Upgrade Your Living Space With These 9 Living Room Remodel Ideas

Renovating your living room can make a huge difference in how the space and your home feel. Your living room remodel can be as simple as changing your light fixtures or as extensive as taking out a wall to open up the floor plan. Here are the best living room remodel ideas to enhance and modernize your space. You can also hire a remodel designer near you to help your visions come to life.

1. Add an Accent Wall

Creating an accent wall in your living room adds visual interest, dimension, and maybe even extra storage space. Choose one wall you'd like to highlight, such as the wall with your TV. Here are some great ideas for living room accent walls.

Paint Color

Select a paint color that stands out from your other walls. The tone can be a bold contrast or a pastel one. An accent wall is a perfect opportunity to bring color and life to the room.

Shiplap

Installing shiplap on a wall offers instant character and texture. You can paint shiplap any color, although white is arguably the most popular choice. The cost of shiplap depends on the size of your wall, but the boards usually cost between $2.50 and $7 per square foot.

Wallpaper

Patterned wallpapers are an easy way to enhance the character of the room. Opt for colors that complement your other walls or are a stunning contrast.

Built-In

Design a wall dedicated to display and storage with a built-in. Intermix drawers and cabinets for visual dimension and function. With an extra spot to store loose items, you can keep your living room tidier, too.

2. Switch Up Your Lighting

The brightness of your living room and the way light plays off the walls, art, and furniture significantly impact the room’s vibe. You can make large or small modifications to your living room lighting for a world of difference. Ideally, a room should have two or more types of lighting. 

Great lighting options for living rooms include:

Recessed Lighting

Whether to shine on your artwork above the fireplace or illuminate the room for game night, recessed lighting changes your space’s style and function.

Sconces

For decorative lighting on your walls, consider both traditional and modern sconces.

Skylight

Bring in more natural light to your living room to increase the energy and beauty of the room. Natural lighting easily changes your space’s look, feel, and overall appearance—perfect for chilly days and warm summer sunsets alike.

Chandelier

A center chandelier brings style and light to your space and can easily switch out with your current fixture.

Lamps

Table lamps and floor lamps make for great living room companions because they add style and illumination to different areas of the room.

3. Paint Your Walls

A fresh coat of paint and new color can change the space’s aura and even make your living room feel larger. Before choosing your color, brush a few strokes of your favorite paint samples on the wall. Over the next couple of days, see how the color looks in your room in the morning, afternoon, and evening light. 

You can even paint your ceiling for an updated look. Opt for a white-toned ceiling that's lighter than your wall color or add playfulness with a decorative color or design.

4. Resurface Your Fireplace

Change up the entire feel of your living room by refinishing your fireplace. You can paint it or add stone veneer, tile, or granite to the front. You can also extend the face of your fireplace from the ceiling to the floor for a more dramatic look. You can also add a mantel or replace your existing mantel. Wood, stone, metal, and marble all make great fireplace accents.

5. Take Out a Wall

Open up your living room and let in more natural light by removing a non-load-bearing wall. You can tackle this project yourself or hire a remodeling contractor near you to take care of the demo, repairs, and clean-up. With your new layout, you can rearrange your furniture and decor for a fresh living room design.

6. Refinish or Install New Floors

Your walls are an important surface, but so is your flooring. Refinishing your hardwood floors can make a room shine, and new vinyl flooring can look stunning and fresh. If you want to leave your floors as is, consider a new area rug to liven and soften the space.

7. Add Crown Molding

Want to add character, charm, or a finishing touch to your living room? Putting up crown molding in your living room is a relatively simple way to add beauty. You can even install crown molding above the entryways and windows. For a single room, crown molding costs anywhere from $300 to $800 and has a lasting, timeless impact.

8. Replace Your Windows

If you live in an older home, it might be time to replace your windows—offering your living room more and better natural light. Rather than choosing an exact replacement, you can increase the size of the glass, change the style of the window, or include stained or etched glass designs. Not only do new windows make the space more beautiful, but they can offer insulation and comfort to your home.

9. Change Your Accents

• Window treatments

• Rug

• Furniture

• Wall art and photographs

• Lamps

• Side tables

• Coffee table

• Candles and candlesticks

• Throw pillows

• Mirrors

• Indoor plants

You can also hire an interior designer near you to help you get the vibe, style, and look you want. A professional eye can help bring each detail together.

FAQs About Living Room Remodels

What is the first thing to do when remodeling a living room?

Right off the bat, create a detailed plan of the aspects you’d like to tackle. Gather inspirational photos that match the living room design you’re looking for, then get quotes from local contractors.

How do I modernize my living room?

You can modernize your living room by painting the walls a modern tone, exchanging your decor and furniture for more updated pieces, and adding attractive lighting options.

How do you renovate a small living room?

You renovate a small living room by maximizing natural light, adding mirrors, and painting the wall a dark shade of blue, green, or gray. With these changes, your space will not only feel larger but more beautiful too.