Huong’s Living Room Makeover

I absolutely loved working on this project. Not only does Huong have an amazing sense of style, she’s also incredibly creative, and knows exactly what she wants. But ever since she moved to Dhahran, she had been struggling to put this living room together…

The living room in this house is part of a longer living/dining room. When I first visited, there was a dining table on one side, and an oversized couch on the other with a TV hooked up to a computer. For lighting, Huong had put up a set of string lights so that she could avoid having to use lamps.

After our first conversation, it was very clear to me that she wanted a bright and airy space with no big or bulky couches, an open concept for entertaining (she’s an amazing cook so she entertains a lot!), and no floor or table lamps. She didn’t want anything obstructing an open feel.

So while I’m usually all about trying to make it work, her existing couch was just too big for the space. It was in a much bigger home before, so it was necessary to downsize. We sold the couch and then moved the TV to the back wall.

We were then lucky enough to be able to save some money by picking up a couch from the street that was reupholstered and redesigned to fit the vibe of the room. The updated couch came out so beautifully and if you missed it a few months ago, you can check out that transformation on this post.

This area sits between the living and dining room. Since it’s visible from the front door, we decided to work on this space as well!

Since Huong loves to entertain, I wanted to make sure the room was also set up to accommodate all of her guests. In the past, she had said that most of her guests would congregate around the dining table rather than moving to the other side of the room after dinner. For that reason, we adjusted the seating so that one would feel like they were part of a larger room rather than in two distinct spaces. It was a simple fix, but one that was apparently very effective at her last party!

For storage, and to hide the computer being used by the TV, we decided on a wall-to-wall BESTA unit from IKEA. It’s also used as seating by her friends’ little kiddos!

Anyways, I’m so incredibly proud of how all of this turned out. We’re still working on the dining room and her kitchen, so I hope to show you those rooms later in the year.

Until then, I really hope you enjoy seeing how this project came out…

| BEFORE |

| AFTER |

Since Huong is so stylish herself, we were able to use a lot of the accessories and décor items that she already had. The others were purchased from IKEA as well as from various online vendors that ship to Saudi, like AliExpress!

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Ceiling track lighting | Pendant cord with shade | Custom BESTA Media console | Gray couch | Wall lamp | Green side table | Jute rug | Rocking chair | Sheepskin | Cactus print & frame | Coffee table | Custom shelves were made by Huong out of pieces of wood and mustard-colored leather from Zamil | Macrame planter and wall hanging | White roman shades with rod

And here’s the update to the little area between the living and dining room…

| AFTER |

I feel like this particular set up really highlights the importance of having great lighting in a space. It can change the whole vibe!

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Shelving unit | Overhead wall light | Set of 3 cactuses | Wooden vacation countdown

Want to see more?

Check out Huong’s Boho Chic Home in the TDS Interiors Portfolio section of the blog for more project highlights of her guest bedroom and yard.