nice work negotiating the bed! it's sweet-- where is it from, do you know?

Not actually sure. I asked him where he got the majority of the stuff and he said Ikea, antique stops (the lounger) and leftover stuff from his work.

Sounds like most of the things you have are monochrome, so my suggestion would be to add in some patterns in a rug, curtains, duvet, or pillows. It's hard to tell from the photos what the layout is, but turning the bed 90-degrees so that the head is on the wall to its current left might make it so that you can put the expedit where you were planning, but still be able to walk around both sides of the bed.

As you move in and arrange your things, think about flow of traffic and light through the apartment, and what feels best. I'm no expert on feng shui, but some of its basic tenants are remarkably effective when trying to organize a space. Having your desk be in a 'power' position to be able to see the door, being able to access both sides of the bed, adding a plant, etc. - they all just make a space feel right.

I can't help wonder if the new tenant got the old tenant's permission before posting pictures of his stuff on the Internet.

Awesome, thanks for the advice home body.

Marce : These are the pictures he posted on the internet in the first place.

You're definitely a neutral, minimalist and you might find your futon dark and probably a little small for the room. I think it will draw unwanted attention and you'll ultimately be unhappy with it.

It sounds like you would have wanted to walk into his apartment and keep everything ... yes? SO! easy enough to recreate without spending a lot on it from Craigslist and Chicago's awesome thrift and used furniture shops. Just be patient.
ie
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/fuo/1980464237.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/fuo/1980353160.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/fuo/1980168612.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/fuo/1978910329.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/fuo/1978323984.html
and this awesome thing.
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/fuo/1976373906.html
pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

I don't think your darker things will be a problem so close to a big window... You might want to add some color with some kind of accents, though. Art or a rug or a throw or something. (Most guys don't seem to like toss pillows, but those might help if you like them.) Have fun with it!

Thanks Pam!

I forgot to mention I've purchased 2 eames side chairs as well. Thankfully the futon is a loaner, so if i decide I hate it then I can just get rid of it for something lighter.

Honestly my biggest concern is going to be the giant expedit shelf. I haven't purchased it yet, but I was thinking about buying dark to match the dark dresser I got (trying to keep the 'bedroom' stuff matching). Is that a good idea, or should I stick to something lighter?

I would put in all of your furniture and see how it looks. Your stuff could end up looking cool, with so much black and white, whereas the current look has slightly warmers browns and greys. So if you don't like it all once you've got it in, then think about inexpensive accessories that could warm it up.

I would not put in a room divider - I just like how open it feels. Maybe put it against a wall instead.

and if you don't shell out for this immediately I will beat you soundly about the head and shoulders:
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/fuo/1975740087.html
pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

Pam - Just to note, I'm actually in Canada so sadly I cannot get any of those things listed :(

Can I get some recommendations for a rug color as well? I'm thinking about putting it in the same place in the photos now.

Keep in mind the black couch will be near, and the coffee table (very dark brown) will be sitting on top.

This is what I had in mind for the expedit -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/p3nnywi5dom/3-8-iving-room--facing-west.jpg

And this is what my table looks like (being built right now)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/p3nnywi5dom/table.jpg

Inject color. Teal. Burnt orange. Yellow-green (or just bright yellow). And even purple. All this can be done with rugs, throw pillows, black and white photos with bright frames or matting, and other accessories. Happy decorating!

A rug solution that you might look into is FLOR's Fall 2010 line of carpets, which are sold by the square to allow you to customize the size AND they very reasonably priced. You can buy a square of the carpet every paycheck until it is whole if needed!

They have some really great colors and patterns that would really inject some great color into the space while still retaining that masculine, modern feel of the pervious owner's style.

http://www.flor.com/
www.maggieoldmixon.com

Ooo, I like these carpets. Any suggestions on color? Should I contrast it with the table and couch, or the flooring?

eeep: dont try to match woods -- (unless they are made to match) you'll NEVER match them and it will always be off and you'll be all, "blah, I hate this. I shouldnt have tried to match."
go for something that is meant to contrast with it, so it doesn't look like you tried and failed to match. I'm SO not a matchy matchy type, but you may be -- it is not an insult, I promise -- so ignore me if you must.
pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

I'm casting a gimlet eye (I have no idea what that means but it feels right) on your plans for the Expedit. The picture you provide shows a bed in a studio, and the room divider concept makes sense there. But why would you want to cover up the gorgeous wood on that bad by backing an Expedit up to it? No (or as some of you Canadians might say "non"). Pas de tout.
And you don't need to divide a private bedroom right ? (or is it not a separate room? I'm not paying very close attention I'm afraid.) You people have craigslist in Canada, doncha? Tell me what town and I'll see what I can find you.

also I like your coffee table.
pamh
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

pamh - That's what I figured! It would look terrible if flooring and furniture just blended together.

Here is a quick mockup of the current layout - <img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/p3nnywi5dom/layout.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

And here are some more photos of the space -

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/p3nnywi5dom/place.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

Also pam : I'm located in Calgary.

What's with the ceiling? Is it gray? I don't know about that.

It's exposed concrete.

I love Flor's Sophistoikat pattern because you can arrange it into chevrons (zigzag) OR diamonds OR diagonal stripes (!!) depending how you are feeling. Effortless and chic. Cobalt, Hazel or Palm are all nice color choices. Go with your gut!

The Lattice pattern in the Fern/Rain is a little more gutsy in color though has nice refined geometry, but I think it would look nice with the exposed grey ceiling and stand out against the wood floors.

bryanmanio
How do you like the exposed concrete ceiling? Do you have pipes running from any above apts? If so does it make any noise etc?? I have a drop ceiling and am thinking of taking it down to expose the concrete floor from the apt above but there are pipes etc so just curious.

I'm casting a gimlet eye (I have no idea what that means but it feels right) on your plans for the Expedit.

I'd assume that a "gimlet eye" is kinda blurry and unfocused, as if one has had too many gimlets? ;)

The look of the previous owners seems to be Chunky Natural Minimalism - plain blocky wood panels, those dominating concrete ceilings, the plain leather chair, the unpatterned rug. To recreate this look go for simple forms, solid natural colours, good quality pieces and texture over pattern.

THIS APARTMENT IS IN CALGARY?!?! Man... I just moved out of my awesome downtown Calgary apartment into my boyfriend's house in the 'burbs. This is making me miss renting. Where abouts is it?

(If pamh finds any good stuff on Craigslist Calgary, I'm probably going to snatch it up from under your nose, bryanmanio. Just saying. *grin*)

pschmidt
I love it! There are no pipes or anything throughout, so it's as quiet as it gets.

EC
It's in Roxboro, just south south of mission. No stealing! hah.

Any opinions on this couch? I just found it for sale and I'm thinking it will go well in the place.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/p3nnywi5dom/photo1-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

I would say, as a designer for years, that to dig a bit into your closet of clothing, your choices of upholstery in your car, the color of your jewelry and so forth, will reveal some favorite colors. Ones you are comfortable with. So often we forget how personal color is, and how the right colors can fuel us, give us vitality. Then, when you have selected one comfortable color, pick the opposite on the color chart. The opposite of red is green, remember from elementary school? So any degrees of the opposite works. Celadon green is great with burgundy red. You can have fun with where you put color if you work with various shades of your two colors and then add a third, slowly, but only after the other two have been hanging in your presence a while. Recently I put patches of color on my clients walls for them to live with. It was amazing the information that followed. They knew so differently than looking at a fan book or tiny samples. With the samples you get in paint stores it's so easy.

Oh, and one more thing, on this long note: don't forget you can make a large block of color on a wall, or several blocks, without having to paint the whole wall. Often these blocks look great behind artwork/assemblages/small shelving as a kind of outer frame. The edge can be roughly sketched instead of perfectly lined too. Have fun!