Maybe a blue rug to go with the pillows and artwork (lovely btw) or blue curtains and blue boxes under the coffee table instead of red? Looking at the picture IMO the color contrasts are lovely but concentrated. Blue higher up, red at the bottom and neutral in the center. Bring some red higher or blue lower? Although, I really like the idea of teal curtains!

Would it be crazy to paint the walls red?

I second the idea of blue or red curtains. You could then move the white curtains to another room.

Get rid of the stuff on and under the coffee table first. That red is ugly and clashes with the red of the rug. I'd also get rid of the floor lamp and the coffee table itself. As a replacement for the lamp I'd get one with a drum shade (there's a tripod one from dwr and a similar from cb2 that would look good there). The coffee table looks cheap. A lower one in dark wood from west elm would work. The pillows are too turquoise I think. You could get a peacock blue or teal set in velour (crate n barrel?)

I'd love to see a darker color on the wall. I also agree with bugsy wife on the color of the boxes underneath the coffee table. I also think you need a larger rug.

Congratulations on the new place! It's adorable! I love the artwork too.

Ditch the rug, get a more unique coffee table (maybe larger and lower) and a plant or two.

Well, first off, what would you like the place to feel like? What designs are you inspired by regularly? My first suggestion to you is to look for common threads in whatever you tend to like normally. If you haven't taken a look at the old Fall Cure posts, I would really advise perusing them - there are a lot of great ideas there.

I ask these questions becuase, in order for your apartment to feel finished, you are going to have to make some commitments and go with them. Right now, this feels very generic. You have a good start, but you need to 1. tie the stuff together and 2. personalize it.

First, I'd choose a color scheme that you want to go with. The bright shades of blue and red don't work together, in my opinion. I think blue and red can work wonderfully together, but they have to be more muted shades generally, or you have to have a rug or other large piece (like upholstery or pillows) that incorporates both colors well. Since you have art that is primarily blue, I'd either keep going with blue or choose a coordinating shade, like green. I could see the art really popping if you choose to do the rest of the room in cool sage greens or rich purples or even neutrals. But the point is, I'd pick a color scheme and go with that. Eliminate all the accessories that you have out now - i.e. the boxes under the coffee table, the vase, the stuff on top of the coffee table. Get pillows in the new shade that you are going to use (I agree that the ones you have now are too bright for the neutral couch) and switch out the rug for a better quality one in the new shade. I'd then get a different lamp. At that point, I would consider getting a nicer coffee table and side tables.

I hope this is helpful! Good luck on your new place! Oh, and another thing - I wouldn't try to do it all at once. Do it slowly, as you can, and really think about each piece you incorporate into your home. Make sure you love it.

Well, I think that particular blue and red are fighting each other. Personally, I don't love that tone of the blue pillows with the beige of the furniture. It's also much cheaper to replace a couple of pillows than the rug.
I'd get some pillows and curtains in a deeper neutral tone, like a chocolate that have some warm red accents to tie the room together. Also, the red on the boxes under the coffee table doesn't work with the red on you carpet. Loose the boxes and replace them with something in a natural fiber, warm neutrals. I'm also not feeling the floor lamp. I think a more architectural looking lamp in a dark wood, would really tie in nicely. Good luck with everything and congratulations on your new home! It looks like the place has nice bones.

If you are allowed to paint, paint the window wall white and extend the white curtains to almost cover the whole wall. This will make it look larger and take out the nice design of the windows. Maybee place a lamp nearby to play off the white shadows at night and make it interesting and cosy. Maybee even a blue light?

I would also move the furniture around so they face eachother, the sofa facing the window.

The red should only be on accents and maybee a more coral red tone. So out with the rug and enjoy your nice wood floor!

I would go with a blue/brown scheme with a pop of orange or purple. Add some more colorful curtains, a lamp with shade, and a throw on the back of the sofa. Congrats!

I agree with littleEdie, a larger, lower coffee table.
That is what stands out to me

You have a good start. I read once that one of the big decorating mistakes people make is to ignore the focal point in a room, so what is your focal point? Right now it is the bright red coffee table. I agree with the other comments - eventually get a new coffee table, but until you can, spray paint the red boxes a matching blue to your pic. I personally like the red rug but you need to add some coral reds in somewhere else: maybe a couple of small pics, or a couple of pillows. Replace the lamp with a tall one with a substantial shade, and replace those cheap plastic shades on the corner lamp with crackled glass and use the lamp elsewhere (I've seen this and it is very cool!) Add something bigger on the coffee table in the red or blue, and remove an item or two. If you need more color pop, then consider painting the wall a muted shade of red. You aren't too far from having it looked pulled together. Good luck!

I agree with the recommendation to take it slow and find what works for YOU.

The thing that strikes me in the photo is that the sofa and chair and the walls are all the same color. The visual expanse of tan might be part of why your accents (the pillows, boxes, etc) jump out "too much". Can you paint the walls? Or hang more art/framed wall paper etc to help separate wall from couch? Or slipcover the furniture?

I would maybe switch out the silver lamp, if you have a darker lamp elsewhere that matches the table/couch feet. Maybe moving that little square end table into the dead space in the corner, then you could put a dark table lamp on it, some flowers, show off that brown vase more.

good luck! congrats on the condo! I hope you have fun making it your own.

A big fancy lamp to replace the one from ikea. Something with a nice big shade that takes up a lot of space vertically in that corner. A dark brown could work. Either get a new coffee table or replace the boxes... they're clashing with the rug. So, I'm not saying anything new, but I just wanted to second some of the comments above. Large plants do wonders... hanging ones too. Good luck!

First, you have a great space and a lot of great pieces to work with! Having said that, my rule of thumb in decorating is clear the clutter! If you are going for something asthetically pleasing you need to remove the extras to create a balanced more flowing look. Keep your coffee table and end tables a bit more basic, pick just a couple things to showcase.

Second, looking at the colors in the picture the red and the blue in my opinion are not working together. The rug you have in the room is a great starting point for a general color theme. I would say stay with that and go for some different pillows for the couch. When picking a complimentary color go to THE COLOR WHEEL (yes I know that sounds geeky, but it works!) The further away the colors are on the wheel the more they will work together. I always like a green with red (Christmas-y I know) but if you are wanting to keep with the blue find a more muted shade. Get some pillows with the red and blue to bring the two together more.

The final thing I would say to complete the look is adding some fun colorful and even (if matched correctly,) printed curtains! If you are like me and can't paint your condo, adding some color to the walls through art (which you have) and curtains is really going to make the room look rich and pulled together!

Would love to see some pictures of the room when you are finished re-purposing and decorating!!! :)

I also agree: lower coffee table with more design to it or personality.

The red boxes due clash with the rug. Get more neutral boxes or not store stuff there at all.

I'd like to see a bigger rug with the legs of the chairs anchored onto the rug. Makes it look less fragmented. And I also agree about the lamp: drum shade, simple...

Also, can you move the single chair into a bedroom corner and then get a more unique chair? Maybe something not to clubchair-ish so that you'll not take up more space. Something without arms?

Cute space though.

Really hard to tell from one photo of one corner of the room.

I know this is your first place, but I think you just need to continue to add pieces with some more heft, substance and maturity...

I don't think the white curtains are doing anything for you, and ironically, I think the matching chair is not helping give you a pulled together look.

You also need lamps with shades.

And find something other than the red bins for coffee table storage (while you search for a new coffee table!). It looks like toy storage.

Wow - I am surprised to see my request was posted! And that so many of you commented! Thank you so much for taking the time to offer your suggestions. I got some really good feedback here, and I feel so inspired! Clearly I have a lot of work to do, but at least I have some direction now. Many of you commented about the clash of red and teal, and so I think that's where I'll start. I'd also like to start replacing my furniture with nicer pieces (many of these are college leftovers), so your thoughts on the lamp and coffee table in particular were helpful.

Oh - and for those of you commenting on the painting - the artist is my good friend Erin Milan up in Seattle. She is amazing!

The apartment therapy community is awesome - thanks again to all of you for both the nice words and the positive feedback!

I agree with Sunnydark that you could put the legs of the furniture on the rug for a quick fix. Play around a bit with the placement of the two sofas, too. You might find that shuffling things up a bit will do the trick in the short term.

I also agree that you should move the red boxes elsewhere, or even "reupholster" them in a fabric that can tie the blue pillows and red rug together -- perhaps a paisley? Or a chocolate brown.

Anyway, I'd try the cheap and easy fixes before going shopping, which seems to be a common suggestion from the AT readership.

The reason that nothing "fits" in this room is that while nearly everything in the room is a part of a "set", each set appears to have been chosen at random with little thought towards coordination of color, texture or style...

To make it easy on yourself - Try choosing a single multicolored fabric for new pillows & draperies that contains the dominant color from a new (larger) rug, then paint the walls another color from the fabric to coordinate. Fill in with tablelamps and accessories that again pick up on colors and themes from that fabric and your room will come a long way towards being more cohesive - but not "matchy".

Congratulations on owning your first home, and the room in the picture does look lovely. Howver it needs a beigectomy, stat.

Presumably the walls were that colour when you bought it, and presumably you've had the (very nice shaped) sofa and armchair for a while. However it's clear from the painting and the bright blue cushions and red boxes and rug that your colour tastes have moved on from beige.

First off please paint the walls - I would suggest a brilliant white, which is actually a warm white and which is a great neutral background for all colours (except beige).

You say you are going to invest in some new furniture, in which case I would say change the beige sofa and armchair first, and replace them with something more suited to your current colour preferences - they don't have to be a set, either. The lamp and coffee table may not be design classics, but they are perfectly serviceable and should work well with a new look.

Good luck, and please do post your after pictures!

Love your space, and I'm completely in love with the painting! Sounds like you might be, too, so it would be great to play off the colors your friend used in the picture.

Since there are so many dark colors in the painting, try bringing in a darker patterned rug to ground the room and keep the eye moving. Without repainting your walls, I would say I'm not convinced the red is working. Dark navys, chocolates, and blacks would work nicely in this space. Depending on the rug you choose, you could mimic the luxury and softness of the painting by using soft luxurious fabrics for the curtains and mix in some patterned throw pillows of different styles.

For lighting, consider a hanging fixture/chandelier in the corner to add interest - Apartment Therapy and Re-Nest always have great lighting ideas, both new and repurposed.

Lots of good ideas posted above, so good luck and have fun with it!

I agree with what Laury has said.

1. Spray paint the coffee table boxes a blue that you can pull out of the painting or get rid of them.
2. It looks like you have a collection of candles on the coffee table that look cluttered. Keep one or two on the table and move the others.
3. Paint the walls. I would say a fresher neutral maybe gray or white. You may want something bolder. Just choose something that makes the painting pop.
4. Re-evaluate the rug after making the other changes. It may be able to be pulled together with some coral pillows on the sofa.

The colors are very pretty. I think blue curtains to match the pillows and the art would look really good. Maybe one or two extra throw pillows in the red also.

After posting above, I checked the Room for Color Contest and it seems that the most successful red and blue rooms incorporate light blue and red. Perhaps light blue walls (a color pulled out of the painting) would make the whole room work together.

Like the second post by: "HeSaid" from Dec.15 -
RED color on the walls will tie all together.

But - what I would suggest:
- WALLPAPER - in RED - abstract theme
... to match the color and pattern of the carpet.

Then RED cushions on the sofas
and some Lighter Red color - and similar pattern
over Windows - as the SECOND layer over your whitish curtains. (Leave them the originals on - layering looks good...)

Red is a great color for smaller spaces, it makes them warm and welcomed.

Do NOT do: BLUE - it is cold and hard to coordinate for LIVING rooms - (but: great for Bathrooms...)

As for new furniture - if the OLD one works, do NOT throw it out... if the color is not to your liking, put some fabric/slipcovers over it - this way, you could have "new" furniture" feeling at will, any time .... and you could match even any real new purchase....

Xandra

Replace the college-dorm floor lamp for better lighting and remove the candle collection and boxes from under the coffee table. Get rid of the white tab curtains. (re-design them minus the tabs and put them in another room) Maybe dark-stained match-stick blinds for the windows for a more urban look.

If you want blue pillows, find some fabric that has more of the deep blue from your amazing painting. The turquoise pillows are a little jr. high.

Then live with it a while before making any big purchases.

Congrats on your new digs!

Ditch the floor lamp, replace it with something more stylish and warm.

Dump or dye the drapes to a nice green. Olive-ish. Nothing too dark, or spot on green. Off green, on the light side.

If I were you, I would choose one or the other: Red or blue. Since you probably want to keep the painting, I would go with blue and play with colors that coordinate with the artwork. Plus, all of the reds in your room clash with the yellowy walls and wood floor, so I'd get rid of all the red stuff. A stand-up lamp with a single light at the top will make the place look a lot more grown-up. I'd also get some pillows that are a little more toned down—My eye jumped to them first, which isn't a really good thing. Urban Outfitters is always a good source for cute, unique curtains and rugs. Look around and see if you can find something there to make this look more homey. Also: Paint. If your landlord lets you do it, It will make a big difference. I'm thinking a nice sage would look really pretty in there.

I think you need to move away from clear-cut colors (red, blue) and start to bring in some color complexity.

Look at a color wheel, and move out one pie-slice (in either direction) from the colors (or one of them) that you already have.

Oy, but just say no to sage.

Opinionated Architect, thanks for checking the color wheel for me. I guess that's something I should have done to start. Painting the walls blue, and even bringing the turquoise pillows down to a lighter blue, is definitely doable.

Xandra, thanks for your thoughts on paint colors. I had planned to paint my bathroom blue, so I was hoping to avoid painting the living room blue as well. I love the idea of wallpaper and I might explore that option more.

idontdobeige, you're right that the cream explosion on the walls was there when I bought the place.

NDprairiegirl, I love the idea of a chandelier! I've secretly always wanted one :)

Thanks to everyone for the continued comments! I'll make sure to post the final product.
Marisa

I actually love donotdobeige's advice on choosing a new couch and chair before anything else. I definitely agree that you'll get the most impact or bang for your buck if you replace those, and that could really help you move toward figuring out what you want to do with the space. With a different couch and chair, the coffee table and side table would really not be bad. And I still think a beautiful rug is in order.

Personally, I love the combo of rich red (like the darker shade on your rug), lighter blue, and earth-tone orange-ish (heh-- I mean the color in your vase.) I think you already have this going, but the beige in the wall pulls your colors too much to... blah.

I second replacing the boxes in your coffee table with something in natural fiber, and I suggest painting your wall a color that is still in the beige family but closer to the rich earth-tone orange of that beautiful vase. I suggest painting your coffee table white so that your light furniture and coffee table (and curtains) stand out against the somewhat-darker walls. Placed in front of the window, the sofa might become more of a focal point-- it has a nice shape.

The painting is nice, but a little small. You might want to pick a slightly lighter shade than the wall color and paint a large box around the painting, as a kind of subtle framing effect.

If you want to spend a little more, I suggest moving the red rug underneath your dining room table, and getting a shag or sisal rug (larger) to go in your living room area.

Most of all, just start paying attention to what FEELS right. I think this is key to pulling together a cohesive look.

Good luck!

I think you might be amazed how much painting the walls a darker color will make a difference. It will break up the similarities in the neutral colors of the walls, sofa/chair, and the floor... not to mention make the white curtains and trim pop. But on a side note... lose the lamp.

I spent some time photoshopping what I'd do to your room. I liked the red and blue idea, tie it together by using lots of neutrals (navy blue, warm golden woods, dark browns).

http://i47.tinypic.com/xl9grr.jpg

Think about adding pieces that look rich, with texture or some kind of personality. Look for unique or vintage items that can take the place of your candles and maybe a plant or two to make it lively.