DIY Living Room Makeover

From smart thermostats to gallery walls, these expert tips will help show living rooms a little design love.

Out of every room in the home, the living room has gotten the most attention through the coronavirus pandemic. Makeshift offices, family move nights, Zoom parties, and dinners atop coffee tables have been the sign of the times. Continue showing the living room some love with help from Leah Muller of Leah Muller Interiors. These tips will turn your home’s entertainment and hosting hub into a relaxing, stylish oasis. 

Shop It Like It’s Hot

In addition to sprucing up a space, house plants can purify the air and boost your mood, too. Shop ready-for-display pre-potted plants at The Garden Shoppe in West Palm Beach or order online from The Sill.

For a high-tech answer to energy savings and perfect temps at all times, add a programmable Google Nest Learning Thermostat, which learns your routine; displays time, temperature, or weather; and pays for itself in two years or less.

Leah Muller’s Expert Tips

Fireplace facelift: “Paint the stone or brick around the fireplace white. Make sure it’s the same white as your trim color, but it doesn’t need to be the same finish; consider a matte or high-gloss finish instead for a contemporary look. I’d also suggest painting the inside of the fireplace to remove old soot marks. Consult your local paint supply store for the appropriate fire-retardant paint.”

No fireplace? “Add a linear gas fireplace. Using a remote control or single switch, you can turn flames on and off instantly. The long narrow style provides a contemporary look and coordinates with almost any noncombustible material surrounding: ceramic tile, glass tile, stone, porcelain, brick, and concrete.”

Highlight: “Replace your ceiling fan with ambient lighting; the junction box is already there. We’ve been installing lots of oversize lighting in living rooms for a stylish accent. We’re specifying lighting from raffia and seagrass textures to two-tone metals, all in an extra-large scale.”

Potential pitfall: “Be careful of your ceiling heights—you’ll need to make sure the light fixture is the appropriate size for the room.”

 

Quick Fix: Paint an accent wall behind the sofa and add an easy-to-hang picture gallery from Framebridge. Simply select a design and send in your images, then Framebridge will handle the printing and framing for you.

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