I personally really like your existing rug and the way it looks with the clean lines of the credenza. I think a new couch would make all the difference, although to me your new sofa bed looks a bit too bulky for your room. Also, tightening the sofa-chair-rug arrangement will improve how the rug blends in.

i personally like a room with a little more color and have been de-beige-ing my house for the last four years.

i like the color of the office and would probably go with something that had a little more oomph to it but was still on the more toned down/neutral side that would compliment that red/red-orange tone and would set off those beautiful floors you have. if you want to do beige, i say do a richer beige.

I agree -- the couch does look a bit heavy/bulky for the room. What about the this one from IKEA? Not sure if that would be out of your price range or not, but we bought our IKEA sofabed four years ago and it's held up beautifully -- the bed is actually kinda comfy.

For paint color, I think you'd probably want to go with something a little bit deeper in order for the paint job to be worth the effort. Maybe Benjamin Moore Concord Ivory if you're trying to build in a brighter direction from the office color, or Bennington Gray for a richer combo? I can't tell how much light the room gets, but if it gets even a moderate amount of natural light, those pale-to-medium gold tones can look pretty washed out.

I think I'd keep the door white. You won't really be able to hide it, so might as well acknowledge its existence. Looks like your kitchen appliances are white -- I kinda think keeping it white provide a nice connection to the kitchen.

Oh, and about the rug -- the more pieces of furniture that touch the rug (even if it's just one of the front legs), the larger the space will feel. I'd move it down/away from the wall with the doors so that just the front foot of the chair is on it, but I'd do what I could to make sure the front of the couch and front of the credenza touch it as well.

Rug-yes, you need a larger one-8x10 or 7x9 would help. Since you are going with a solid, you might could keep your old rug and move it to the dining room. Pick a warm brown from the colors in the rug and they should work together well. I'd place the front of the couch and the chair over the rug, but not the credenza. A flat weave or a dense pile might be better than a shag-the texture is going to compete with the grass chair, which I like. Find a store will let you take a rug home to try it and see.

Pick a few colors that are close to the blonde and try them out with some posterboard and tester-size amounts of paint. A sage or pear green could be great, too. I get a lot of compliments on a Sherwin Williams color I have in 2 rooms called Artichoke. I'd leave the door white. Hang a framed picture on it and use the white to echo the frame. Whatever wall color you like, you'll want it to not be very pale, but strong enough in color value to balance the red. Good luck-you are off to a nice start!

Personally not a huge fan of furniture half off/half on a rug. I remember hearing once a rule of thumb (which of course can always be ignored) is that the furniture should either be all the way off, or all the way on a rug. I have to agree that I like this look better, especially if you are a fan of cleaner lines. It sounds like you could go with a 6x9 rug.
I agree that the current rug could still work with your overall look. You may consider instead putting it under the dining room table, and then finding a more plain rug that compliments those colors.
The closet in the living room seems more narrow than most, so I don't think you have to hide it - I would instead leave as it and get a really cool door handle (or something that will blend more if you would rather) ... mine as well make it a little more interesting. You can add these to all the doors to create some continuity.
I agree with the comments on the couch - too bulky and I think something that is more of a standard couch with a back would be better suited for this room.
As far as color - I think you could find a "neutralish" orange or green that would bring in some color, but would still be neutral enough to not fight with anything else or be too bright. I am not sure what sort of green is your favorite color (sage, lime, etc.?), so can't be too specific with colors.
Looks like a very cute place with lots of potential, and I LOVE that credenza! Good luck!

Funny, I thought 'opo' was code for something cooler than 'pop'. I type dyslexically all the time.

Also, I know you didn't ask about this, but I think the lamp is wrong for the credenza. It looks like a task lamp. Maybe a ceramic lamp, something in the style of Martz?

I have "blonde" in my joint living and dining room areas and love it. You definitely need some wall color in there! It goes well with my wood floors and different furniture. It's a warm improvement in my small space...not too light.

for some reason, click chick is having problems posting a comment, so i'm pasting it here on her behalf:

Thanks everyone for your comments!
I'm surprised how many people like that current rug more than I do. If you follow the link
to my flickr page you'll see some other options I'm considering.

I do like the Ikea sofa that girl.deconstructed suggested. But there is no Ikea here in Denver
(I link to ATChicago)
Please explain why the Roxbury sofa looks heavy/bulky? It seems rather sleek to me. It
doesn't look very big in person - but it is full sized. (Realize that it lifts up to sofa position.)

I'm actually hoping to stick in the $500 to $600 range for a sofa. I know that's cheap - and
you get what you pay for - but I really need something useful and that's all I can spare at
the moment. (I've waited long enough)

What I have now is a hand-me-down love seat - with a slipcover and there's no room for a
6 foot tall boyfriend to relax.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Keep 'em coming!

Click Chick

The floral patterning is fairly traditional for an Oriental rug, as are the colors. If it's wool, a wool/silk blend or all silk, it's made of traditional materials. Combine that with what may be dye lot variation within the colors and you could be looking at a pretty high quality rug. Do a bit of research on it before you categorically get rid of it. The more traditional the weaving and dyeing, the higher the value.

If you hate the rug, you can still get rid of it. Just make sure you know enough about it to get a fair price for it. And if you find you enjoy it more because you know more about it, it will save you the trouble of finding a new rug.

Re: the heaviness/bulkiness of the couch -- I take my cue from the couch's legs and armrests. When it has the really low, thick legs like this one, the armrests tend to be thicker as well, and that makes it feel bulky to me. Couches perched on thinner and/or higher legs have thinner armrests and tend to look "lighter". This might be too modern for you, and here's hoping it comes in a different color, but this would be a "lighter" option.

You might want to check out the new "House Beautiful" magazine (July 2007). The cover shows a living room that looks like a lot of the same colors/materials you are, or want to, incorporate into your room (grass woven rug, like your grass woven chair, white/cream sofa, clean lines, etc.) - it has a really beautiful buttery color on the walls, which you can see next to an orangy/peach (looks similar to the pillow color you have). That butter shade might be a really nice way to add in a third color, without making too busy, or too boring.
As far as why I am not as much a fan of the sofa... I think the sofa looks like a sofa that folds out into a bed. The back looks a little "detached" from the rest. I am not a hug fan of the chunky legs - I think that style is really conflicting (not complimenting) to the lines in the credenza.

Hi - I just want to caution you against going too far down the MCM path. The look is gorgeous, and I'm guilty of this myself, but the most lovely homes pull from a variety of styles. Don't think you need all pieces to have the MCM feel, which is where it sounds like you're going with the orange, green and shaggy rug.

Yay! I have my commenting ability back! Thanks Mark and Heather!

WS - the rug would be solid brown - the orange and green would be accent colors. (pillows, art, etc.)

ma.baker and girl.d - i see what you mean about the legs of the sofa making it heavy by comparison. I found one sofa I love - along the lines of your suggestions - but I couldn't change the upholstry so it won't work.

Torrilin and Boomer.
I don't hate the rug, I'm just tired of it. I'll move it to my bedroom for a switch.
And don't worry, it's a cheapy rug - $200 at some home store 7 years ago. Still, it's worth keeping. It will work somewhere... sometime in the future.

So is there a concensus that the rug should perhaps be big enough to go under the sofa (against the wall) and then stop just before the credenza? I actually like that idea. That will take a big rug though!

Oh and Saha... the lamp! you know what, it just ended up there one day and never moved! It doesn't really belong. It should go in the bedroom - or on a side table.

Thanks everyone. Especially for the paint color suggestions. I can be overwhelmed looking at all the chips - then I don't get anywhere. Better to start with good suggestions.

happy to hear more. more info at my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleclickchick2/sets/72157600452968019/

Speaking of House Beautiful, they always have a section near the front where designers talk about particular colors they love, complete with brand and color. I always rip out that section and save it for the next time I repaint, to avoid the dreaded Paint Chip Overload dilemma.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

I know that I'm going to start with the sofa next (the credenza was my launching point purchase) and then I'll search for the right rug.

I just browsed a store on my way home from work... and a great blue and brown rug caught my eye... which would work great with the sofa whose color scheme didn't work. The problem with that color palette is that it feels too dark for my light airy apartment.

someone asked... it gets great light! Not too harsh but really fills the room!

I also found a nice green/ brown / blue palette that could easily replace the orange. See it here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/singleclickchick2/655599831/

Anyway. I'm sure I'll know it when I see it. My major concern was about the rug size. And I feel better about that now too. Thanks to all of you!!

I must say that I have put off committing to furniture and color schemes for YEARS because I didn't trust my taste and ability (I'm fine with clothes but homegoods seem more permanent!)

Since discovering AT - I've been able to really identify what I like and what speaks to me. This is a great community full of great inspiration! Thanks all!

I love your credenza too. Where did you get it?

You've mentioned the green/blue/brown palette, which is largely what I have in every room. I've introduced plenty of suggestions/pops/opos (I also liked that typo)----the living room has orange, the sun room has red, the bedroom has yellow----and they enliven and personalize the feeling of my home. Go for it!

I found the credenza at Mod Livin' on Colfax in Denver.

They had it tagged as a McCobb 'style'. I found evidence that it was used in a bank office in Virginia. Wouldn't you love to know how it found it's way to Denver?!