I love a dramatic room makeover as much as anyone—Lisa Vanderpump’s closet could hold my attention for hours—but completely replacing everything in a room isn’t always practical, especially if you don’t have a reality-TV-sized budget. Often the best approach is to work with what you already own and add a few well-chosen pieces to refresh the space. That was the plan when my best friend asked for help with her bare-bones living room. I immediately started throwing out ideas and sketching layouts like a lone Pictionary player.
When they first moved in, the room felt sparse: a rug, sofa, armchair, and a tufted ottoman. The walls are Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams. It’s their formal living room, so the TV and big cozy sectional are in another area, yet this room still gets plenty of use—for the kids, holiday entertaining, and lively adult game nights. After the move my friend felt underwhelmed and was convinced she needed to sell everything and start from scratch.
With three young kids (and a cat), replacing everything immediately didn’t make sense. After some honest conversations about living with “sticky fingers and rogue Cheerio dust” for the next few years, she realized it was smarter to keep the essentials for now and invest in pieces later when they’ll hold up better. That’s when I switched into full-on optimism mode and convinced her to “make it work”—Tim Gunn style.
By rearranging what they already owned and adding a couple of accent chairs, two inexpensive bookshelves, and three pieces of art she loved, we transformed the whole room. The sofa and armchair are more tan in real life than they appear in photos, and all the new pieces were chosen to work with the existing items—and with whatever they might buy later, like a new rug or seating.
The standout DIY project was the gold display shelves flanking the couch. We used two affordable metal shelving units, gold spray paint with built-in primer for a smooth finish, and marble contact paper to dress up the solid metal shelves. After assembling the frames (we left the shelves to the side), we applied several thin, even coats of paint and let them cure outdoors for two days. That prevented fumes in the house and kept the finish from getting nicked.
The middle shelves were glass, while the top and bottom were solid metal. We covered only the visible side of each solid shelf with marbleized contact paper, folding a small amount around the back like wrapping a present. The contact paper didn’t alter the shelf fit, so they slid back into place easily. It was a simple trick she had saved from Pinterest and it couldn’t have been easier.
Another high-impact change was the artwork. We chose a large photographic piece for the back wall and two additional prints to complement it. The art was the splurge—worth it for the visual anchor it provided. The pieces also reflect something meaningful to the homeowners: they travel to France every year, so the Paris-themed artwork brings a personal touch and a daily reminder of their adventures.
There’s a running joke that the man in the large photograph looks just like her husband because he often wears a bright orange jacket, so guests assume the picture is of him. My friend gets a kick out of that reaction—sometimes she’ll shrug and say it’s “just a snap I got on my phone,” which always gets laughs.
And yes, that’s Kitty Purry—named by their oldest child after the pop star’s cat. She blends into the room nicely and is a sweet presence, only occasionally reminding me of my own mild cat allergy.
We also filled out another zone of the room by bringing in two clear ghost chairs for the exposed edge of the rug. They cost less than new upholstered chairs and made the seating area feel complete and more functional—now there’s room for extra guests on game night. Since they already owned matching clear chairs in the dining room, we borrowed those to test the look and then ordered two more for balance. A small side table was improvised from an upside-down basket they already had—an easy reminder that sometimes the best design choices come from what’s on hand.
We also re-used a leaning mirror for an extra touch of gold and brightness. Accessories for the shelves were pulled from around the house: horizontal stacks of magazines, framed photos, decorative boxes, vases, and small lamps that give a soft glow in the evening. Because most of their books live on built-ins elsewhere, these shelves were able to stay decorative and light.
If you’re styling shelves yourself, my top tip is to choose a few larger-scale objects instead of many tiny, busy items. Decorative boxes, stacks of magazines or books, framed photos, and a few vases look intentional and polished. Fresh grocery-store flowers can add a lovely pop for just a few dollars; we spent $4 total on the bouquets shown in the after photos.
This probably isn’t the last time you’ll see this house—I’ve already shared their son’s room and we’re slowly updating other areas. I couldn’t wait to share how a few thoughtful additions and a little elbow grease turned a so-so room into one they truly love. Total time spent: about five hours, including planning, measuring, assembling, spray painting, applying marble paper, ordering prints, and hanging art. And the best moment? Capturing a detail shot just as Kitty Purry strolled by—priceless.
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