The Living & Dining Rooms BEFORE AND AFTER

Welcome back to Figs and Flights {at home}. This post covers the living & dining rooms of our 1948 house in Seattle.

We bought the house in 2014 and have renovated and updated it along the way. Last week I covered the kitchen and the phone nook. Next Friday we'll get into the bathroom & bedrooms.

Would this living room say POTENTIAL or UGLY to you? (Both?)

What we Love/Hate about the Living & Dining Rooms

The living and dining rooms are the biggest and brightest rooms of our house! We love the corner windows, the picture windows, and the sliding doors for flooding the house with light when the sun actually shines here in Seattle.

We love the hardwood floors and find the arched doorways so charming (ok "we" don't, it's just me!). 

We hated the fireplace and lack of overhead lighting in the living room. We hated the placement of the light fixture in the dining room. It was in the center of the room but between two seats once we moved our dining table in, how awkward. ​

---

The Renovation Projects

After 2 years in the house we hired a contractor to tackle a proper makeover. When we started our goals were to:

1. Refinish the hardwood floors everywhere
2. Repair settling cracks in the ceilings everywhere
3. Install overhead can lights in the living room
4. Replace the fireplace, mantel, and hearth in the living room

​Here's the list of the additional projects we ended up doing with our contractor:

1. Painting the walls everywhere
2. Replacing the baseboards and heating vents everywhere
3. Moving & replacing the electrical outlets, light switches, and covers everywhere
4. Removing the sconces from the mantle area in the living room
5. Sealing up the doorbell nook in the living room
6. Replacing and moving the light fixture​ in the dining room

---

Since the Renovations

We've kept the momentum of improvement going over the years. Since we tackled the BIG projects we've also undergone the following:

• Updated all window coverings
• Added a storm door to the front door to allow LIGHT in
• Decorate, decorate, decorate!

---

The Living Room

BEFORE: The listing photo did an OK job of showing off the living room, corner windows, and arched doorways

AFTER: So much better on all accounts! Notice the overhead lighting, fireplace, flooring, baseboards, paint, etc.

BEFORE: The chair there upsets me, nobody would do that!

AFTER: See fireplace, dining room light fixture, new paint, floors, etc. Everything is better, lighter, and brighter now.

BEFORE: The living room wasn't all dark brown, some walls were white. The house was staged in a way that made no sense at all

DURING: What a fresh, clean reset! That triple light switch was brand new to go along with our can lights.

AFTER: The living room is painted all one color, floors are refinished, the door bell cut out is gone (far right).

BEFORE: The dark living room walls and doorbell nook

DURING: Sealing up the doorbell cut out, repairing wall imperfections, holes for overhead lighting.

AFTER: Filled with light, plants, color! The storm door was our most recent addition/project.

BEFORE: The empty living room and the mantle/fireplace with FOUR types of tile

DURING: How scary is this? It feels like everything was ruined.

AFTER: The living room's far wall has some such a long way!

---

The Dining Room

BEFORE: The listing photo of the dining room really captures how much light the room gets! It's the best room in the house

DURING: Look at those floors!

AFTER: The dining room remains the best room in the house, look at all that light!

BEFORE: The dining room with the industrial light in the center of the room

DURING: Bryce in the midst of the mayhem.

AFTER: The dining room needed the least work. New paint & chandelier and a refinish on the floors.

Thanks for touring the living and dining rooms with us!

​If you're into the Figs and Flights content but SICK OF FACEBOOK please sign up to receive updates via email. The option is here on the website, to the right and way up top.

---

Similar Posts