Traditional living room makeover

A year and a half ago, we visited my parents who live 1,100 miles away. While we were there, I helped them redecorate their living room, dining room and home office. But, after all the work we did, I didn’t get any “after” photos. 18 months later, I finally have some to show you.

My parents have a mix of personal styles, from southern traditional to contemporary. We found a good balance because they both love it!

Here it is before their traditional living room makeover:

One of the biggest changes we made was simply rearranging the furniture. They had difficulty placing the furniture because the room layout was tricky. The front door opens to the corner of the living room, and it is open to the dining room with the exception of the two built-in bookcases on either side. The room is fairly small for a living room too.

We added curtains to the gorgeous window to make it more substantial and draw even more attention to it and the wonderfully high 12′ ceilings. We picked out a traditional impressionist-style painting to go above the television and complete the space.

And here it is after:

We started by moving the TV to the opposite wall, away from the front door. We kept their TV stand, and purchased matching bookcases to flank either side of it and make it look much more substantial. Then we created a hallway at the front door by floating the loveseat in the center of the room and adding a console table like a traditional entryway.

Mom had family photos all over the house in miss-matched frames. The problem was, because they were everywhere, you really didn’t notice any of them and they just added clutter. We gathered them all up, she picked out her favorites, Dad painted all the frames in the same antique white color and we made a gallery wall.

Things we purchased for the living room makeover:

Two bookcases to flank either side of the media stand they already had (Target)
The painting (Pier 1)
Two side tables (Pier 1 floor models)
Two table lamps
Console table (HomeGoods)
Chandelier

The sofa and chairs will be replaced, they like this combination:

Sofa, Chairs

I love the cream slipper chairs for this room, it will really open it up and make it feel roomier.

Here are the before and after photos, side-by-side for easy viewing!

Next week, I’ll show you the small makeover the dining room got.

7 Comments

Wow, even without much new furniture or paint, just regrouping the furniture makes the living room much more elegant and streamlined. No offence to your parents but previously it looked like something from a student flat, now it looks elegant. The drapes also change a lot.

Christina says:

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Thanks, Leena! Their floor plan is tricky to work with, so they just did what most people do and put the furniture against the walls. Isn’t it great when just rearranging makes such a big difference?

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