One of my goals this year was to work through the house room by room to make each space more organized and functional. I’ve been planning changes for spaces like the family room, master closet, office and a craft closet. But one room has been a slow puzzle — the living room has been “in process” for about three years.
A couple of years ago I realized our living room wasn’t working as a traditional sitting room. Since it connects directly to the entry, I cleared out the furniture and started reimagining it as a useful gathering area. The goal was to make the space feel intentional and functional rather than just a formal room no one used.
I also wanted the living room to support the small adjoining dining room. When we host larger groups it’s useful to have even a little extra space for seating and entertaining. As I’ve brightened and relaxed the dining area, it naturally influenced decisions for the living room. When rooms flow together, you need to plan furniture, finishes and function so the overall layout feels cohesive.
I experimented with moving the dining table into the living room, but the high ceiling made it feel awkward as a dining space. And I didn’t want the living room to become an office or craft room that would look messy from the entry. In the end we decided it should remain a modest sitting area that bridges the entry and dining room.
You can see the room’s progression from when we moved in until now. Above is the living room when we bought the house, before it was painted and updated. Over time we gradually transformed the space to reflect a lighter, more cohesive look.
A few years back we made a major improvement: after painting, we removed the worn carpet and installed natural hickory hardwood flooring. That change dramatically improved how the entire main floor feels. The hardwood helps the rooms flow together and is much easier to maintain than carpet.
One challenge in this house is the lack of storage on the main floor. Besides a tiny closet and the under-stairs pantry, there are no built-ins. While the kitchen holds everyday dishes and essentials, I wanted storage in other areas for serving platters, pitchers and books so each room could be more functional.
Instead of a built-in, I searched for a cabinet that would be long and tall enough to make a statement below the small windows without being too deep for the narrow room. I looked everywhere — flea markets, consignment shops — but struggled to find the right size, sturdiness and style.
I finally found the cabinet I wanted at Restoration Hardware, and I photoshopped it into the space to visualize how it would look. Although I rarely buy large new pieces, this cabinet met my needs for style and scale, so I ordered it. I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival and expect it will make the room much more functional and polished.
Beyond the cabinet, I’m dreaming of a white planked accent wall across the three-window wall, leaving the rest of the living room and entry walls in Studio Taupe. I’m also considering painting more white wood on the ceiling and updating the light fixture. I love the barn-style fixtures I’ve seen, but I may also choose a new ceiling fan to suit our needs.
I’m excited for the new cabinet to arrive and hopeful the plank wall will be next on the list to complete this small sitting space between the entry and dining room.
Do you repurpose or reimagine spaces in your home?
Don’t forget my Joss and Main sale ends soon — there are great pieces at attractive prices, so take a look if you’re shopping for updates.