apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Too bad you're committed to the wall color. I like your furniture. To me everything else works if the wall color were neutralized. A coat of white paint or black stain on the desk would help too.

Multiple finishes are OK in a minimal space, but can be distracting when there is a high level of "stuff" in the room. I would suggest painting out the bookcases to match the built-ins. JMO!

Since the couch is red and the wall green, there's a somewhat jarring Christmassy effect. I would consider painting the crown molding, as the white doesn't really pull the room together but is really jarring as well. Perhaps paint the white bits and slipcover the sofa another color?

Eames, Noguchi, floating shelves, framed mirror, picture groupings. Oh yeah! CHALKBOARD PAINT.

The color of the blue chair sticks out to me. Cover it with something that blends better with the other colors in the room. Could even be blue, but should be more of a jewel tone. I'd look for a print with red in it.

Walls need something. Consider a large black and white map for over the desk by the bookcase. Then get something for either side of the fireplace. And, if possible, the stuff on the ledges on either side of the fireplace should be cleared off and some objets arranged there. The shelves look neat, and can continue to be used primarily for storage.

What about some lamps?

I'd center the sofa on the fireplace and float it into the room, with the coffee table in front of it. Chairs casually on either side.

This room is almost finished! It needs for Elizabeth to let her imagination pull in a little fabulous something and it will be perfect.

There are a lot of disparate colors going on here. But how about recovering the black chair in a print that ties together the red and blue of the couch and arm chair? I also would reconsider the wall color if at all possible.

I love your mix of colors, textures, and styles. The wall color is lovely!

Interesting that you describe this as a home office, yet the desk/workspace seems an afterthought. Some thoughts:

1) Consider replacing the small desk with a larger, table-style desk. Just legs and a top; no bulky drawers. Something a bit modern and sleek. Put it right in front of the bay windows, so when you're sitting at the desk you can look out the window. Get a great desk lamp.

2) If you put the desk in front of the window, this will also force you to move the sofa. This is good. Same general placement, just move it a bit so it is centered in front of the fireplace. Place your rug based on the sofa placement.

3) Get rid of the IKEA chair. I like the fact that it is modern in a traditional space, but it's not working here. Your modern desk, rug and coffee table already fill the need for modern lines in a traditional setting.

4) Move the wing chair to the other side of the fireplace. Add an interesting pillow, or a throw folded across the ottoman. I'd keep those accessories modern in feeling.

5) Replace the torchiere lamp with something else. It looks outdated and a bit unstable. Place the new lighting on the other side of the sofa. Again, I'd probably keep it modern in feel.

6) Add a few simple but striking accessories on the cocktail table. This room feels kind of clubby... how about a bar tray?

Great room! You are fine as long as you keep all the wood black - this means getting rid of the IKEA chair and lovingly removing the desk to another room - it's lovely, but it clashes with the rest. Another desk in any style will fit, as long as it's black. The blue chair is an interesting effect - you may consider reuphostering it in either black, green or red, or keep it as it is in the meantime and see how you feel.

The built-ins look like file cabinets. Put the baskets, drawers, and record albums on the bottom shelves, only. Place nicer books (some on their sides) on the other shelves, maybe some pictures, plants, etc.

My comment was just lost!

O.K. let's unify the room with color. If you are committed to the wall and sofa color, then we'll proceed from there. Keeping it simple, your colors are green, red, white and black. Paint the mirror white and the desk black.

Picture frames-you have a picture with a small black frame on it that gets lost. Add pictures with white matting and a thicker black frame (say 1.5 to 2 inches) so it will stand out. You could add one over each of the bookshelves that flank the fireplace.

Chairs-Replace them all. Add two black leather chairs to flank the sofa. Something like a Crate and Barrel leather chair or Pottery Barn. Update the desk chair. The reason I suggest replacing them is because you have too many styles going on. You can keep the classic elements (fireplace mantel, crown moldings, baseboards and doors) and add the modern room elements (paint color, sofa, flokati rug and new leather chairs).

Pillows-Final touch would be geometric pillows for the sofa and new leather chairs. They should be a bold, geometric print and the only rule is to use one of the four colors that are already in the room (green, red, white or black).

That's it!

Forgot two things:

1) Paint the baskets black to help unify the room.
2) Remove all of the papers/files from the tops of all of the bookcases and shelves in the room.

Oh, one more detail: I'd choose a desk with chrome or stainless steel legs. Black wood top, maybe.

After you finish your work, you can sit on the sofa and mix yourself a cocktail. Now THAT'S a home office I want to spend time in!

I forgot two things: Paint the baskets black and remove the stuff from the top of the bookcases.

Dont paint the desk! Just use it in another room and get a black one! Keep the beautifully comfortable armchair, reupholster if you want! There is no law that you are only allowed so many colors in the room (black and white are not colors)! Leather chairs make you sweat!

Oh, no, please, no chrome or stainless steel in that room...

i like it - it just needs flowers and curtains and pillows. these are easy things to find at your leisure as you see things you like. but i like one of the suggestions to paint the black bookcases and brown desk white. that'll look great - much lighter and match the other white trim to look more built in.

1. flokati to the bedroom! Find another area rug.
2. the built-in shelves look like: books on one side, storage bins on the other..try half and half for a more balanced look. Its all about a balanced composition.
3. the wall color is virtually the exact same as the tiles in the fireplace surround, so it looks kind of flat. Either white wash the walls or repaint (maybe a pale celadon?).
4. REUPHOLSTER OR SLIPCOVER AT LEAST THE WINGBACK, if its in the budget...the sofa too. That red is kind of strong (but its a matter of taste).
5. with the black bookshelves: they are kind of "inexpensive" looking...if their contents aren't absolutely necessary to the room...put them elsewhere. otherwise:
the space between the door and the built-ins and the space on the other side (where the free standing bookcases are) look very different. I would turn one case and place it where the desk is and scoot the other down; creating an "L" then trim them out with a moulding and paint them the same color as the rest of the moulding in the room. That will create a more built-in/custom (ie. expensive) look. Float the desk in front to create a more dramatic "layered" look.

move the b/w pillows to the blue chair and red sofa - that'll tie the furniture together

get rid of the throw and pillow on the sofa, lose the globe

work on those shelves - ad some interesting shapes, start an Adler-esque white pottery collection, and put some on the coffee table too

oh yeah, the mantle could use a little staging.

going off the assumption that you're generally happy with the room and just want to add a few small touches...

-I like the mix of colors. I think it makes the room more casual. if you were going for a more formal living room, I would agree about all the wood matching and such, but I've never had a problem with a few different wood tones. also, the blue chair is what's preventing the room from looking christmas-y. don't recover it.
- that said, while I like the shape of the ikea chair, the orangey-ness of the wood and faded black/brown cushions stray a little too much from the rest of the room. look for a similar styled chair that coordinates a little better or refinish/recushion.
- get different throw pillows (or recover) for the couch. pick up a color from elsewhere in the room, either a dash of a similar blue or a black and white (ideally all three) simple pattern. it'll help break up the red of the couch so it serves as a color accent withour sticking out too much.
- put a (relatively) large, simple piece of art above the desk.
- get a striking vase full of flowers or an interesting glass piece or two for the coffee table. something to add a little height and break up its surface.
- get a nice, medium-height potted plant, (something like a pleomele reflexa, perhaps), and put it just to the left of the lamp to make it a stronger focal point. also, look into a different lamp. there's nothing wrong with this one, it just doesn't say much. maybe something with a shade.
- I'm not loving those gold frames to the right of the windows. thick white matts would brighten up that corner.

overall it's a very nice room (even without any changes)!

Capitalize on the bay window, maybe add a window seat or create a reading nook there. Don't hide the beautiful windows with curtains, they don't need any. The globe is great. Don't mess up the room with pottery and other tchochkes, it's a temple of the mind. The black shelves are fine, it's their content that's important.

The couch placement is making the room look long and narrow. Try it in front of the window, with a thin table behind for a lamp and plants, or facing the window on the other end of the rug.
Paint the mirror frame black or white.
The arm chair and ottoman would look nice in a white with black line floral pattern.
I don't think the Ikea chair fits very well with the rest of the room.
Some art over the desk is a good idea, but even better would be to replace the desk with a sweet secretary desk, like this http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Mahogany-BOOKCASE-DESK-SECRETARY-Claw-Feet_W0QQitemZ390032470941QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAntiques_Furniture?hash=item390032470941&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

Okay, here's my two cents. Someone mentioned the Christmas-y feel of the room; I think to get away from that you could just add a few pops of a color that borders on your color scheme to add this effect. Right now you have Green, Red, Black, and White. Lose or recover the blue furniture for sure, change out the non-matching wood tones like someone else mentioned, and then incorporate whichever of these accent colors is your favorite (in pillows, accessories, etc), and it will add depth to your room and lose the year-round festive feel:

for a colour bordering on black, add a chocolatly brown tone
on green, a lime
for the red, a vintage orange color
for the white, a grey tone.

Unless you are going for the xmas look, that is!
Any of these single accent colo

Oh yeah, and I second Dream Mom, no chrome or glass!

I'm a firm believer that almost any color can work in the right space. That said, that wall color needs to go. I think a white will go a long way in quieting the busy nature of this room and allow you to see more clearly any other changes that could be made.

Good luck! :)

The IKEA chair is really throwing it off, for me.

Maybe move your couch a little more center with the fireplace and get some black and white pillows (not solid, but patterned) to put on the chair and couch.

The baskets that are in the storage area- can you stain those? Maybe a darker color, so it matches the coffee table. The light color of them paired with the green walls makes the room look dated, I think.

PS- I can really see these pillows in that room:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_1&listing_id=21316887&ga_search_query=black and white pillow&ga_search_type=tag_title

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_5&listing_id=20955033&ga_search_query=black and white pillow&ga_search_type=tag_title

I'd get rid of the black chair and replace the rug with something with multiple colors and the coffetable with something wood toned..

I know you said you were set on the wall color but I'm going to give it a try and urge you to rethink that. I think your fireplace is GORGEOUS and the wall color kind of makes it blend in. Another color on the walls will help make it stand out. You could even keep green and just go lighter and sagier with it.

I wouldn't paint the desk, I think that it's a nice aged wood and it'll look better with a different backdrop (wall color). I know that you have alot of books but try to thin them out a bit and then vary the arrangement of books on the shelves to open up the space a bit. Turn some of them so they lay flat on the shelves, don't book books in one area and put a vase or a plant or a framed photo.. Just break it up a little. Do the same with your built ins and just mix it up and put the baskets on various shelves in on both sides of the fireplace.

I think the IKEA chair just doesn't fit and you probably know that already.. so it'll need a new home. I like the upholstry of the other chair and I think it'll look better with a different wall color. OR you could re-upholster it in dark pewter mohair. It'll be super luxurious and cozy.

The sofa is ok as is if you change the wall color, if not, I'd get a slip cover or re-upholster. The red and the green are not just "Christmasy" together but they're opposites and about the same saturation so they're competing with each other.

Throw pillows can tie everything together. Once you settle on the wall color, and sofa and chair fabrics, find some pillows that have colors from your wall, sofa and chair and that'll help unify everything.

Your bay window could use window treatments. I think an angled rod that fits the shape of the window would be best and then get drapes that go to the floor. This will help soften some of the beautiful but harder architecture you've got. You could also do roman shades on the bay window and that'll look great too. The fabric will depend on your other choices but I'd go with something fairly neutral.

You've got a really lovely home with some beautiful architectural details. It just needs a little polishing. Good luck!

I don't think you should bring any more black into the room. And painting the bookshelves white would be far too matchy. I say get rid of the ikea chair, and cover the red couch (I love red, but that couch is a bit much). Love the wall color! I think the blue armchair would actually work if you took out the bright red of the couch. Put some things up on the walls, and create smaller niches of interest.

As some have mentioned, the bookshelves flanking the fireplace don't look their best when filled with baskets and storage. Meanwhile, your books are in a shelf that isn't doing much for the decor.

Why not put the books in the shelves by the fireplace, and find some other closed storage solution for whatever's in the baskets. They detract from the fireplace and make the room feel cluttered, even though it's tidy.

As for the red-and-green color combination: I've seen it work in traditional rooms. There's got to be a way to pull it off. Maybe by introducing more red elsewhere in the room?

My god, I LOVE your fireplace. And I'm amazed that you've made this wall color work...I love it. That said, I'm a fan of the blue chair, but not the Poang. See if you can slipcover or re-upholster the red couch in a neutral shade...I'm thinking white or a warm grey would work well.

I love that wall colour - bold and brave, and true to the era of the house. I also love the fact that you've embraced those jewel-like green tiles on the fireplace, rather than trying to neutralise them somehow.

The flokati is a little large for the room, forcing its way under the couch and other furniture. A smaller flokati would be better, or a red persian carpet would suit the colours and period of the room better.

Ditch the Poang.

The dark shades of green, red and blue can work together, perhaps if you put some blue pillows on the couch and a red pillow on the chair. Fill the empty spaces on the walls with Victorian/Edwardian maps/prints/illustrations, and dress the mantle with brass candlesticks or pieces of art glass.

Scrounge up a period cabinet or bookcase to replace the IKEA bookcases, which are too tall and don't match anything. Better still, get some good speakers for your laptop, burn all your CDs to its hard drive then put the CDs into storage, then shift the remaining books to the white bookcases.

I'm allergic to all window coverings, so I can't offer any advice there.

You have too many different colors going on. In my opinion, your room would look more put together if you sticked to black and white plus two additional colors, may they be that emerald green of the walls, and the red (sofa looks too good to be changed).

Deciding that, I would then paint the wood on the black chair, either black or white. I would also paint that writing table black. I would reupholster the blue wing chair into white or black fabric, or black and white (a flowery pattern?). Now the cushions: From the fabric that you use to reupholster the blue chair, I would make two more cushions and put them on the red sofa, and a I'd put a red one from the sofa onto the winged chair.

I'd maybe cover the windows with simple, breezy, see-through white curtains, but the room is ok without them too.

the fireplace is gorgeous and should be the focus. because of the wall color, this isn't happening. i think the wall color needs a change.

the baskets and other storage items on the right hand side of the fireplace should be mixed with the books on the left hand side. right now, it feels very uneven. try to divide baskets/books so there are some on each side of the fireplace.

Hello Everyone ... it's Elizabeth. Thanks so, so much for your fantastic comments! It's amazing how many things you've brought to my attention that I'd never considered (like the unevenness of the built-in arrangement), or that I forgot (like the IKEa Billy bookcases don't match). *Please* keep the ideas coming. I'll send along a picture when I'm done with the room. Thanks again -- you've really helped me get out of my idea rut. Wow -- what a second pair of eyes can do!

PS -- One thing that doesn't show in the pictures is the problem with the blue chair. It's from a thrift shop and has a lingering smoke odor, plus a layer of cat hair (because of the smoke scent, I never sit in it, so my cats have moved in). I really want to reclaim this chair / area, so you're ideas for that situation are most welcome.

One more thing -- for what it's worth, the couch is less vivid in person than in the pictures. It's more maroon/burgundy rather than red.

It's a beautiful room. What a great space for a home office!

The fireplace tile is so beautiful. I think if you repainted in one of the paler shades of green you see in the fireplace tile, it would make the tile stand out more.

Reupholstering the furniture would also go a long way toward making the room a more peaceful and productive place to work. I would use linen or burlap to counteract some of the formality of the room, and tie in with the baskets in the built-ins. Perhaps a black/linen print on the wingback, and a solid linen on the couch.

I had to pitch a wonderful chair and ottoman that the cats systematically ruined :-( but nothing defies "polished" like a giant pet bed in the livingroom. Either totally have it refinished or pitch it and get a replacement, and keep a spray bottle of water nearby to deter the loveies from ruining it.

I would also focus on the fireplace (LOVE it), at the very least center the furniture around it, and do consider repainting in a color that makes it stand out.

Otherwise, the very first thing that messed with my sense of unity in the room was the chair and ottoman and the coffee table. The room (and maybe the style you most easily gravitate towards?) seems more traditional. Maybe try to go with that a little more.

It just hit me, your walls are bare. Get something up there. Buy some art. I think the mirror is too dark as it appears to be reflecting too much green. The bareness of the walls is making the color overpower everything else.

color is pretty offensive- if you are committed to it you need to add pillow to the wingback chair and MSM chair that incorporate the wall color & Blue or wall color and red... also a throw blanket that incorporates the color might help.. one last thought some larger more vibrant wall art that incorporates the vibrant red, green wall color and blue in a non christmas-y way might help...

You have too many colors and too much furniture in the space. If you're going for a clubby Victorian look, I'd get a dark brown sofa and chairs and then use small orangey accents. Sorry but right now red and blue, white, and bad green make it feel haphazard and Christmassy. I'd also check out some color theory, pick some main and accent colors, and stick with them.
http://www.ideas-for-home-decorating.com/color-schemes.html
The casual feeling 1970's schemes you admire are actually very carefully planned, and based on traditional victorian styles. Pick one main color - green?, one/ two main contrast colors white and dark brown?, and another contrasting color for the accents,- orange? yellow? and half the battle is done. And send us the after!

You can get cheap or free sofas and chairs all the time on Craigslist, no need to send a lot. Neutral tan for the second accent color could be nice also...

I agree with those who said that you need to change your wall color. Green is fine, but your pine-green is too much. If it works with your fireplace tile, go with a green that contains more white, blue, or grey, something like Sherwin-Williams' Gallery Green or Privilege Green. Check any color against your tile to make sure it works. At the very least, repaint with one of the lighter greens in your tile as suggested by others.

I disagree with those who said you should paint all your wood furniture black. I think you have more than enough black in the room already. More would make the room less interesting.

Your oranges and reds don't work for me given the green walls. But more blue would work (provided you repaint). I'd slipcover the sofa in something with more blue in it (or white), but ditch the red.

And I think the blue chair could work fine if you add some blue elsewhere, in the bookcase, in art, etc. and perhaps add a pillow with some green or white in it to the chair.

Other ideas: more, better placed, larger, brighter art; replace/refinish the mirror; redo the items in your bookcases to mix things up a little more; consider putting the CDs in baskets or something more decorative; try rotating the furniture 90-degrees and see if that looks better; consider replacing the coffee table with something larger and more rectangular; replace the desk/bookcase, perhaps with a combo piece; and for better musical sound, move the stereo up to ear level (ear level when sitting in the sofa).

I love the wall colour - I'd love to know the name and brand, actually :)

To begin I have two questions;
Do you use your fireplace?
Do you like your view out the window?

I think answering these two questions will help decide the answers in terms of furniture placement.

A few other questions:

Do you need a bigger desk? If yes get one! Modern and dark is fine. If front of the window or along another wall would be better placement either way.

Do you want to hide some of the paper work, CD's etc? If yes, how about finding a period piece or replica to replace the dark shelves? With closed doors to hide what you want hidden. Something tall, with or with out mirrors.

I like your coffee table but it does seem small, is it just how it looks or is there another reason to replace it?

I think a lattice pattern or a stripe would be quite nice as a replacement for the casual chair, on something low and clubby maybe? Tying in the green and red and adding another colour is an option. A simple white plus one colour (red or pink or blue or black) of satin stripe about three inches wide would be quite nice. The same chair on both sides of the fireplace could be quite charming and satin would add another depth of texture to the soft plush carpet and suede looking couch. If the blue chair bothers you then definitely recover or replace!

Find toss pillows you love, keep each pillow unique, a little gift, and rotate around the room every so often.

I do like the bare window, but if privacy is an issue then you must have something there yes? Not too matchy-matchy with the furniture but a strong statement in the patterns would be nice to balance out the large expanse of wall colour and sofa colour, the background of the curtains could even have something in common with the tile surround in terms of colour. Whether you go for traditional silk or bamboo blinds or a simple shade, plain white or a pattern, try to do most of the rest of the room first. (The other way to go is stay very similar in tone, but in different textures, in everything but the couch and art.)

Lastly, introduce as many colours as you like, but don't leave them hanging. You could bring the couch and chair colours together with the window covering, and/or pillows, and/or art. No need to stick to basic black and white. You don't need to repeat your wall colour anywhere else, except maybe in art. Keep the lovely trim and shelves around the fireplace white, and tidy the shelves up a bit.


Suggestions for colours: mustard yellow, fuchsia, pale pink, sky blue, red coral, peachy coral, navy.

Best of luck and looking forward to seeing the final pictures :)

Radish78 --

Thanks for your thoughtful suggestions! The color is Sabal Palm from HomeDepot. Yes, the view from the bay is nice, and no, the fireplace is non-working.

E

Thank you E!

The view is nice and the fireplace is non working... In that case, would it be really radical of me to suggest facing the couch out the bay window?

I did that in my last place and absolutely loved sitting with my coffee looking out the window. Adding a coffee table that fits in the bay window at just the right height for feet, flowers and coffee would be important to me.

If you do that, then the fireplace area would be very nice as the office area. Sit with your back to the fireplace, and then the other window would be in front of you providing natural light but not being too much of a distraction. And you could keep an eye on what's going on through the glass doors too, if you need to. The white shelves would work quite nicely for files and other work related things. I would choose an open desk, perhaps a glass top, in order for people to still get a nice view of the fireplace when entering the room. The desk chair could be white leather or wood.

Then place the CD's and music gear in a cabinet along the wall opposite the fireplace.

Why not try the furniture out this way before you make any more decisions about the size and look of the chairs, desk, shelves, and window treatments? I'm not sure if there is enough room to do this but if yes, I think you might like the flow.

If you end up liking the placement, but don't want to see the back of the couch when you enter the room, put a console table the same height as the couch or a trunk at 1/2 the height. Something behind the couch, for flowers or magazines, extra blankets, or tea pot on a tray - but not too much there or it will look cluttered. Something simple.

You are getting so many suggestions - so exciting!

Thanks again for telling me the paint colour!

R

Two main things going on here. You have obtrusive walls. I would suggest lightening them up a bit, actually a lot. The room may seem cluttered simply for the fact that walls are so harsh. Secondly, you have furniture styles and fabrics that are working against each other. You have a modern scandinavian-ish/perhaps Ikea chair with a traditional chair and sofa and a heavy coffee table sitting on a shag. Perhaps the green walls were meant to accent the fireplace but I feel it distracts you from that detail instead of drawing your eye to the tile and letting the tile act as a detail.

I personally would love to see the walls lightened to an egg shell color and the traditional chair and ottoman re-upholstered in a brown leather. I like the desk and chair finish and would suggest placing art work above it.

This room is supposed to be for relaxation but its more stressing you out than calming you.

I would also suggest decorative touches to the tops of the built-in book cases. Apothecary jars clustered together are really in right now, perhaps some great muted pottery and of course a center piece on the table.

hope this helps

PS. the placement of the furniture is great in my opinion. It opens up the flow of the room and every seat have a view of the outdoors. Ir re-arranging the furniture is a must I would put the sofa infront of the window and put lighter pieces closer to the entrance. You don't want to place a huge sofa right as you walk in as to cut off flow and block circulation.

L

I'm not sure if my first posting made it; so here it is.

Two main things going on here. You have obtrusive walls. I would suggest lightening them up a bit, actually a lot. The room may seem cluttered simply for the fact that walls are so harsh. Secondly, you have furniture styles and fabrics that are working against each other. You have a modern scandinavian-ish/perhaps Ikea chair with a traditional chair and sofa and a heavy coffee table sitting on a shag. Perhaps the green walls were meant to accent the fireplace but I feel it distracts you from that detail instead of drawing your eye to the tile and letting the tile act as a detail.

I personally would love to see the walls lightened to an egg shell color and the traditional chair and ottoman re-upholstered in a brown leather. I like the desk and chair finish and would suggest placing art work above it.

This room is supposed to be for relaxation but its more stressing you out than calming you.

I would also suggest decorative touches to the tops of the built-in book cases. Apothecary jars clustered together are really in right now, perhaps some great muted pottery and of course a center piece on the table.

hope this helps

This is an AMAZING room! You are very, very lucky to be able to work with something that has such great bones!!

That said, I am afraid that you cannot achieve the look you are after while still holding on to your list of "musts"; they won't give you a "mod Victorian" feel, but rather, something closer to traditional.

The two key items that impede achieving a Mod Victorian feel are the red microsuede sofa and forest green walls... The green is just not the right shade -- it either needs to be toned down a few notches to a Kate Spade (or Kelly) green:

http://www.dominomag.com/galleries/paint/slideshow_paintpalette0

(Direct Green #6924 from Sherwin Williams)

This shade marries beautifully with white, as you can see in the link above.

...or the green needs to be tweaked into a teal, which is fresher and less traditional:

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=3755

Here are some ideas for the sofa...

This white chesterfield sofa is a modern take on a very traditional piece of furniture, often found in Victorian homes. It would be perfect in your room:

http://www.livingetc.com/decorating/grandhouse_style_article_83805.html

Or drive to New York, and snap up this great George Smith sofa:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/classifieds
(It would be perfect with white canvas or linen union slip covers -- they wash and can be bleached)

Either of these sofas would give the room the feel of a library, but the George Smith is a really great bargain!! (Imagine how comfortable and cozy it would make the room...)

As one poster suggested, moving the desk to the bay window would make the room work better in terms of both design and function.

Here is an idea for a great desk which can also work as a coffee table, should you ever tire of it serving as a desk. Although it comes in white and black, I think the walnut would be best in your case; the contrast of the metal with the walnut and the other things you have going on in the room is quite interesting and powerful.

http://loadbearing.com/gallery/tilt/

Depending on how you handle the shelving (sorry, but the Billy bookcases don't work in this case), this might work for desk storage:

Box shelves:
http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=4417


I am a HUGE fan of flokati and other hairy rugs, and so love that choice. However, you may want to consider pumping up the hairiness to make it even more "mod", as in this case:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/inspiration/recipe-for-style-opposites-living-room-077340

Such a rug is naturally mated with acrylic coffee and side tables from Muji, which show off and contrast the natural wild hairiness:

http://www.roomgoods.com/2008/03/11/future-proof-muji-acrylics/

Ideas for shelving:

check out the unit of white squares:

http://www.homedit.com/life-modern-tv-storage-wall-unit-by-acerbis-international/

One of my favourite shelving systems is this (behind the plaid Eames lounger):

http://www.homebug.net/2008/09/eames-lounge-chair-ottoman.html

A good carpenter could knock this off for you in the wood of your choice if it cannot be traced. It would look very handsome if it filled the entire wall opposite the fireplace. (an interesting option would be to wallpaper - something "mod" and exciting - behind the shelving unit).

Another option would be a vintage (c. 1970) teak or rosewood Cado Modular System designed by Poul Cadovious:

http://www.poleshelving.com/2007/10/30/cado-modular-shelving-system-by-poul-cadovius/

Once the wing chair has been either slipcovered or reupholstered, a Sergio Rodrigues leather chair would finish off the seating very elegantly. It would be both very comfortable as well as very "Mod Chic".

oops -- the shelving should be on the wall where the current bookcases are.

As well, I agree with other posters about the rug needing to be bigger, and the POANG chair not working in the room.

I'm pretty stuck on the George Smith sofa/huge hairier rug/ dark teal walls/ Cado modular wall system and Sergio Rogriues chair (so many of his would work well, there is is no point in specifying)... Lovely. If you go with the dark teal, a dash of strong red would look amazing.

As for lighting, David Weeks would be perfect.
http://www.davidweeksstudio.com/lighting.html

The Living Etc. gallery on offices has some lovely desk set-ups to look at, so check those out for some inspiration:

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1392

Actually, the look you are after is very Living Etc., so you should check out their current and past issues.

And finally, the office chair... if you can swing it, the Eames Aluminum Group Management Chair in Apple Green or the Eames Soft Pad Management Chair in White would look fabulous (and are of course, quite pricey).

http://www.dwr.com/product/eames-aluminum-management-chair-custom-sb-lther.do?keyword=eames office chair&sortby=ourPicks

http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=1511&cid=339&cid2=346

Or this cloth one:
http://www.mancha.demon.co.uk/119grn.jpg

Good luck! You have an amazing space to work with -- just a few tweeks to fabulous!

I would:

Center the couch on the fireplace, even if it isn't a working one.

Mix up the baskets and books flanking the fireplace. It's too rigid now. Clear off the tops of the bookcases and leave them bare. There is enough going on in the room. Empty space is lovely. Paint the baskets white. Make liners with the cuffs overhanging the outside of the baskets with a coordinating fabric. Pick something mod, fun and bright so it doesn't look country.

Paint the black bookcases white.

Get a big desk and put it in the bay window. Something glass and modern would be nice. If you need drawers go with something white or silver. I wouldn't bring in any wood tones. Ikea and CB2 has some nice modular desk pieces.

Love the round coffee table and the pop of black. I'd keep it bare. Plenty of room for a cup of coffee the newspaper and to put your feet up.

Get rid of the Ikea chair. You don't need to replace it with anything because your desk is bigger and the couch has moved.

If money allows reupholster the blue chair with a fun modern print tying all the colors together. If not, steam clean to get rid of the smoke smell, keep the cat hair to a minimum and use a throw pillow.

Use throw pillows and art to tie the green, red, blue, white, pop of black color scheme together. You don't have too many colors. You actually don't have ENOUGH. Each color should be repeated at least 3 times in the room to tie everything together.

Personally, I'd replace the rug with something darker that grounds the room. It would be a great place to set your color pallet.

You need an end table and lamp by the couch. It would be a great place to bring in the mod touches you want. Perhaps a glass table?

It's a lovely room. Good luck and have fun!

I like the color combinations... except for the blue chair. Perhaps a jeweled blue tone throw (better with a pattern to contrast with the cat hair) or a slip cover... & odo-ban works quite nicely on smoke & kitty smells.

I like the poang chair, but having it out in the middle of the room distracts from the rest of the room. If you put it by the window, then it isn't 'in the middle' but still can be used.

To "solve" the baskets in the bookcase problem, darken them to match the 'tone' of the room, even wicker & willow will take stain nicely.. and if you use a vertical stripe look to them (not fussy straight), they will blend in with the books... or not stand out so much.

I would also tone down the white book cases to blend in with the room. take a shelf out & sponge/streak some paint on the bottom to see what you can do without completely painting the bookcase.

If you want to lighten the color of the walls a little bit, you can glaze or sponge a second color on top. I like the color & how it blends with the fireplace tiles... but a brass glaze w/wo a design would give some texture to the walls.

I agree with the idea to put a map up on the walls, but I prefer a physical map without political borders... I've got a Nat Geo physical world map on my wall.

And keep the books in the room... you might reorganize them to make them look a little more cohesive & less scatterish or chaotic. (cataloging them at librarything.com will help you see what you have and then organize them to best suit how you use them.) (yes, I love & use LT)

The room is gorgeous in its bones & with what you have done... hope you get lots of great ideas to finish it!!

I would center the couch in front of the fireplace, flank it on either side with the bookshelves, put the desk in front of the bay window, take out the ikea chair and put the wing back on that side of the fireplace, take out the patterned pillow and mauvey throw, find a grey throw to drape on the wingback (after you clean it!), buy matching boxes to store cds in - like those black leather looking ones you can find even at target, replace the art work with either a few key large pieces or frame a bunch of family/travel/themed photos in some black frames and hang them in groups, I want to reorganize your built ins and bookshelves so bad! - group the books by color or store things in matching storage bins. This room has wonderful light and built ins and fireplace feature and doors coming in. I'd want to hang a petite chandelier in there. It would be so fun to finish this room! :~)

This is a great room and really doesn't need that much. I think your headed towards an updated cozy library look, so I would keep going in that direction.

I would loose the black chair and coffee table and floor lamp.

Change the black shelves for white and make them go around the corner up to the window, either tall or the same height as the built-ins. Replace the desk with a round table in that corner--modern or transitional. You can keep a desk lamp on the table.

I think you could make the blue chair work, but it sounds like you want to have it reupholstered. Find a pattern that you love, but make sure it brings together your walls and the couch. You can also have a tailored slip-cover made that velcros uderneath, if you think something washable would be more practical for the kitty. Woolite makes a readily available foaming carpet/uphostery cleaner, if you decide not to reuphoster or to go with a slip cover.

Please take the skirt off the ottoman, but make sure the legs are in good shape first.

Get two good reading floor lamps one for the chair and one for the couch. Maybe add a side table, if you feel you need one.

Generally, I would like to see your colors integrated into artwork for the walls and in decorative objects on the shelves. I would also like to see less black and more dark brown in the room, like the color of your mirror frame.

Can't wait to see the after pictures!

here's the sofa picture

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/scavenger/scavenger-george-smith-sofa-for-2000-new-york-077672

(I think new they run around $6000, but I haven't priced them for a while, and it does depend on upholstery)

I echo the votes for a change of paint color on the walls! It is a wonderful room - shape, windows, fireplace. The dark paint against the white trim just gives it a very graphic feel. I agree with several of the other comments re: re-arrange shelves flanking the fireplace, tie your colors in with some pillows, etc., but I feel the paint is a big issue!

I'm digging the wall color I think it goes nicely with the fireplace and the blue chair and the red couch they all have the same amount of saturation they look fun together.
I would grab a bigger desk, it does seem awfully small for a 'home office'. Can you put the desk in the bay window? The window seems awfully empty, or at least move the desk away from the bookshelves a little, it seems like they are so close that you can't reach the things on the shelves.
I'd get rid of the black chair and footstool they don't really go with the rest of the room. The dark color and the wood grain doesn't really look good in this room. I would get something a little more traditional looking with a fun pattern.