SI know I shouldn’t start a new project before finishing the ones I’ve already begun, but I’m nearly done with my office—just waiting to hang blinds and two reading lights before I take photos to share. I also have a few small tasks to complete (the map wall, the fireplace wall, painting the other side of the front door) and I’ll post those as proof when they’re finished.
Disclaimer: I tend to hop between projects. That’s how I get things done around the house while juggling family, church and other obligations. The reveals will come—I promise.
I don’t mean to make a big deal out of arranging my home—I’m grateful to have one—but I want our spaces to work well so daily life runs more smoothly.
Our living room, as it stood, simply didn’t work.
As I’ve said before, some rooms feel small not because the house lacks space but because space isn’t used efficiently. We don’t need an addition; we need better use of what we already have.
I’ve written about small houses and making the most of available space and about reorganizing how we live in a home. To address those issues, I’ve been taking action.
A lot has happened since this post!
*If you want to see what the living looks like now, check out the UPDATE ON THE LIVING ROOM!
*To see what the office looks like, check out the Home Office Makeover!
*To see our kitchen remodel posts, check out the kitchen remodel category!
My office is very small but it functions well for my work and organization needs. Placing our family organization systems in the little hallway outside the office turned that area from a simple passage into a purposeful hub.
A wall in process, pardon the nails…
One side of the hall features a wire wall organizer from TJ Maxx that’s perfect for sorting papers for my husband, son and me—an empty organizer means we’re keeping up. The opposite wall hosts our command central chalkboard, which we use constantly. Making these small hubs effective has been a rewarding part of the overall plan.
Which brings me back to the living room. The room sits open to the entry beside the staircase, and it wasn’t functioning as intended.
Why didn’t the living room work for us?
We had treated it like a traditional sitting room with a sofa, coffee table and chairs—essentially duplicating our family room seating in a small house where only three people live most of the week. The extra seating felt unnecessary. The room also remained noisy because it’s open to other areas, so it failed as an escape.
I created a “girl space” in my office, which has a door that really helps me focus. Now that I have that dedicated refuge, the formal living room became redundant. It felt like an awkward pass-through rather than a useful space.
The living room is small and often felt cluttered: my husband would arrive from band practice with a guitar, amps and briefcase, and my son would bring his instrument from school. Items accumulated around the furniture, making the room function more like an entry or mudroom than a living room. It didn’t serve any clear purpose.
We need flexible space for arriving and leaving day-to-day, plus room that adapts for gatherings, projects or events—so I decided the living room should stop pretending to be a sitting room it rarely used.
Fed up with a nonfunctional space, I removed the furniture. It felt liberating to clear the room of pieces I wasn’t in love with. An empty, adaptable room is far more useful than one forcing a mismatched identity and daily stress.
There’s also the carpet—still hiding graffiti paint beneath an area rug. Dogs and carpet don’t mix here, so carpet is coming out.
I’m leaning toward hickory hardwood floors to match the entry, kitchen and hall, so the living area will flow better and feel more like an extension of the entry. I’m considering built-in elements: a window seat with storage, a long cabinet under the windows for stashing items, large hooks for coats, and plenty of open floor space so the room can transform as needed. It could become a dining area, game room, meeting space or craft room—whatever we need—because without bulky furniture in the way, the space is flexible.
I’ll share inspiration images and plans as they develop. I don’t have every detail finalized yet, but I’m excited to move forward and make the room truly useful.
Do you have a less-than-useful living or dining room?