Beth Ferrera's living room was given a make-over by Real Living magazine. Inset: As the place looked prior to the renovation.

Beth Ferrera’s house usually got positive impressions even before the makeover. But there was still something about the house that needed fixing; even Beth herself couldn’t figure it out. So, how does one refurbish an already “okay” space?

Beth spent a considerable amount of time designing and redesigning the living room of her two-bedroom bungalow. She had a small work area, a love chair, a TV and an eye-catching lounge chair.  “Somehow, the pieces did not seem to fit no matter what I did,” she said. 

She thus consulted interior designer Kat Villanueva of Real Living and Robinsons Appliances, who said the place was fine as it was. “It was well kept and clutter-free. The fixtures were beautiful though they didn’t blend well with the furniture. Re-arranging was what I had in mind,” she said.

Kat worked on the space marrying “form” and “function.” She considered Beth’s flow of daily “to-dos.” So the home-office nook stayed. So did the love seat (which was re-upholstered into a beige hue to blend with the brown-woodsy color scheme) and the floor tiles. No repainting was needed, as the white walls were perfect. Curtains were changed from dull yellow-and-white to beige with a nature-inspired design.

A geometric rug, ottomans, large mustard-colored vases, ceramic pieces and cushion pillows all blended beautifully with the color scheme. The once gloomy living room is now airier and more spacious.

To finish off the look, Robinsons Appliances gave Beth a 26-inch LCD TV with a home theater system and a DVD player atop a hanging shelf. Beth, who loves the outdoors, prefers entertaining friends in her lanai - a small space which was supposed to be a garage.

With the recent make-over, the lanai became the ideal place to hang out. It now has new driftwood-type stools and benches with green and orange shawls draped on top. There’s a stylish wooden curtain hanging from the orange-and-white fabric covering the lanai ceiling, giving room for natural skylight. All these improvements stand out amidst the lush green garden background.