Updating the Living Room

Final results

When we bought the house in 2006, the sellers offered to include a lot of their furniture as they were downsizing. This served us well, as it helped us keep initial costs down and do updates over time. They also had quality furniture that continued to last. The first change we made in the living room was replacing the inefficient brass gas fireplace in Dec 2007. 

Former fireplace, replaced in 2007

I sewed customized window treatments for all of the windows in the house. We replaced the former owner's red plaid sofas in 2008. 

Former owner's sofas. Note the banister behind

New sofas in 2008

In the summer of 2011, we did an entire kitchen remodel, and removed the decorative railing and slightly decreased the living room area with a corner bar and new cabinets as well as creating more room for the casual dining area. We also took down the decorative ceiling beams, sheet rocked a new ceiling over the popcorn and installed new canister lighting throughout, including spotlights over the mantle. 

During the 2011 remodel

We hired a carpenter to build a new mantel and bookcases in Aug 2022, after being in his queue for 9 months. We had him enlarge the area for the TV and raise the mantel a bit. He stained the mantel and the cabinet tops the same stain as our kitchen cabinets. The painters finished the cabinets in Nov 2022. 

Bookcases and mantel before 

New bookcases, cabinets and mantel

We had new carpet installed in May 2023. 

During carpet replacement. Old on left, new on right

Our 15 year-old sofas were starting to sag and creak, so we bought new sofas in Nov 2023, and they were delivered in Feb 2024. We looked for new end tables and a coffee table to replace what we inherited from the former owners but we really didn't like the options we were seeing. Besides- we know this coffee table is built well and can hold at least 4 dancers.

Mardi Gras party 2018. Fun was had

New sofas Feb 2024. I made the throw pillows a number of years ago