16 Inspiring Living Room Before-and-Afters

Color could turn this room from basic to brilliant. Our tip: Treat a white space like a blank canvas.

The secret to this subtle yet super-stylish wall treatment? Ceiling medallions! We installed the ones shown here (from $12.28; homedepot.com) in a single day using adhesive caulk. A Belgian-linen slipcover by Bemz updates a standard Ikea sofa—and delivers a soft dose of color.

Covered in 100% yellow heart pine, this rustic log cabin's living room had approximately 0% personality.

Painting the walls, ceiling, and floors white really lightened things up, and new 8-foot-tall windows and French doors (minus view-blocking wooden blinds) bring in much more sunshine. The all-white backdrop cleared the way for a crisp and cozy color scheme of grey, black, and green. Gingham curtains and plaid pillows play up the preppy country feel.

Red carpet and dark furnishings made the living room of this California bungalow feel cramped and gloomy.

The owner simplified the setup by grouping no-frills upholstered seating around an 1800s pine farm table cut down to coffee table height.

A woodburning stove encroached upon the windows, making furniture placement difficult. Parquet floors and a baseboard heater left the room of this coastal cottage feeling hopelessly dated.

This quaint nook was illuminated with reproduction shipyard lanterns equipped with battery operated candles. At 3 ½ feet tall, the lanterns make an impressive statement without filling up the small corner's limited floor space.

Drab single-pane windows and an ultra-narrow staircase made for an awkward, charmless living space in this coastal cottage.

Bleached pine flooring and pale gray walls create an airy base that helps showcase—not compete with—the rough-hewn furniture and charismatic decor. Bonus: The floor's soft shade camouflages the sand tracked in from the beach.

With no real identity, this large room at the center of this New York farmhouse had become a pass-through space. Plus, the purple accent wall and hodgepodge of furniture made it anything but inviting.

The walls were coated with two tones of blue-gray plaster. Patterned area rugs were used to subdivide the large room into more intimate zones with specific purposes. An antique sofa with its original cotton sateen floral upholstery and a pair of mismatched side tables transform a sunny, once-underused corner into a comfy reading nook.

Before its renovation, the living room in this Maine cottage was a blah white color.

Swapping out a couple of narrow windows for a wall of sliding glass doors opened the room up to the adjacent patio—and the panoramic water views. A grid of beams made of whitewashed poplar (a native species) layers natural texture onto what was a sea of sheetrock. Built-in bookshelves make the narrow space feel wider.

An corner hearth orignially occupied this den.

To create symmetry, a contractor relocated the corner hearth with a new one, centered on the wall opposite the open kitchen. Built-in cabinetry on either side of the fireplace reinforces the sense of balance. The homeowner traded her single living-room settee for two generous Ikea sofas and a Ralph Lauren chair, all slipcovered for easy cleaning. The pine coffee table came from a garage sale, and the metal "C" is from a local garden store.

Plus: 85 living rooms you'll love »

Dated carpet and furniture made this living room feel dark.

The homeowner nstalled beadboard on the ceiling to echo the restored walls. By jettisoning the cabinet doors beneath the window seat, he created a clever spot to stash logs for a new woodstove. The overall vibe is classic Americana, treated with a rock 'n' roll attitude: A JFK campaign poster faces off against a gilded Federal mirror.

Bright idea: When it comes to hanging wall art, don't overlook the mullion bar between two windows.

To open up this New Hampshire house, the architect removed the interior walls to create one large living area. Down came the wood paneling and dropped ceiling, bringing to light the framework's studs, as well as cathedral-style roof beams.

The cabin is furnished with wicker sectional sofa from Restoration Hardware and a weather-resistant rug by Dash & Albert. Built-in cubbies store beach blankets and fishing gear, and the ladder leads to a sleeping loft. The walls are painted Strong White by Farrow & Ball.