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You are here: Home / Interior Decorating / How to decorate / Traditional living room makeover

Traditional living room makeover

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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!

Traditional living room makeover | Little Victorian

Traditional living room before and after | Little Victorian

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

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  1. onshore

    July 7, 2013 at 8:58 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Christina

      July 9, 2013 at 12:52 pm

      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?

  2. Angie Johnston

    September 17, 2013 at 1:34 am

    What’s with that PURPLE chair?

    Reply
    • Christina

      February 15, 2016 at 10:32 am

      Ha! It’s EGGPLANT, not purple. 😉

  3. Joanne

    February 10, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    Hi

    Love the way the furniture is arranged ! I am going to try it in my new house.

    Can I ask, how big is the living room?

    Thanks

    Joanne

    Reply
    • Christina

      February 15, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Awesome Joanne! I don’t remember exactly, but I’m going to guess about 14′ by 14′,

Trackbacks

  1. A traditional bedroom makeover (before and after photos!) - Little Victorian says:
    January 30, 2015 at 9:30 am

    […] few years ago, we gave their living and dining rooms makeovers too, you can see them here: living room, dining […]

    Reply

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We had three offers the first day, one of whom hadn't even seen the house in person yet.
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But we're once again with a realtor that calls our house "unique" instead of calling it a Mid Century Modern. 🤦‍♀️
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We can't count how many locals came into this house and mentioned that those windows should be removed and walled up and the beams cut off. And then it would be a "normal" house. 🤯
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Still can't really identify with people in this area. 🤷‍♀️ SO happy to be going back home to the East coast TOMORROW!
Right? We're getting back into the house restorat Right? 
We're getting back into the house restoration and we'll be working on the powder room in the master bed. 
Guys. It's bad. Swipe to see.
And we're going to try to make it pretty with a super tiny budget of $100 in 4 weeks and we're joining the #100roomchallenge to keep us (me) motivated.
@little.victorian

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Update: the MCM is officially sold! We did eventua Update: the MCM is officially sold! We did eventually finish most of our restoration/renovation projects. I'll share the updates in the coming months as we get settled in to our new place. 😁
House update! The realtor is still confused about House update! The realtor is still confused about why "it's such a popular house." When she arrived yesterday for a showing, there were 8 cars in the driveway. 😃

We had three offers the first day, one of whom hadn't even seen the house in person yet.
Surprise! The house is going on the market today. Surprise! The house is going on the market today. (Long story that I'll fill you in on when I have more than 2 seconds.)
.
But we're once again with a realtor that calls our house "unique" instead of calling it a Mid Century Modern. 🤦‍♀️
.
We can't count how many locals came into this house and mentioned that those windows should be removed and walled up and the beams cut off. And then it would be a "normal" house. 🤯
.
Still can't really identify with people in this area. 🤷‍♀️ SO happy to be going back home to the East coast TOMORROW!
Right? We're getting back into the house restorat Right? 
We're getting back into the house restoration and we'll be working on the powder room in the master bed. 
Guys. It's bad. Swipe to see.
And we're going to try to make it pretty with a super tiny budget of $100 in 4 weeks and we're joining the #100roomchallenge to keep us (me) motivated.
The bedroom design is starting to come together th The bedroom design is starting to come together thanks to Craigslist and Goodwill. 
#OneRoomChallenge
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@little.victorian

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