Dorothy was right, there’s no place like home. After a tiring day at the office, the long commute, what was supposed to be a quick stop at the crowded grocery store and a battle with the dog in the front door you’re finally back, but instead of instantly relaxing, you notice the white walls aren’t really white anymore, the furniture is in your way and window treatments look like the ones at your grandmother’s house, they’re nice but outdated. It might be that you’re having a bad day when nothing can satisfy you, or it may be time to finally take on the living room and turn it from drab to fab in just one weekend.
If you’re afraid of the costs or the work that needs to be done, don’t be. You don’t need a professional to help you because you can do everything all by yourself, and the cost of materials won’t make a hole in your budget if you plan well. All you need to do to upgrade your living room is some paint on the walls, rearranging the furniture and adding a few small touches like new couch pillow cases and window treatments.
To start you need to pick colors. To be most cost effective, stick with ones that will match your furniture, but don’t be afraid of a little contrast. If you need some inspiration, take a look at couture dresses in fashion magazines, at pictures of food in cookbooks, and of course at some interior design websites. You’ll see different pairings of colors, from delicate to wild, and additionally you’ll see how different textures make for an interesting result.
Once you have a color scheme in mind, measure out your room noting not only distances wall to wall, but also window and door surfaces. That way a salesperson at the paint store will be able to give you a close estimate as to how much paint you’ll need so you don’t buy too much. If possible, take a picture of the wall and memorize the feel of it, so you can describe it to the salesperson and they can advise you what type of paint will work best on the existing surface.
Painting is easy, you just need to take appropriate precautions. Move all the furniture out of the room or to the center and cover with plastic. It might be best if you cover the floors as well, otherwise you might find yourself with a paint spill on your tiles. If you’re not very adept at painting, tape up the windows and edges to avoid smudges and get to work, remembering to paint in one direction and giving it two coats for best results.
While the paint is drying, don’t worry about darker spots or the color being different than you were expecting, because wet paint looks different than dry one. Better think of changing those windows and pillows. If you don’t have any idea for them, take a look online, because a lot of people record tutorials showing on webcam how to do this, that and another thing, meaning you’ll for sure find a clip how to sew, crochet or just dress up a pillow with ribbon to make it look completely different.
After the paint is dry and accessories fresh and ready, all you’re left with is furnishing the room back. Forget about the way it was set up before and try something new. Have in mind for the room to be functional and at the same time pretty and cozy, because the reason you go through all the trouble of redoing the living room is so that the next time you get back home after a long, exhausting day, you can turn on a small lamp, sit on the couch and breathe a sigh of relief that you’re finally home, as there is no place like it.