Our living room used to be the place we passed through, not the place we stayed. Heavy curtains, brown walls, and one small light fixture made it feel like permanent evening. Guests always drifted into the kitchen instead.
We didn’t knock down walls or do anything dramatic. Instead, we tackled light. We added a large window, replaced the dim bulbs with layered lighting, and painted the walls a softer neutral. We also chose furniture with open legs so the room didn’t feel weighed down.
The before-and-after surprised us. Suddenly, the room felt bigger even though we hadn’t actually added square footage. The new window brought in morning sunlight, and evenings feel warm rather than gloomy.
Now it’s the room where conversations start and end. We read there. We linger there. It became what a living room is supposed to be.
Sometimes “after” isn’t about more space it’s about more light.