We moved into our house 13 years ago and our living room has always been a very brown room. With its beige rug, brown paneling, and brown built in book shelves, we also had brown leather couches that came with the house and a brown coffee table that belonged to my parents. After lots of children (and a few dogs) spent lots of time on the couches, they were quite worn out. And as long as I can remember, I wished that our living room was white.
At the end of March, we started our living room renovation in preparation to have it done by Passover – and it was. I had to begin by taking everything out of the room, so I did the last of the toy removal – for the longest time this room has been a toy dumping grounds and the boys only occasionally use their Legos, Magnatiles, and toy cars these days, so I figured putting them into bins and storing them in the basement would be ok. If they want them, they can bring them up for the time they want them!
This before photo shows the brown furniture and walls, the boxes I was using to store my books while the shelves were painted, and some of the toys still remaining on the fireplace. Oh, and Bumi, the dog we were watching at the time, with his favorite toy!
We had been told that we could put one large item at the curb each month, and since it was the end of March, we took out one couch prior to the other large items. It was taken by someone other than the garbage collectors! We later managed to find someone who wanted the pull out couch (shown with the red covering), the coffee table, and the ottoman. The brown chair was eventually taken by the garbage collectors – or someone else, we aren’t sure.
Dave and I went to a store called Furniture Deals, where we chose new couches and tables. We got two couches that have two recliners each, but we didn’t get another chair, because Dave wasn’t sure it would all fit in the room. We chose the Tulen Manual Reclining Sofa in grey.
The store employee that helped us recommended tables that would look good with the couch (and the floor sample that we brought with us!) and we ordered the Kanwyn Cocktail Table as well as a matching end table. We do want to add another end table as well.
We chose flooring in grey, but with some brown in it, as the beams on the ceiling were staying brown, as is some of our previously purchased shelves. We have a contractor who we have worked with previously and he and his coworker spent about 6 days removing the walls and rug, painting, putting down the floor, etc. Here is the new room:
We are loving how much brighter it is! The bookshelves aren’t completely done as I think I can fit in another shelf in each section and want to get matching wood cut. I also think a nice reading chair would be appropriate by the window! I also have not hung anything on the walls yet although I did reframe two things I want to hang up that we had hanging previously. I would like to get updated family photos and make a new gallery wall!
What do you think of our living room renovation?
