YES! Gorgeous place and what light!!

White shag, something that's a bit wild and whimsical would be a great offset to the very tight and precise furniture you already have... I'm thinking you should buy the longest possible pile. Perhaps a round flokati on which you could angle the furniture arangement. This would relax the composition a bit and at the same time ground the living area and help define it.

As for the bay window area- you have a GREAT opportunity to not only make a fantastic little reading/napping nook but to also showcase a fantastic piece of furniture. The obvious temptation is to go out and buy an iconic piece yet I would say you would be well advised to spend some time hunting down a unique chair- something with age, patina, character, a bit of chutzpah- hit up the flea markets, the antique marts and all of the attics, basements and garages you can find. Couple that with one plant- something elegant, and clean- maybe a Mother in Law's tounge and a small rug and you'll have a wonderful combo.

First off, amazing place adam. I think whatever you do will be great because your choices so far have been perfect. Personally I would want a small low slung chair, or maybe even two, in the window with a little table so I could have coffee and enjoy the wonderful light coming in the window. I definitely like janel's suggestion of a plant. I think something verticle with a just a little bit of volume would be great, but not too busy so that it doesn't block the sun.

As for the rug, I am wondering if you do get one if it will make the area in front of the fireplace look a little odd. Your couch is pretty far back from the fireplace and the rug may draw too much attention to that. Hard to say without seeing it, i think we need P2 to provide his expert rug advice.

I think this place needs to be on a future house tour because I would love to see the rest!

I think you've done a great job as it is and it looks fine with no art on the mantle or a rug. Without a rug, you really get to take in those gorgeous floors......I loev the space.

Thanks Janel and everyone else for the really helpful suggestions thus far! Here's a few more thoughts/queries:

1. On the rug: my girlfriend was also lobbying for a shag, so she's now going to be best friends with Janel and Julian for that suggestion. I worried a bit that solid white or creme might blend too much with the walls, which was why I was looking at emma gardner designs like the following two:

http://www.emmagardnerdesign.com/rugs/knotted_silkwool/spray.html
http://www.emmagardnerdesign.com/images/rugs/knotted_wool/egd.glimpseflower.citron.we.gif

I did worry a bit that the rug might look funny given how far back the couch is set, but I think If I got a 7x10ish rug it might look ok.

2. On the window area: I've been torn about the bench v. chair choice for that space. I like the idea of a medium sized bench because it won't break up the view through the window, but part of me would love a comfy chair that I could read in over there. If I were to go with a bench, would you nestle it back into the bay area, Janel, or keep it forward a bit so that it joined up with the main seating area? And if I went with a chair, do folks think it should match whatever chair ends up where the CB2 surf chair is currently residing?

Thanks again!

Beautiful Adam...
where did you get your light over the dining table? Thanks.

I'm with you on loving naked hardwood floors. I think that if you were to stay sans area rugs, matching chairs would be an option to add cohesion to the seating area. You can group an area with an accent color - for example, using light blue pillows or throws on the chairs and sofa, and then adding some accessories (like other textiles, vases or bowls) in that color to the coffee table.

I agree that a bench would look fantastic in the bay. Something with some visual interest, like the Vita Bench: http://www.thomasmoser.com/residential/res.products.view.php?from=cat&product_id=388

Annemarie -- The lamp over the dining room table is a round Nelson bubble lamp. They sell them at DWR I think, but I actually found mine in my parent's basement. It had been in the house of some friends of theirs in the 1970s.

The lamp didn't have a mounting fixture, just a long cord. So I just made my own little fixture and hardwired the lamp into the box that a ceiling fan had been hung from. (The ceiling fan was, I should add, quite hideous.)

Great space! I love the clean lines. I would leave the floor bare and use a comfy chair in the bay window area. I think a bench would not give you pleasing alcove; the angles of the bench would not be harmonious with the angles of the bay and would not be an inviting area.

Adam,

I think the majority sentiment seems to be that bare floors are best, and I am in agreement. However, if you are wedded to the rug idea, then I agree with your girlfriend -- go with white shag. She seems to know what she's talking about.

As one who is fond of hard wood myself, you certainly should have a rug in the seating area you speak of.

Additionally, while I think these white shag rugs look great... on display in stores, I advise against them for your home. They are incredibly difficult to keep clean. crud gets down into them that even the best vaccuum won't get out. White rugs are the worst. Everything shows.

I suggest something with a lower pile. Some places to start.

Nu Collection
http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/beverlyfairfax/nu-collection-005502

The Rug Company
http://www.therugcompany.info/

Where's your apartment? Is there anything else for sale in the building? Beautiful! Wow! I don't even care how you have it decorated... rug/no rug, etc., it's gorgeous!

Thanks Julie. I'm glad you like the place. I live 1 block south of wicker park, on Evergreen Ave. Alas, nothing else is available in the building right now. I was very fortunate to happen upon the place when I was looking.

re: bench v. chair in the window nook --

best of both worlds -- a chaise lounge. I love the Paige at Room and Board (click on my name below for link). R&B also has studio sofas that might spark your interest...

Very sharp! sleek! contemporary! I love the wood floors.I also like the idea of an area rug during the cold winter months .It would add warmth and make the space feel cozy and inviting.

Couple of Hans Wegner CH25 chairs would work well with your overall design/theme.

I also see a comfy chair in the bay window area ,perfect spot for reading!

http://www.angelaadams.com/images/01036_main_th.jpg

http://www.emmagardnerdesign.com/images/rugs/knotted_wool/egd.basicblocks.water.web.thumbnail.jpg

This apartment is gorgeous just as it is! You have great taste - - the chair, the couch, the dining room light, the CD holder on the wall, and the leaning bookcase are all fabulous looking items. Well done. I think your colored accent walls are the same color as mine - - Bryant Gold from Benjamin Moore?

A nice comfy chair or chaise in the bay with perhaps a bubble floor lamp (similar to the bubble dining room light) would be good. And a nice ottoman so it would make a great reading/resting/coffee'ing spot. :-)

Beautiful apartment!
Beth

I think a versatile bench in the window would be great - perhaps a nelson bench with a light wood slatted top? they're available at DWR
http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=0087
I have one and it's so versatile - put a plant on one end and maybe a flat pillow for seating on the other end. It's low enough to not block the view but also provide seating AND a place for a plant. You could probably even put a lamp of somesort on it if you got the longer bench.

Paint the walls of the bay window. Paint them yellow. Paint them deep red. Paint it purple. Just paint them. It'll give your living room a boundary and keep you from feeling like you'll fly off into the wild blue.

Then a bunch of huge pillows on the floor that your guests will race each other for to sit on. Put a small bookcase next to it and a wall mounted lamp from IKEA and you'll be there every night with an iPod.

Don't get a rug.

i don't know much (if anything) about feng shui, but it seems like that chair in the doorway blocks the flow from room to room.

other than that, it looks so beautiful!

Wow, what a great space...and you've done a amazing job decorating up to its potential so far...it looks like your nearly there.

I instantly saw your living room and thought shag...and I hate shag rugs--very difficult to clean and keep clean, so I am not sure if I would go on my instinct here.

I also agree with Virginia and thin a chaise with a stack of books and floor reading lamp on one side (closest to your head) and a potted plant on the other (closest to your feet). I don't know what your price range is, but my favourites are:

http://www.chiasso.com/store/item.aspx?itemid=50317

and

http://stat.dealtime.com/DealFrame/DealFrame.cmp?BEFID=73188&acode=983&code=983&aon=^&crawler_Id=404963&dealId=grFPjzFUK3G9B0WsnjOfEQ%3D%3D&prjID=ds&searchID=7DX3FeDD2I&Mrt=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmodernoffice.stores.yahoo.net%2Fmechch.html&DealName=Metropolitan%20Chaise&MerchantID=404963&HasLink=yes&frameId=0&category=19&AR=75&NG=7&GR=0&ND=1&PN=3&PT=0&RR=15&ST=6&DB=sdcprod&MT=sfo-pmt10-1&MN=MT&FPT=DNSRGV&NDS=116&NMS=21&NDP=30&MRS=&PD=0&brnId=3954&lnkId=3068594&IsFtr=1&IsSmart=0&crn=USD^USD&DlLng=1&istrsmrc=0&isathrsl=0&dlprc=1199&TstId=stage&CT=7

Best of luck!

My vote is for a comfy sitting area in the bay window. I agree it should be painted--but softly. You don't want it to upstage the rest of the room....but a soft wash of colour will distinguish the area. It can become, as Sarah Susankah calls it, an "away" place. So, definitely, nestle in the seating into it and, of course, pick something that will be different from whatever chairs you choose for the main seating area.

I too vote no rug and for that reason, I do suggest the chairs "match."

Great place!

I love the place and really love the beautiful floors. If you (and your girlfirend) wear shoes in the apartment and since you live on the top floor of a brownstone, you might think about investing in a rug to muffle sounds. Or skip the rug and walk around barefoot. Several years ago I lived in an apartment in SF with great wood floors. My upstairs neighbor (a trader) woke me up at some early hour every weekday morning running around his apartment trying to get to work before the market opened.

haven't read all the comments so i don't know what's been suggested already, but one way to make the living room more cohesive with the rest of the space (at least the areas that adjoin it, as seen in the photos) might be to bring in some of those buttery yellow tones. aside from the wood floor, everything in the living room seems to be in cool neutrals with blue accents. the rest of the place seems warmer, and those yellow accents really pop. you could try switching out the blue pillow on your chair with a warm yellow, or better yet a very warm red or orange. i'm thinking pumpkin or brick tones.

i also think you could use a rug. i wouldn't go too cool with it -- something with a lot of texture, maybe sisal or a kilim. you can still be neutral and subtle without being cold. you've done that successfully in the rest of your space with that nice yellow, the plants, the deeper tones in your art and on the table.

window treatments might also help. deep greens and blues might be nice there, but i think even if you stayed neutral it would work out as long as you went textural and substantial with it.

I feel I have to speak up and cast a vote for the "get a rug" camp. The space is great, but feels undefined and cold without a rug. Our last 3 homes had beautiful hardwood flooring that everyone always said we shouldn't cover up, but they always improved with area rugs. Maybe it is because we have always had furniture which is low to the ground, but a room with an area rug is always more inviting (as it becomes another form of seating). There is enough hardwood in your space that you wouldn't lose the dramatic effect of the floor were you to put an area rug in the living area.

As for the rug, I would go with something shaggy. It would fit with the Wegner chairs and '60's vibe and loosen up the space. Maybe not a flokati (as much as I adore them)... I am thinking of a long-pile stepevi. ( www.stepevi.com) Their website doesn't show the range of their rugs; they have some marvellous long-pile nylon ones that are unlike anything else I have seen. Sort of like "touch me", but not as long, and in more natural colours.

However, if you are not going to London anytime soon, that's not a very practical solution (sorry; just the one I though would look best).

Another option would be a very thick pile wool rugs in an off-white. The sort of rugs I am thinking of have strands that resembl dogs with corded fur, like Hungarian Puli.

Here is an example of what I mean:
http://www.modernrugs.com/index_main.html?http://www.modernrugs.com/cgi-bin/order_page.pl?photo_id=11_120

There are other manufacturers and variations on this theme. I think it would work well with your space because it echoes the aesthetic of your dining room light.

As for the bay window, I would suggest you create a reading nook with a chair and ottoman. You could go with an Eames lounge chair & ottoman, but my vote is for a Hans Wegner Papa Bear Chair (they are extremely comfortable):
http://designmatcher.com/nl/gallery_detail.php?galleryID=512
I recall that a furniture store in Soho was doing either a licensed "papa bear" chair or a knock-off, but it was quite affordable.

You'll also need a floor lamp and small table.

And yes, paint the walls of the bay. As thrustinj suggested, either deep red or deep blue would work nicely as a contrast to the yellow in the dining area, and further serve to define the living area.

1. a rug will add texture and focus for the room. it can always be sent for cleaning and storage during the summer months.
2. a pair of chairs is always a strong statement, you can't go wrong.
3. a table, or low cabinet with a plant would work in the bay. it might be nice to consider something asian of tribal that would contrast with your furniture. sculpture in this space would also make a wonderful focal point, since that bay does draw the eye.
pieces like a buddha on a low table or a bertoia wire sculpture are inspirational. good luck

I don't know whether this was a deliberate choice of colours, but it seems as though the poster on the dining room wall has set the colour palette for the room: the yellow of the letter "A" looks pretty darned close to the yellow on the wall; the green pillow ressembles the letter "D", and the the blue pillow on the white chair seems to more or less match the letter "A". Continuing in that pattern, the red of the letter "S" would be a good colour to paint the bay.
...just a thought...

Yes, get a rug! And as for shags---all wool shags are easy to keep clean with a good vacuum (on the hardwood floor setting). Synthetics are difficult to keep clean, and crush easily.

Unique Carpets (www.uniquecarpetsltd.com) makes HUNDREDS of different all wool shag textures and colors (a classic camel color wouldn't show the dirt as much and still look 'natural', 'classic). A few of the styles are more 'super heavy texture' and less 'shag' too, very interesting.

They are broadloom products (big rolls of carpet), so they are cut and bound to exactly the size you specifiy, making it easy to get that 7' x 10ish you need. Dealers are listed on the website I think, but any good carpet dealer should be able to show you samples and take the order.

good luck!

Lose the CDs on the wall - just bite the bullet and digitize them entirely, and then stuff them in the closet. Don't wanna see 'em! I agree about the mantle, it needs something, but it's such an obvious place for art, you could put anything there and it'd look good. Why not treat that space like a "gallery" where you could do different things as suits your mood, or the season? I would consider a permanent pieceof art above the pass through, or perhaps a tilted mirror. Instead of a rug, you could consider a yoga ball with a shag cover (so that it remains a sphere) near the window.... it would provide a foil to the lamp over the dining table, would add sculptural interest and color to the room without a big investment of either time or space, and would be extra seating space for parties.

Also, of you need it, you could drop a soffit in your long hall way and sneak in some "attic storage" (to be accessible by step ladder.

I can't quite see, but I think the leaning bookcase and the couch is breaking up the space too much, and is too heavy on the eye. The rest of the room doesn't support it. The couch is also creating a wall, constituting the very area you are trying to cohere. Your couch is not a wall. Additionally, the coffee table is too large. A low table should be round here, if one is needed at all. Coffee tables are dead space and are hard on the eye.

Take a look some baroque rooms and notice how they position furniture: it is meant to be moved around, and to create convivial atmosphere, not the spectacle of conviviality, as in a showroom. Try making the space seem provisional instead of static, with a couch on one end and two chairs on the other.

I feel like I'm falling off the sides of that precarious looking white chair. Also, you should conceal the CDs, which are hung like a work of art. They ruin the room and remind one of how I've heard them all before.

So, now that I've torn your room down, what would I do? Move the couch in. Get rid of the long coffee table and get a few versatile round end tables, whatever style, for in front of the couch. A couch only needs one chair, so make it a good one, with arms! Put some chairs or a desk behind the couch, facing the other direction. Put a chaise in the window, along with a plant on a stand. Textures and colors come together of their own accord if you listen to your taste and buy only what you really, really love. If you have to wait a few years to find a rug you like, so what?

Personally, I would leave the room empty, except for 6 cream bean bags, some Starck chairs of an appropriate vintage and a giant white desk lamp (http://hivemodern.com/products/?view=sub_product&sid=1205). ...and stainless steel Vitsoe for the clutter. But that's me.

Oh, I forgot to mention how the place already looks great and uncluttery. Colors are perfect.

Adam-

Your couch looks like a DWR couch very similar to my own, and we have the Hybrid Home pillows as well!

If you decide not to go with a rug, then I second the idea of window treatments. Perhaps something opaque that would add a bit of texture and interest, but maintain the airy openness and light. West Elm has some great textured linen for summer:
http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODr037&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1RUGWIN&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1RUGWIN

I agree with AT on the plant idea. Maybe you can use succulents-they are sculptural and clean, often used in modern spaces.

Texture adds the warmth and homey-ness some ultramodern spaces lack. Your space looks great so far!

Best of Luck.

wow, adam, amazing space!!

i live in NY, and it's quite uncommon to find such an amazing floorplan . . . at least on average budgets and salaries! congradulations on a great find . . .

so a few things . . .

perhaps place the black couch against the window (instead of facing the fireplace) . . . if you leave some distance between the window and couch, you can place a small console table or storage piece with small objects on top (pictures, interesting sculptures, flowers, etc . . . which will play well against the light) . . . place your arm chairs opposite the couch (with their back to the dining space) to balance the seating arrangement; matching pairs would be nice, but not necessary . . . as long as there is something linking all the chairs together (e.g. color), it can work. these two chairs will help to separate the living area's flow into the dining area; this is important. by separating flow (without interupting it), in such a way that another space becomes contained, you create depth and a larger sense of space. it will also 'ground' and 'ancor' the living space around the mantle, which will help for this area to feel more 'contained,' and distinct from the long flow of space you have running from the hallway into your dining room into the living room. also, by placing the couch in the direction facing this flow, the seating area will feel longer, and allow yourself and guests to feel as if they are sitting in a separate space, without isolating them from the larger sense of space and flow from the hallway.

once this is done, a rug will probably not 'break' the continuous hardwood floor you seem to like, and only further connect the pieces in your living area. as it will be in this contained space, it will feel more like a part of everything in this living area, rather than an isolated item that simply breaks the flow of hardwood floor. throw in a coffee table between the couch and chairs, and you have the beginnings of a great seating area to relax and entertain . . .

Very nice place. I can't quite tell how big that space really is, but, if that were my place, I would see if I could fit a third seating area in that room.

I agree with most that the bay window would be nice with a chaise - or a couple of small-scale chairs - and small table.

Then, try moving the two chairs closer to the fireplace, maybe with a small side table or two. This would create a tighter, more intimate space, and also move that one chair a little out the doorway.

Finally I would move the couch and coffe table back to make room for two more chairs (since you mentioned getting two new ones anyways). These could be directly opposite of the couch, or angled similar to the way your current ones are. As a last effort, I might even turn he couch around to face the wall opposite the fireplace (but probably not - just a thought).

All the seating would be a little tighter and thus, more cohesive. No rug needed. Hope that gives you some ideas.