Look at those lovely throw pillows on the LR sofa-- use those as a starting point for a group of DIY custom fabric panels.
Head to your a great fabric store (there is a thread here with resources-- but I always recommend the Discount Fabric Warehouse on 21st Street, buy 1 yard each of an odd number of fabrics that play off one another's pattern and textures, buy some pre-fab stretchers from a local art supply house and make up your custom panels with nothing more than a staple gun and some nails to hang them from.
If you make the panels up from different sized stretchers you can put together a lovely composition of colors and patterns for the big wall above the sofa-- or if the same size you can do a group of gallery style hangings down a long hall way.
You'll spend less that $20 per canvas.

I can't give any arrangement advice but I'll tell you the best thing I have learned on this site. Don't be in such a hurry to fill up the space that you buy pieces you don't love. Take your time and keep an eye out for neat pieces - don't just spend one fevered weekend looking for things because you have to get something on the walls. You'll end up with stuff you don't love and when you later run across something you do love you won't want to buy it because you already spent money on the pieces you first bought. At least, that's the way it is with me.

This is a great place and I think you have a good eye so one last piece of advice, this time from Dr. Spock: Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do.

Hi Mrs. Lee, and congratulations both on your recent wedding and your new apartment!
I agree with Janel - great start on the furniture. They look like simple, modern pieces in neutral colors that will go with absolutely any kind of art, accessories or color palette you decide to go with. The chocolate and lime green pieces you already have in the living room are nice.
I know your primary concern with this post is art, but my first suggestion is about lighting. Your style seems to be modern/contemporary. The two hanging light fixtures (over your dining table and the one in the living room) feel out of place to me. I am assuming they were there when you moved in. I think you would get a huge impact by purchasing a really interesting pendant light and hanging it above your dining table about 20"-24" above table height. Something like a medium Nelson saucer pendant or one of the Le Klint pendants might be nice (check out the pendant lights at Ylighting.com and hivemodern.com). West Elm has some simple tapered pendant lights that have a clean modern look at a low price point. A series of similarly framed photographs might be nice hung gallery style along the dining room wall to the left of the table.
In the living room, I would start by pulling the slipper chair around to the other side of the cocktail table to create a conversation space. That angled wall might be a good place for shelving for books (from your one living room photo I can't tell what else is already in the room). I think that giant mirror might look really cool hung horizontally above the couch, assuming that there are wall studs above the couch that can support the weight of such a heavy mirror. Alternatively, that large mirror might also look neat hung horizontally on a wall in the dining room. If you wanted a mirror in the living room, you could always put a mirror on the angled wall. IKEA has some inexpensive round options and would keep things from feeling too square-y.
Good luck and remember to have fun with it!

As someone who is fairly young (I just turned 26), affordable art is always key to me. I LOVE modern, contemporary art and wish every day I could have large paintings etc from my favorite artists, but cant afford $3,000 pieces.

A little trick I devised in college, which I still use to this day....is to buy a nice art book of one of my favorite artists or photographers and take out the pages and nicely frame them like prints. You can easily make an entire wall of your favorite artists works, and all it will cost is the cost of the book and the cost of the frames!

As far as taking out the pages: If the book is hardcover, you can use an xacto knife and ruler to slice out the pages carefully at the binding point. If the book is softcover, you can take the whole thing into a Kinko's store, and they have a big machine cutter and the whole binding can be sliced off for about $1.

**My only piece of advice, in either method of removing the pages is that you will probably lose a little of the image on the pages closest to the binding, so choose pieces that it wont matter if 1/4" or so is cropped off.

www.weheartprints.com is a great resource for prints you can buy and frame! Browse the past months, and you might see something you like...

Also, I've been able to collect some original art buy purchasing smaller pieces by up and coming artists (usually ranging from $85 to $200), and then hanging them in a group.

Everyone who is interested in getting cool original AFFORDABLE art should go to Marwen's art fair on October 27th. It is going to be a really fun party/fundraiser/art fair. All work will be for sale . Marwen is asking for a $20 donation at the door but is providing an open bar and food for the evening. All work will range from $50 - $1,000. Mostly in the $100-$200 range. It is going to be great! Check out www.marwen.org of more info.

THANKS to everyone for all the helpful comments. I love everyone's ideas!! A couple people suggested moving the slipper chair to the couch. Do you think the chair is too bulky for the couch since it is so large? I was thinking abt eventually buying 2 smaller ottoman type things and lining them up on that open side of the couch. But I shall try moving the slipper chair now.

I love the idea of our wedding pictures lined up in the dining room. Does it have to be on canvas? Is that a much better look than just the regular prints? What kind of frames would you recommend?

And yes about lighting!! Something I didn't give much thought to but reading what you wrote, I totally see what you mean.

Thank you and keep the comments coming!!

Just a quick suggestion:

Stay away from photos prnted to canvas...it doesn't look as good as you think...in fact it usually comes off looking very tacky.

An alternative if simply mounting the large photo or print to board and framing it isn't your style is to have a transparency printed up onto mylar and then mounted to a piece of frosted plexiglass. You can then have it shadowboxed and lit from behind. When the light is off the photo looks normal but when lit (depending on the color light you use) the photo will glow with tremendous warmth.

I've made these before when I was in college and had access to all the equipment I needed but you can go to Gamma on Franklin (?) and have them do it. It's not cheap for a large LARGE piece but perhaps a 1 large piece flanked with small, non illuminated pieces would sit well on a wall...

You can also go to Kinkos and have them print up transparencies, go to Home Depot for the plexi, and then Great Frame Up of Artists Frame Service for the shadowbox and do it yourself...

Oh and for cheap original art look into teh School of the Art Institute auction- they auction off the old master works from the basement of the Art Institute... nyuck nyuck nyuck... the seniors and grad students sell their art for cheap CHEAP!

Hey Mrs. Lee,

I recently started working with a designer named Samantha of "maison de samantha" and if you want art/color inspiration or ideas, check out her site (www.maisondesamantha.com). I'm getting my place ready for a slide show tour for AT and she's made a HUGE difference. Most designers know where to find good deals, not only on furniture, but on art as well.

What I'm suggesting to anyone reading this is "don't be afraid to consult a designer." We go to a doctor for our health, a dentist for our teeth... why not a designer for our designing needs?

I'm just sayin'.

Good luck and congratulation.

Hi I'm thinking white frames in the dining room...as not to make the images too heavy. It's an unexpected move. Very clean and crisp. I would frame some "french Float" style and some with the image right to the edge. It would break up the possible monotony.
Plexi is great -cheaper to .

Also the Art Fair at the School of the Art Institute is twice a year, Happening in early december and late april. The Photo Grad Students steal the show. very nice work.

Try Ebay to ...I just bought a 1950's California Coast Landscape painting for $100.00

If you have the patience, scour etsy. I just got a fabulous photo, unframed for $14.

Friends of mine came up with a cost conscious way to create art on a long empty wall in their dining room. They painted (blue) squares and rectangles in three varied shades in a random overlapping pattern along the (beige) wall. The effect is really cool and best of all if you don’t like it you simply paint over it. All it cost them too was 3 quarts of paint and a roll of painters tape.

in one room maybe try adding molding at about 4' from the ground and paint the lower part of the wall a rich warm colora... possibly brick red or a nice burnt orange.

try painting an accent wall in the dining area a rich color too...

those carpets feel a bit cold and bare too, might want to roll out a nice area rug or two to add some warmth, and create a zone feel for the seating, and dining areas.

in the evening i like to light my apartment with a mix of lamps, lowering the field of focus to whatever space I am sitting in... it gives any place a nice cozy feeling.

Hi Mrs. Lee,

Re having photographs stretched on canvass. The thought of having photos of myself blown up on canvass somewhat daunts me (and may indeed be cheesy). But consider: a couple of years ago I had a postcard of a chinese soldier in sepia/brown tones from the 1960s blown up onto a canvass and it looks great. I bought the set of postcards in China when I was a little girl in the eighties, so it is in fact a memento of sorts, and not some impersonal artwork bought to 'match the couch'. My brother now wants to have a colour plate from an edition of Treasure Island that he's had since he was five blown up in a similar manner. Last year my bf, who is a photographer, blew up a beautiful, haunting photo of some flooded willow trees on canvass. The effect was quite striking, as the grain of the canvass made the photo look very painterly-impressionist. (you can check the photo at www.andrewbuzzell.ca if you like). So if you have anything lovely (like his photo) or amusing (like my beaming propaganda postcard) you can make your own statement on the walls, without necessarily making a personal appearance!

kerry-lee:

i love your idea! where do i get something blown up into canvas? around how much is it? and how large would you recommend?

Hi Mrs. Lee,

I guess you live in New York? I live in Canada. Bf Andrew suggests you might go to duggal.com (they have a store in New York).

My postcard was blown up to 32x22 inches and cost me around $140.00 canadian all in all (canvas, stretching and image work).

Looking at your space, you might want something bigger (or maybe a horizontal image). Or a whole bunch of them together! Or a really really giant one. However, size will depend on the quality/size of the original image, and what you want the end result to be like.

The best thing would be to take an image to Duggal (or somewhere like Duggal and not the disreputable looking sites I've just been trawling through on the web!) and get a quote. You can tell them what you want (in terms of size, clarity, colour, saturation etc), and they'll tell you what is possible, or perhaps offer some artistic guidance. But maybe some of the kind folks here at AT know of cheaper/better places?

Good luck!

Mrs. Lee

I agree with kerry-lee. Take an item that is personal to you and make art out of it. It will be much more valueable to you than anything you buy.
Your style is very different than mine. Your apartment is very modern where as mine is very colonial/country (but than again I live next to a farm).
The walls of my arpartment are covered with a unique assortment of personal photos, sayings, paintings and arts and craft items, many of which I made myself.
We have a "wedding wall" which has a framed cross stitch that was made by my sister, a copy of our wedding vows in a fancy frame, a photo of us and our wedding date, and a small wine glass shaped photo.
The oppisit wall has a painting of a lighthouse my grandmother painted, a wall clock that's made out of a tree trunk, a framed poem with leaves and a butterfly in the frame and another gold toned copy of a psalm.
An ajacent wall has two framed photo collages that I made, (one of Cadallac Mt in Maine - the other leaf shaped cut outs that range from our dating life to the birth of our son - 3 year span). There are shelves with antique bells that I got from my grandmother, and other small paintings and small pictures that we liked that were given to us.
The last wall has a picture of my parent's dog and a our framed wedding invitation

All of these types of items can be presented and displayed in any style. Change the frames and the arrangement of the photos and they could match any furniture or apartment style. The best part about it is none of it was very expensive and it can be easily taken down and rearranged or changed out for different photos or other personal momentos.

Best wishes for your walls - LOL
Hope my comments were helpful.

Dear Ms. Lee:
Please add some color before someone dies in there. Also try mixing things up a bit. Everything seems a bit too west elm floor sample purchased on the same day.
I think it's weird that everyone is congratulating you on the furniture choices. Got to think for yourself, got to be orignial, got to try to be expressive, even if it's in the littlest way.
Celebrate who you are and how you live through your design not where you shop.

Mrs. Lee, Is that the CB2 chameleon sofa, and how well do you like it,if so,please?

One small comment on the dining room fixture: I agree it would be great if you could replace it with something more suitable, but it would also help to hang it lower.

Jessica:

I'm sorry that you didn't like our place...I almost held back from posting this question for fear of attack from people like you. I did write in my original note to AT that I was clueless about decorating and to excuse the bareness since I just moved in.

I'm 25 years old and have never decorated a place in my life before. I've never studied it, I've never even been interested in it until I got married and was forced to decorate our place. So excuse me if my furniture and design style is not yet developed and to your liking.

I also didn't understand what you meant by "celebrate who you are by your design and not where you shop". How would you know where I shop?

Also, all you did was attack without offering a single piece of advice or constructive criticism. From what you wrote, it seems that you are quite the design expert and I would really love any specific suggestions you could give me. Also, why don't you post a picture of your place so we could all learn from your design ideas.

David Wright:

The sectional couch is the Chelsea from Room and Board. We love it!

All the furniture you see (couch, coffee table, media stand, slipper chair, side table, lamp, dining table and chairs) are from Room & Board.

I was harsh Ms. Lee and I apologize. I must have been feeling particularly bitchy that day when I wrote that. I am sorry. It does happen sometime.

No I am not a design expert, but I do feel that people all too often want to buy a look when it comes to design, not only for their home but for their clothing and everything else. Sometimes all of one look or color can be overkill and obviously purchased off the manekin or floor display.

I realize you are only 25 but if you ever spent any time in a dorm room you would have seen the begininngs of original design being born. Even the way frat boys decorate with beer bottles organized by color shows their love for something. Or if you have ever been strapped for cash and forced to make something you couldn't afford you would have seen the power of original design.

I think your place is beautiful for the fact that it is a perfect imitiation of contemporary home design that every west elm etc. is trying to sell to urbanites craving instant sophistication who have the money and not the time to design for themselves as individuals.

I'm just saying: Think for yourself! What color, type of art do you like, does your husband like? Go to a museum, fabric store - get inspired!

What things make you happy besides right angles and the color beige?

Decorate and design to bring peace to your nest. YOUR NEST.
Of course you need to do something with those walls. But you need to do the research inside yourself. Interior design is emotional. You can't just slap a Monet or Twombley print up there without loving it.
Oh and please don't get anything printed on canvas. Please.
Good luck.
-J

Jessica,

It's clear that you are a very depressed, bitter person. I would hate to have you as a friend, much less a designer.

Having said that, Mrs. Lee, she does make a point. Try to find pieces, both furniture and artwork, that "speak" to you in some way, that you enjoy for whatever reason. Remember, this is a process, not a project with a deadline. Don't feel compelled to throw art up on the wall just so you don't have bare walls.

For example, I love your couch. So much so that I'm probably going to get it for my own place. But the fact that everything in the room came from R&B makes it look like you just whipped out the credit card and walked around the Soho showroom saying "We'll take that, and that...and that." Perhaps there are some things from your family's home, like a chair or a picture, that you can use. Ask your family, you may be surprised. I'm chinese, and after speaking with my mom, she told me she has these long calligraphy scrolls written by well-wishers when she got married, which I plan to incorporate into my own newlywed home.

There have been plenty of suggestions here already, so hopefully you have some good resources to work with. Also, I'd try ebay and enter in "original art" and see what comes up. Also www.blueantstudio.com posts some artwork finds that you may/may not like.

Good luck!

Mrs. Lee,

I am also 25 with my first place, so I know how you must feel...it can be very daunting when you are staring at all of those blank spaces of white.
First of all, it seems you have a great sense of style. You have a great canvas to work with, in addition to some nice basic pieces. Now it's time to add some flair (and that can be the hard part). I would suggest just browsing websites and magazines to get some inspiration. Even walking through furniture stores will give you some ideas.
I do think you need a little more color...I tend to do the same thing. I stick to neutrals because I like them, but just recently I have added some nice deep red tones accented by flowers, pillows, framed pictures, and vases. Don't just rush out and buy the first things you see, though. Take your time in finding things that are well crafted and unique. I have lived in my home for three years and still have many things to do. Don't worry if it isn't pieced together immediately. Try to enjoy the process and your home will reflect your patience, care, and thought that you put into decorating it. Good luck!