The 10 Most Unrecognizable Living Room Transformations We Saw All Year
Living rooms play an important part in our everyday lives. It’s where we unwind and entertain, as well as dig into hobbies or the latest much-watch series. But if your living room lacks personality, then it often doesn’t help you feel anything other than blah. That’s why we’re always excited when readers submit a living room before-and-after.
Over the last year, Apartment Therapy has published dozens of living rooms that detailed transformations big and small, with aesthetics and budgets that cover the gamut. Here’s what we’ve learned: Paint will always be high-impact, and you can never go wrong with a little experimenting. In the end, this is your space — so you do you. Read on for our six favorite living room transformations of 2025.
Color-drenching and bold wallpaper highlight an open-concept living room.
Sometimes an open-concept living area isn’t on a wish list, which was the case for new homeowner Frankie de la Cretaz. Nevertheless, that’s the type of floor plan they bought, so to make the living space distinctive from the dining one, de la Cretaz opted to get creative with color. By drenching the walls in a deep green and using a striped wallpaper to highlight the fireplace, the living room is unabashedly maximalist — yet still delightfully cozy.
Green paint and a gallery wall make this Brooklyn apartment feel super cozy.
Rosaline Elbay’s Brooklyn apartment had classic New York details: brick walls, tall windows, and a stately fireplace. She opted to use the trees outside as inspiration for her living room upgrade, and painted the non-brick walls in a coordinating verdant shade. A gallery wall above the mantel came to be with some trial-and-error, while the furniture’s funky layout was a bit of the same. But once Elbay found the right solutions, including DIY tray tables, she could enjoy a room that embraces her vibe.
A pink-and-green paint combo matches the energy of an eclectic living room.
Alex Hinand (@the_bareback_contessa_) had an all-white living room when he moved into this Chicago apartment, but that didn’t exactly match his style. So he painted the walls, ceiling, and fireplace in two different shades of pink, and then gave the window trim and mantel a makeover in dark green. That color change did wonders for making his living room feel more inviting, and coordinated much better with his thrifted finds.
A historic bungalow’s living room gets layered with old-meets-new finds.
The goal for William Hutton’s (@williamhuttondesign) living room makeover was to make it feel warmer, courtesy of intentional layers. This historic Los Angeles bungalow already had stunning architectural details; Hutton simply had to highlight them better. So he and his husband, Kevin, chose a creamy tan for the walls and drapery, and then brought in texture through vintage furniture and interesting finds — like a large chandelier sourced from Facebook Marketplace. The results? Moody and calming, with lots of character.
Jewel tones and navy walls make this living room a book-lover’s dream.
Owner Amanda Mactas (@manhattantwist) wanted her living room to reflect her modern-meets-bibliophile style, so she hired designer Kim Limtak to help bring her vision to life. White walls turned navy while the ceiling went gray, while jewel-toned furnishings and drapery were added to create cozy drama. Mactas can now pull titles from a wall of built-in shelving, which also includes a TV, and read from a seat of her choice.
A yellow-and-red motif makes a century-old living room feel alive.
Brandi Katherine Herrera (@alivelymanner) says that the living room in her century-old cottage had been “poorly flipped,” complete with white walls and builder-grade finishes. She wanted it to have a bolder personality, starting with paint. Herrera added board-and-battan wainscoting and covered it in a golden tan shade, and then reupholstered a vintage sofa to match. The red accents, including on the front door, only make the room feel more energized.