42 Before-and-After Living Room Makeovers

This traditional living room features a dated mix of warm yellow and red hues. Deep marigold walls, heavy red drapes and bulky, brown leather furniture give this space a dark and cluttered appearance.

Designers at Lambert Home transform the dark and dated traditional living room into an airy and enviable transitional design. A crisp paint lightens the walls and a set of creamy barrel accent chairs add fresh seating for friends and family. The dated drapes were replaced with neutral, geometric curtains, and the cognac sofa is energized with three ivory toss pillows.

If you can look past the floral sofa, cluttered sewing station and tacky built-in bar, you’ll see that this historic home is full of charm and potential. The ceiling is adorned with substantial wooden beams that bring architectural interest to the design and visually expand the space.

Never underestimate the power of paint. Interior designer Lucie Ayres revives the dated living room with wall-to-ceiling white paint that both calms and enhances the original ceiling beams. A leggy wall sconce and sleek gray sofa bring a contemporary look into the space, while yellow pillows and a cobalt blue built-in bookcase add personality to the design.

Dingy, dusty walls and bulky, espresso-stained wood trim diminish the beauty of this expansive family sitting room. Dated, warm-toned furnishings bring additional darkness to the design, and create an almost cavernous appearance.

Interior designer Lucie Ayres coats the walls and ceilings with bright-white paint to create a clean, cohesive slate for cool, contemporary furnishings. An oversized chartreuse painting creates an electric focal point on the wall and coordinates with the cobalt blue sofa and neon yellow pillows.

This expansive living room appears unfinished and overwhelming. Collected knickknacks clutter the mantel and walls, while the furnishings appear too small and leave the space feeling empty.

This space is transformed from cluttered and messy to crisp and contemporary. Designer Lucie Ayres replaces the mantel tchotchkes with a chic vignette of abstract art and yellow blooms. A striking blue sofa appears proportional in the grand space, and provides homeowners with chic and cozy seats for late night fireside conversations.

Clunky, aged floor tiles lead the way to a bulky fireplace that features a large wooden mantel and a floor-to-ceiling stone façade. Dull green paint coats the room’s remaining three walls, and a bland ceiling fan collects dust overhead.

Blissful Design Studio takes this living room out of the stone age and into the future with a brick fireplace and beautiful, blonde hardwood floors. The contemporary tufted sofa and chairs are cozied-up with rustic accents like a gingham area rug, distressed chests and floral pillows.

The earthy stone fireplace lacks subtlety and brings a dark and dreary energy into this family living room. The rough gray and brown stone overwhelms the senses and overpowers the space.

Buh-bye, brown! Goodbye, gray! The once overwhelming wall is made elegant with a handsome brick fireplace surrounded by crisp, white walls. The bright walls draw the eye to the striking firebox and provide a fresh backdrop to the paintings that flank the remodeled fireplace.

The beige built-in bookshelves feature ornate details and an antique finish that appears dirty and dated. The shelves are cluttered with a mismatched collection of contemporary black picture frames and random red accents.

Elegant, black built-in bookcases frame a striking white fireplace and create a high-contrast, high-style look in this once overdone and outdated living room. The shelves are outfitted with gilded sculptures, marble vases and spirited graphic prints.

This traditional mantel is overwhelming and tacky with its opulent columns, a faux-aged finish and a swirling vine firebox screen. Overhead, a large television and a decorative iron wall accent appear bulky and out of place.

Less is much, much more. The overdone mantel is replaced with a creamy cast stone fireplace that boasts a sleek exterior and a herringbone interior. Decorative fire glass glitters within the firebox in lieu of traditional gas logs.

Soaring ceilings are met with stunning windows and beautiful views in this outdated living room. Dark mustard walls and off-white trim surround the arched windows, dulling their visual impact on the space.

Interior designer Minhnuyet Hardy uses inky paint to enhance the trim surrounding the striking arched windows in this reimagined den. Soft gray paint brightens the walls and embraces the abundant sunshine streaming in through the windows.

Cold, cream tile floors, flat taupe walls and a big beige sectional make this one lackluster and uninviting living room. A red throw blanket drapes across the back of the sofa to coordinate with a large red plate above the mantel in attempts to add color to the ultra-bland, ultra-beige design.

Interior designer Marie Flanigan layers neutral hues and lavish textures to create a cozy, inviting family living room. The once barren space is now abundant with depth and dimension thanks to snowy shiplap walls and a sophisticated, pillow-clad sofa. Flanigan enhances the light, neutral furniture with warm elements like the cognac hide rug and jute lamp. Subdued shades of plum and olive bring personality into the design without overpowering the space.

There are hundreds of creative and beautiful ways to display family photos in your home, but not like this. The drab marigold den features heavy golden drapes, mismatched furniture and a traditional fireplace that’s working double time as a makeshift family scrapbook.

Interior designer Claire Paquin peeled the polaroid vignette from the mantel and replaced it with a stately mirror flanked by traditional nickel sconces. The gaudy gold walls are coated with a fresh vanilla hue, and the wooden mantel and molding are painted glossy white. Golden ikat drapes dress the windows and matching, marigold pillows carry the color throughout the space.

Sponge painted yellow walls appear dirty and disheveled in this family living room. The orange-stained hardwood floors and matching china cabinet mirror the golden walls, yielding a flat, monochromatic design.

Royal purple accent chairs and golden drapes pop against the taupe walls and white trim in this reimagined living space. Espresso-stained hardwoods replace the off-putting orange floors in the original space and bring contrast and dimension to the design.

The large living space lacks the functionality necessary for a contemporary family home. Cluttered corners frame an empty floor and bring disorganized chaos to the space.

Clever furniture placement maximizes the use of this space. A large sofa takes center stage and provides a plush place for conversation. Two velvet armchairs and a punchy, purple bench add a beautiful purple hue into the living space. Behind the sofa, two contemporary wingback chairs offer first row seats to enjoy a concert by the family pianist.

An empty attic offers endless opportunities for homeowners. This space is full of potential with a pretty, arched ceiling and sweet, square window.

The attic space reaches its full potential after being transformed into this cozy sitting area. The ceiling sports white planks, while the navy hardwood floors bring a coastal touch underfoot. A small table and chairs provide a place to eat and play beneath the trimmed window, and plush armchairs provide snuggly spots to curl up and read a good book.

Arched windows, substantial molding and handsome hardwood floors provides this traditional living room with plenty of design potential. The cloudy, yellowed walls and outdated furniture distracts from the architectural bones of the space.

A little paint goes a long way to enhance the original beauty of this transitional living room. The previously yellow walls are covered with an airy white hue and adorned with custom moldings for added flair. Spindle-style armchairs with pillows trimmed in tassels add a youthful energy to the space. A luxe, tufted gold ottoman pairs with a gilded floral chandelier, bringing a touch of drama and glamour to the design.

Dark, dreary and dysfunctional — this midcentury modern living room is begging for a full-blown facelift.

Interior designer Natalie Meyers knocks years off this space's look with fresh paint, updated furniture and a captivating color palette. The original stone fireplace remains intact and is enhanced with a slew of natural textiles seen throughout the space.

It may not be much to look at now, but this disheveled space has great bones. The two windows have unmatched views of the backyard and wash the space in natural sunlight.

Cheerful aqua paint coats the walls and white trim surrounds the windows to create an enlivened and polished look. Espresso-stained hardwood floors are a nice contrast against the airy blue walls and anchor the space beneath the patterned armchairs. An oversized abstract painting and brass sconces add warmth and personality to the design.

This charming sunroom features a wall of arched windows that captures striking views of the lush backyard landscaping. The dated yellow walls and tattered carpet cloud the potential of the space, distracting from the architectural character.

Gold, be gone! Pale gray paint coats the walls and allows the Schumacher’s “Chiang Mai Dragon” print curtains to shine. A funky chandelier illuminates the family room from overhead, while pops of teal and chartreuse energize the charcoal sectional and armchairs.

The historic fireplace in this Rhode Island living room is beautiful, but doesn’t fit the needs of a contemporary family home.

The team at DiMauro Architects reimagined the historic brick fireplace and created a traditional and inviting focal point for this coastal cottage home. Blue walls and blonde hardwood floors enhance the whitewashed millwork and highlight the pastel tiles surrounding the flickering hearth.

An arched entertainment center distracts from the beautiful wall of windows and cozy fireplace in this dated, traditional living room. The center features dark-stained wood shelving and a trio of unnecessary burgundy arches overhead.

Designer Marie Flanigan removes the overdone arches and installs a single, sophisticated built-in entertainment center in their place. Heather gray grasscloth wallpaper lines the back of the built-in and a bold navy cabinet extends the length of the unit.

Cramped and cavernous, this uninspiring living area needs a complete makeover to fit the needs of a modern family of five. The stained carpet and drab yellow walls make the space appear messy and grimy.

Dove gray walls meet the white planked ceilings creating an open and airy aesthetic in this family room. Interior designer Ashley Ausland adds a built-in media cabinet for storage and rips out the stained carpet and replaces it with honey-toned hardwoods.

A cramped media unit is positioned oddly against the corner of the room. The piece covers a window and is overflowing with clutter.

Designer Ashley Ausland reimagines the space and accounts for the homeowners’ growing family with a custom window bench and cabinet storage. The stylish nook offers additional seating for friends and family during movie night, and the cabinet and drawers keep the distracting clutter out of sight.

The quirky layout, ill-fitting rugs and dysfunctional storage make this living room dreary and bland.

Interior designer Caitlin Jones Ghajar turns the drab design into a dream pad by embracing its wall of windows and using neutral furnishings, luxe texture and sleek lines throughout. Warm wood built-ins provide storage for booze, books and board games, while an expansive area rug anchors the design and adds airiness underfoot.

The design direction for this open-concept family room is unclear. Weathered wood beams loom above a confusing mix of rustic accent pieces, a French Country sofa and a pair of rich leather armchairs flank an awkward, glassed-topped end table.

Ivory paint provides a fresh backdrop for this updated family room. An airy, oversized sectional offers plenty of room for family members to connect and unwind each day. Slate pillows pop against the creamy sofa and coordinate with the smoky kitchen island in the background. The coral accent pillows mirror the lively hues featured in the patterned area rug.

This dysfunctional family den features a slew of competing elements that overwhelm the design and shrink the square footage of the room. Bulky built-in cabinets flank the imposing and outdated fireplace at the center of the room. A large oil painting sits above the dusty brown mantel, and the television blocks sunlight from entering the room.

The designers at Thurman Design Studio swapped the built-ins for baskets and stripped the fireplace of its sponged façade. It was replaced with a simple whitewash finish enhanced by a stained wood fireplace trim and mantel. A sleek, flat-screen TV tilts towards the sectional and sun streams freely into the space via the new French doors and transom windows along the far wall.

The jaw-dropping seascape visible beyond the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows is buried beneath the weight of dated wood planked walls, ceiling and floors.

Bright walls painted white and a matching, sloped ceiling work in tandem to frame the expansive windows and draw guests’ attention to the brilliant ocean views.

The sparkling seascape is hardly the focal point in this beige beachfront family room. A rustic, cabin-inspired fireplace steals the show with its painted wood paneling, tiled bench and commanding black chimney. A boring, beige sofa and a pair of equally bleak upholstered chairs sit opposite the hearth.

The designers at Blackband Design transform the fireplace from cabin to coastal cool by painting the walls and ceiling white. A neutral sofa is piled high with plush toss pillows in vibrant, beachy hues and two contemporary chairs offer family and guests prime seating in front of the television for movie nights or the morning news.

Beige paneled walls create a dated and cluttered backdrop to the family room in this coastal home. A bulky, wooden beam at the base of the stairs feels out of place and adds dysfunction to the design.

The drab wall panels are replaced with smooth, white walls and a bespoke built-in bookcase tucked beside the freshly remodeled fireplace. Coastal vases, tropical coffee table books and a fish figurine add seaside personality to the design. Below, a custom upholstered bench nestles neatly into the staircase wall and provides homeowners a plush spot to curl up with a book.

The drab wood ceiling weighs down the open-concept dining room and detracts from the scenic ocean views.

White walls and ceiling create a crisp frame that draws guests’ eyes to the floor to ceiling windows that provide an uninterrupted view of the beach and aqua horizon.

This unfinished room may be bare, but it’s easy to see that it has the bones to become a truly remarkable space for family gatherings and relaxation. Four sizable windows usher sunlight into the room and a fireplace sets the stage for cozy evenings.

The finished fireplace sizzles with a smoky tile façade and a wooden mantel. A gray sofa shines against the espresso-stained hardwood floors, while metallic accents play well with the earthy textures and woven storage baskets, creating a beautiful and balanced design.

Dark wood built-ins and mustard walls envelope the grand stone fireplace in this family den. The deep shades and heavy materials shrink the space and take away from the stately focal point at the center of the room.

The design masterminds at Baily Austin Design lighten and brighten the space with white walls, dove gray cabinets and vibrant, abstract art. Cool aqua pillows, navy upholstered sofa and lush green accents enhance the neutral undertones of the stone and breathe youthful flare into the sophisticated space.

A grand stone fireplace offers rustic, farmhouse appeal to this open floorplan family room. Though beautiful, the natural stone façade weighs down the space and distracts from the walls of windows that frame the space.

Designers at Wake + Loom replace the heavy stone with a smooth, stark-white minimalist façade. The ultra-sleek design allows the surrounding wall of windows to shine and aids in creating a sundrenched family den.

The dated color combination of seafoam green and chocolate brown are at play in this tired living room. A simple, red brick fireplace with white grout serves as the room's focal point, yet clashes with the heavy, stained wood finishes used throughout the space.

Yesterday’s trendy hues are replaced with cool, contemporary colors and sleek, updated finishes. Slate blue built-in units enhance the whitewashed fireplace at the center of the room and create a cozy contrast against the ivory walls. A stained wood mantle plays well with the ceiling fan overhead, while mossy green accents bring vibrant color into the otherwise neutral space.

An ornate doorway frames a bare wall in a shadowy formal living room. The empty space is brimming with design possibilities thanks to the handsome hardwood floors and dramatic soaring ceilings.

From lacking to lovely — this once bare living room now exudes opulence and glamour. The showstopping icy blue built-in is paired with a white settee and a polished porcelain tile fireplace. An oil-rubbed bronze globe chandelier dangles overhead, serving as a contemporary contrast to the original hardwoods underfoot.

Frills, florals and plaid line every inch of this dated living room. The mixed patterns, traditional chair skirts and apple red accents work against each other and create a dated look in this family room.

Smoky gray and silver hues bring refined sophistication to this newly designed family room. Opulent light fixtures, decadent textiles and unique silhouettes are sprinkled throughout to ensure this living room is anything but boring.

An outdated media wall makes for an eyesore in this drab, deserted family den. Beige floor tiles and matching beige walls add to the overall dreariness of the design.

A custom-built media wall houses the flat-screen TV and offers plenty of storage and display space. Painted a dark blue, the walls and wall unit look sharp when matched with the olive green sofa and ottomans.

Beige floors, beige walls and a beige ceiling make for one unstimulating living space. Cone pendants illuminate the bland space from above and the handsome, dark wood doors appear disjointed in the space.

Designers brighten the space by painting the walls white and bringing in sun-bleached hardwood floors. The removal of the walnut-framed interior windows and doors, brings a better flow to this living space. Bold white sofas, dip-dyed floor lamps and a marble console table create a contemporary, luxurious living room in this bayfront home.

Before renovation, the stairs in this modern living room created a cramped walkway and cut off access to the adjacent kitchen.

Dramatic fireplace detail and sculptural rings emphasize the height of this two story living room. During a renovation of the home, the stairs were repositioned along the back wall, which allowed a new opening between the room and adjacent kitchen.

Golden walls complement red upholstery to create a cozy, warm and completely outdated living room. The traditional furnishings and old-fashioned color palette overwhelm the space and need fresh facelift to cater to a more contemporary family home.

An indigo grasscloth wallpaper wraps the walls with color and accentuates the crisp, white fireplace mantel, crown molding and doorway trim. Decadent jewel-toned textiles enrich the design and buttery velvet upholstered sofa provides softness to the glamourous design. A gilded, geometric bookcase adds a brilliant pop of color against the moody walls and ties in with the other metallic details featured throughout the home.

A small paneled sunroom off the kitchen serves as catch-all for forgotten and dated furnishings. The mismatched seating area lacks cohesion and comfort, leaving it to collect dust for the majority of the year.

Vernich Interiors transformed the space from underwhelming to dramatic, dreamy and demanding. Black and white striped patterned rug, draperies and artwork are very eye-catching in this white living room. A green upholstered bench and matching pillows accent the greenery in the room and add a punch of color.

Although this traditional mantel is rich in timeless charm, the stately surround is lacking in edge, novelty and contemporary appeal.

Fresh pink patterned drapery, a stunning wool Moroccan area rug and a modernized mantel make this living room a happy and elegant conversation space. The new mantle was achieved with drywall and white plaster, which reflects natural light into the room, creating a fresh and modern feel. Designers emphasized the area with a chocolate brown accent wall above. Flanking the mantel with matching cabinets brings balance and added storage.

This oversized brick fireplace serves as the anchor for this open-concept living room design. The basic materials and uninspired masonry work leave the fireplace short on charm and desperate for a facelift.