Living Rooms
Choose DIY projects and learn how to make the most of your home's living room.
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How to Choose the Right Area Rug Size
Area rugs set the precedent for both the zone and tone within a space, meaning, these mats define design boundaries and aesthetic. When deciding on rug sizes, there are two options to consider: either a rug large enough to contain all the furniture on it or a rug that furniture is partially on. Read on to learn more about choosing a rug size for each room.
How to Build Floating Shelves
There are a lot of ways to hang a shelf, but the appeal of floating shelves is that there’s no hardware visible above or below the shelf. Watch this video and follow these steps for building your own DIY floating shelf.
18 Ways to Turn Unused Space Into the Rooms You Need
Why add on when you can add under or over? Give your home bonus rooms without drastically changing its footprint.
Ideas for Creating a Cozy Reading Nook
Everybody loves a built-in nook for curling up with (or without) a good book. Here are 8 ideas that will inspire you to create your own cozy nook.
All About Living Rooms
The living room is likely one of the first spaces guests see when they walk through your front door, so it should make a great impression. Are you considering minor updates (a mantel refresh, adding crown molding), or a bigger project, such as installing new floors, adding French doors, or removing a wall to create a more open floor plan? Read on to learn more about creating a living room that you enjoy.
Create an English Country Sitting Room
Re-create the relaxed vibe of a British weekend house—and an ideal spot for sharing a cuppa—with delightfully mix-matched textiles
How to Turn a Wood Slab Into a Table
Rustic wood meets modern metal to create this striking—and timeless—piece of furniture. Tom Silva and Kevin O’Connor show how to make a live-edge console table of your own
How to Wire for a New Ceiling Light
Ask This Old House electrician Scott Caron installs a new switch and ceiling fixture for a homeowner
How to Make an Ocean Epoxy Table
Want to bring the beach indoors? Here’s how to make an ocean table with concrete and epoxy resin step by step.
From Bare-Bones Basement to Comfortable Family Hangout
Priority one in this reno plan: Transform a strictly utilitarian space into the family's favorite room
Graceful Rejuvenation for a Water-Damaged Living Room
An interior nearly untouched since 1944 is our top living area pick—and recipient of a $1,000 Delta prize—in our 2016 Reader Remodel Contest
Built-In Book Storage for $197
A blank wall is transformed with secondhand bookshelves
Home Decorating Tips For the DIYer in You
Here are 11 home decor ideas from the pros that don’t break the bank.
All About Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
It's warm, cozy, and soft underfoot—and there's a type to suit most rooms in your home. Here's how to choose the right carpet.
Best Living Space Before and Afters 2013
You showed us your comfortable and chic living rooms, dining room, attics and basements. Now see which ones were finalists in our annual Reader Remodel Contest
How to Build a Three-Tiered Side Table
It holds much more than a reading lamp—and takes less time to make than shopping for a look-alike
How to Build a DIY Room Divider
Use MDF panels and wood molding to transform your entry with a stately new built-in columned room divider.
Inspiring Home Spruce-Ups on a Shoestring Budget
Resourceful TOH readers show how they stretched their home-improvement dollars with sweat equity in these six standout projects
Editors' Picks: Our Favorite Colorful Living Rooms
Don't be shy about turning up the color volume in your home's common areas. Take inspiration from these well hued rooms
How to Trim Out a Plain Table
This bedside perch now boasts one-of-a-kind style, thanks to strips of decorative molding
How to Build a Hairpin-Leg Coffee Table
Blending rustic wood with industrial metal, this coffee table has a high-end look—but costs less than $70 to make.
How to Install Carpet
Want to know how to put carpet down? We take you through all the details — from how to install carpet padding to trimming the edges to seaming adjoining pieces.
How to Build a Custom Entertainment Center
Get your media center organized with a custom-built storage unit
How to Install Wall-To-Wall Carpeting
In this how-to video, This Old House host Kevin O'Connor explains how to lay a carpet
S15 E2: Sheep-shearing Coffee Table
Made of recycled pine, this unusual coffee table is easy to make and comes with a good stor
How to Choose an Oriental Rug
Rug expert Steve Boodakian walks you through the world of Oriental carpets
Carpet Selection: Durability, Weight, Style
When it comes to buying wall-to-wall carpeting, here’s how to choose and install a quality carpet.