See This Living Room Go From Dark and Dated to a Country Cottage Dream

We can't believe how a few simple changes completely opened up this space.

By Taysha MurtaughPublished: Feb 24, 2017

OK, this one deserves a slow clap. How do you take a dark, drab '60s living room and turn it into an airy living and dining room dream? Ask Jenna Diermann of Jenna Sue Design Co. She's in the middle of revealing her fabulous flip of a cottage house in Mi Wuk Village, California, room by room (check out the exterior and the kitchen!), and this one started as a doozy.

Wood, Lighting, Room, Interior design, Brown, Window, Hardwood, Living room, Floor, Couch,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Wood, Room, Interior design, Lighting, Floor, Hardwood, Shelf, Living room, Flooring, Home,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

It was dark and outdated, and the layout just didn't make a whole lot of sense to Diermann.

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Jenna Sue Design Co.

Lighting, Interior design, Wood, Room, Living room, Floor, Ceiling, Couch, Furniture, Flooring,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Wood, Room, Lighting, Interior design, Floor, Hardwood, Flooring, Living room, Couch, Ceiling,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

So while using it as a workspace for renovating the rest of the house, Diermann got to work. The plan was to utilize the room as an open living room and dining room. All it took was painting the paneling white and adding recessed lighting to brighten up the space.

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Floor, Flooring, Room, Interior design, Ceiling, Wall, Fixture, Daylighting, Hall, Building material,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Of course, she kept the pretty brick fireplace, but she addd a reclaimed wood mantel and gave it a coat of paint, too.

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Jenna Sue Design Co.

Then she installed cabinets to match the ones in the kitchen.

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Jenna Sue Design Co.

And wide plank Pergo flooring.

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Jenna Sue Design Co.

And voila!

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Jenna Sue Design Co.

A completely dreamy open living and dining room.

Wood, Room, Interior design, Green, Hearth, Living room, Floor, Property, Wall, Home,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Wood, Floor, Interior design, Room, Flooring, Property, Home, Table, Hardwood, Ceiling,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Wood, Floor, Room, Interior design, Flooring, Wall, Home, Furniture, Interior design, Living room,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Interior design, Room, Chandelier, Light fixture, Ceiling, Bouquet, Floor, Interior design, Ceiling fixture, Fixture,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Wood, Room, Interior design, Floor, Glass, Flooring, Table, Furniture, Daylighting, Hardwood,

Jenna Sue Design Co.

Check back for more makeover photos of the rest of the rooms as Jenna reveals them, one by one, and see the full story in an upcoming issue of Country Living.