Jenna's living room was filled with furniture that she loved, but that wasn't working in her new home. Here's how she transformed the space by letting go and bringing in some new color and pieces:
From Jenna:
Over the past 3 years since moving into my home, this space has been forever in transition. Much of the room was filled with furniture that was meaningful to us, but just didn't fit. Many of the pieces were difficult to part with because they were first purchases from our wedding 10 years ago. The room itself is also awkward with very little wall space, resulting in a space that has taken awhile to fully pull together.
After rearranging the furniture and actually putting a bookcase in front of a window, the room started coming together. Last summer, I decided to paint the walls a deep navy hue and the room started to take shape. Upon moving out our forever-loved furniture, and replacing them with pieces that actually work for the space, the room now makes sense. It not only feels larger but doubles as a home office. The one large wall (which actually has a window on it but is hidden by a bookcase) is filled with a large sofa and 6' of shelving space for styled books and accessories. Additionally, I have one wall dedicated to a GIANT inspiration board. Color, texture, and strategic styling have really made this room complete.
For a space that I dreaded walking into before, now I can't leave. I feel inspired and happy in my new home office / family room.
For more photos and details, check out Jenna's blog, SAS Interiors.
Thanks, Jenna!
Have your own Before & After project you'd like to share with the editors? Submit it here.
(Images: SAS Interiors)
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I'm glad it works for the owner; I would never want to cover a window. I enjoy the hanging fixture.
My mom has definitely climbed into my head - I'm cringing at the natural trim having been painted.
You covered a window?!?
I'm so glad you were willing to take the chance of placing the shelf in front of the window. The smaller window made the room appear off balance to me anyway so good for you! I think the room looks amazing.
So where'd you ditch your old stuff cuz' I'd dumpster dive it in a minute. The before was good the after is stunning.
The after looks so fantastic! I didn't even notice that was a window. It looked like a door.
Honestly, I like the before better but that's because I like the traditional look better than something more hip and young. After room obviously is very fresh looking and pretty too!
Wow so much brighter! Looks great.
LOL I have that same green color on my walls of my living room! I really do like the blue. I did not even know that was a window, thought it was a door.
I love the after. The before was fine, but kind of a snooze. I don't know why people insist on keeping trim unpainted even if it looks dated. Good for you for freshening up your space!
The paint in the first kind of resembled split pea soup. I'm not sure if that's the lighting or if the sofa accentuated the undertones. The trim looks so much better white.
I don't think she actually covered the window, I think you just can't see it with the bookcase and the angle. Looks great!
I don't understand the big deal with painting trim either. If the style of the room is clean and contemporary, unpainted trim just looks unfinished. It stands out. And when it's plain ol' boring baseboard that's not a good thing. That's just my opinion though.
The room looks fantastic. Covering the window wasn't a huge deal because there's a wall of windows right beside it letting in more than enough light. Putting the bookcase in front of it works.
The blue is beautiful - and I love the light fixture.
I also like that the chevron fabric on the pillow and the back of the chair matches.
Can I please have the red lamp from before? Love the after, tho!
Love the after! Is that the same coffee table?
Perhaps you could have looked for a library with no back in order not to cover the light source but I like how the after looks fresh and crisp. A bit seasonal though, but very lively.
The after is... awesome.
I think that the painted/unpainted trim discussion is like the wallpaper/no wallpaper discussion.
If you grew up with painted trim and/or wallpaper and then wanted your own look you went through the time and hassle (and it is a HUGE hassle) to strip paint from trim or wallpaper and you viscerally HATE painted trim or wallpaper.
Then the next generation who grew up in the homes with all that lovingly stripped trim thinks that painted trim looks new and clean... and the world keeps on turning.
If you don't think painting trim is a big deal then you have never stripped painted trim. I grew up in a Victorian home that my parents (actually all of us) were restoring. Stripping trim was horrible.
Great wall color, and I like the window treatment.
Ditto: The after is... awesome!
Nice transformation! Fresh and vibrant! Good color choices. The lighting looks so much better in second photo I think the first photo would have shown that the place was pretty cool to begin with if the lighting had been the same.
The paint looks entirely different on Benjamin Moore's site.
I am in the paint the trim camp. Especially if it's just cheap trim. So many houses have just cheap wood trim that I feel it's totally fine to paint it. A historic home with old wood mahogany is a different discussion.
Back to the before & afters above- nice work! Excellent use of color & getting those colors to pop with a balance of white & wood.
My favorite piece is your coffee table. Looks like you kept the iron frame and swapped out the glass to salvaged wood. Lovely!
She covered a window!!! Oh the humanity of it all (or as Sheldon Cooper has said "the humanities!")!
But wait, the window is in the corner, next to the larger window, on the side. And not that big. And in an odd place, too. Well, no huge loss to cover it up.
The new is nicer and more up to date, but I still need to get used to the sofa being in the corner of the room. Must start thinking out of the box.
I admit that I too tend to keep furnishings longer than is useful. It may be harder for me since I made my own shelving system and entertainment center (maple and cherry for a nice contrast). Someday, the purge may come.
It looks amazing, clean and fresh with some nice pieces. You get so much light from that main window anyway, and the space is much more harmonious without that extra window. A lovely space! (hope you didn't get rid of that red lamp though!)
I like it very much. Very bright and vibrant.
It somehow reminded me very strongly of the cover of the big book of small, cool spaces. I checked and even though it isn't the same at all - somehow it resembles that room in color-scheme, rhythm and dynamics. Am I making any sense?
Wow, that's an amazing re-do. Lovely!
I think the room gets plenty of light from the near floor to ceiling windows on the other wall.
Depending on the direction of the house/light it may have not mattered much to cover it up. We have a window that doesn't really "mean" light other than very early in the morning and the rest of the room is flooded with light already. Calm down, guys!
I want the rug from the before shot, please.
I like the bookcase in front of the window. I thought that was a door too! The blue walls really punch up the room with all that natural sunlight.
nice work, Jenna!
I definitely LOVE the after! Initially I thought, "You covered a window?" as well, but it wasn't because there was a lack of light in the after version. If anything, it looks much brighter. My only concern in covering the window is, "What does it look like from outside?" I don't like to see furniture in front of a window, and may have designed my bookshelf with a frosted glass back instead of solid wood, but I have no idea if you're on a second story, or if your window backs up to a fence or your neighbor, with no real "picture" to consider from the exterior. Good job! Letting go of furniture you love is HARD to do. I had to say goodbye to my 5 year-old sectional when I bought my house, and I still miss it to this day. But, round pegs don't fit in square holes. Que sera sera!
Beautiful!! , and the photo as well...
Awesome job! Where's the cool mirror from? I've been looking for the perfect round one for a while.
Looks happy and bright.
I'm afraid I also prefer the Before. That's because I don't like white furniture or trim against dark walls. From the Before photo, I like the glass topped table, the large area rug and the muted colour palette of sage, yellow, amethyst with touches of black. I think just painting the trim a darker tone, raising the curtain poles, and adding lighter curtains and a mirror would have made a huge difference.
I like the After, but it annoys me when the photography/lighting is altered to enhance After pics. You can see that it is the same sofa in both photos, yet the sofa is MUCH darker in the Before photo - obviously from the lighting and photography. I understand why they do this, but I would prefer to see consistency between the Before and After.
Agreed, while the after is certainly nice, it's mostly just a much nicer photo.
You can overexpose anything and make it look good, which is why white walls photograph so well for modern homes, but in real life a painted wall with mouldings looks much more polished than a bare white wall.
The after looks great, bright and fresh, but I wish you'd kept that lovely red lamp. I think it could've worked with the new color scheme. At the very least, I hope it has a home somewhere else in your place.
My living room looks very much like the before and I've been itching to change it up but not sure what to do. This is so inspiring. The room looks great! Covered window and all! ;)
Fantastic! The dinky window was out o place anyway and people! The ONLY wood u shouldn't paint is high end,like,Mahogany!! The wood around that window was meant to be painted! As is all this revolting oak trim in SO many suburban homes. If u want some wood/nature in your house buy quality furniture or pick the best floors! Sorry not even about your post. Your after is super great. So fresh and airy. hMh
Brilliant idea about the bookcase in front of the window and I love the new treatment for the coffee table.
Covering a window....?? ..I suggest you if you want your book case there just remove the back of the bookcase and let the window shine through the open areas.
Darina - that round mirror, or one very similar, can be found at Target.
http://www.target.com/p/threshold-round-captain-s-mirror/-/A-14138066
Traditional for me. I like the before, the after is nice. I never thought to cover a window but I have a tiny one I will consider covering. Thanks!
Love, love, love the After. Just wondering, though: Did you keep the rug from Before? It might be just the way the colors appear on my screen, but it looks to me like that Before rug would go beautifully in the After room, too. (OK, fine, I'm not a fan of animal-skin rugs or rugs that mimic those shapes!) Lots of ideas/inspiration in here -- thank you for sharing!
I love how you updated the coffee table by taking out the glass and adding the wood. It looks great!
Gee, In concept, covering a window doesn't work for me, but this looks great and logical. I was totally thinking how awesome the after looked and wondering who could prefer the before when I looked up at my own living room. Green walls? Check. Big window? Check. Iron and glass coffee table? Check. Wood floors? Check. Dark wood bookshelves? Check. The before could BE my living room!
I guess I have some thinking to do.
I preferred the before layout, the furniture doesn't seem to have changed much either. In my previous job as a home stager, I would never ever block out the window.
Ultimately the room would have been transformed with just a different paint colour (which works and also would have worked with the colours in the previous rug) and just changing the curtains.
In my opinion elements work, but ultimately it doesn't hit the mark.
Jonathan
Where is the coffee table from in the after shot?
I love it. I notice the ceiling light first! The blue walls are a great backdrop for the white and pops of red and yellow. THe ikat patterns are great too
and I'm all about zigzag right now- my new living room drapery :)
Gorgeous! Lovely blue hue, white and blue together always packs a wallop of serenity.
Smoking hot, great job!!!
meh.