From Dark Dungeon to Daylit Den
Last updated August 21, 2024
Morgan from Palmetto Highway is an architect, craftswoman, designer and more! She encourages her followers to join her DIY adventures through her blog bringing her home to life one project at a time!
A Note From The Home Depot
Do you have a space that needs a fresh look? Follow along with Morgan Nelson from Palmetto Highwayas she gives her home a whole new vibe.
In this project, she turns her dark dungeon living room into a bright and inviting oasis and gives you tips on how you can do it, too!
Table of Contents
From Dark Dungeon to Daylit Den
The Stairs
The Fireplace
The TV Console
From Dark Dungeon to Daylit Den
I attended the Haven Conference in Atlanta this past year to learn more about being a DIYer, a blogger and a content creator. Home Depot hosts a competition called Orange Tank at this conference every year.
I was one of many attendees who submitted and was stunned when I was selected as a finalist. I created a short video showing my living room alongside my many inspirational images. I was so excited when I was announced as a winner and couldn't wait to start transforming the space.
One of the ways that I get through a home renovation is focusing on one thing at a time. Looking at the “before” version of my living room was very stressful, because I couldn't help but see the long laundry list of to-dos. To combat this, I broke the room up into components and decided what I could do now with a big impact, and what could happen later.
The components for this project are the stairs, the fireplace and the TV console. Each of these projects would have a big impact on the space and would be packed with a bunch of mini DIYs.
The Home Depot Lists is a tool I use to track what I need for each project. I love being able to save decor or tools to My Lists on homedepot.com or
on the mobile app. When I’m ready to start that part of my renovation, I have all the pieces ready to purchase right there!
Before starting on any one component, I wanted to focus on ways to turn this dark room into a daylit oasis and the fastest way to do that is to paint these dark walls white!
The Home Depot has a ton of amazing project guides for inspiration and how-to advice. My dark paneling needed to be lightened and The Home Depot’s website had all the tips that I needed to learn how to paint paneling.
The Stairs
They say you should save the best for last, but I was way too excited to get started on these stairs. I'm a huge fan of vintage rugs and The Home Depot has just the tools I needed to really make this rug shine!
With some new paint and railing, the stairs were ready for my vintage runner. The thing that really makes it shine though, are these gorgeous brass stair rods!
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The Fireplace
With the holidays around the corner, the fireplace makeover was a must! I needed a mantel that would show off my decor and look great with a crackling fire.
In an effort to continue to brighten the space, I grouted over the old grout and lime-washed the stone. I love the natural texture that stone brings into a space; so instead of painting it, I chose to limewash it. This allowed me to have a lighter looking fireplace, but still emphasized the natural textures.
The wood used for the original mantel was red oak. I reused the top and bottom and found new red oak boards at The Home Depot for the front and the sides. These stunning corbels, covered in grout, add texture and help the mantle feel balanced and grounded.
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The TV Console
I was in desperate need of a TV console solution that actually worked for my home. I couldn't find anything that fit my vision. With the help of The Home Depot, I had access to everything I needed to make one myself!
This console table now fits this wall perfectly and houses all the miscellaneous electronics and DVDs that were piling my shelves.
I was able to reuse the wood shelves from another project, and I stained the inside to match the mantle. I tied this back to the stairs by using the same gallon of BEHR Ultra Scuff Defense interior black paint for the outside of this cabinet and reused the stair’s old balusters to make legs.
The Home Depot also carries a Polycarbonate Thermoclear sheet that looks just like fluted glass.
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Whether you’re tackling the whole room all at once or just one piece at a time, The Home Depot is your one-stop shop for anything and everything you could possibly need.
This post was created in partnership with The Home Depot. The author may have received compensation for this article and associated images or video, potentially in the form of products and/or services. All expressed opinions and experiences are the author’s own words.
