inkwitch Love this! I'm obsessed with books and magazines that focus on small spaces as my own LR is 14x13 with only 11x13 workable space (remaining space needed for passage to DR). Great ideas! One advantage: it doesn't take a lot of furniture to fill up a small space. DIsadvantage: saying no to that "I got to have it" table!

aeykelbo Condo furniture stores were a revelation to me. When we moved into our small apartment, it was obvious that none of what I thought of "normal" living room furnishings were going to work (i.e., what you find in big box stores that serve most consumers). Luckily, the densely populated small city that I live in has lots of furniture stores focusing in "condo furniture." A lot of the "condo designs" use tips posted here and in other ideabooks --> scaling down, low profile, raised off the floor, light colors.

Now, sometimes these small items still come with big prices, but at least it gives an idea of what to look for!

jdforney Our living room is a decent size at 12X 25. Since the front door opens right into the space, we've carved out a 5X12 foyer (with rug runner & narrow console table) out of the space. Then on the opposite side of the room, we have 2 double wide doorways leading to the kitchen & homework nook, respectively. Our living room is effectively only 12x10.

I'm having a hard time finding the right sized coffee table to fit the scale of our 76" sofa. Right now, we are still using a 32" round Heywood Wakefield, but it's too large. I'd like a rectangular one, but haven't seen any that are the right proportion (max 20" deep, max 40" wide). Well, I should qualify that- I haven't liked any that I've seen that are in the right proportion. Ha ha ha! So now we are just living with the too big one until the right one comes along. Perhaps I should just sell this one & we live without while waiting?

Ann Lowengart Interiors, LLC There's much that can be done to make a small room chic and fabulous! In this room, the bubble chandelier makes the room:

A. Peltier Interiors I am designer and have designed large homes in the midwest as well as small spaces out west. I still love a small space so much more! There is always a level of comfort that is easier to achieve in a small space that you have to work so much harder to find in those larger homes. Great photos and examples!

Rough Linen Love your first sentence! I have made our central large room into a dining room, with fireplace and wing chair, and the old porch is 10x13 and has the view, and just fits two large sofas opposite each other. It works perfectly.

simps214 Oh a cozy living room? Yes, please!

Much better for entertaining or just curling up with a book :)

midmodfan Am I the only one who has to think about the countless discussions on Houzz that always start with "We recently bought this house and the living room is so large I don't know what to do with it" or "the walls are so high, how shall I decorate them"?

Maybe one day this faszination with all things large and high will cease. I personally find these smaller rooms much cozier and easier to furnish. It's also a very nice variety of styles.

gknee Love a cozy living room and these are first rate examples.

susanintoronto Loved seeing this. I live in a small house with a small living room. We`ve had to be inventive with our seating. Some of these rooms are absolutely beautiful.

inkwitch Since the real estate bubble burst, small has become more popular. Have you seen those "wee houses?" Who really needs 10,000 sf? Ostentatious display of disposable wealth. And unrealistic; most people live in compact housing, and they're desperate to maximize what they can't change (or move out of). Thanks for this ideabook. Love to see more about how to make small bathrooms more stylish, small bedrooms feel less like sleeping in a fridge box, and compact high-function kitchens with pizzaz. Houzz, we depend on you!

tcufrog We have similar design issues as the photo of the L-shaped sectional (no blank walls and the only walls have either windows or a fireplace/built-in combo). We went with a u-shaped sectional with a chaise against the windows. Anything else would look too cramped and the cushions are great for the boys' pillow forts.

booney22 Love these ideas!

stlouisgaltoo I have always lived in small homes. I personally love "cozy" . I never have understood the percieved need to have huge spaces that scream "how do I manage" this space in terms of seating, etc. love these examples. More realistic to me. Great job!

JAN MOYER The way we got to the outsized homes of today was simple: We decided every child needed a bedroom/bathroom of their own, as they need privacy and a place for their own stuff. Mommy and daddy needed their own private sanctuary with a tub the size of a small lake, and a shower to match with separate sinks please. We decided each home needed a minimum of three car garage, and three and a half is better. We decided we needed a kitchen where twelve or fifteen could gather comfortably. And "we" are nuts. But that is how we got them. We "needed" them. LOL

Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel There's no rule saying there MUST be a coffee table! I use small side tables, nesting tables, painted moroccan tables, whatever, and make sure there's one for each guest. And BTW, yes I do need the space for exercise.

patricia beharry Thank you Houzz.

Jeri Halston condo furniture stores-where?

sjmom So often it is not the size of the space but the floor plan itself because when a room has many doorways and windows furniture placement can be diffcult. Good design requires space to move in and around and a clear pathway. Wall and furniture size should always be measured prior to a furniture purchase and sometimes finding the smaller piece to fit the space can be challenging. I speak from experience.

Gassiot Studio Small homes are more in line with the global trends - and more cozy! I love the creativity they inspire too, as evidenced by this idea book.

mcphee33 I do love these ideas, but there is always something missing in most of them. The television. Most of the homes I visit have a tv in the living room and I need ideas showing that.

Samantha Schoech Jeri Halston: I don't know of any condo-only furniture stores but most places have "condo-style" furniture, basically smaller versions of what they already have. I know Room & Board does. And West Elm and CB2 also have lines of smaller scale furniture for smaller, urban dwellings.

ladychirpsalot this is so great! my fiance and i live in a 1200 square foot condo, and i loved the challenge of making it gorgeous but not overwhelming it with too much.

lindalaska My living room is approximately 13X 13 and I bought a media chest for the TV to sit on top of that is as high as a bedroom bureau and as beautiful with tons of storage and a drop-front drawer for DVD. I gave up looking for the perfect size coffee table and went with an smaller sized ottoman from Ikea and I keep a wood tray on it for drinks. Attached picture does not show ottoman.

Paintings by Kirsten Elizabeth Gilmore My home and painting studio are both in a small townhome, so small space decor ideas are always welcome. :) Thank you.

queenjean207 What I'd really like to see is a full bath, including a soaking tub, in 3.5 x 6.5 room (the area of the half bath in my bedroom)!

frenchdecor Thank you Samantha. I believed one day I'll see ideas for less fortunate who can't afford hire a designer to make their home the best they can. I am not at low income side, but in big sites even 1100 sq f +basement house (mortgage) can eat your budget, and we are millions and millions of owners with small houses, owned and rented apartments.

medalith For more information visit the website www.impactosperu.com and you can see anything about wood furniture

lindalaska I did not use an interior designer, I pulled it together on my own, it took a while to find items that looked high end but that did not kill the budget but it was worth it.

Robin Spoerl Does no one have a television and a small living room? I'm not really sure any of these where successful in creatively addressing the problem to which the title makes reference. One example is the omission of any technology from these rooms - kind of cheating. Another example is the love seat as sofa tip - only really works if you don't have friends or hate having people over. Show me how to successfully integrate a television into a small living room with a fireplace without falling into the "tv as art over fireplace" trap. Show me functional, real-world space tips.

ladychirpsalot I responded above with the pictures that include the grey velvet couch. Our television is on a media stand on the other side of the fireplace; it's about a 52" but due to the fact that we set it back a little it isn't distracting.

shelbybella @ Robin: Hi..:) I DO have a television..although I, myself seldom watch it. lol. Keeping in the style of the look I have in my lounge ( living room) , which is sort of " french-ecclectic" ..I found this wonderful little ' buffet piece' on CraigsList. I took it home. sanded. Primed. Hand painted. ( NO spray paint) and I love the outcome. I , too DO NOT like that " TV over the fireplace' look, and I do have a FP. This cute little piece became the place for the TV..has storage drawers and a shelf as well. It sits on the left of the FP, and works great...and doesnt scream ' TV!!!" lol. I attached a photo..all finished, but w/ out the drawers put in.

christina I actually prefer living spaces with no television. Our current house has a small living room & we put castors on an old small library card catalog that we use as a coffee table & can roll to one side. The tv is in the basement rec-room. We watch a lot less tv with that arrangement and spend more time in the living room in conversation. I love it. The only thing we lack is a fireplace/wood stove. As it is, we use a rug to contain the living room area & artwork as focal points. (I don't see any reason you can't have more than one focal point, as long as it's balanced.)

Stevie great article, thanks!

inkwitch I may be one of those odd people who does not have a TV in the living room (or the bedroom). But I live alone, so I can do what I want. People come to visit me, not my TV. It's impossible to separate from the major social area, the living room, so until somebody comes up with something out of scifi that's affordable (key point because it already exists: milimeter thin sheet in any size to attach to the wall), it's just a non=stylish aspect of living room decor.

shelbybella OH, I agree.. with Christina and inkwitch- about the ' television thing"..I would RATHER have it elsewhere..; and when I lived in California, I did not even HAVE a television..and didnt miss it :) If I had an extra room for a " tv room"..yes, that would be fab! SO I did what I could to have it NOT be the main focus of the lounge. I am adamant about NOT having a TV -ever- in bedrooms. Bedrooms are for ..rest. relaxation . and romance. :) NOT for staring at a mindless box. lol.

mcphee33 I understand the people who don't want a television, but my point was, I do wish they would give some ideas for people who DO use a television in the living room.

lindalaska Can everyone stick to the topic which was advice on placing a TV in a small living room.

JAN MOYER I guess I don't understand. The living room became a "dead room" with the insistence it would be used as the always tidy room awaiting guests and conversation. It IS A ROOM. Use it as you see fit. It may be for music, a place to escape whatever your kids are watching, or a quiet space in the sunniest portion of the house just for you. It can function however you want it to function. A small silvery flatscreen tucked in a corner, or a large flatscreen not seen upon entering can work equally well. I had a client last year, with a DEAD living room. We used a gorgeous silk taffeta at the windows, bought four fabulous Baker ivory linen square club chairs and circled them at a round glass top coffee table, We added a console with a large sleek flat screen in a spot all can view, but not notice on entry to the room. There are sparkly/ sexy green glass lamps juxtaposed against that chartreuse and turquoise silk... there is art. There are some beautiful antique consoles. A fab textured sisal rug. It's not granny's living room. It's the favorite adult space for this couple and their guests. Prior to this re-do... only the dog liked it and only the dog used it. Make it what you want it. It's just space. Forget what you call it or how the builder labeled the plan.

Robin Spoerl Again, I think it was a bit of a cheat on the designers part to omit all technology from every room design in this collection. It's a bit of a stretch to say, "use your other room," when the topic was designing small living rooms. The response for a lot of people would be," What other room? I have a small living room because I have a small house." People like to watch TV and listen to music in addition to chatting in their living rooms. For a lot of people, it's the only room in the house one can do those activities in. It's much easier for a designer to make a living room a chatting space around a fireplace then actually make a truly functional space as the heart of the home. That's the real design challenge.

JAN MOYER robin and all
All design mags cheat in exactly the same way! Rarely do they actually show HOW the owners watch tv, even in a "family great room" attached to a kitchen. Please stop worrying about television. Its a crazier concept than trying to hide the toilet in a claustrophobic box in a master bathroom. We all "go" and most of us "watch" more than we care to admit, even if it's just for company and noise while we're doing something else. It's like trying to hide LIFE. Jeeesh!!!

JAN MOYER And one ps here: Given all the tech advances, prices of super flat tv's, and a decent electrician, there is little excuse for this entertainment to be an ugly feature in a room. There's no excuse for dangling black cords, dusty cable boxes etc. There is barely an excuse for a dvd box or bluray with the availability of streaming from the computer. Make it neat and tidy, and enjoy the show.Wherever you put it!

Karen McKown I agree with Robin. All the spaces are lovely, IF you have a big house where you can do you exercise/ yoga/ tv watching/ kids playing in another room. What about those of us with no space/ tiny houses who don't just have a continuous flow of friends (but only 1 or 2 at a time) coming to entertain us every day? We have bedrooms, kitchen (eat-in), bathroom and living room which needs to seat at least the 8 people who belong to this house. No way any of these rooms would work for us.

JAN MOYER Samantha wrote a piece on how to make a small living room attractive. One hundred square feet is a ten foot by ten foot room. There is only so much seating you can stuff in there. All attractive rooms, even those that are very small, employ the same techniques.. The furniture suits the scale, there is a mix of texture, they aren't cluttered, and they are comfortable. They "imply" conversation and gathering and even if you never have a guest, it looks as if you could. TV entertainment, work, and games can be visible, simply do it neatly! Every video you own needn't be in the room, and you don't need a 72 inch tv to watch "The View". If eight people have to share a tiny tiny space, well.... you do your best, and the kids will flop on the floor. Or you move if you can. Samantha didn't write a piece on design dilemma of the day, for a particular dilemma . Houzz has a million pictures of great ideas for tv and their storage. All adaptable to the size of the tv and the room. Hidden and not hidden. Your pick. And you can call the room your great room...the labels simply impede your decorative progress.

frenchdecor @Karen McKown, I am surprised, didn't picture # 4 scream at you "Pick me!!!"? Round table over 40" in diameter could be enough for 8, better folding table to extend to oval occasionally and have simpler not bulky chairs. Sofa with round back is capable take more than 3 people, I believe there no 8 adults in the house. On opposite wall from sofa instead of shelves flat TV. Couple of big pillows on the floor and kids will love it, for play or watching TV. The good thing about pillows you can step on them walking through, not as chairs. Side tables instead of coffee table in the middle of the room. With limited spaces use whole wall from floor to ceiling instead of table high furniture. Another posted furniture I like is built in sofa. It is simple to do thing, or I used in teen room a simple bed (no head board) with good tween mattress. Made removable denim cover on zipper for mattress and 3 big pillows with denim shams against the wall, it looks like sofa, but could be used comfortable for sleeping as well in the living room. Less you have more creative you should be.

JAN MOYER Ladies.....

To get eight people, even very skinny people at a round table.... you need no less than a 60 inch diameter for a "squeeze", and 72 inches is far better. Trust me on this; you need a BIG room to make that an option with any additional seating like a sofa and chairs! : )

frenchdecor Here I posted my 40" table we use very often for 7 adult people (note chairs with arms, not recommended) we add extra chairs. In TINY houses you don't have such an extravaganza as seat very! comfortable, so you go from plan A to B or C. And as the article about small spaces, no frills here. I have big family, but never had big living spaces, yet never needed. All I have is architectural layout problem not lack of area.

Suellen Valetta We downsized to a 1700sq ft townhouse so I can relate to all the comments. It's challenging to keep clutter free and organized. I have several angled walls I love for the character it gives the room, but furniture placement is more difficult. Add oddly placed doors and windows and the design can be overwhelming.
I wish builders would give more consideration to functional spaces for furniture.
Here's what we did after painting our greatroom.

memegee @ lindalaska (Re: Can everyone stick to the topic which was advice on placing a TV in a small living room.) - This isn't at all the topic at hand. If you have a need for such a topic post your own design dilemma on another page.

mcphee33 @memegee. No need to be so snide to anyone. Possibly some of us were not sure of how to go about posting another topic(that would be me). But thank you for the idea.

memegee @ mcphee33: Regardless of knowing or not knowing how to or that there is the possibility to post a question in "design dilemmas", the comment I responded to rubbed ME the wrong by declaring that it was the topic at hand -- to which, it is not. Talk about keeping to the topic at hand....

inkwitch Okay, chir-ren, play nice!
TVs! Now there's a love-hate relationship. I must really be fortunate -- well, I know I am -- I live alone, so turned one of my 3 bedrooms into a "computer room" with the TV on the wall above the filing cabinets (2-drawer wood laterals) which provides a platform for all the electronics that go along with the thing. My computer room is where I hang out the most before and after work.

But there are plenty of ways to integrate a TV into a small LR, and as someone said (read LOTS of posts!), there's no excuse for the clutter of wiring, electronics, etc. But buying just anything to hold it all can be just as bad as doing nothing: some "entertainment centers" are monster pieces that dominate everything and downright ugly. I admire the trick of putting a flatscreen behind a mirror: when it's off, it's not just some ugly black box. If you can imagine it, you can probably find it. And the nice thing about a small room: you don't need an 84" tv screen!

Robinson Interiors Great article. There are some terrific tips for homeowners here!

ruthieq How small is a small living room? mine is 21 ft x 13 feet with 2 6 ft x 4 ft windows and a sliding door 6 ft x 6 ft. with 8 ft ceilings and a wood burning stove in one corner with a 6 ft opening into the room from the entrance hall. would you call this a small living room or a medium size? thanks so much for your input...

j0dy Great ideas thanks!

joannstidman For those asking about the problem of having a TV in the LR, this shows what we decided to do. We waited almost 2 yrs before we came up with this solution. Do we put over the FP or beside the FP???? What to do? We used kitchen doors put hinges on them and you can open close.....anyway you want. We do have a TV in the basement but some of our elders cannot do the stairs and I like to watch TV (news, HGTV etc) while I cook. We are so very happy with this TV above the FP.....we made a smart choice for us.....you can lay back in the rocker/recliners and enjoy!!!!!! I hope this might help someone.

joannstidman A photo showing the doors open,sorry attachment did not make it on the previous entry.
Also the tv receiver fits on the glass shelf beside the TV.....almost hidden on the shelf.

JAN MOYER ruthieq,
A 21 x 13 foot room is a very nice room size. Unless!!! ??? You are having a problem meshing your furniture within the space? Meaning you either have too much/too large furnishings or not enough/too small? I sense there's a question somewhere in your comment that has nothing to do with what one calls the size of the room. For some the very same space would be small, and for another it might be a generous palace. : ) and someone might call it medium. It's of no consequence at all unless there is a difficulty with its use, or looks.

ruthieq Jan Moyer
sometimes I do have trouble with furn. placement.. not often..My husband likes his recliner ..Not a big one..in the living room, which makes one chair too many, but I have found a way around that.. we don't like a TV in the living room but I have decided to move it in there..as I have started using the LR to live in. and I did away with the Family Room. made it the Dining rm. and the dining rm a sitting rm..LOL..LOL..did turn out ok.. put in some book cases and it works fine..( in sitting rm) ..

lee135 I want to decorate my small living room

ruthieq to lee135...frist get some graft paper...and measure everything, size of room, each piece of furn. (every piece) draw these on the graft paper, then cut out these sizes and place them on the graft paper drawing of your living room and see how they look in your room.. use 1/4 in. size graft paper, 1/4 inch equals 1 foot.. don't forget to show windows and doors in the lv. rm. and any perment piece that can't be moved such as a fire place or free standing wood burning stove, book case etc. I do this for every room in my house it is easier than moving furniture all around. figure out where every thing goes frist then move the furn..the old addage measure twice then (cut) ie move furn once. hope this helps..have fun..

victoriabee @ Jeri Halston - Friends of mine opened a 'condo furniture store' in Victoria, BC, lots of lovely things! http://www.parcmodern.com/

ajlphoenix I always get a chuckle when folks talk about a small space being 1700 square feet. That seems huge to me! I live in the Boston area where the 600-800 square foot triple decker apartment is common. Our condo is 620 square feet. Our kitchen has four doorway openings. Built at the turn of the century, most of the homes were meant to have few pieces of furniture, especially the kitchen. Two electrical outlets in a room is the height of luxury!

I love to see how others have dealt with their design "dilemmas"! Keep those pics coming!

shelbybella @ajlphoenix ..I so agree! lol. 1700 Sq. feet is pretty big...compared to , as you pointed out..900 Square feet and under! The place I lived in when I resided in Long Beach CA was built in 1928; it was actually a pretty good size, ( considering) with a separate kitchen and dining area. But it was about 800 or 900 square feet. :)

Samantha Schoech We're a family of 4 in 1,000 sf in San Francisco and most city dwellers think our house is big!

halleycomet We have a similar dilemma--we have a "shoebox" proportioned house with a smaller "shoe box" proportioned LR. No den no "Great Room" no family room--and 7 people living here! We have ONE wall with NO openings at the darkest end of the house--this is far wall of the LR. Extra dark "faux" wood paneling that looks like it was attacked with chisels and maybe a chain saw before installing and staining. We hesitate to remove this stuff because just removing WALLPAPER turned into a major ordeal and led to us having to panel OVER the now shredded plasterboard. This "paneling" is glued to the plasterboard!

We have the TV--a large flat TV--on that wall--right now in an older light oak "entertainment center" that we removed shelves from to make the TV fit. Not the best solution but it keeps the TV off the floor for now! We are planning on doing a "wall" of bookcases/TV "stand" and an over the TV shelf to tie it all together soon.

On the other walls--oh, did I say--walls? Interupted spaces might be a better term! One has a large opening into the 'dining area" section of our "Eat in kitchen"--no separate dining room! No breakfast nook! No dine at kitchen island! This goes to that TV wall and then on the other side we continue with the absurd "faux paneling""--did they get a good DEAL on this stuff???---and to the door that enters the kitchen. This faces a large picture window--lovely mountain views which is prob one of the only reasons we are still here!!!---but--you guessed it--flanked by--that awful paneling! Now--the faux paneling from Heck is "only" part way up THOSE walls. On the wall facing the TV wall--they went FLOOR TO CEILING with the stuff. Keep in mind--this stuff is the color of very used motor oil. And not in a good steam punk sorta way. We have a large "hutch" covering this entire wall. We just pretend the faux panels don't exist. And in case you thought we were DONE--they continued this monster down our HALLWAY!!!! But--only PART WAY!!!!! So it looks--well--really stoooopid!

Holds every dog hair and speck of dust n dirt too.

So--the "design dilemma"--is to find something to COVER this faux bois. And then you have to have furniture to accommodate 7 people and any friends. I have so far just "ignored" the "door"--a WIDE door--into the dining area (you also access it from the kitchen) and placed a chair there--we need chairs more than we need another way to access a too-small dining area!

Because the front door opens directly into this area and we need passage to the kitchen---the back door is not able to be used by several family members due to steep steps---we "lose" space and furniture placement is--tight. This also has to serve as the kids playspace as there is no other! Makes for fun. !

If anyone has suggestions on HOW to cover this awful (and thick! Abt 1" thick!) faux paneling--material unknown but maybe some sort of early extruded styrene???--circa 1977?--I would be extremely interested in ideas. IT is dark and depressing and we are not taking it down as we do NOT fancy having to RE-DO all of the walls and ceilings (textured ceilings--if you re-do the walls you HAVE to re-paint or re-do the ceilings!) in a place we hope to not be living in for too much longer--meanwhile it is depressing!
I painted a peachy pink to counteract all that awful dark brown/black!

Real world is sooooo much messier than the perfect pics even on HOUZZE.

shelbybella @ halleycomet : I have dealt with that dark wood stuff from ' Heck"..and I SO get what you writing about. Even though you stated you dont want to paint, paint IS your friend. lol. SO, what I did was PRIME all that stuff with a really good paint primer. You may need two coats OR one REALLY good base coat. Then you can paint it . I didnt even BOTHER with filling in all the ' grooves' on that stuff.. ; to me, it was NOT worth the time, but if you wish to do so, then by all means..take the time. :) Your other option ? CHEAP FABRIC. OR even good quality neutral sheets ( bed sheets) that you can take your handy dandy Heavy Duty staple gun to and get to town with those. There is also a technique that you can use , it involves fabric starch ( I believe - its been DECADES since I used that technique, to be honest, but you can look it up) and you hang it up and smooth out the fabric.Completely removable when you leave. :) But may give you some much needed relief in the meantime from ' the cave' . :)

frenchdecor @halleycomet I didn't get the real picture of what is your house about, BUT once I had an idea in buying and flipping houses and saw such dreadful houses people tried to patch and couldn't get WHY? So, here is my suggestion. Measure every room and make a layout you want, call a contractor and ask quotation and questions for the job and LISTEN!!! him carefully about structural issues (some wall removal is not safe as they could support roof or could be some other issue, only that is a pitfall). Than revise your layout and if you have a healthy male in the house go with remodeling. It seams overwhelming, but it So DIY project!!! In our own house we had some shaky walls in the basement covered with faux paneling and in one room "feature" wall upper side half wall!?. We removed them in one single day cleaned the dust, not much mess. Bought 2x4" (8' -$3 each) and made wall frame (hummer & nails, grid is: horizontal on the floor and ceiling and vertical are 16" apart, check few youtube video's how to do it ) then put drywall (4'x8'-$11 each) patched joints, painted and it's done. We don't have anymore this dirt, allergy triggers and "old" smell, but brand new, fresh space under half house for $2000 including floors. Go to the big box store with your measurements and get material estimation, perhaps you'll be surprised how little it worth. I omitted insulation, perhaps, you don't need it, but I did it where I could, for noise reduction. I also covered so called "open concept" "windows" (openings) in the middle wall even on main level.

halleycomet @ShelbyBella---I don't "mind" the thought of painting it so much as I am in fear of it "rejecting" the paint! LOL! May have to look into what primers cover unknown surfaces. And how to CLEAN it in the first place--we have old WTW that butts up against this ---if there was ONE thing I could change here it would be this UGLY carpeting---which runs the length of the house! Ugh! But I don't want to use something like a TSP to clean as that might make the carper worse looking! I might just try cleaning deeply and then priming and painting on the one slab that sticks into our hallway--the most visible!--but also the most accessible and only a few feet long so if I completely fail I would only have to deal with this short section. For right now ignoring it--as most of it is "covered" by furniture---is OK. When we decide to move---then this will all be "exposed"!!!

@FRENCHDECOR----Altho you don't need a "healthy male" you generally do need someone more able bodied than I. We know where the load bearing walls etc are but are not planning on changing any of that---let that be some one ELSES project if they choose to do it. The next person to own this place will prob not have as many people as we have ended up with for one thing so space won't be such an issue. And if we decide to take on any big (or small!) project my husband is the Manager of the Big Box Store. We HAVE estimates---and we don't have the money to do more than basic cosmetics at this time.

I am interested---what did you put down for flooring that kept you within that $2000??? We have looked into carpet and laminate and other things and for even just the LR we would be looking at big bucks! And we get an employee discount!

halleycomet @FRENCHDECOR---I posted a comment above with another reply----please see! Thanks---

shelbybella @halleycomet : Good Afternoon..:) after reading your response, I will say that any good primer will work, you will have to roll it on and ' cut in' with it, just like any other paint. As far as your carpeting, deep cleaning would help, I am sure...; I use Folex, its non toxic, Biodegradable and no rinsing, unless you desire to do so. I have used Folex for MANY years, and its the bomb. lol. Find at Lowes/ Home Depot/ Target. Also, CHEAP but durable area rugs are also your friend and will cover a LOT of carpeting you dont want to see. Even an ' Indoor/ Outdoor rug ! Durable and easy care. I use a lot of different cleaning products , and try to keep it ' green', but sometimes you need something more. TSP is a good cleaner, for walls of most any kind, but I have also used this product called ' Howard Clean-A-Finish. " Its a Wood and Upholstery soap. May be able to find it also at Lowes or HD. I wouldnt take on too much other than the " cosmetic' issues, even though I did read FRENCHDECOR 's advice. That seems a bit daunting if you are not staying there for a per-determined amount of time. I have found that paint/ cheap ' art' in the form of things you like, and treated like ' Gallery art' will do wonders. Posters that are good subject matter, BUT FRAMED and MATTED, and have the FRAMES and MATTING all the same , look amazing. :) Also rugs and those are found on sale a LOT...even in several sizes that have a matching pattern. I have a thing about ' making a place MY ' home'...and will paint, etc. ..; after all..I am the one LOOKING AT IT, every day.:) And dont forget the olfactory side..:) Scented candles, a wax melter and even incense will go a long way in ' brightening ' up your place ! Cheers and keep posting about your progress !

halleycomet @SHELBYBELLA-- Thanks for the tips! We have covered up this dreadful--and I DO mean DREADFUL!!!--WTW with a large Oriental but in the "exposed" areas we can't do that as well---I personally would just haul out a carpet box cutter knife and hack the thing OFF where the carpet is NOT under the big rug--and put down---cut to fit sisal or other rugs we could NAIL DOWN. Or vinyl. As I am handicapped I cannot have anything that moves like a "regular" area rug as a cane or my faux leg might cause it to slide out from under me. The things you NEVER would have thought about in your "Before" life--How does my new handicap affect my decorating choices! LOL! Just today my daughter was showing me some really beautiful marble tiles at Lowes and we agreed----lovely but---toooo shiny and slippery. Sigh.

I would even just haul up that old carpet and paint the plywood underlayment! But--what we suspect we will end up doing is---very little for now! We hope to be OUT of here in a few short years and we will be able to use a different house we own that right now has an elderly relative living in it. When that changes we plan on moving in there and selling a LOT of what is in THIS house and ripping and painting--the obligatory white paint---and SELLING. Doing this while 7 people--inc two under age 7!--are living in it is---daunting!

The extra dark paneling however IS on my short list of Things To Fix. We are planning on re-doing the TV wall of the LR and this will be now visible in parts. I am going to "experiment" with the one clear area as it is easy to GET to--a lot of this is behind furniture--and see what works and what doesn't. You know how it is when you lose interest in something---we are just DONE with living in the North East and cannot WAIT to get out of here. This also means we have less than a huge interest in playing with this house!

Sounds awful doesn't it--to be on a site devoted to making nice with your house! But the house is---OK---just--not what we ever wanted. We have been here longer than we planned and if it were not for that relative--we wouldn't any of us be here at ALL. So mostly here for ideas for our NEXT place! Hold the Worlds Biggest Garage Sale and--GO!!!!

shelbybella @halleycomet : you are SO welcome..! I am glad things are looking better, and it DOES have a huge affect on ones mental/ emotional and psychological well being. I was thinking that, about painting your flooring.. funny you mentioned it..BUT it is a project that you must commit to. You use deck or porch paint, its tintable and you must also use a sealer afterward. Again, you cut in and then roll it on. THis is a several day process, but the results can be great. :) Especially if you use a subtle pattern, such as a large ' diamond pattern' or something. Even checkerboard. When using checkerboard, soft colors work better. ( depending on your homes colour palette.) You could also take up the carpeting ( as you suggested ) in the areas you stated ( that are not covered by the large rug) and get some good - but cheaply priced- vinyl stick on tile. Not a GREAT solution, but easy to do...as long as you know that you must have a plumb line and you can get tips on how to do this online..; and you can find stuff like this stick on flooring, , even on Craigs List. Would love to see a few pics if you have a way to share...:) Keep the positive attitude and know that whatever you PUT INTO your dwelling will make it nicer to be there for the time you have to stay there ..! :)

frenchdecor @halleycomet flooring cost about $1000. The renovation I was referring to is recreational room, Gym and Bar, (80 linear feet-perimeter) 400 sq f x $1.70 + $1 under-pad (we saved partially on under-pad, used from family room). We bought cheap carpet and I always buy such things when there discounts. Here the description - Level loop carpet has loops that are all the same height. It doesn't show footprints and is highly resistant to everyday wear and tear. Another option is looped pile berber, which is ideal for high-traffic areas like hallways, finished basements and children's bedrooms. I also have a dog and find thinner carpet easier to care, clean, vacuum and I steam it from time to time, no need for costly professional deep cleaning. Other $1000 spent - (I rounded costs) $300 for 2x4, 80pcs, $400 for 30pcs drywall and $300 for the rest materials, such as nails, corners, plaster, primer, paint, no fancy brand names, which doesn't mean "short cuts" and nothing peels off or falls apart after 7 years. Now I understand you don't need it, but it was only a suggestion. I heard once "Nothing is so permanent as temporary"- means you think it's for a short period of time and turns out to many years. I offered my best friend my help to do some renovation in her apartment, she said she wants redo it properly and nice. After 6 years she still has wallpaper peeling in some places, outdated kitchen cabinets and old draperies because mean time her son got second degree and daughter in medical school for 5 years and 5 more to be. It was her chose. As for me, I would spruce up my house long ago with minimum I can afford. Any way, whatever you do good luck with your project.

halleycomet Thank you! Yes--this IS our "Temporary" house--sigh!!!! We intended to re-do and sell and then other things got in the way and altho we have fixed up things we have not done as much as we initially thought we would. We also care for elderly relatives (one has passed) and have grandkids we watch so time is not our own.

This has turned into years we thought would be in a different place nearby or somewhere warmer---now looking to do somewhere WARMER!!!

slowhdrider I've coped with the same issue by using a very thin foam to cover walls then installing fabric (via a staple gun) and tacking painted wood strips over the seams. Joanne's has fabric sales from time to time, I'm sure other places do as well. It resolved the issue for a late 1800's pier & beam house that "floated" on the ground as Houston had rains and then dry spells. Drywall cracked so that was not an option. They also have very thin drywall. I've seen a friend address the issue with painting pecky cypress walls, treating first, then a very light wiped stain to "antique" the base yellow. It was sunny and alleviated her dark wood walls. Let's see before and after photos once you get it finished.

ellie0149 This is our down south (AZ) living room...total floor area of whole unit is 399sq.ft. And yes there is a tv in the living room, so people with 1200 sq ft homes have it made lol..we still have decorating to do but we have started.

ellie0149 Opps forgot to say TV is on a built in corner cabinet by the printed throw

shelbybella ..I like your candlesticks. :) and the flooring. A lighter colored rug and a few less ' Earth Elements' ( browns, etc.) and this room will look great.