how to make a BEAUTIFUL DIY living room …
Sometimes, you can work really hard on a space, and in the end, the result still feels a little “ho-hum”. That’s reality, but it’s still the worst. Ever happen to you? Here’s one place it happened to us. Our DIY living room.
A couple years ago, we purchased an adorable 1950’s cape cod home. It had so much personality and potential. Before we bought, this was the living room. *This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy here.*
Here’s another shot…slightly different furnishings, but hopefully you’ll get the “gist” of the BEFORE space.
This is the first room you enter as you walk in the front door, so we wanted the re-make to be stellar.
And as with everything we do, it was a completely DIY living room (we’re too cheap to pay anyone to do any work for us). First thing was did was update the fireplace surround, and add some can lighting.
Burlap style grasscloth wallpaper was used on three walls to give some texture and dimension. The one we chose was by Schumacher, and I’m not sure it’s still being sold, but this one by Kenneth James, looks similar.
We updated the door, painted, new crown moulding…etc etc…
In the end here’s how our DIY living room turned out. I like it…we’re giving ourselves an A for Effort, but as far as Execution goes, I’d be hard pressed to mark us higher than a C+.
It just never really turned out exactly as we hoped. We were constantly tweaking and changing to try and perfect it. The layout of the room is a challenge with the location of the front door, the fireplace, and the room being flanked by the entry points for the kitchen and hall to second floor.
Floating around in my mind are still bunches of ideas for how to really perfect this space…one being add MORE COLOR! Two being remove the TV (but if I want to stay married, that’s never going to happen).
Anything you see that may “spruce” this room up? Leave us a comment! We love hearing new ideas!! Sometimes a fresh perspective is so helpful, don’t you think?
At the end of the day, the reality is, this room is JUST. FINE. It’s a place our family can sit and relax. We have a roof over our heads and a place to keep us warm and dry…and therein lies beauty. Grateful, grateful, grateful.
So…perhaps this room is a bit boring, but I guess in the end, it’s definitely BEAUTIFUL.
Anonymous says
I quite like the room. The colors are soothing and neutral with a light airy feeling. I agree with putting the TV above the fireplace as it gives you one less focal point to arrange around. But I think the thing that mostly hit me of why it feels "not quite right" is that everything is very uniform and square. Perhaps adding a round or starburst mirror as one of the previous commenters suggested. Or even painting some sort of swirl design on the wall behind the pictures. (Which I would also change into different size frames so they don't look quite so lego blocks.) And if you are not so keen on the idea of adding lots of color – I love the neutrals – add one deep color as an accent that grounds the room a bit. If you do this, you do not need much of it, a splash here, an object there. I would go with either a very deep teal or maybe an eggplant color. I know it sounds like I am awful, but I really do like the room. I generally have the same feeling when trying to get my projects to come out. I always feel like something needs to be tweaked. The fireplace and the walls are awesome. Well done you.
Heather says
Such GREAT ideas. I love love love everything you suggested. Teal or eggplant both would be lovely, and the whole circular, less linear concept…I think that's EXCELLENT advice, and I couldn't agree more!! Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. Your sage advice is VERY much appreciated!
Kimberlee Gibson says
Your living room redo turned out great – love the neutral colors. I know what you mean about the TV – I don't mind so much having one in the living room but I would love to get rid of the one in the bedroom. We never had one in our bedroom until 8 yrs ago so we lived for 12 yrs without one and I never hardly use that one anyhow. Men and their TV time…