3-Step Makeover: Living Room

Real people rarely have the time (or money) to decorate all at once. Take a look at this three-step plan that invests in furnishings slowly and lets your living room's personality blossom over time.

Stage 1: Starting Point

Beige may be boring, but it makes a good interim color for a room, providing a quiet environment in which you can objectively evaluate and reevaluate options until you're more comfortable committing to a color. The sofa provides a solid starting point for the room, with clean lines and easy-to-complement blue upholstery. Inexpensive black accent tables, purchased at a discount store, can easily move into a family room later. Checked chairs may be classic and comfy, but the style is a bit traditional for the future version of this room.