Thinking about refreshing your living room, but not quite sure which colors and style to go with? Lighter, darker, something in between? More modern or more rustic? New curtains, new floors, new everything? Nothing quite like looking at someone else's living room makeover to get some ideas!
Take some inspiration from these homeowners who upgraded their living rooms with all-new furniture and decor. We went one step beyond this and hired designers to create stunning before and after living room makeovers for us. They based their work on photos of actual living rooms and provided us with their virtual staging ideas.
1. Lighten It Up
This living room started lovely, but the beige carpet, beige couch, and beige walls made it a little too monotone. And while the dark coffee tables, dark armchairs, and dark dining chairs provided some contrast with the beige, overall, the space seemed too dark.
The living room is immediately brighter by replacing the beige sofa and chair with this lighter option. Choosing the same upholstery color for the dining chairs brightens that area while tying the two spaces together. Plus, the rugs are swapped for gray to provide more contrast with the walls than the beige carpeting could offer.
The lighter natural wood shade of the new coffee table goes well with the new lighter seating, and the larger table provides more surface area and fills the space better. Additionally, placing the armchair on the opposite side of the room frees up space to add a bookshelf on the far wall, which is better.
Notice how these simple swaps make the room feel lighter and airier without repainting the walls or changing any light fixtures. Sometimes new furniture is all it takes to create a whole new living space.
2. Modern Living Room Makeover
The furniture in the original living room fit the style of its modern space, but it could benefit from a bit more style and sophistication.
Swapping the dark gray futon for a large white sectional with similar angles allows the same amount of seating and the same modern vibe with a more refined look. Plus, trading the colorful pillows for shades of gray makes the room seem a bit more grownup.
Next, the boxy console and coffee table are replaced with natural wood pieces that exhibit more character. The ample space is better filled out by adding a brown leather armchair and an end table. Adding a textured rug also makes the room feel cozier and less empty.
Finally, adding the side table and artwork next to the fireplace brings an extra touch of personality to the room.
See this accent chair on Amazon here.
3. New View, Same Room
This living room is gorgeous, with the beams in its tall peaked ceiling and the wall of windows letting in lots of natural light. But the current layout and decor aren't using the space to its fullest potential.
By swapping the current furniture for more modern pieces that complement each other better, the room instantly feels less cluttered without sacrificing any seating areas. Straightening the brown armchairs rather than keeping them at angles also helps streamline the space.
Finally, new lighter floors and a trendier soft gray rug make the whole room feel brighter.
4. A Whole New Look
The layout stayed the same, but everything else about this room is fresh and new. While full of character, the original space was too busy and contained too many clashing patterns.
Exchanging the dated furniture for new pieces in matching lighter neutrals gives the living room a crisp, clean look. Plus, eliminating the curtains and swapping out the rug not only modernizes the space but also makes it seem much bigger. Reducing those distractions lets a signature piece like the piano stand out.
5. Streamlined Swap
This is another living room that benefits from swapping the darker furniture and multiple patterns for simpler, streamlined pieces in a single lighter shade. The many different colors and patterns in the throw pillows and a different rug design were just a little too much for one room.
The new living room adds more seating with the two new ottomans while feeling less cluttered overall.
6. Open It Up
This living room already featured light-colored furniture combined with the many windows, allowing it to feel nice and bright. But the layout of the old space was a bit closed off and cramped.
Introducing new furniture and opening up the layout with the utilization of large ottomans both invite you in and feel more spacious.
Check out this ottoman on Amazon.
7. Simple Improvements
At first glance, this living room already looked pretty up to date, and it wasn't too cluttered, but there's always room for improvement. Swapping out the old seating pieces in four different colors for sofas and armchairs in only two gives the space a more cohesive look.
Next, the old coffee table is traded for a more stylish option. Finally, the addition of the rug ties everything together in a way that was missing from the old room.
8. Maximize The Space
This is another charming living room that wasn't living up to its full potential. The old room featured coordinating neutrals and wasn't too cramped and cluttered. The new living room does the same, and yet it does it bigger and better.
The sofa went from two seats to three and a single armchair was replaced with two. The new larger rug fills the space and ties the seating together better. And the larger artwork is a better fit for the tall walls.
9. More To Enjoy
With two walls of big, expansive windows opening to a gorgeous natural view, this living room was always amazing. But to properly share it with all its guests, this living room needed more seating space.
A larger couch, a few new armchairs, and voila: it's ready to welcome a larger group of friends. A bookshelf and new artwork over the fireplace also add extra character to an otherwise neutral space.
10. Comfortable Changes
For cozy movie nights with the family, nothing's better than a big plump sectional everyone can curl up on together. This living room was due for an upgrade, but just because you're ready to choose new pieces doesn't mean you need to lose the form and function of what worked for you before.
If you love the comfort of a particular piece like this overstuffed sectional, feel free to upgrade it with a piece in a similar style. The new color and upholstery that doesn't show years of wear and tear are enough to make the space feel refreshed without sacrificing what you previously loved.
Check out this sectional on Amazon.
11. Dare To Be Different
Could this living room be any more different? Everything about this space is so far from the original you might not recognize it as the same room if not for the distinctive ceiling.
Modern replacements for everything from the furniture to the curtains to the rug give this room an all-over facelift. It went from dark and dated to bright, airy, and inviting. Sometimes the best refresh means redesigning a whole room from scratch.
In Closing
Hopefully, these 11 living room transformations have given you some fresh ideas for updating your space. Avoiding monotones, simplifying conflicting patterns, and opening up cramped layouts are great places to start when you're ready to transform your living room.
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