9 Amazing Living Room Transformations I Saw in 2024 That I’ll Never Get Over
Living rooms are primarily about lounging and cozy vibes, but it’s nice when they can sneak in a little storage, too. These nine living rooms featured on Apartment Therapy are the total package. Not only are they major improvements from the “before,” but they smartly maximize space and add style to boot.
A skylight and plants boho-ify this living room.
This small living room felt “dungeon-like” before, so homeowners Amanda Oleri (@amandaoleri) and Jason Staebler (@goodbuddyproductioncompany) decided to add a skylight to brighten things up. This makes the space feel taller, and the plants add a pop of green. See the full transformation here.
These white walls got a rose-colored upgrade.
Limewash treatments on walls were quite popular this year, and this one makes the best-of list because of its color; it’s almost like a terra-cotta planter. Apartment owner and DIYer Diana Yen (@diana_yen_) used a terra-cotta paint mix from Kalklitir to transform her walls. “Everyone always says it’s their favorite part of my house,” she says. Read more about the transformation here.
A shelving project ups this apartment’s cozy vibes.
Living rooms — even the tiniest ones — should feel cozy, and this makeover in Claudia Williams’ (@byclaudiawilliams) studio apartment creates the quaintest seating area. She hired pros to swap out the shelving and added white paint. “A lot of the items on the shelves are thrifted or found at flea markets,” she adds. “If you know what you’re looking for and are willing to be patient, you can collect some true gems.” Read more about the redo here.
This colorful living room has 3 (!!!) gorgeous IKEA hacks.
In another space-savvy studio makeover, renter Ashley Buchanan (@historyinhighheels) used three BILLY bookcases to divide the apartment and create a distinct living room area. But that’s not the only clever furniture hack in the room. Ashley added tufting to an IKEA SKRUVBY cabinet, painted an IKEA BESTA cabinet a beautiful blue, and sawed the legs of a Target burl wood console table shorter to turn it into a coffee table. See the full room makeover here.
A ’70s living room gets a modern minimalist makeover.
Apartment Therapy contributor Nomita Vaish-Taylor’s (@yourdiyfamily) living room was gutted down to the bones. But two things that stayed? the transom window and the natural light coming through the kitchen windows. Her living room has an IKEA hack as well; Nomita used SEKTION cabinets, MDF, and marble contact paper to create marble-topped storage that’s modular. Read more about the transformation here.
This living room fireplace was salvaged from a brownstone.
Homeowner Galina Efremova wanted a chic Parisian fireplace but not a luxury marble budget, so she bought a $350 one with layers of paint on it and worked on restoring the marble back. She added IKEA mirrors to the inside and painted the living room in an indigo shade from Farrow & Ball. Read more about the makeover here.
Built-ins add so much storage to this living room.
Apartment Therapy contributor Robin Horton painted her living room in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and added a bench (with hidden storage!) and built-in seating. Because Robin and her partner did the building themselves, the living room transformation cost about $4,000 for the lumber, paint, hardware, and furniture. Read more of the DIY details here.
A $1,500, one-wall project creates a living room focal point.
These skilled DIYers, Marissa Calderon (@marissacalhome), and her partner, Justin, added an electric fireplace to their living room and then added marble tiles around it. (The marble tiles were actually meant for flooring, and the homeowners cut them down.) They added bench seating and shiplap wall paneling to complete the one-wall makeover. Read more about the project here.
9 IKEA BILLYs transform a loft living room.
This IKEA hack added wall-to-wall storage to this loft living room. The BILLYs in the space are painted Sherwin-Williams’ Dishy Coral, which plays well with the other vibrant colors in the room. Read more about the living room makeover here.