Living Room Renewed

Homeowner Peggy Torsch updated the decor of her home without spending a fortune. She changed the bright, splashy style of her living room, dining room and bathroom into a modern tranquil look by refurbishing most of the existing furniture and adding a few new touches.

• First, she repainted the turquoise living room walls using a rich taupe. Removing the yellow shag carpet exposed beautiful hardwood floors, which she accented with a large area rug. The wicker couch and chairs were then replaced with light brown furniture. Her favorite wicker piece, a library table, was placed on the entrance wall and went from stark white to rich brown with paint. When the thin layer of veneer was removed from the tabletop, she exposed pleasing oak planking with worming. Two reupholstered chairs were added near to the table for extra seating.
• She carried the warm taupe into her dining room, replacing turquoise and white checked wallpaper. This room's carpet was also removed and another area rug in muted tones creates warmth and interest. The white tables and chairs were switched for a classic wood dinette set accented with a runner variation fashioned from dried fruit and foliage out of the garden; she changes the style according to the season .
• For final touches, she put an old screen door that now frames a mirror at the end of a hallway and used a collage of fashion magazine pages and covers to decoupage her bathroom walls.