Farmhouse Rehab: Affordable Living Room Makeover

Happy Monday friends! Today I’m soooooooooo excited to be back with another edition of Farmhouse Rehab! If you aren’t familiar with FR, let me explain real quick. This is a series I started back in January and it’s all about helping you, my amazing readers, design your home with farmhouse charm. I get a ton of questions through email and social media from people looking for design advice. Maybe it’s your living room you need help with or a tricky bedroom that has you stumped. Whatever it is, this series is where I offer my personal ideas and suggestions for YOUR home. I spend so much time on these FR posts because I really want to help you create a space that is not only beautiful, but also affordable. There are lots of great furniture and decor options out there, but I really try to choose only items that I feel are worth the price and that I’d buy myself. Not only do I look at products reviews, but I also do a lot of price comparison before I recommend anything. I spend hours looking for just the right fit! Anyway, this week is all about an affordable living room makeover for one of my sweet readers, Megan. Megan recently emailed me photos of her living room space and mentioned that she wants to do a complete makeover in this room. We chatted a bit back and forth and here are Megan’s wants for her living room:

• new furniture
• new paint
• kid friendly (she has two little ones)
• a cozy farmhouse vibe

OK before I get into it, here’s what Megan’s space looks like now:

So keeping Megan’s wishes in mind for her living room, here are my ideas for her space:

I have 5 key ideas for this room:

1. The first thing I’d do is change up the furniture and move the couch to the back side of the room. Then I’d position two new accent chairs on the right side, with a small side table in between them.
2. I’d also center a new TV console in the middle of the back wall.
   1. If Megan and her husband are feeling ambitious, I’d also recommend doing a planked wall behind the TV console. This will add a ton of farmhouse style to the room and that wall would be super easy to do with no windows or weird angles. Plus it’s very affordable if you’re going for the faux shiplap look. See my tutorial for that here.
3. Next I’d create a gallery wall by combining her awesome family photos and the shelves she already has hanging on the other wall. The wall behind the TV would be a great spot for this and she could add in a few extra pieces, like an old window or some hanging baskets to bulk it up a bit. Then on the wall behind the accent chairs I’d hang a large mirror to reflect some light in this small space.
4. Even though this living room already has carpet, I’d suggest getting an area rug for a couple reasons. 1) a neutral area rug is going to brighten up this space and add some warmth. 2) It’s going to protect the carpet from accidents that happen with little ones. Spilling juice on an area rug is much less worrisome than spilling it on carpet. Plus it’s much easier to clean. Choosing an area rug to layer over carpet is actually pretty simple–you just want to make sure the texture and blend of the rug is different from the carpet. So in this case, with a plush carpet like Megan’s, I’d recommend a rug that has a low pile height, like a jute rug.
5. Megan wanted to freshen this room up with new paint, so I’d recommend going with one of the following shades for a lighter look: Dover White, Alabaster, or Pure White–all of which are by Sherwin Williams. These shades of white are great for a farmhouse look (many of them have been used in Fixer Upper) and they’ll really help to brighten up this small space.
   

   My Furniture & Decor Picks

 

Slipcovered Sofa–This slipcovered sofa is awesome and will work perfectly for a house with little ones. Yes, it’s white–but all of the cushions are slipcovered–so the covers can be removed and washed. The reviews for this thing are awesome and it’s reasonably priced.

Beige/Light Gray Area Rug–I love the design of this rug and I think the colors would compliment the room really well. I’d go with a 5×8 size.

Tufted Arm Chairs–-There are a ton of options for accent chairs that would work in this room, but I love these tufted arm chairs because I think the size would work well for Megan’s space and they have a timeless look for a really great price.

Distressed Table Lamp: I always hesitate putting lamps in my design boards because they’re so darn expensive. I’ll be honest with you guys, most of our lamps are either thrifted finds I have painted or even this one here that we DIY-ed for a fraction of the cost. This distressed table lamp is gorgeous and I do think it would look great in this room, but I’m not crazy about the price.

Tufted Ottoman–I loooooove this tufted ottoman. Not only is it gorgeous, but it also has storage for toys! That’s a HUGE win.

TV Console: This TV console is a great size for a small living room and I love the gray finish. Plus it’s only $150, which I think is a pretty darn good price for such a solid piece.

End Table: How cute is this end table? I think it would work perfectly positioned in between the two accent chairs. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the price is awesome.

Whitewashed Window Mirror: I love the vintage inspired design of this mirror. It would look great over the TV console with two metal having buckets on either side.

Love is Spoken Here Sign: How perfect is this for a living room where little ones are playing? I just adore it and I think it would work really well in Megan’s photo/gallery wall.

Storage Baskets: Because you always need a place for toys and books when you have little ones around. These wire baskets with the lining are perfect for storing toys, but still looking really cute.

Well that’s a wrap on this edition of Farmhouse Rehab! I think Megan has a great little living room and there is major potential here to create a cozy and kid-friendly space for her family. I’m excited for her to get this makeover started. Thanks so much for stopping by today my friends. Let me know if you have any questions about today’s post! And be sure to check out a few of my other Farmhouse Rehab posts here:

Farmhouse Rehab: Small Bathroom Makeover

Farmhouse Rehab: Townhouse Living Room

Farmhouse Rehab: Budget Friendly Spring Refresh

Want to submit your space for Farmhouse Rehab?

If you’d like to get my input on a room in your home, just send me an email at sarah@sarahjoyblog.com with the subject line FARMHOUSE REHAB. Be sure to include a few good photos and let me know what you’d like help with! You’ll receive an email back if your space is chosen for the next feature!

Now let me give you a quick disclaimer. I’m not a professional. I don’t have any fancy design degrees or certifications. As I always say, decorating your home is very personal and you should always do what feels right to YOU. These are just my opinions and suggestions!