You know that saying , “If you give a mouse a cookie”. That is exactly how this project got started! My sister was hosting a party at her home and asked for some help refreshing her front room. Having people over is great motivation to do projects that we put off for too long! (about 10 years in this case!) I remember when my friend hosted a bridal shower for a mutual friend and we jokingly called it that $10,000 shower! I was happy to help my sister, after shopping for new accessories I knew that we needed to take it a step further, by 9pm that night, her husband was putting up a board and batten wall with an art ledge and I was shopping for a new couch and floor lamps (we had to bring some light into this room!).
Thank you The Home Depot for sponsoring this post
Living Room Before-

Her living room was not bad at all. It was lacking scale variation, everything was really similar in size. And the sofa in the bay window wasn’t maximizing the square footage. I asked her if she had important things in the armoire or used it and that was a no. So we put it outside with a “free” sign and it was taken to a new home.
Living Room After-

As you can see, we kept her current rug, it is one of my favs!! Looks so much bigger now, not so boxed in. Simple furniture rearranging is often the solution to any room refresh. We moved her piano to a focal wall. Swapped the sofa to the opposite wall, out of the bay window. In the bay window, put two leather chairs, one she already had then added one more. And this is a given….the room got some much needed plants!!!

The night before my sisters event she was hosting, I started to hang the art on the wall and it just didn’t feel right. I said…”you might hate me for saying this but, the wall could use some board and batten and an art ledge!” Brittany and Derek (her husband, my awesome brother-in-law) agreed and he ran to The Home Depot for supplies. It took him about two hours to get the board and batten on the wall.

The boards are directly on the wall, just nailed with 2 inch brads, with a nail gun, no glue. Their walls are slightly textured and it still looks great! Each board is 2″ wide. After they were hung, they caulked around each piece and filled in any gaps and imperfections. Then, the walls were ready to paint!

My cutie nephew painted the walls in Dead Salmon from Farrow & Ball, The Home Depot matched it for us (they had the blend already in their system). The top is painted in Cloud White from Benjamin Moore, again matched at The Home Depot.

So happy with how it came together!! I downloaded and framed a bunch of Digital Artwork in these frames from The Home Depot. Easy way to add art to any space. Also mixed in some vintage art we found at thrift shops. Old, mixed with new.

She got this piano for $50 on a local Facebook Sale Page. Added a bench and a few new accessories to complete the look (find those items here).

I found that ficus tree at a local plant store. I have actually gotten one before at The Home Depot! I told my sister she could keep it if she promised to take care of it and talk to her often 😃. A ficus tree requires similar care to a fiddle leaf fig. They like a lot of sun and to be deep watered, but not sit in water. We just put a plant tray inside the basket to catch excess water.

Did you notice we took down the blinds and curtain rod she had? They really don’t need the blinds for privacy and they blocked the light. I ordered these cordless white washed bamboo shades that filter the light and add some really great texture.




We got her a new sofa! We were looking for something very budget-friendly and found it at The Home Depot. This Sofa is 80″ and was only $699! This is a great sofa for the price. It comes in two small boxes, we were shocked! The color we did said black, but it seems to be very blue/grey to us.

Simple grouping on her coffee table. Plants and a little bowl of goodies.

I ordered a couple of different arched floor lamps to test out. If you have a room that doesn’t have overhead lighting, this type of lamp is a great option!

Floor Lamp #1– this 63.5 in is a shorter arched floor lamp with a black base.

Floor Lamp #2– 80 in. gold arched floor lamp this was a very sturdy lamp. The arch drops down more, making it a little shorter than the one below.

Floor Lamp #3– this 73.5 in arched floor lamp was our favorite for their living room. The arch was the largest, went further out into the room. Also, the base has a pretty marble finish that supports it well. I like how you can turn it on with a little switch on the middle of the lamp.

PS speaking of Arched Lamps, you can find our floor lamp, here (LOVE this lamp, very sturdy and arch is a big arch, also the lamp shade is nice because it has a bottom so you don’t see inside the shade)


My sister says her family has already used this room more than they had before. So comfy and inviting. Plus, the extra light makes for a cheerful space. Hopefully you got some ideas to easily refresh your home!
The Home Depot Resources- which is a one stop destination for all Home products.
You did an amazing job with your sister’s room!
Thank you Pam!
Wow! What an incredible transformation in such a short amount of time. I love that you aren’t afraid of color! It looks so good!
I really love the updates you did in this room. It’s amazing how seemingly small things can have a large impact. I had to laugh at the name of the paint color that was chosen for the board & batten wall – dead salmon. Hilarious! Do you have sheen recommendations for painting living rooms and ceilings? Ours are painted in flat paint and feel dead (the light does not bounce off the walls and ceiling making the room feel dark and small). One more question – are the Studio McGee chairs actually comfortable to sit on? They look pretty….I’m on the look out for comfortable reading chairs. Any recommendations?
Would your magic light trick work with an arched floor lamp like these? I need lighting in our great room, but it’s in the middle of the room, so no electrical outlets.
I couldn’t post this on your Instagram. Because your comments were limited. On your Utah House paint the rock fire place off white it will updated it. I dont like the look of the natural color stone. And leave the ceilings unpainted.
I get to see my grandchildren from Utah in June!! Have not seen them for 2 years because of COVID. As a senior citizen I have been fully vaccinated because I am an RN
I am gonna enjoy following you on your journey in updating your Utah home.