We have lived in our house now for 13 years- and it’s funny the phases that it has gone through. From moving in with all of the walls stark white, painting it from head-to-toe, to repainting it back to bright and light colors. We decided a few weeks ago to give in and do a living room makeover, and it’s just the change that it needed.

The first step to getting the inviting living room that we envisioned was to repaint the walls. We had done the whole room in a sand color when we moved in. Now everyone is into bright and airy, and suddenly it hit us how beautiful that look really is.

The tone of our home way back then was earth tones and a “comfort” look. It was full of browns and tans. We loved dark wood, since a lot of our home is wood trimmed. We also loved dark paints and romantic hues, hence our old red and burnt orange walls!

Take a look at the original couch we had in the house, and the tan colored walls we did in the beginning. We decided to repaint the living room over the winter, so the entire room has been a work in progress until just recently.

Upon seeing how the fresh coat of paint looked in our living room, and how it really brightened up the space, we decided to get rid of the old faithful couch, and get something a little more eye-catching and modern.

We had a lot of good memories with that couch, but believe me- we are glad to see it go to a new home, and provide all of the warmth and comfort that it gave us over the years. Our new couch is smaller- a traditional sofa- but cream colored with beautiful accent colors.

Since we had a sectional couch, which was great for a ton of people to sit on, it was just a style we grew out of. We spent a couple of hours at 2 different furniture stores and decided on a sofa and rocker-style chair.

Surprisingly, we got the coffee table, end tables and console to go under our mounted TV before we even chose the couches. We knew we needed a nice piece to go under the TV that wasn’t our old glass-top (always dusty) console, and we found the one we loved in a particular series. This gave us a great start on finding what style of sofa to choose.

We loved the grey wood color of the tables, it immediately set the tone for how the entire living room would look. We got to bring those pieces home with us that day, but the couch and chair would be 1 month before they could be delivered. So, we waited and it was worth it.

We love the sort of “farm house” vibe that the colors of the tables and couch give off together. The living room is brighter, looks so clean, and hopefully makes people feel invited. It’s amazing what a coat of paint and a few furniture pieces can accomplish to a room vibe.

Linked Items (Affiliate links-please read my disclosure for more information)

Sofa: Alcona Sofa

Accent Chair: Alcona Chair

End Tables: Daybrook End Tables

Coffee Table with lift top: Daybrook Coffee Table

Console Table: Daybrook Sofa/Console Table

Blanket(No longer in stock but linked similar): Tassel End Throw Blanket

Candle Holder: Outdoor White Lantern Candle Holder

Speakers: Soundbar

Ceramic Houses (No longer in stock but linked similar): Unfinished Ceramic House

We have a few more items to add to the living room that we think could give it the finishing touch. We just aren’t sure on the specifics. Maybe a little rug to go under the coffee table? Maybe some artwork to go next to the television? Maybe a live plant to go in the corner?

Here are some must-do tips to brighten up your dark living room:

1. Ditch your old or dingy dark paint or wallpaper and opt for a light grey or off white color
2. Change out your curtains (or blinds) for lighter ones, or even ones that bring more sunlight into the room
3. Add light or bright colored decor into the room such as pillows, statues, artwork, planters or picture frames
4. Choose couches that are light grey, white, or pastel to brighten up the focal piece in the room
5. Add a white or light grey colored rug to the center of the room
6. Choose glass or light colored wood over dark wood pieces

Overall, we are so happy with how much brighter it looks. I wish we would have started it off this way but that was just not how we were thinking 10+ years ago! Our living room makeover is a success and I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Do you have a room that you just redid? Which room was it and what is your favorite part about it now?