Today my living room is eclectic; tomorrow it might be all white. Some days it becomes an occasional dining area. Around my house you never really know — but one thing is constant: it’s always changing. About a year ago I realized the space wasn’t living up to its potential. It was mostly a passage from the front door to the dining room and kitchen, rarely used for sitting or gathering. I decided to change that.
My goal was to turn the living room into a true gathering space. Positioned between the entry and dining room, it seemed natural for guests to meet there as they come and go. Rather than trying to force the room into a formal role we didn’t need, I wanted it to function as an extension of the entry and flow into the dining area. Because the rooms are open to one another, I chose flexible furniture that could be reconfigured or supplemented with an extra table for sit-down dinners and parties.
I also didn’t want the living room to become a messy craft or hobby area since it’s one of the first rooms you see when you enter and the first view from the stairs. I’d thought about this for years, and clearing the space finally made the options obvious.
When we moved in the walls had an unpleasant pinkish tan tone and the carpet was a dull tan I didn’t love. What we did have were great windows that let in lots of light and a pleasant room shape with a higher, peaked ceiling — a good starting point for a refresh.
Last spring we emptied the room to see how it felt with nothing in it. The openness was refreshing and helped us decide to keep the footprint simple and intentional. If you’re unsure how to use a room, removing everything can reveal its best potential and make it easier to choose only the pieces that truly belong.
One of the first improvements was replacing the worn carpet with Mohawk Hickory hardwood floors installed by Lowe’s. The new floors transformed the room and instantly made the space feel refreshed and welcoming.
Shortly after installing wood floors in the living and dining rooms, we embarked on a kitchen remodel, so further living room updates were paused. Even so, small changes kept happening.
Adding hooks and wainscoting near the front door reduced the need for extra entry storage in the living room, but we still preferred the idea of the living room as a casual gathering area rather than a formal sitting room. As each room in the house gained function and style, the others naturally adjusted and evolved to match.
We experimented with a new cart and rug for the living room and enjoyed the change, but furniture found new homes: the cart moved to the dining room where it worked perfectly, and the round rug shifted to the kitchen as we completed that remodel. Furniture shuffle is a constant here.
It’s almost a running joke how often we move pieces around — the rearranging never seems to stop.
Our black and gold antique chinoiserie cabinet has migrated between the entry and the living room countless times. Recently we brought it back into the living room after moving the cart to the dining room.
Compare the room’s earlier layout with the current one: removing the sofa and adding a smaller settee opened the space and created a more casual, eclectic seating area. I also brought a blue side table in from the garage and added an indoor/outdoor Kilim rug from Pottery Barn placed on the diagonal, which added pattern, color, and a relaxed, less boxy feel.
A sea-green lamp from Target brightened the dark bookcase, and a new patterned chair increased the eclectic mix. That chair may stay or move when inspiration strikes next. Even the white wingback got moved to the family room on a whim — that’s the nature of a home that’s always evolving.
Although the living room makeover plans set off a larger house refresh, the new floors alone were enough to make us love the space again, no matter which furniture pieces we use. It’s surprising how one major change can shift how you feel about a room.
Future ideas include hanging stationary curtains to frame the large window and soften the space without blocking light, adding blinds for privacy, replacing the ceiling fan with a round or orb-style light, and possibly installing white planks on the ceiling. None of these are set in stone — just possibilities to refine the room’s look.
The furniture will likely keep changing. That’s part of the fun: having rugs and pieces that can move from room to room gives the freedom to evolve your home’s style as your needs and tastes shift.
I’m already considering removing rugs for summer and moving the living room rug into the kitchen in the fall.
Is your house always evolving?