If you were around before Christmas, you know that we swapped our Living Room and Dining Rooms to make room for a Christmas tree.
Well now that the Christmas trees and Holiday decor are all put away for the year, we’ve decided that we like the living room where it is (in the former dining room)!
Life after swapping the living and dining rooms
The ‘new’ living room is smaller and much more cozy.
I adore the board and batten and the Analytical Grey paint looks so good paired with the cream-colored couches.
It reminds me of several ‘formal’ living rooms we saw when we toured a few model houses in the fall. And since we also have a family room only a few steps away, smaller and cozier works just fine for the main floor.
There are a few changes we’d like to make to get the room to a ‘finished’ place though.
To help the room feel like it was meant to be a living room all along.
Plans for the Living Room:
- replace the two oversize love seats with a large sectional to make better use of the space
- paint over the chalkboard wall and add board and batten to match the rest of the walls in the room
- move the chandelier up a bit so it’s out of the way when getting on and off the couch
- maybe make the coffee table smaller – this will depend how it looks and functions after the sectional is in the room
- add a barn door on either side of the large entryway
- figure out some side tables and lamps
- potentially close the smaller entryway (this will depend on the future kitchen makeover)
- add a chair to the corner if we close the entryway
- maybe add shelving or a blanket ladder?
So that’s where we’re at with the living room – livable but a work in progress.
Have you ever swapped rooms in your house? Did you keep them that way, or change them back after a time?
xo,
Shannon
Living Room Source List:
- Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Analytical Grey
- Curtains – Ikea
- Flooring – Sandy Hills Hickory “Handscraped” Laminate from Lumber Liquidators
- Area Rug – Moroccan Trellis in Tan from Rugs USA
- Couches – second hand
- Pillow Covers – various (numbered covers from Chapters, Deer Head by Lucy of Craftberry Bush)
- Pillow Inserts – FJÄDRAR inner pillow from Ikea
- Grey Plaid Throw – similar here
- Oversized Clock – Fulton St. Wall Clock from Wayfair
- Grey Knit Poufs – Addison Pouf Ottoman in Grey from Wayfair
- Chandelier – Hampton Bay Heritage 6-Light Iron Chandelier from The Home Depot
- Large Square Coffee Table – DIY Brickmaker’s Coffee Table found here
- Candle Sticks – 5 Piece Turned Candle Holders by Birch Lane/Wayfair
- Large Oval Tray – Ikea
- Electric Fireplace – Canadian Tire
- Corner Floor Lamp – Ikea
- Large Hand Lettered Art – DIY found here
(Our source list contains affiliate links. That just means that we make a few pennies at no extra cost to you, should you purchase anything via one of the links. Thank you for helping to make this site possible! )
Gail says
January 6, 2016 at 10:38 pmYes, I did the same as you. But my living room has a fireplace. It was great having it in the DR when we switched(romantic), but we missed it when the weather changed and the LR became a little colder. We switched back but I miss not having a fireplace in the DR.
Shannon Acheson says
January 7, 2016 at 6:15 pmI can see why you’d miss that!
Kaitlyn says
January 7, 2016 at 1:51 pmI love a small living room – it feels so cozy like you said! My parents made my bedroom into a den when I moved out. It is on the second floor and has just enough room for a cozy sectional, a coffee table, and the TV. It is much warmer in there than their first floor “formal” living room, which has 10ft ceilings. The only downside is now I am a guest in the guest room when I go home to visit!
Shannon Acheson says
January 7, 2016 at 6:15 pmLol. Oh dear!
Nancy @ slightly Coastal says
January 7, 2016 at 3:33 pmI haven’t swapped rooms before. Right now I have one giant space with no walls and I’m working on ways to make it feel cozier. I love your smaller formal living room. It looks like a great space to hang out and chat. I can’t wait to see the changes.
Nancy
Shannon Acheson says
January 7, 2016 at 6:14 pmOh that can be fun too! Creating zones works really well in that type of space.
Joni says
January 7, 2016 at 6:05 pmI wish I could buy your loveseats. Exactly what I am looking for!! Do you remember where you got them?
Shannon Acheson says
January 7, 2016 at 6:14 pmI don’t. We actually bought them used from a friend.
Joni says
January 7, 2016 at 7:23 pmThanks for replying! Anxious to see your reno with some new furniture. It looks awesome now.
Christine says
January 15, 2016 at 2:17 pmHi Shannon, I always love your family room….can ask you what paint color the grayish color is? Love it!
Shannon Acheson says
January 15, 2016 at 2:34 pmThank you! The paint color is Sherwin Williams Analytical Grey. 🙂
Emory says
January 24, 2016 at 10:07 pmHi! Love your living room, especially the coffee table! Did you make it yourself?
Shannon Acheson says
January 24, 2016 at 10:10 pmThank you! Yes, we made the coffee table. There’s a tutorial here: http://akadesign.ca/diy-brickmakers-coffee-table/
Lauren says
July 22, 2016 at 5:19 pmHi! I love this room, especially the rug. Do you remember where you got it? I would love to put something similar in my master bedroom.
Shannon says
July 25, 2016 at 2:56 pmYes, of course! It’s the Moroccan Trellis Rug from Rugs USA!
Brenda says
October 20, 2017 at 8:48 pmHi, love your home! I was wondering if you could tell me the paint color on your living room wall? I have been looking for a good neutral color for quite some time now, I like the color in your space. Thanks so much!
Shannon Acheson says
October 21, 2017 at 7:28 pmThe paint color in that little living room is Analytical Grey by Sherwin Williams. One of my favorite paint colors. I have a whole can and haven’t decided where to use it in our ‘new’ house yet!
Brenda says
October 22, 2017 at 1:55 pmHi Shannon, Oops, sorry…I did not realize that you changed the rooms for the living room, I guess I was looking at the first room that was your living room, I believe it is a white paint in that room. I have tried so many whites trying to decide, but many have a hint of purple or pinks that seem to come out, not what I am looking for. I love grays but I am not sure they will go with our natural wood work. Thanks so much!