I had officially called it. The laundry room had flattened me, the cabinet doors are still unbuilt, and I told myself 2026 was done for large scale projects. Then I was scrolling through last year’s photos and landed on my vintage Christmas tree, 700+ ornaments deep, and a thought showed up that I could not shake: what if the walls behind that tree were fully trimmed out and painted before the holidays? So here we are, with about three weeks, one very decorated room, and a set of living room design plans that includes double boxes, appliques, and chunky Parisian crown molding. I’m going for it.

2025 Vintage Christmas Tree. We’ll have even more ornaments this year! Shop the flocked tree here.
Why I’m Squeezing In One More Renovation Before 2026 Ends
The laundry room took a lot out of me. It was big and complicated, and I’m still not finished. I have cabinet doors and the pullout storage left to do. I decided to step away so I can go back with fresh eyes and actual energy, and I’m okay with that. Not every project has to be finished in one push.

Shop the Laundry Room
But the living room has been nagging at me. It’s fully decorated, and it’s my most colorful room, packed with vintage finds. What it has never had is any design beyond the decor itself. The walls are just walls. I believe in the power of trim and paint to transform a room, and these living room design plans are my chance to prove it.
The Living Room Design Plans

The Living Room trim design plans. The decor will stay the same for the most part.
This will be my most detailed trim project yet.
The lower half will have double boxes, similar to what I did in my primary bedroom. The upper boxes will go one step further. Each one gets an inner box with appliques, which I think will give the room a fun Parisian flair. On top of that, I’m adding very chunky Parisian crown molding. I want the ceiling line to feel substantial, like it belongs in an old apartment with a lot of history.


If trim feels intimidating, I promise it’s more approachable than it looks. You don’t need a workshop full of tools, and you don’t need any special skill set. You need a plan, a few basics, and some patience. The plan matters most, which is why I’ve written up how I design picture frame molding layouts if you want to try this in your own home. I’ll also share a full step by step living room wall trim tutorial once I’ve had a chance to flush them out.
Why the Paint Stays Neutral in My Living Room Design Plans
I’ll admit I considered a color (we almost went pink!). But this room already has a lot going on, in the best way, and I want the decor to be the star. With this much wall trim, a pink or any other strong color could easily take over the room. A neutral lets the trim add dimension without competing with everything I’ve collected.
Last year while I was renovating my Primary Bathroom, I sat in the living room and painted the ceiling medallion for above the clawfoot tub. I remember thinking how beautiful the paint looked with the way the light in the room was hitting it. That has stuck with me ever since, and since I have leftover paint from that project, it’s a no brainer to go with Stirabout for the walls and molding. I’ll soften the ceiling from the existing builder grade white by painting Dimity (also leftover from my home office ceiling!) in a dead flat finish.
Also if you get hung up on picking a paint color, these are some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way! There’s nothing more disappointing than not getting your paint color right, so if you’re thinking about updating a space, these tips will help!
Five Rooms, Five Different Trim Projects
This will be the fifth room in my house to get wall molding, and I love that none of them match. I started in the dining room. In my primary bedroom, I did double boxes. In my home office, I added a chair rail with lower boxes and wallpaper above. In the primary bathroom, I did layered, detailed wainscoting. The living room won’t repeat any of those. Every wall asks for something a little different, and that’s what keeps me interested.




You can shop sources and supplies by room right here.
A Fast Timeline for These Living Room Design Plans

A last look at the living room as it stands today: decorated but not designed.
As I mentioned at the top, I have around 1,000 vintage ornaments for my Christmas tree and last year it took me two days to decorate it with about 700 of them. I want to put the tree up earlier this year and actually sit with it for a while, not squeeze it in around a half-finished room, or even worse, have the room derail me putting everything up without time to enjoy it.
So my goal is to have the trim and paint done by mid November. That also means two projects checked off my original 2026 list, the laundry room (well, mostly) and the living room. I’ll take it. We’re going to move fast on this one so make sure you’re following along on socials and check back here for progress updates!
Catch Up on My Other Wall Trim Projects
If you want to see how I got here, these are the rooms that came before:
How To Design Picture Frame Molding
How to Measure, Cut, and Install Crown Molding
Landscape Wallpaper Murals for Every Budget














































































































































