This one is somewhat tough. I would say adding flowers in vintage vases and softening up the couch/chair with throw pillows/throws. I know you don't want to replace now, but I do think that the first thing to replace when you do is the couch. Don't forget that you can craigslist the couch for $, which can then be used to get the new, more vintage sofa...I changed up my dining table style with a net investment of only $50 this way.

Put a vintage throw blanket on the sofa and chair and it'll warm right up. If you're very crafty, you could sew a slipcover for the sofa and negate the leather look entirely. Do the legs come off? You could replace the legs with wood peg legs and that will help give it more of a vintage look rather than a contemporary one.

Pinterest has a few Expedit photos with some vintage thrown in. Flickr is a nice place for inspiration, too. Maybe back them with beadboard painted a favorite color. Or with thin backing material that you can have cut to size at the hardware store and cover in wallpaper or paint. Make them look more like conventional bookshelves with backing.

The couch and chair should blend in pretty well once you pop some pillows or throws over them. Have fun with your new place and pieces!

Are you in a mood to make changes to the furntiture? Ikea hackers has a nice do-over of a poang: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/01/pimp-my-poang.html and tons of ideas for expedits, of which I like: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/07/etched-octodraws-for-expedit.html .

My favorite retro style was when they were trying to be modern and sleek so these don't fight with what you want to do. Can you share some photos of what style you like? Vintage can mean anything.
Its all about the accessories. Rug, throws, pillows and lamps.
You could certainly paint the shelves or glue some patterned paper inside.
If the chair is white, in addition to a nice pillow, I would stamp some flowers on it with just a foam stamp and some craft paint. Or get a stencil and do a big design.

I thought this house tour was a great example of making expedits look really charming. It's all in the styling! And it sounds like you have some great things to mix in.
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/heatherphillipshousetour/item/356504

A really interesting rug would help to add some character to the couch and the chair. A throw and some cute pillows would go a long way too. Definitely get a cool mid-century modern wood coffee table and I think you can make these pieces feel more you.

I think your only problem is the couch, but before I get into that, may I suggest that you get rid of the two black Expedits, because they're too sleek, whereas white works better with vintage. The Poang chair is fine; remember that it was inspired (or it looks like it to me) by Alvar Aalto's 406 armchair, designed in 1939. Now for that couch--again it's too sleek and bachelor-pad-y to be vintage (it even looks like a gamer's couch to me, sorry) so I would suggest getting a large, light colored kilim rug. Kilim always has a vintage feel, and are also not very pricey (check out Ikea's Alvine Ruta). You could also try accessorizing the sofa with fabric, but good luck keeping them from sliding off that slippery looking surface.

I'd note that bachelor pads became de riguer in the late 50s and early 60s -- probably more so than they are today.

Since I often do this, let me suggest another approach with the couch. One option, to give it an older (although no less bachelor-y) look to it is to wrap it with a wooden frame. And since we're talking vintage bachelor, here's a faux early 60s example from Down with Love: http://www.beltstl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/down-with-love-10-400x300.jpg

I would also the general comments that you can soften the couch up with choice throws and pillows. I would aim for "blending" the couch in rather than hiding it.

Finally, I do like colorfulchic's comment as well -- keeping in mind that the 50s didn't exist in a vacuum, authentic 50s decor would have included elements from earlier decades and the more progressive ones would have elements that we associate with the 60s. Playfully integrating them can make your environment look much more dynamic.

You've just described my house decor. I love all things vintage and I mix things up with IKEA all the time. I have a red retro breadbox with a mason jars and wine crates in my kitchen. It's easy to change the legs on that couch to wood to make it look less modern. We have the POANG chairs and they're going in the basement next to a MCM credenza. It can flow with the right colours and surroundings. ITA with the above posters that a lot this is dependent on the accessories you mix in with the furniture to help it flow together like good fabrics, blankets, pillows, will really help pull it all together. And if you still can't then by all means donate or sell the items.

I suggest you peruse sfgirlbybay.com She does a lot of "bohemian modern" against a backdrop of black and white. Incorporates a lot of vintage with those kinds of pieces.

My daughter has the same sofe, and the same dilemma. We hacked it by removing the legs and plopping it in an old spool-bed frame. Added some smooshy pillows and it blends nicely.

There are quite a few examples of how people have mixed modern Ikea with vintage pieces and accessories to get some lovely eclectic rooms that just "work": http://ikeaspotting.tumblr.com/archive Hope this helps :)

Use those bookshelves as trophy cases for all those vintage goodies! Draping a vintage throw or crocheted blanket over the back of the sofa will help until you get a new one, and the chair as well. Currently we house 16 vintage video cameras in our 16-opening Expedit shelf with a great vignette on top (to change seasonally). Storing books behind the cameras make for a more efficient space, so maybe you could store clothes, books, whatever behind your favorite vintage items!

I actually came across (and did) this project yesterday--it would work perfect for adding a vintage look to your shelves.
http://www.designmarchand.com/2012/08/21/project-book-illustration-cubbies/
Pick illustrations from your favorite picture book, vintage fashion sketches, or something else that matches your style.
These bins were fun to make and turned out great!

What is the focal point of the room ? Remember that you can draw the eye to a certain area or the room. ( Think of all the horizontal striped curtains out there. Put couple of those on the windows and you won't be analyzing the couch ! )
I agree with the others ideas to put a vintage throw or bed spread on the couch.
I would think of some floating shelves that would display some of your vintage treasures at eye level. I like the idea of showing off some of your goodies in a "gallery" way .. with floating shelves and framed art.
I hope this helps!
~ Christie

Vintage and modern play well together. Modern is sleek and clean and doens't impose itself on other stuff if you don't let it. it's like a little black dress.

I'd love to see what you mean personally by "vintage' style -- are you talking 40's 50's, or 20's industrial? Or something more Victorian?

Going on what I call vintage:
First, find yourself a nice aged, not expensive kilim or oriental rug. The more frayed the better. You gotta rough up the edges of all that clean furniture. The bigger the better. Where you interact with surfaces -- the floor especially -- can really set a tone.

How you style the Expedits will matter -- this is where to put cool stuff you own that you consider vintage (again, I don't know what your style is...) don't clutter these up -- one object per square. Or go the opposite direction -- jam them with all books, or all albums. Make the insides uniform... the modern envelop of the book case will disappear.

Get yourself a round table of some sort, cover it in a burlap or rough linen table cloth. Put a lamp on the table. make both generous in size -- nestle it up next to the couch as a side table. Find pillows that work with the colors of the rug. Get great, generous linen drapes that you hang near the ceiling. Make your coffee table something tiger stripe oak and round and beat up -- there are lots of those available at flea markets and yard sales. If it's really beat up, paint it. (i'm still wondering about style.. are you talking shabby chic?) . Treat the Poang chair to a new slipcover http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/slipcovers-for-ikea-poang-chai-94490

and post links to picture of rooms you like, and I'll suggest picks for you over on my blog howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com. I live for this stuff

pam h in dc
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

Replace the cylindrical legs on the futon with some hairpin legs! You can find them on eBay very inexpensively,

Modern IKEA furniture is so ubiquitous that it's basically invisible. Just drape a throw in a vintage fabric over the Poangs, put your antique cameras in the Expedits, and run up some cushions in your favourite retro material for the couch. Other than that, it doesn't need to be disguised because, like I said, ubiquity equals invisibility.

Hey, this stuff is so inexpensive and "all over Craigslist" -- since it's not heirloom, phps you can trade in the couch and either the black or white expedit, and just get yourself new matching expedits (I might opt for white over black) if you need the storage space. Then spend some time finding a more vintage-y couch that suits your tastes, or else revisit IKEA (or Craigslist) for something more neutral that you can gussy up with the right kind of pillows. ???

If you want a slipcover for the sofa, might I suggest something neutral, like natural linen? I find that fabric is pretty much timeless and suits many décor styles. Then pillow-it up!