6-foot-plus frame yet stylistically a fit for the room. The rug is relatively flat so as not to be a tripping hazard.
Pask pharmacy floor lamp: Visual Comfort
Read more about this living room makeover
This attractive chair was a must-have for the husband, who was letting go of his black leather easy chair for the sake of the makeover. Alfin took him to showrooms so he could test chairs that were large enough for his 6-foot-plus frame yet stylistically a fit for the room. The rug is relatively flat so as not to be a tripping hazard.
Pask pharmacy floor lamp: Visual Comfort
Read more about this living room makeover
4. Dark and Rustic to Light and Polished
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Clementine Drackett, Hunter Philbrick and their two children
Location: Sag Harbor, New York
Design team: Anthony Vermandois (architect), Tom O’Donoghue (builder) and Timothy Godbold (interior designer)
Before: Prior to the remodel, the living room, despite its grand height, felt dark due to the use of darker materials.
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Clementine Drackett, Hunter Philbrick and their two children
Location: Sag Harbor, New York
Design team: Anthony Vermandois (architect), Tom O’Donoghue (builder) and Timothy Godbold (interior designer)
Before: Prior to the remodel, the living room, despite its grand height, felt dark due to the use of darker materials.
Photo by Rikki Snyder
After: Larger windows and reclaimed-oak flooring helped brighten the space. The design team had the post-and-beam framework and the brick on the fireplace whitewashed, which also lightened things up. White drywall replaced the knotty pine ceiling, helping to reflect light throughout the space.
Ottomans: Elizabeth Dow; area rug: ABC Carpet & Home
After: Larger windows and reclaimed-oak flooring helped brighten the space. The design team had the post-and-beam framework and the brick on the fireplace whitewashed, which also lightened things up. White drywall replaced the knotty pine ceiling, helping to reflect light throughout the space.
Ottomans: Elizabeth Dow; area rug: ABC Carpet & Home
Photo by Rikki Snyder
Interior designer Timothy Godbold worked with the homeowners to select furnishings that reflected their style. The fabrics and finishes are family-friendly.
Read more about this living room makeover
More on Houzz
Before and After: 5 Kitchen Makeovers in 225 Square Feet or More
New to Houzz? Here’s how to create and use ideabooks
Find a pro
Shop for products
Interior designer Timothy Godbold worked with the homeowners to select furnishings that reflected their style. The fabrics and finishes are family-friendly.
Read more about this living room makeover
More on Houzz
Before and After: 5 Kitchen Makeovers in 225 Square Feet or More
New to Houzz? Here’s how to create and use ideabooks
Find a pro
Shop for products
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Stacee Christen of Christen Interiors and her two sons, John Paul, 20, and George, 17
Location: Marin County, California
Before: The previous owners of this home had lived in it for more than 40 years, and the house hadn’t been updated in decades. Designer and homeowner Stacee Christen decided to ditch the green wall-to-wall carpeting and open up the floor plan.