apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nice fresh flowers and cute doggie! What is the budget?

Your loveseats are very nice, and the rug is cute. What does "comfy" mean to you? It looks quite comfy. Especially the beanbag chair.

The first thing I would do is get rid of the beanbag chair. I'd also declutter the top of the kennel and keep it clear of miscellaneous stuff. If possible, I'd swap out the two huge overstuffed couches/loveseats with a smaller L-shaped sectional that's a bit more tailored but still comfortable.

And I'd definitely look at adding some color with art on the bare walls. You might also want to look at adding some height with a decent bookcase (which could then store your media away from the dog), because all of your stuff seems to be at a low height.

Whatever you do, keep the dog! He's adorable!

Two things come to mind immediately.

1) Use the entire space. There doesn't appear to be a reason to create a "hallway" behind the one sofa, so why not incorporate that space into the "room."

2) I would angle the sofas to one another; one under the window, one against the wall, thereby opening the space. I know you are going for cozy, but right now it just feels cramped.

The room has great potential so make sure you let us see the final results.

I agree that the room has great potential, but the one thing I see missing is height, as asinner pointed out. I've found that making sure to use my space vertically as well as horizontally makes a huge difference in pulling together a room, so perhaps your new media stand setup could incorporate that.

Long sofa against the wall opposite the TV, loveseat under the windows.

As you said, new media console - Try searching Craigslist for something more substantial.

Larger rug - again, look at Craigslist.

Doggie Kennel: Consider getting a plywood board cut to the size of the kennel - paint it, place it on top and use the kennel as an end-table with a table lamp, etc on top. If you want to get real crafty, cut some fabric a bit longer than the height of the kennel, staple it around the underside of the top to create a skirt (leave it open where the door is)

Add end tables & lighting (Where are your tablelamps?) and consider an eating area/work area and/or some tall bookcases on the wall opposite the windows.

I would also suggest getting rid of the bean bag. I'd put the couch across from the TV and the loveseat in front of the window. That would help open the space up a bit. The floor lamp might be better in a corner on the window side of the room. Also, I'd recommend getting a TV stand with a little less depth. Maybe a nice non-bulky chair where the loveseat is now could make up for the seating lost by getting rid of the bean bag and give it a nice finished look. Of course, some more art and a kennel cover-up would improve things immensely. And a little de-cluttering. Good luck!

You can get a better looking dog crate. Some of the very high-end designer ones are ridiculously expensive, but places like Dr. Fosters and Smith -- a dog supply catalog -- have more reasonably priced ones. woof.

What I'm seeing is an issue of scale: the couches and especially the beanbag chair look too big for the space. I'd ditch the beanbag chair and try moving the couches around to take advantage of the entire room (see above with the not needing the 'hallway' behind one couch). Consider extending the curtains out a foot or so on either side to make the windows feel wider and the whole room feel more spacious by extension.

As for the dog cage, maybe clear it off and find a board or piece of plywood that's as large as the cage at its biggest point. Sit the plywood on top of the cage and cover the whole thing with a floorlength cloth so that the cage becomes a simple table. You can always lift the cloth when you need to put the dog in.

How about hanging the bikes on the wall?
And like folks have said, go vertical. I wonder if you could have a shelving unit with the dog kennel fitting in below . . .

I agree...you may want to get rid of the bean bag. And the space definitely seems a bit cluttered. As hmr mentioned, you should make use of the entire space.

Also, you may want to think for a while on what you want your space to feel like and what your style really is...the furniture and decor seem very random...The lone painting juxtaposes the modern media console...and not necessarily in a good way. Same with the beanbag and sheer curtains in the same room...just doesn't seem cohesive.

You may also want to think about getting a larger area rug.

Whatever you decide...thanks for sharing and I'm interested to see the finished product :)

I think you need more tailored, streamlined pieces, and less oversized, overstuffed ones. Do you need two couches? What about one couch and maybe a couple of occasional chairs instead?

I think if could only do one thing to dramatically chage the cramped feelign in this room it would be to give up the bean bag. You have a lot of nice things, but that bag is keeping you from the "wow" more than anything else.

You have some nice pieces that just need to be moved around a bit for a change. I'd eliminate the beanbag, and move the coffee table so it's parallel to the couches. Then I'd remove 3 pillows. The couches are pretty billowy as is, that having fewer pillows will bring in some crispness to the room. Adding darker full length curtains that hang wider than the window would add a lot of depth.

You may want to rotate both couches (still facing each other) 90 degrees and have you TV stand in the current hallway.

I concur that the "hallway" setup seems to create wasted space. I'd move the couch creating the "hallway" to where the TV currently is and move the TV to the wall where the bean bag is. Then I'd make the bean bag go bye-bye.

Any chance you could put up a contraption to hang those bikes on the wall? Also, Perhaps you could hide the dog crate under a table (maybe covered with a tablecloth?). Or if you need more storage, maybe a tall cabinet (with doors) large enough for you to you can stick the crate on the bottom shelf?

I'd also add large, bright art. And a larger, brighter rug. And change either the cushions or curtain (or both, though pillow covers are probably easiest/cheapest) to incorporate some pattern. You've got a pretty basic palette with the walls and sofas, so you could create a whole different feel with the art/curtains/pillows/rug bringing in color. I'd also consider a new, more interesting lamp, replacing the coffee table with an ottoman or a table with hidden storage, and mounting the flat screen on the wall and/or replacing the TV stand with a sleeker, credenza-style one with long legs and doors.

things to chuck:
beanbag
light
end table
clutter

make ( or get someone to make it for you) a cover to custom fit the dog cage.
i like the idea that bepsf on the couches.

and i would add those couches have built in pillows it seems, so why the extra pillows? add those to the "chuck" list
get a more versatile end table ( perhaps a low small bookcase for extra storage) and think of a different lighting system.

oh yeah...hang that bike up.

and, can you paint the walls?

give the beanbag to a needy college student who just used his rent check for ramen noodles and "herbal" tea.

I think the dog crate would be vastly improved just by clearing the stuff off the top.

I also agree with others that say to go vertical. Can you hang the bikes up along the back wall? I'd love to see the window wall with floor-to-ceiling curtains, extending a little more on each side. I'd get rid of the floor lamp and get some table lamps-good lighting can make it feel much cozier.

Just clearing all the little clutter-y bits will help too, and I'm sure the beanbag is great for playing video games, but it's really overwhelming the space, so I would part with it, if you can.

Everything in this room is low and heavy. It would be nice to bring in a few elements that expand the space vertically.

I have a few suggestions:

1. Get rid of bean bag chair
2. Rotate coffee table 90 degrees
3. Frame media unit with a tall slender (Billy) bookcase on either side
4. Store laptop, games dvds ect... in tidy boxes on said bookcases
5. Get rid of side table (if possible)

I agree with all of the above comments- the scale is a little off, the couch/loveseat should be at 90 degree angles from each other, and you need to utilize the vertical space (maybe get some floating shelves to get your dvds and games up out of the entertainment unit altogether, free from the threat of becoming chew toys from your adorable dog?)

I would also move the rug, maybe use it as a hallway runner or something- it's making your living room appear smaller than it really is. Does your dog crate have to be out all the time? If not, maybe like someone suggested you could find - or build- a simple end table to put over it, and put it in the corner where the sofa and loveseat meet, concealing it altogether except when you need it. Stick a lamp on it and voila!

Wallpaper a couple of sheets of drywall and attach them to the walls as 4' x 8' artwork. Put the crate under a dining-room table. Get taller, less puffy couches. move the beanbag to the bedroom.

Move couches to the walls so they are facing each other.
Put beanbag under window (I am assuming as a gamer, you want to keep it).
Move tv (on a narrower console) to door wall.
Hang bikes on that wall, if that's the only option.
Move end tables to corners.
Get a larger square coffee table, or two smaller ones to position as needed.
Rotate rug.
This gives you a seating area where tv is not the focus, but it still can be when you want it to be.

Goodbye beanbag. Get some colorful slipcovers for the sofas. Get a new media center which can hide wires and clutter. Make dog crate an end table or some such. DECLUTTER.

Put the TV console on the opposite wall, so the TV is not the first thing you see when you walk into the room. Put the love seat under the window, and the couch on the wall where the TV currently is. That way the space opens up.

I'd also recommend getting more substantial curtains to make the window, not the TV, the focal point.

Denhaus has a nifty dog crate that doubles as an end table. It would give you more room and your dog would be super psyched!!
http://www.mydesignsecrets.com/2008/08/05/in-the-dog-house-and-loving-it/

Lots of great ideas. I agree with hmr about the sofas-move them so they are in an L-shape to open the space up (unless you want to spring for a new/ish L shaped sofa).

If possible (and if it won't bother your dog) get an upside down U shaped cover for the cage made. I think you can keep it where it is, but then get a few wall shelves to hang over it up the wall. This should draw attention away from the dog cage and more to what's on display. Also, maybe you could put a small rug under the cage to protect the wood floors if they are real.

I think it's clear the beanbag's days are over. The only "wow" you're gonna get with that is "wow, you still have a beanbag?".

The pillows on your sofas are too big and too many. Try one small one with some color or a print on each. There's no rule that says you have to have a pillow on each end of the sofa, esp. when they are so short and bulky.

Not sure what kind of rules you have about holes in your walls, but something like this http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59852149 (preferably shorter) would be good for this room. You could keep dvds in the top away from the dog, hide gaming clutter at the bottom, and it would bring things up instead of out. There are many variations of this at Ikea, Target and I'm sure many other stores. Then you can lean varying sizes of artwork against the wall on the top cabinet and maybe display a couple things.

And how about some curtains with a pattern. From what I can tell, you are into neutral tones, but you can still bring patterns into the room in browns, tans, & grays.

Good luck.

Why not make a U-shaped cover for the dog kennel and use it as your media unit? Put your TV on top, etc.? It is too tall to use as a sidetable or coffee table, but might work perfectly as a media table (with shelves above the TV to hold your DVDs)

First of all there is no such thing as a 'better' looking dog crate. It's a CAGE plus if your dog likes it the way it is now theres no reason to spend any money on a new one. The 'fabric and board on top end table camoflage' idea is cool...

I've got a simpler idea. move the long couch to a long wall, put the loveseat under the window BUT keep it a few feet out from the window wall and hide your crate behind the couch. It will be a cozy little alley for your doggie and all his toys too! And you won't even have to do anything or buy any fabric.

I second moving the tv to the opposite wall so you dont see it as you come in if outlets/cables permit. If you move the long couch to a long wall then your long coffee table will be properly lined up as is. Lovesac beanbag needs to take a hike though, but I understand that my brother would have to be dead before giving up his lol.

I agree with most of what everyone else has said about bean bag chair, decluttering, etc., but I just wanted to emphasize the transformative role that a really good larger piece of art can play. You won't need to paint the walls if you get something colorful. If it's large enough, it can really help define your living room and willl instantly create a wow factor. Just by eliminating the clutter and bean bag chair and by adding a really cool peace of art (larger and more colorful than what you have --- probably without a frame) I think you'll feel a dramatic difference.

oh ya and with a dog that size please DONT put a lamp on top of his crate I know from personal experience that he can wiggle himself and his crate enough to knock it off! But I'm sure you already know this ha

Everything has too much fluff, I would get rid of the beanbag chair and replace it with something a bit more sleek. Also, everything seems to be microfiber. I would replace the throw pillows with something with a bit more texture, either silky and shiny or nubby and linen.

Since the dog crate is there for the long term, I would invest in something like this:

http://www.petcratesdirect.com/wood-dog-crate-furniture.html

Your current media unit looks very deep, since you have a flat panel TV, you can get something more narrow.

Lastly, add some large prints or panels of fabric to the walls to add some color to the walls since you are restricted on the color you can paint.

OK, most of my suggestions have been made, but here goes...

I'd move the love seat under the window. Take off the tiebacks and let the drapes hang straight. Put the dark end table in the corner next to the love seat. On the long wall opposite the TV, place the sofa. This should also abut the darker end table, hiding it but giving access to the surface. (The painting can stay over the sofa, but it might need to move up a bit -- keep it fairly near the sofa but not where a head will bump it.)

OK, put the dog crate in the other corner next to the love seat on the other end. Put a piece of plywood or masonite cut to fit, as suggested, on top, and make a cover. (The easiest way is to cut two strips of cloth, one the width of the long side of the crate and long enough to go from the floor on one side to the floor on the other side. Hem with sewing or with iron-on tape. Make a second strip that is the width of the narrow side of the crate and do the same. Put the board on top, put the wider strip across then put the narrower strip over,front to back. Flip the front strip up and only put it down when you have guests and want the "table" to look unobtrusive. (Make sure the crate door is closed then, too.) (Don't spend a fortune on the fabric if the dog is a chewer -- he could get bored when crated and Find A Way.)

This arrangement opens up the entry wall. Line the bikes up along the wall and hang a nice row of identically framed, matted pictures above them. (This might be a place for original photos if either of you are photographers, or maybe even a nice calendar. Frames can be inexpensive ones from a dollar store or whatever.) The art over the bikes makes the whole thing seem more deliberate and "staged".

I'd get rid of the beanbag, the place is too small for such a large amorphous object. But if you MUST keep it, put it in the corner where the dog crate is in the pictures.

The coffee table is too small. You could put it by the end of the sofa to serve as an end table, or get rid of it. If you have end tables, I'm not sure you need a coffee table, but if you feel you do, I'd aim for a one the length of the sofa and relatively low and narrow.

A narrower console for the TV would look better.

I would get rid of all the extra sofa pillows, and get a throw in a color that works with the dog crate cover for the back of the love seat and maybe the sofa, to add color and coziness, instead.

Add a larger rug in colors that work with the rest, and table lamps on the darker end table in the corner and maybe on top of the dog crate table. Add ONE largish plant with big leaves, if the pup won't eat it, maybe next to the TV console.

Keep it tidy with all clutter stashed out of sight, and you should be near "wow".

Hey I just wanted to chime in as a dog person...first, your dog is really cute. Second, your crate looks like the perfect size for him. If you spend the money on a nice crate, he will probably just chew a hole in it (I'm thinking of what you said about his love of your DVDs). Those designer crates do not stand up to anything. I would say that if the crate is really offensive, move it into your bedroom, which the dog will like better anyway.

chuck that frakkin' bean bag. If you need a low chair with no arms, buy one. but that is too big and just wrong. turn your entire seating area around so the sofa are on the large walls and you have a clear path to the window (coffee table is okay). keep the rug as is. Put the tv on angle in the corner left of the window. So you don't see it first when you enter the room. get a floor screen to mask the dog crate as well as a tall floor plant to go beside it. they can still decorate the corner when the crate is gone.

paint a rectangle on the wall the same color as the light green stripe in the rug. you can prime/paint the wall back when you move out.

you need more light. get one or two table lamps. put the torchiere in the far corner to the right of the window and a lamp on the side table.

you could use a credenza, console table or low bookcase along the wall btw the crate and the front door.

GET RID OF THAT THING YOU CALL A BEAN BAG. It looks comfortable but so big that it needs its own room.
Also that rug has to go. What were you thinking??
I love the pillows - and the color contrast. What genius helped you with that?
The dog matches the room nicely so I guess he can stay, however, you gotta do something about the stuff on his cage.
The painting makes the room look a bit drab. Since you can't paint the walls, you wanna get paintings with colors that will make the room pop.

Get rid of all the clutter on your TV stand!!! It looks like a 15 year old boy living there. Get a coffee table or sideboard with a shelf for the remotes, get a TV stand with doors for all the electronics.

Bean bag - sorry, but these haven't been 'wow' since the 80'ies.

I suggest moving the sofa arrangement 90 degrees so that the sofa doesn't block the light. Also consider that the floor reflects much more light than the rug.

i agree with everyone else...the bean bag is way to big for this space.

i would also address the curtains...i think you should do curtains that go from wall to wall and floor to ceiling in a great color...doing that will add a lot of height to your room and make your window and the whole room feel much bigger.

i would put your sofas still facing each other but with one on each wall so it doesnt block the window. i would put the tv stand off to the side of the loveseat. that way you can walk into the room and it feels open but it is still cozy with the grouping.

I agree about the beanbag, it needs to go.

Definitely go for bolder/brighter curtains. A larger rug would be good, as would a bookshelf/media cabinet. If you keep the couches where they are, rotate the coffee table 90 degrees. Clear off the top of the cage and add some interest to that area with shelves over the cage, photos, etc.

I have the same media cabinet - it really can store a lot if you use the full depth. It's worth it to find a basket/box that uses up the full depth and width of the shelves. I have the VACKER box (the one that has compartments, though I removed the divider) in mine. They're wonderful for storing stuff that doesn't get used everyone - for example, extra video game accessories or cords.

Your doggie is adorable! Not sure about making the crate into a table, as if the crate is anything like ours, the carry handle would interfere. A nice cover works well, and our dog seems to love the cave-like atmosphere, but when I want to hide the crate, I place it behind a screen...bc it still is so obviously a dog crate covered with nice fabric.

I agree with a lot of the suggestions here, especially that this room has a lot of potential. Overall, most of the furniture if just too heavy for the space:

- Remove the bean bag (maybe put it in another room? Use it as a reading corner in the bedroom?)
- Look at replacing the sofas with a sectional or L shaped sofa to open up the middle of the room (right now, it's blocked).
-Thinner wall-length console or one that is open on the sides to lighten it up a bit.

Adding color in paint, window treatments, or rug would be merely cosmetic but would add a personal touch. Hanging the plants would also open up the space and cut back on the clutter.

I also think you may want to start by removing some items, like the beanbag. Then, remove all of the accessories...and bring things back in one by one.

I'm a big fan of adding a drama wall - it helps to focus and ground the room. By drama wall, I mean go for some bold paint, if you are so inclined.

Check out some paint ideas here:
http://mochihome.com/

After you rearrange the furniture, send us photo and we can "test" the paint color for you!

It's important to recognise that it's a fairly small room... and yet you have bulky, billowing seats for at least six hefty people and more scatter cushions that I've had hot dinners. I'm sure those couches are comfortable but they were never intended for small-scale living.

I say ditch the smaller one and replace it with two minimalist lounge chairs - that way you still have the big couch for luxuriant sprawling in front of the TV, but also have enough seats for guests and more visual space. IKEA has a low armless chair in its Stockholm collection that would probably fit the bill quite nicely.

Oh, and needless to say the beanbag should be banished with all haste.

isn't the bean bag gone yet?????

put the dog cage under the window behind the couch

rotate the other couch to where the exiled bean bag used to be

put the tv & media stuff in the corner where the dog cage currently is located

Lose the beanbag! And one of the couches.
TV on the opposite wall.
If your ceilings are high enough, hang the bike.
Taller, more vibrant art.
Get rid of the stuff on top of the cage. (Will that fit in another room?)

I doubt I even need to mention the beanbag at this point, eh.

Considering the television (a very thin model, from what I can tell) and the crate (a perfectly suitable one if the dog's okay with it), and the DVD-eating issues (could be worse, he could be like my dogs and try to bring entire trees into the house to eat them on the carpet) -- and the goal of wow, I'd suggest tying all that together.

Use a metal-based grid system like Ikea's Broder or Omar, neither of which require attachment to walls. The mix-and-match element means you can slide the dog's crate under a slightly-higher shelf, thus visually incorporating the crate into the length of wall -- plus that gives you shelves above for everything that's piled up. Get a stretch of shelf wide enough for the TV, and a combination of shelves that gives you places for DVDs above dog-reach, game consoles, books, pictures, whatever else.

Don't skimp, either -- or at least, plan to work steadily until you have a fair length. One or two pieces will just look skimpy, honestly. Some things require a bit more size to really give that wow, curiously enough.

Such a long stretch of what's really just shelves (even if metal & plexiglass or pressboard) also gives you places for all the things on horizontal surfaces elsewhere in the space. Plus, IIRC, Broder has hangers for bikes -- so you could hang the bike in the corner where the dog crate is, move the crate down a little, and you're basically turning storage into a visual feast of nifty metal stuff.

I'd match it on the other side with standing lamps that have a similar silver/chrome detail (rather than lamps that sit on tabletops and take up more horizontal space).

The one caveat to that is to think about the room's focus. If you really truly want to wow people, then remember their first impression is when they walk through the door: and right now, regardless of color, shape, amount, or style, this is what they see: the back of a sofa and the television screen. What you're saying, really, is that the television is more important than someone who walks through the door.

So I'd actually look to put the dog's crate and the television and the bike-hanging shelves along the opposite wall, and put the loveseat facing them, with maybe two side chairs. Or even just one side chair if it's a little bigger, with footstool, for those stretch out and nap afternoons. That opens the room to facing the door and being more welcoming, lets you have a view of the light (without keeping it at your back) and doesn't overpower the space.

Also, more art. That few pieces look awfully lonely hanging out there. Hang more, get 'em off the sidetables, and make your vertical spaces do a bit more work.

Floor plan suggestions using your current furniture:

Mount the flat-screen on the wall. Buy a narrow/thin console table if you need a place to put a dvd player.

Move the loveseat under the window where the sofa now is. Move the sofa to be at an L to the loveseat (to the left when looking out the window), now facing the tv.

Float the bean bag a bit to be roughly kitty corner from the place where the sofa and loveseat meet (and where you should put a square or round table; ditch the queen anne one).

Build or buy a shelving unit for the hallway wall into which you create a space for the dog crate.

Sometimes I wonder if people are "trolling" by sending in a photo of a room like this.

If I wanted a lot of attention and on this web site... I'd send in a photo of my bedroom with a messy bed (mattress on the floor of course), bead curtains on the door, unframed posters on the wall, a microwave oven and bar fridge in one corner, and a neon Coors beer light in the other.

Rid yourself of the ugly beanbag? You have a sofa and a loveseat from the looks of the photos - if you must have another seat, buy a chair that will coordinate with everything else. Place the sofa along the wall the beanbag was, put the loveseat where the sofa was, and use the now open space for an extra chair if you wish. If you must keep the dog crate in the living area, maybe put it by the windows by the TV stand. Maybe you can hide the bike behind/underneath the sofa?

i agree with what has been said about beanbag chair, depth of entertainment center, and furniture placement.

also, if keeping the sofa, try a different coffee table. the one you have is too diminuitive. i like the colors in the rug, that's great. maybe change the accent pillow to smaller ones that pull out the brighter colors. no more brown.

more artwork and def. go verticle. what about wall shelves above the tv? you could store the dvds there and that could open up your options for an entertainment center.

Loose the bean bag chair...takes up way too much space.
A larger area rug that picks up your color scheme would be great.
Maybe you could get a side table that has hidden storage for your pup's stuff.
Some great artwork would help tie I up too.

flank the window with the two facing sofas. Hang tv over one sofa, and the framed picture over other. Lose beanbag. Lose that thing that the tv was sitting on. Survey the open expanse of the rest of the room. Enjoy the feeling. Remember it. Place dog cage like art installation in open space.. Fill in with other needs, SPARINGLY.

u can probably look around an ikea catalog and see where all your furniture should be placed.

Philip - Think about this - if you hang the TV over a sofa, how is that useful? LOL - one it could fall one day, two whoever was sitting on the sofa could not see the television, etc.

I'd rather see her either keep a tv stand or go with some kind of hidden storage (aka armoire) - don't let people dictate your space. Create it to how you will actually use it.

Here are some sources for some of the fixes already mentioned

www.classicrug.com is having a clearance sale on 4 beautiful Gees Bend rugs. The rugs are cotton, super easy to clean, especially with a dog, would give the room a cohesive feel, and add an amazing pop of color. I just bought a 6x9 rug for $99 plus shipping. (They're in NY, I think.)

For art, check out 20x200.com. Produced by gallerist Jen Bekman, the site features works on paper and photographs by some amazing contemporary artists from the U.S. and abroad. Small editions, which on average are size 8 x10 inches cost $28.50 (that includes the $8.50 shipping). There are also editions available for $50, $200, and up. For less than $100, you can get at least three pieces--matched by theme, subject, color palette, or not at all--and frame them with readymades from IKEA or Plaza Art Materials or somewhere. (when budget allows you also can get them framed professionally.)

Hope this helps--it looks like you have a fantastic space to work with, and I look forward to seeing what you do with it.

Oh, one last thing--"asked you first" made a good point about looking thru an IKEA catalog to see how furniture is placed. I'd also glance thru a House Beautiful, Metropolitan Homes, or a back issue of Domino if you can find it, just to see how folks have laid things out. There are also a lot of great books out there that specifically feature small spaces that would make for some good browsing (including one by our very own Apartment Therapy). Whatever you do, don't be shy about continually moving things around; you'll know when it feels just right.

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned is that all of your fabrics are the same. Try changing out the ultrasuede throw pillows for something less matte.

I'm not anti-beanbag, since I think you play a lot of video games. But maybe a smaller scale one, and even a brighter color would be better. If you're going have it, it might as well be awesome. Consider recovering the one you have in a more exciting color.

I think a darker colored vertical tv cabinet would work well in your space. Are you married to glass doors? Opaque would look neater.

Finally: get bolder curtains and hang them higher and much wider than the windows (like covering the entire wall). It will really open up that wall and draw attention to your cool black frames.