Before and After: From Old-to-New Living Room Redesign

Shawn Tater and Karen Ingram of the Interior Arrangement and Design Association redesign a formal living room without spending any money.

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Filed under: Living Rooms, Fireplace, Makeover

After

Shawn Tater and Karen Ingram of the Interior Arrangement and Design Association take on a home that has seen nine children come and go since the homeowners bought it fifty years ago. They don't want to purchase new furniture and hope that the redesigners can make their old living room look new again.

The dark stain on the brick fireplace is a deep contrast to the light yellow walls and makes the room seem unbalanced. To counter this effect, they place a mahogany hutch, found in the dining room, directly opposite the fireplace.
The loveseats are placed opposite each other in between the hutch and fireplace, bringing a symmetry to the formal space.
A jewel-toned rug is brought in from an adjoining bedroom to bring color to the floor.

Before

Design Tips:

Be sure to engage all of the senses when decorating a room. This can done through wicker baskets, candles, potted plants and flowers and a crackling fire.
Adhere to a symmetrical design when decorating a formal space. Line up various prints in similar, not necessarily identical, frames and align furniture in straight lines opposite each other.

Accessorize in pairs for a more formal design.

The partner desk is pulled away from the wall and centered behind one of the loveseats. It's paired with a matching set of wingback chairs.

A trio of artwork is placed on either side of the fireplace to maintain the symmetry. Blue and white plates are set on small sconces attached inside two niches.

They add drama and more contrast with a black lampshade, black cachepot and a black and white family photograph.