ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 1 of 20
u2190 (first article) u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.2: Switch & Fixture Removal u2192
Hi there u2014 DIY Dad here! Time to tackle the first-floor living room renovation. On the floor plan the living room sits toward the right side of the house.
The floor plan. The living room u2014 a space the whole family uses every day for relaxing and playing together. DIY Dad’s household has a small army of energetic kids. Building a living room that can stand up to their full-throttle chaos would be a miracle, so instead the goal is: design for easy repairs. If something breaks, it should be simple to fix.
With that in mind, the design principle for this renovation is easy future maintenance. Here’s the full project checklist:
- Patch holes in the walls
- Repair the roof-leak damage on the ceiling
- Reinforce the ceiling structure
- Replace all wallpaper (walls and ceiling)
- Fix the dragging door
- Upgrade to wide-format switch panels
- Install a video doorbell intercom
- Install a ceiling fan with light
- Install an air conditioner
Repairs make up the bulk of the list, but the maintenance-first philosophy also drives the wallpaper choice: a simple, classic white that’s always in stock. Entire-room wallpaper in a single consistent color means any future patch job is easy u2014 if a wall gets a hole in it, a partial repair won’t stand out.
2026 Update u2014 The Big Picture of the Living Room Renovation
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The living room was by far the most involved part of the whole renovation u2014 wallpaper removal, substrate prep, roof leak repair, ceiling reinforcement… Honestly, there were moments where I thought: how can there possibly be this much to do?
Start by Removing Everything Attached to the Walls
The first rule of any wallpaper replacement job is to strip everything off the walls before you start u2014 switch and outlet covers, light fixtures, curtain rails, all of it. Skipping this step guarantees a sloppy finish around every fitting.
Removing Outlet Covers u2014 What to Watch For
Turn off the breaker first. Then unscrew the plate. Don’t touch the wires. If reusing intercom wiring, photograph the connections before disconnecting. DIY Dad takes a phone photo every time.
Floor Protection u2014 More Is More
Lay masking film across the entire floor with no gaps before the messy work starts. Skip it and you may spend an hour chiseling hardened putty off the floor later.
Tips for Stripping Wallpaper
Work a scraper blade parallel to the wall slowly. Don’t force it u2014 ripping tears the drywall face away. Dampen stubborn sections lightly; don’t soak the gypsum board. Older wallpaper tends to release more easily than newer paper.
Wall Substrate Prep (Puttying) Makes or Breaks the Finish
After stripping, fill screw holes and seams with joint compound. Apply mesh tape over holes, skim compound, dry, and sand smooth. Nine times out of ten a poor-looking wallpaper job traces back to skipped substrate prep.
Originally published: November 7, 2016 (old Seesaa blog) | Rewritten: May 7, 2026
ud83dudcda Living Room Renovation Series u2014 1 of 20
u2190 (first article) u00b7 Series Index u00b7 Living Room Renovation Vol.2: Switch & Fixture Removal u2192
DIY Renovation Quote Review Manual
How to read, compare, and negotiate contractor quotes. This manual saved me u00a5800,000 on a single renovation project.
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15 years of landlord experience u00b7 3 apartment buildings u00b7 DIY renovations that saved millions of yen. Browse all articles at diytosan.com
