Before & After: A Living Room Goes From Perfectly Fine to Flat-Out Perfect

See? Wow! Some of the changes in Ashley Rose of Sugar & Cloth’s living room are ambitious and intimidating—the wainscoting, the (SPOILER ALERT) fireplace—but others are more doable while still having a major effect. Swapping out the art, throw pillows, and accessories made such a difference, and the new sofa and rug turned a cozy living room into a dreamy, airy space. The wall sconces The fixtures are fairly small, but they will transform the room’s light while also serving as graceful jewels adorning the wall.

Once again, this is a perfectly respectable “before”— I aspire for my living room to be this nicely outfitted. Once you’ve seen the “after”, however, it’s easier to spot a few weaknesses: the horizontal painting feels a bit flat when juxtaposed with such high ceilings, and the modestly proportioned sofa and rug don’t really take advantage of the large space. The “before” is very nice…

…But the “after” is so lovely and well rounded! The wainscoting adds textural warmth, while a pale blue sofa is a cool counterpoint to the new brown leather chairs. The new rug has a more subtle pattern and palette, allowing the art and accessories to shine.

While the living room previously featured a mix of metals, it’s now all about the gold tones. The side table, coffee table, sconces, chair legs, couch legs, cabinet handles, table lamps, mirror, planters, curtain rods, and accessories are all in warm gold and brass tones, which help to unite all the eclectic styles and colors in the room.

Ashley of Sugar & Cloth described this area of her home: “The dining room connects to this empty, weird space in between the living room.” While empty space is a fabulous luxury, these shelves are kind of just hanging out, neither here nor there. They certainly don’t make the most of the amazingly high ceiling…

…But this sure does! In an unusual and exciting move, Ashley added a fireplace complete with a DIY shiplap faux chimney breast. This tall feature both delineates the living room from the dining room and draws the eye upward, allowing one to truly appreciate the vertical space. Curious about the fireplace itself?

Ashley says: “It’s an electric fireplace that can either be on just for looks or to actually be a space heater. Since we live in Texas we don’t really need for anything besides the ambiance, but we had it built to function as both.”

Ashley lists the shopping sources and additional details on Sugar & Cloth if you’re interested in making any aspect of this makeover your own. There’s a nice mix of splurges and affordable pieces, which probably contributed to the playful personality of the finished room.

Thanks, Ashley!