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Bold and Bright Living Room Makeover – before & after

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Well I guess it is official. I get my love of decorating from my mom. As far back as I can remember my mom and dad were always working on ways to improve our homes both in the way it functioned and the way it looked, so it is no wonder that now that I have my own home and family, I’m always working toward making it our favorite place to be.

My mom has great taste, and so it is absolutely flattering that she mimics a few of my ideas and makes them her own. We recently gave her main living space a bit of a refresh, and it turned out so well with bold pops of pattern and a little shot of hot pink too (mom’s signature color)!  So let’s take a peek at the before and after of her living room and get the deets on how she put it all together.

living room before and after

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modern traditional living room

The two of us spend a lot of time together (we are BFFs) and I would say that we rarely make a decorating decision without consulting each other first. Although our styles differ, they have a lot in common. We both like bold patterns and aren’t afraid to take a few risks when it comes to decorating. Of course there is always the budget to consider too, so when we were planning this room, we knew that the sofas (which were the biggest expense) had to be a neutral. My mom likes to change things up from time to time, so choosing a neutral sofa color will ensure that no matter what she decides to do next, they will still work. She still got her bold print on the side chair and ottoman.

This is a pretty drastic difference from where it began huh?

living room before
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Mom’s number one complaint was definitely the drapes. These thick white drapes came with the home when they moved in. They had to stay up until something new was put up because in the late afternoon the sun comes barreling in those windows. But they were U.G.L.Y. Not quite white, not quite off white, and had a shiny leaf pattern. Bleh!

So she changed them out using my DIY Grommet Top Curtain tutorial. She was able to find the shower curtains in navy and white which paved the way for the fun color scheme that she ended up with. (Yes, you read that right. Those curtains are made from West Elm shower curtains and can be done by anyone who can sew a straight line. Trust me.)

She also added a ton of character to the room by adding shutters to the windows. They not only help to control the sunlight, but they’ve also kept the room much cooler in the afternoon.

Living room with bold pattern- before and after.
Grey, white, and blue, living room with pops of pink

Once the sofas were in and the not quite white drapes were gone and replaced with those DIY beauties, we had a definite color palette going and  knew we could revamp the ottoman with a new fabric. It took a bit of searching (and patience) but the perfect fabric did come to us and we were able to save a ton of money by reupholstering the ottoman ourselves.

Living room reveal

In my mom’s previous home she had a ton of hot pink going on (including a bold pink side chair.)  She didn’t want to say goodbye to the color completely, so she used it perfectly as an accent color in just a few spots. This also helped the budget since she was able to incorporate what she already had into the new space. The large scale tulip image is from Z Gallerie a few years back, and the other photos are personal photos from a trip to Italy, and their front yard.

There wasn’t much in the budget for a tall table to go between the sofas so when she scored this one in the outdoor section at Target on clearance she was thrilled. It goes perfectly and is the perfect height and shape.

Then a few grey and white throw pillows from HomeGoods finished it off!

**Update:  Many of you have asked about the wall color here.  It is “Wood Smoke” by Glidden. If you are on the hunt for a perfect greige paint, you may want to check out this post on how to choose the perfect greige paint.

Bold and bright living room makeover

So, what do you think? Do you have a favorite part of the room?

See more DIY projects I teamed up with my mom for!
DIY UPHOLSTERED HEADBOARD
GRANDKIDS’ BEDROOM REVEAL
 
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Comments

  1. Barbara Robinson says

    Hi, I would love to know the make of the blue fabric on the ottoman, I am helping a friend make her new house fell like home and I showed her your website. She fell in love with the blue fabric with the white flowers on the ottoman and would love to be able to surprise her and redo her old ottoman. Any information would be great.

    Thanks

    Barbara

    Reply

    • Corey Willis says

      Hi Barbara. I found this fabric at a local store called We R Fabric. They don’t have many locations and aren’t online unfortunately. You could check out my favorite online fabric stores for blue and white upholstery fabric for something similar. Best wishes!

    • Corey says

      These are from a warehouse type furniture store that does knock offs and custom size furniture for great prices. This one is called Roomers and is in Vista, CA. But I have found one in a few different cities I’ve lived in.

  6. Carol says

    Love the room makeover-actually reinvented. The colors, the patterns are marvelous. Love the draperies–fresh and wonderful.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  7. Brenda says

    Dear Corey,
    Thank you so much for this inspiring design! My 88 year old mom is vision-impaired and has mobility problems. I used your design to redo my mom’s living and dining areas after my dad passed. She loved it so much she cried and sang! She can finally see. I can never thank you enough!

    Reply

  9. Michelle says

    love this amazing DIY effort! How did you get shower curtains that long? I love the ottoman upholstery fabric best, and the pops of pink. Im fascinated at how you used a beige-gray paint color on the walls and pulled together a navy and white color pallate. I would never have tried it but it works beautifully!

    Reply

    • Corey W. says

      Hi Michelle! I’m so glad you love the room. I made the curtains from shower curtains using this tutorial. I have the same curtains in my home in a different color. Let me know if you have any more questions!

    • Corey W. says

      Hi Rose. The sofas are from a local place here in San Diego called Roomers. They are a furniture shop that specializes in knockoff pieces and they contract directly with furniture manufacturers so that you can order the exact size you need for way less than you would pay at the name brand stores. They are typically found in warehouse locations. I’ve been able to find one in the last 3 cities I’ve lived in but it is usually word of mouth. Sorry I can’t tell you exactly where to go for them 🙁

    • Corey W. says

      The sofas are from a local place here in San Diego called Roomers. They are a furniture shop that specializes in knockoff pieces and they contract directly with furniture manufacturers so that you can order the exact size you need for way less than you would pay at the name brand stores. They are typically found in warehouse locations. I’ve been able to find one in the last 3 cities I’ve lived in but it is usually word of mouth. Sorry I can’t tell you exactly where to go for them 🙁

  15. Pat Taylor says

    Loved your after room. You have inspired me to make some changes in my own living (den) room. Thank you for sharing. I need some “color” in my life!!!

    Reply

    • Corey W. says

      Thanks so much Pat! I love that you were inspired and would love to see some before and after pictures once you’ve made some changes.

  16. Miathewindowcleaner says

    What a makeover! I love the chevron pattern and I think you’ve done a great job incorporating it into the interior without it being too overwhelming! I am in love with the tulip photo! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  17. Lindsay says

    WOW! The shutters make a huge difference! We are about ready to place an order for plantation shutters for our french door wall and two side windows in the family room…not cheap but will make a world of difference! Love this make over…the room looks so much bigger too!

    Reply

  19. Lusine says

    I’m loving how all of the patterns work so well together, your mom has great taste!! This totally inspires me to refresh my own living room for the spring. Thanks for sharing, Corey! 🙂

    Reply

  32. Cathy Harris says

    Absolutely brilliant!!! Love it ! You and your mom have done a terrific job and have inspired me to relook at our living room

    Reply

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