I’ve shown you how I’ve made over my bathroom and kitchen, so now to conclude my apartment makeover series I’m showing you what I did in my living room. I probably had the least flexibility in this area because I live in a “furnished” graduate student apartment. By furnished, I really mean dorm-style furniture. I won’t complain much because a roof over my head is still that, so let’s get into it!
I don’t have too many before pictures (my bad!) but to see a quick video of the before head to my Instagram page where I’ve posted it! But here’s what it looks like now:
It was very important to figure out how to elevate the very ugly dorm-style “couches.” A fleece blanket and some throw pillows from Target proved to be a very quick and effective fix. As for the windows, I knew they had to be covered with curtains to block the unsightly window guards. I chose black and white curtains to go with the theme of the pillows and rug.
The rug and the coffee table were additions that immediately transformed the vibe of the room. Rugs are fairly expensive but I got this one for sale at RugsUSA, the same store I got my bedroom rug from.
Believe it or not, this is the first TV I’ve ever purchased. It feels great to upgrade from Netflix on my laptop to Netflix on my TV. I chose a brass TV stand to match the coffee table and decorated it with some boxes, candles, and pine plants from Marshall’s. The framed print above the TV was gifted from Desenio and was a nice touch of warmth which connects to the theme of my other prints.
I decided to add a touch of warmth to the room through framed prints on the walls. I decided to go for some wall art from Black artists on Etsy. The sunset and plant prints are by @mkoby_ and the prints featuring Black women are from The Everyday Print Co. (The latter prints are framed with IKEA “Ribba” frames and I’ve linked the frames for the former below.)The wall mirror is from Home Goods and it adds a lovely touch that gives the room more space. My living room has pretty bad lighting so I added a lamp to match the legs of the coffee table and TV stand.
If you saw my kitchen before and after images, you might have noticed I got rid of the table in the kitchen. Since it comes with the apartment I can’t actually get rid of it. But I moved it to the living room to create a breakfast nook/dining table. I covered it with a tablecloth I found from Marshall’s and voila. The flowers pictured above are fake but some weeks when I feel like it, I throw some real flowers in there. These gold-rimmed and marble coasters once again tie into the other pieces in the room.
Last but not least, my little fitness corner. This bike is from Amazon and significantly cheaper than a Peleton. I jokingly have been saying I’ll get a Peleton when I have the apartment/house to match. For now, this will do, especially because it has an iPad holder. Other items in my workout corner include a pair of 15 and 10-pound dumbbells, a workout mat, and ankle weights.
That’s it for my living room tour. I hope you like what I’ve done with the place and I hope this was helpful for anyone who is in college or graduate student dorms! That pretty much wraps up my apartment makeover series!
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9
