Home Makeover: Living Room

Well, it’s March 20th and this is my first blog post of 2023. That should be a pretty good indicator of how overburdened/burnt out I’ve been so far this year. Taking on my usual Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar in the midst of renovating a house, juggling my day job, and writing for Ottawa Magazine might have been biting off more than I could chew.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through some of the links in this post, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission, which helps keep the bar stocked.

That being said, we’re seeing a light at the end of the tunnel on our renovations. Our rental unit is now complete and I’m pleased to be able to share some photos showcasing how we’ve transformed the living room.

For reference, here is what the space looked like when I initially viewed the home with my realtor Matt Love:

BEFORE

The layout felt cluttered along the perimeter and even though the centre of the room was left vacant, it felt crowded and dark. That tile detail you see on the fireplace facade was actually peel-and-stick mosaic. It took some serious elbow grease and goo-gone to get that stuff off.

When I took possession and got to see the space without the furnishings and decor, it felt bright and spacious. I had always planned to repurpose the furniture from my condo to outfit the rental unit to minimize costs and my environmental impact.

AFTER

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I’ve had all the furniture you see here, except for the desk and office chair, for over 10 years and they continue to serve me well. Sitting on the same spot on the couch for 2.5 years of pandemic living was really starting to show, so I replaced the foam in the seat cushion last year.

The home was built in the late 1940s and I fell head over heels for the era-specific architectural details like the built-in, curved doorways, and enormous picture window. Given how many companies have transitioned to remote work, I wanted to ensure our guests had a beautiful office space. Situating the desk in front of the west-facing window means you can watch the sunset as you put tools down for the day.

SHOP THE POST

While the fireplace is off-limits to our guests, for safety reasons, it serves as a beautiful focal point for the room and we chose to mount a TV above the mantle for all required Netflix bingeing.

We maximized seating by tucking two club chairs in the corner and our chartreuse yellow wingback in the opposite corner. With the office chair, this living space is perfect for entertaining, seating eight people comfortably.

We used some dried florals that to add an organic touch that even my black thumb can keep alive.

We upgraded the dated sconces flanking the fireplace with new sconces from Ikea. I was very mindful of cost throughout this renovation (very unlike me) as this rental will likely see a lot of wear and tear. Anything that we needed to replace was outfitted with affordable options that can withstand heavy use and/or be cheap to replace. You’ll see this cost-effective approach hard at work when I share the kitchen reveal.

Lastly, I’m acutely aware that there are a shortage of long-term rentals in Ottawa. That’s why this Airbnb is available for both short- and long-term rentals through the Airbnb platform and I kept my downtown condo and am renting it to a long-term tenant.

If you are interested in renting this Airbnb for short- or long-term stays, please shoot me an email at yvonne@tasteandtipple.ca!

In the meantime, comment below and let me know which room you’d like to see next!