Before & After: A Dramatic Living Room Makeover Three Years in the Making
Lauren’s living room was dark and dated, and distinctly not her style. She gave renovating the space the old college try when she first moved in, but with other spaces in the home needing her energy and attention she wasn’t able to fully finish it. Enter one of the most valuable tools available to DIYers everywhere — a good friend.
From Lauren: When we bought the house, the living room was dark and, to put it frankly, “depressing.” The walls were a creamy white and the furniture was dark and outdated. The room had good bones though, and we knew it just needed a little TLC.
We wanted our home to reflect us, being bright and cheery, and for the space to also be cozy and inviting for our guests. Since this room is connected to the kitchen, it’s also the space in which we spend the most time, so we wanted to make sure we created a space that we loved.
We started the project when we moved into our house, and three years later just wrapped it up. Right when we moved in, we took down the wall that separated the living room and kitchen which opened up the room, gave the room a fresh coat of white paint and removed all of the outdated light fixtures. Since we were also renovating the bathroom and kitchen at the same time, we ran out of resources and energy before we could fully complete the living room. Once we decided we couldn’t live in the half -finished room any longer, I brought in a Markley Design, who is also an interior designer, to help me bring my vision to life. Once she entered the picture, we finished designing the room in five weeks.
I love all of the color, personality and greenery in the ‘After.’ This room feels like a reflection of myself, and I couldn’t ask for anything different. I feel like we were able to capture color and brighten the room with white walls, yet also make the room warm and cozy with a large textured rug and plush couch. I honestly would not change a thing.
Lauren’s words of advice: Don’t be afraid to hire help! I always think we can handle everything on our own, but with a renovation it is so easy to get burned out. Whether it’s a contractor or interior designer, they can be there to bring clarity when you are lost in a renovation fog, and give you the extra push to finish the room when you are ready to call it quits.
Thank you, Lauren! You can see more on Lauren’s blog, Love Lola!