One Paint Swap Took This 100-Year-Old Bungalow Living Room from Bare to Cozy
In terms of rooms to redo in a home, living rooms can take shape pretty quickly once you pick the perfect color of paint. There aren’t typically plumbing, tiling, or appliance upgrades needed in the living room, so a can of paint can go pretty far — as can all your favorite furniture.
Paint plus furniture were the biggest game changers in interior designer William Hutton’s (@williamhuttondesign) living room makeover.
The Natural Light and Fireplace Were Great Features — It Just Needed More Layers
“The goal was to create a warmer, more layered space,” William says.
Before, he loved the fireplace and the natural light that came in through the large windows, but “it was a bit of a renter-grade white box,” he says.
Paint Was the First Step in Setting the Tone for the Space
“Picking the right paint color was super important to set the tone,” William says. He and his husband, Kevin, landed on a creamy tan (Farrow & Ball’s “Skimming Stone”). “We wanted to add a little warmth while leaning into the Spanish bungalow aesthetic,” William says.
They also added tan drapery to the windows and woven sconces for even more warmth.
Their Goal Was to Have Interesting Details for the 100-Year-Old Space
William says swapping out the ceiling fan for a large sculptural chandelier also made a difference in transforming the room. It’s a Stilnovo three-armed chandelier that he scored on Facebook Marketplace. “Being from the East Coast, where white-box apartments are abundant, it was a goal to have interesting details,” William told Apartment Therapy in his house tour.
“We were drawn to the character of the 100-year-old bungalow (its huge fireplace, built-ins, original kitchen, barrelled ceiling, and windows on every wall),” he adds. “We’ve lived here for two years, and our goal when moving in was to create a layered, comfortable home after the roller coaster of driving cross-country to start our new life in LA.”
Vintage Second-Hand Furniture Finds Complete the Living Room
In part what creates the layered, comfortable feeling is the cozy furniture. The vintage coffee table was a Facebook Marketplace find, the vintage Danish lounge chair and ottoman are from Craigslist, the orange artpiece was a 1stDibs find, and the side tables are from flea markets and vintage shops.
There are some new finds, too. The rug is from Ruggable, the bouclé chair is from Target, and the sofa is from CB2. (The latter two are no longer available.) William estimates that the living room cost about $7,000 altogether “which included a few pieces we moved with us from the East Coast,” he says, and the furniture for the whole home cost about $10,000.
For more stylish living room transformations with a vintage flair, check out this studio’s living room redo and this cozy brick living room makeover.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
