The living room or family room doesn’t always get the same remodeling attention as a kitchen or bathroom, but it’s often the room a family spends the most actual hours in. After 25 years working on full home remodels across the Sacramento area, here’s where I see the best return on a living room refresh.
Living Room Built-Ins: What Actually Works
Custom built-in cabinetry flanking a fireplace is one of the most requested upgrades I see in full home remodels, and it’s also one of the most-searched living room upgrades homeowners look into before committing. A few things I tell clients up front: built-ins earn their keep most when they mix closed storage (for the stuff you don’t want on display) with open shelving for books, art, and family photos. Depth matters too, built-ins that are too shallow for real storage end up purely decorative, which is a missed opportunity. On a recent project of ours in Roseville, we flanked the fireplace with matching oak built-ins on both sides, exactly this mix of closed cabinets below and open shelving above, and done well, it made the whole room feel finished and intentional rather than furnished around a gap.
A Fireplace Refresh Changes the Whole Room
Updating dated brick or tile surrounding a fireplace, with a large-format tile, a wood mantel, or a slab material, is one of the highest-impact single changes in a living room, since the fireplace is usually the room’s visual anchor.
Durable, Warm Flooring
Family rooms take more daily wear than almost any other room, kids, pets, foot traffic from the kitchen. Engineered hardwood or high-quality luxury vinyl plank in warm tones has become the go-to choice for durability without sacrificing the warm look many homeowners want.
Layered Lighting Over a Single Overhead Fixture
A single ceiling fixture rarely does a family room justice. Layering recessed lighting, a statement fixture, and a few lamps or sconces gives the room flexibility for movie nights, homework, and everything in between.
Sequencing It Into a Full Home Remodel
In a full home project, the living room typically comes toward the end of the interior phase, after kitchens and bathrooms, since it involves the least plumbing and electrical complexity. That means by the time it’s the living room’s turn, homeowners are usually seeing the most tangible, livable payoff of the whole project.
If you’re planning a full home remodel and want the living room to be more than an afterthought, my team at America’s Advantage Remodeling can help you plan it in from the start.
FAQ Section (PAA-sourced, answer-first for AEO)
Q: What are the best living room remodel ideas?
A: Custom built-ins around a fireplace, an updated fireplace surround, durable warm-toned flooring, and layered lighting are among the highest-impact living room remodel updates, since they address both daily function and overall feel.
Q: What should living room built-ins include?
A: The best living room built-ins mix closed cabinet storage with open shelving, and are built deep enough for real storage rather than purely decorative display. Flanking a fireplace is the most common and highest-impact placement.
Q: Should I remodel my living room as part of a full home renovation?
A: Yes, if you’re already doing a full home remodel, the living room typically comes at the end of the interior phase and benefits from being planned alongside the rest of the home’s finishes rather than treated as an afterthought.
Q: What flooring is best for a family room?
A: Engineered hardwood or high-quality luxury vinyl plank in warm tones are popular choices for family rooms because they hold up to daily foot traffic, kids, and pets while still giving a warm, finished look.
CONTACT US
Our Services
Areas We Serve
Certificate
