apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have to say that I've been to this apartment
off of Bergen St. It is on Wycoff Street with a gym downstairs.

THIS unit is my ex's "ex" condo.

Holy.
Cow.

I agree, definitely get a rug on that floor.

I won’t bother suggesting a style or design since that is a matter of personal taste but perhaps it would be wise to get one that just sort of blends in un-noticed...

A rug for the living area and another for the dining area would be your best bet. I recently got rid of the rug in my living room and although it shows off the floors, the room seems naked without it. Also, I’ve noticed that the rug made a big difference in the sound quality of my stereo, much BETTER with a rug! They reduce the room’s echo, so go get your self a rug!

One more thing, your floors WILL get scratched without them, especially at the dining room table. You might have to repair scratches if your landlord finds out.

I wonder how P2 will vote on putting a rug in the living room?

a rug will also help create more of a cohesive 'living area' vs. the dining area. i think something non-modern would be a great idea. i think if you want 'persian' you should make sure to do the real thing and not those persian-look machine made ones you can get at bed, bath, and beyond. if you don't have that kind of money, i think other rustic handwoven rugs (a kilim, for instance) would be lovely. as would a sisal or other very neutral, textural choice.

size is also important. it should be large enough to encompass the living area (going at least up to the legs of the couch), but not so big that you hide the floor.

relax and have fun. pick something you like. the space looks great so far; you have very good taste. just go with your gut (and maybe read up a bit on the relevant rug factoids), and you'll be fine.

i think if you choose the right one, you shouldn't have to worry about

I think the previous owner used a blue sofa that
faced these gorgeous windows to partition both areas.

A long dark wood dining table was paralleled
to this creating an elegant solution of defining
two distinct parts of the total space.

Hmm. I dunno. I put in a rug in my tiny apartment and it just made it feel more tiny and segregated. I was breaking up an already tiny room into smaller parts. Bad idea.

But your place looks much bigger than mine. Perhaps it will work.

no idea what that last sentence fragment down there is about -- please ignore.

I really like your current layout - dining table nearest to the kitchen. It makes sense to use most of your 'living space' space for your couch, other seating, entertainment equipment since you likely spend most of your time at home in this space.
I think a rug will help define your living area. You will still have lots of gorgeous wood flooring exposed throughout the apartment. I agree with The Opoponax - if you are going to do Persian, get the real deal. The mass-produced ones can be extremely unattractive.
Did you paint your place or were those colors in there when you moved in? I would love to know the name of the blue behind your bed.
Good luck finding a great rug and enjoy your beautiful place!

Hi again. I also agree with juanito on the possibilities of segregating the space in other ways. The sofa could face the window. Then a nice console table could go behind the sofa and used as a sideboard for the dining area.

if you want to have a cottage feel look, than have as many rugs as you want.

To keep a loft like look keep the rug off the floors

A light colored rug would be great - and if you're worried about it making the space appear smaller - just choose a rug that has very small or no pattern(s). Large patterns or blocks of color will take up space visually. Good luck! (I love that red/orange pillar, by the way.

I would definitely put a medium size Persian rug in the living room. Right now I feel like your furniture is floating in the room. A rug will anchor everything. Just at the edge of the couch to your speakers. Pick a pattern that blends in nicely.

As for the dining area, I'd go rugless.

I would like to second the rug option to create a distinct space rather than move the couch around to face the windows. Personally I would prefer something soft underfoot (so no sisal) and something that can be cleaned easily (I have been using inexpensive IKEA cotton dhurries and throwing them in the washing machine once in a few months).

May I ask where your shoulder bag (pictured on top of the bed) is from?

I wonder how P2 will vote on this man's fabulous, sexy sense of style... :)

I would definitely put a rich but unobtrusive rug in the room to pull the living room together. Not really a neutral one, but rather one that picks up the colors of the art and provides some contrast with the neutral couch. Muted mid-tone green? I'm not sure, though I think I see some of it in the picture above the couch and the anatomy charts. Maybe a deep orange to pick up the other accents in the room? (I have a difficult time choosing colors by pictures; I have to be in the space in all kinds of light.)

Love the orange column and the blue/use of mirrors in the bedroom. Gorgeous!

I know P2 is going to say this as soon as he gets a chance to post, but thought I'd pre-empt him - cowhide rug all the way!! (of course, it is a matter of personal taste, but I loves me some cowhide)

dhurrie.

i could not remember that word for the life of me.

i think a cream colored dhurrie would be fantastic here. thanks, deepa.

I just bought this rug on sale ($175 down from $350) at Pier 1. It's colors would go well in your living room...

http://www.pier1.com/catalog/productdetail.aspx?oid=112100&returnURL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pier1.com%2fcatalog%2fgateway.aspx%3ffh_location%3d%2f%2fpier1direct%2fen_US%2fcategories%3c%7b110304%7d%26fh_refpath%3dfacet_59232842&fh_location=//pier1direct/en_US/categories%3C{110304}&fh_refpath=facet_59232842

On a completely separate note, I would remove the art that is hanging between the two windows. It seems to me to draw the eye away from the most spectacular feature of your space.

My vote is for sisal (or imitation) wit a nice border. But I also like the idea of cowhide!

I live in this building! We have our couch facing the windows, back to the dining area. Instead of a console behing the couch, we've separated the space even more by putting a tall, open bookshelf there. We do have a rug (8 X 10 I believe).

i really like teh wooden furniture, esp the coffee table and the dining set. where are they from?

as for rug, i vote rug too but only because the first picture makes me yearn for color. a nice orange rug to echo the column perhaps?

There is no need to hesitate even a second before covering the hard wood floor with a rug, whether it be wall to wall, area, or throw and in materials ranging from wool, knotted cotton, and synthetic blends to jute, grass, or bamboo. In today’s contemporary homes you will find a mix of styles, fabrics, and surfaces. You seem to struggle with the carpet on wood as a matter of principle and as a logistical and style issue, which is to say that you pose the first question and then answer it with a number of additional questions, although without settling on an answer. Consider your first question to be answered, therefore. Your additional questions concern the placement or selection of a carpet. In this regard I would proceed like the photographer Steve Landis, who shoots covers and editorial pages for leading international magazines such as Vogue (British), Cosmopolitan (American, British, Italian, Spanish), W, Elle (French), Grazia (Italian),
Amica (Italian), Madame Figaro (French), Marie Claire Bis (French), New York Times, and The Golfer. Creating stylish, powerful images are trademarks of Landis' work. You will also develop this as a trademark by placing your carpets in compelling arrangments vis-à-vis color and shape. This precludes wall to wall carpet, which is in fact always the case, unless you are Steve Landis. He could make such a thing appear beautiful, but we have little to gain from making comparisons between you and Steve. Instead, you will place a rectangular carpet, orange in color, made out of cotton twill and with tightly knotted edges in living area, under the coffee table. Next, under the dining table will be placed a carpet more square, but not precisely so, in its dimensions. The material of this carpet shall be wool and its color shall be tone of rose wine, of the kind recently featured in the New York Times « Style » section being quaffed in the Hamptons and Sag Harbor, and certain rooftop cabbanas in Chelsea, Manhattan. The variation of size will create a visual interplay much as Landis will capture a model’s doe-like eyes, almond shaped pendant, and curve of rib and/or hint of breast. These shapes are variations on curves or something round, and their harmony creates a subtle hum and dulcet tone that says, « yes !. » Your two carpets will do the same, albeit with rectangles. The variation in their texture and material will suggest the sand and the sea, grass blades and concrete, moss and the rock – in short kindred items that are proximate in space but not in texture. Best of luck and take care.

Those windows are just spectacular. They make a traditional post-war layout into a fabulous apartment.

1) You could use a rug to better define the living space. Your lease also may require the rug, most leases in NYC require 80 percent of the floor space be covered. Something neutral that will not shrink the space would work well.

2) Those big speakers seem to cut the width of the room by at least a quarter because of their placement. Can they go up on the walls by the tv or hang from the ceiling?

3) The table by the kitchen looks good; I also like it's size. But, the little alcove on the other side, between the column and the space where you have the buffet isn't working. Maybe you can put shelves that go all the way to the ceiling, which will exaggerate their height, just like the windows do. Instead of stand-alone booksshelves, which just add clutter, I would go for wall standards and brackets with a high quality, light-colored plywood, maybe birch for the shelves. With a clear polyurethane they would look very nice; a dark wood would overwhelm and white shelves would look cheap. Ikea has good standards and brackets, or you could spend a little more money and go with Rakks. ) Then you'll have a place for the books, record albums, and CDS lined up under the window. These shelves would work against the wall between the column and the spot where you have the buffet. Then you can hang art on that wall.

May you have many happy years in your new home.

I sort of feel like the dining table is encroaching on your living room space. I have the exact same layout in a smaller space, and I moved the table opposite the kitchen- where you have the buffet and two prints on the wall. I can't tell if you have the space or not with that lovely red column, but i think it would open up the living room (perhaps you can get extra seating?) and give you distinct areas.

IMHO, a rug would be great as long as it is a larger rug (8x10 or more) which would retain the "open-feeling" of the space.

Small rugs just look small and chop the space up.

A solid rug is a no-brainer and an easy purchase to make. CrateandBarrel's Athena wool rug (see my name for link) might do the trick. It's plain but you've got interesting stuff around the house.

This is a perfect use for Flor. Flor makes for a great area rug, it doesn't have to be expensive, it can be modern or traditional, and it is environmentally nice.
I used it for wall to wall in my place, will be using it to create an area rug on my wood floor in my next place.

OK, so the link didn't work, I wish we could check these things before we submit. I will try it again, but if the link doesn't work, go here: www.florcatalog.com

Flor

Cowhides & Kilims

They go really well together. Maybe get a really giant brown/white cowhide in front of the sofa (too small a hide will swim in all that great floorspace) and then get a richly colored kilim to define your dining area (and reduce chairs scraping along the floor).

That's what I did in my place, and I like the combination of rustic/ organic/ unique floor coverings with modern & midcentury furniture.

I like the layout so far. You should add a rug, the orange from the column would be fun, it will make the wood stand out nicely. You could move the sofa into the room a bit by putting a console table behind it. It will make the room cozier. I also like the idea of long low bookcases under the windows to house your collection of records, cd's and books. This will help simplify the room even more. An end table next to the sofa and the dining table will help to seperate the rooms a bit more. You might also put a larger print in the dining room or a collection of things that fill out the space more. This should make the room feel like it can sit on its own. Color would be good or even a mirror that leans. I saw this rug on Ikea's site, PERSISK KELIM GASHGAI, I really like the colors esp. the blue with the orange. Good Luck!

I second flor - when I saw the picture of the space I thought it would be perfect. I have a flor "rug" and I LOVE it - keeps my space contemporary and it's inexpensive without looking cheap. They have FLOR samples at DWR if you want to check out patterns/colors etc. That's what I did before I ordered samples of what I'd narrowed it down to.

First off,

A huge thanks to everyone who has posted. I haven't even gotten to read them all yet but I greatly appreciate all the comments. I'll give a thorough reply to all the questions when I'm home, but I'll just answer a few here briefly:

The bag is by Ted Baker and I got it while living in London, so not sure if it made it here.

The previous owner painted the apt. and I left it since I was in a hurry to move in. The color in the bedroom works really well. I had thought about changing it but it anchors my head and makes me feel rooted. The living room needs some work: I like the colors but they're not necessarily me.

I haven't really had all that much time to get this place together and the walls are still feeling really bear, but it takes a while and I'm pretty judicious so...

Okay, more later.

Thanks again!

Matthew

I think the room looks cooling with hard wood. If you insist in summer on having a rug then have a Tatami or Igusa grass mat in front of the sofa so you can also lounge on the floor. In colder months you could change to a rug to keep your toes warmer when your on the sofa. But keep the rug small enough to store rolled up behind the sofa or under the bed, or constrained by whatever space your storage will allow. Your room looks comfortable for now.

oops, I meant to say "you're or "you are." I should proof.

to get color, texture and softness...without adding a real design or pattern to the room...you could buy a wall to wall carpet remnant and have the edges bound. this works well when you want an unusual shape/size. they charge by the foot for the binding.

I would pull your chairs closer together and in toward the coffee table and couch, so the focus of your seating area is inward, vs. out toward your stereo/speakers, which I would like to see closer to the wall.

And yes on a rug. Something soft. If you can't afford the Persian, I second the previous suggestion of getting a remnant bound. We got four very large, neutral-colored wool rugs that way for a total of $1200.

I'd go for a nice, cozy flotaki rug. They have lots on ebay - see link below for pics and see if you like this look. They're really warm and inviting and the solid, creamy white will be a nice separation.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=flokati&category0=

i was going to start off with my suggestion for matthew, but now i'm worried about juanito having opened the ex files. hope you're okay juanito.
matthew, i once had a 30ft long studio apt and used 2 sisal area rugs to anchor the living and dining areas.
i think rugs or no rugs work since this is a loft style apartment. good luck.

just to clarify the point about no rugs working, now you have a casual open space with the furniture informally arranged and it looks great for thta open loft look. the ony thing i would suggest is replace the coffee table with an upholstered ottoman or place a very largew floor cushion to soften and add textur

Skip the rug and invest in a nice sofa. You can get something at Room + Board for around $1200 that you'll love and will last awhile. You can grab a rug (something cheap) for beneath the coffee table to last you until you can buy a larger more amazing rug. Rugs can be found for under $99 at stores like Target and IKEA.

Holly

Oh, by the way, can you swap the buffet with the dining table set and vice versa so that the eating area is on the opposite side of the room?

Budget Living (RIP) once had an article on decorating a small studio apartment featuring a rug that I think would be great in your space. They got a leopard print rug remnant from a rug store, cut it into a crazy blob shape that worked well with the apartment layout, defining the "living room" area, but was also reminiscent of a hide shape, and had the edges seamed. It was much cheaper than a real hide, easier to clean, and of course kinder to the animals. (See Feb/Mar 04 for the whole article) Your apartment is looking great!

Looking at the first picture, I thought, "Yes definitely a rug. Mostly solid, bright color to break up all that neutral." Then after seeing the rest of the pictures it was evident that there are some tastes of great colors in the apt. I still think you could go for it though. I'd try to pull the color from the red-orange pillar into it.

I'm on the fence about a rug in the living toom. If you do it, use a solid.

I would definitely use a rug in the dining area.

with all the neutral colored furniture, I'd like to see an area rug with the predominant color close to the bowl on the table and that orange-red colored column...(and shelves built below the windows for your books...maybe even creating narrow window seats...with cushions on top also featuring that same orange-reddish color. but you didnt ask us about that!)

It looks like you could use shelves for the records and CDs more than a rug.

Hi,

First I'd like to say that you did a great job with the space. I would do a floating shelf under the window to store all your CDs and other stuff. That way you still have all your stuff displayed, but its not cluttered or messy.
I would definitely put a rug in the room, but nothing too bright. It would just pull away from all your other great pieces.
I would pull the chairs a little bit further in and push the speakers back towards the wall.
hope this helps

Ditto on j's suggestion to add shelves/bookcase to round up all the books,CDs, etc. scattered on floor and window sill.

Make the shelves your #1 investment, and #2 is definitely a rug to anchor the living room furniture.

Perhaps low shelves between living and dining rooms would help to define those distinc areas without having to get a second rug for dining room.

Love the striped-wood side chair and triple mirrors on blue bedroom wall.

I would add the rug. No only will it help define the living area, but it will help with audio quality from your speakers/flat screen.

My first thought also was that you need some shelves honey! - all those books in piles just look messy - someone mentioned a bookcase behind a sofa to divide areas up and this sounds liek a great idea - I'd move the dining table over opposite the kitchen too - and move those speakers back to the wall as far as possible - and definitely remove the art between the windows - its unnecessary and ruins the feeling of wonderful light and space coming from the big windows - when you've got all that sorted then it might be time to think of a rug - if you're keeping the colours of the apartment (and I think you should - they are fabulous!) then I'd go with a rug to match the orange/red of the pillar

There are some nice well priced rugs at CB2. I got a cream colored one which looks great. The only problem is it sheds A LOT. So, if you don't mind vacuming every other day... Room and Board is a nice step up from that. I would go with a neutral color without any pattern. And even though it gets dirty a light colored rug (that's cheap enough to replace every year!) really opens up a room. Your apt looks great, by the way. I think that's why there are so many comments. You're up to something like 47 and its only 9:30 am! Enjoy your new home!

Are you all kidding?

First of all, why not just have an open house? This way you can be there to personally hear people oooh and aaaah over your stuff. I can appreciate taking pride in your apartment and furnishings, but come on. . .how old are you? You can't figure out what to do with the floor all by yourself? Who picks out your clothes for you in the morning? Are you that helpless or just a raging egomaniac that needs to be fluffed over what he's done for himself?

And to the rest of you making comments . . .isn't there anyone out there that checks out this website without getting chubbies over mid century? I mean really, cowhide? Why not just have a contest to see who can most perfectly replicate a page in DWR or even Dwell? Are any of you capable of an original thought without sounding like a bunch of hens in a barnyard?

rugs are a relatively expensive purchase and it looks like he has made all the other choices already and is just stuck on this last one. I didn't feel offended by the post.

Smacks of Jonathan, especially since he hasn't been getting any response to his most recent obnoxious posts. Let's just ignore.

Most def use FLOR... It is perfect for customizing a larger or unique-size area rug, we did a 12x 15 in our main space. the larger you make the rug, the more spacious it will look in your apt. and flor has new lines that are more antique looking, like the Barocco line , but still hip b/c its modular

I would suggest getting a rug. The rug will warm up your living space both visually and environmentally as you will have something soft and warm underfoot, plus it will improve the space's acoustics.

There are a ton of floor covering options available. Assuming you have the time and patience, I would suggest you start shopping at the top of the line rug and carpet retailers and work your way down. Doing this will give you a thorough exposure to what is available, and help you pinpoint the features and designs you like most before buying. In addition, consider broadloom, (wall-to-wall carpet) bound as a rug. Bound broadloom allows you to order the rug to the exact specifications you desire which is a big advantage if your living space requires a rug or rugs which are not well accommodated by standard rug sizes. Plus, you have the option of having the rug designed to go around obstacles, like that column.

I also agree that you should give serious consideration to buying some storage furniture. You'll be totally surprised at how open and spacious your living space will be when all of your things are stored away and not stacked or scattered around the floor.

Good Luck!

So I’ve finally made it through all the comments (thanks again) and I’m going to reply to as many as I can…this is going to be a doozy:

The Speaker People:

I’m a serious music nut and stereo geek so I’ve known all along that I’d need a carpet to temper some bass echo and bloat. My music obsession is also the reason the speakers are so far out into the room. I won’t move them back because that would seriously sacrifice the sound quality, and I’m willing to live with the trade-off of a slightly more challenging living space. They’re actually not as big as you would think and they light would makes them blend in well, at least to my eye.

The Persian People:

I was leaning towards Persian (real, if I can get together the scratch, opoponax) since I have and will be adding a few more modern pieces, and want to temper their impact by adding a more traditional element. I think I’m pretty much looking at either a persian, a Sisal with a colored border, or a something with an orange in it to pick out the column, as Abbe recommended. I’m realizing that a rug would really tie the room together (dude). Now that I know what a Dhurie is, it sounds intriguing (and comfortable).

Juanito:

I remember that configuration from when I went to the open house I think it really worked with his furniture, but didn’t work as well with mine. I tried it with a smaller couch from my old place and it felt a little too intimate for me.

The Dining Table People:

It may be hard to tell from the photo, but the dining table can’t really go anywhere else. The space between the column and the bar/buffet can’t accommodate a table and chairs, and even if it could I’d be left with a lot of dead space in front of the kitchen’s passthrough. I actually love the placement of the table now because I have people over for dinner a lot and it’s great to have them sit at the table and talk to me while I’m prepping dishes; that being said, I plan on replacing the kitchen cabinets and the white counter in the passthrough with a big slab of granite or something like that and putting stools underneath to create a little breakfast bar-type area.

Abbe and the couch/coffee table people:

“Fabulous and sexy sense of style.”

*blush*

The couch has perhaps the most shockingly ugly pattern on it that is being hidden by a poorly-fitting slip cover. I’ve been debating whether or not to reupholster the couch and maybe you kind folk could help me decide. It’s a seriously comfortable couch (and apparently an expensive one, as the family member who gave it to me _constantly_ reminds me) but I’m not sure the shape works with the rest of my furniture. I work at a decorative art gallery and have very eclectic taste, so don’t want to get something too modern because I’m afraid of my place looking like a DWR photo shoot. But I haven’t really found anything else I love. I was thinking a nice leather chesterfield (preferably old but repro would do) but an ex said she thought it would make the area too masculine looking with the coffee table and the other wooden furniture. The coffee table is a great thing but doesn’t work there. I’ve been thinking of something lower and larger (round or rectangular) to create a link between the chairs and the couch, and like Patrick’s suggestion of using a large ottoman or cushion. I somehow also see a glass/plexi table there (my sister has one that I covet) but worry about it overshadowing the small round glass topped table between the windows.

So, any recommendations for sofa and coffee table fixes?

Also, thanks Jessica for the idea of putting a console behind the couch; that should help lessen the space between the chairs and the sofa a little.

Sarah, eddie and the Bookshelf people:

Hello, neighbor.

I know I need bookshelves and everyone who recommended building bellow the windows has been reading my mind. All along I’ve wanted to put shelves bellow the windows and make the tops into window seats but I haven’t found a reasonable contractor yet who I feel can do what I’m looking for (truth be told, I’ve only gotten two quotes). Anyone have an idea what that should cost and who is a good person to call?

I also thought about replacing the buffet/bar with floor to ceiling bookshelves that would also go over the doorway to the hall. All in good time I guess. (and eddie, the building is actually pre-war, but is a factory building).

On a side note, I have this desire to put this mexican hammock in the left window going from the center pillar to the left wall. Thoughts?

The art between the window people:

I’m going to give this a shot and see how it works. Right now I like the picture there and I feel it presents a striking balance to the lush foliage outside, but I’m willing to experiment.

Snarky,

How did you know: I’m a 10 year old who needs constant ego-preening. Actually, while it’s nice to know some people dig my place, I was more concerned (and thought my questions reflected this) different ways of working with my space than I might already have thought of. I think I have a few good ideas of what to do with my space, but I always appreciate the posts on this site (your withstanding) and thought other readers might be able to help motivate me to do something I’ve been putting off for a while. I also miss how asking help from others makes me a raging egomaniac (actually, trusting _solely_ your own judgement would appear more egomaniacal to me).

And while I agree that the trend towards mid-century is a little off-putting to me, I don’t think my place looks like a DWR spread at all, epsecially considering that mid-century is in the minority in my place. Anyways, thanks for your snark.

In any case, thanks again to everyone for your help and motivation.

-matt

My boyfriend shares your stereo geekiness and we've had many, many discussions about speaker placement. I say: "Can they go up on the wall or in a corner? Can they be tucked away somewhere??" He says: "No! That'll ruin the sound. Hey, let's put them on the fireplace mantel!"

But our speakers are tattered, old bookshelf speakers, NOTHING like your pretty wood ones. May I ask what kind they are?

Red:

They are made by Totem Acoustics, and are the Totem Forests in Maple. I personally like the way the look, but I'm also a total stereo-loser

As a fellow audiophile I say get a nice big ol' rug in there. If you can clap your hands once and hear an echo then you definitely need something on the floor.

Totem speakers. Well worth the money.

john

Hi - I have a great contractor who built storage for me (click on link for photos). I can send you his info if your interested. He's a gem - really into his work, will give lots of ideas and suggestions for what to build and types of wood to use. And he's fairly reasonable for the quality of work. Brooklyn based as well.

potluck,

Does said contractor also do kitchen renovations?

Juanito - yes to your question - he was actually reco'd to me originally by someone who had him redo his kitchen cabinets.

Potluck,

I am currently interviewing contractors and if you
are able to provide his contact information, I'll be happy to be speak with him.

Thanks!

Juanito - I checked with contractor who you were asking about and he's happy to have you contact him at Berwynsmith@cs.com

Good luck with your remodel!

Before choosing a rug: tape sheets of newspaper together to form a 10x10 square, also 8 x 10, and whatever other sizes you're considering (round?) - then lay the newspaper rug down on the area in question. It will make it very clear to you what the best size is. You might be surprised. (I had room for an 8x8 but after the newspaper trick it was clear that 5x8 looked better). Take the time; it will save you making a mistake.

first of all, i really like the way you've arranged your appartment!!!
In my opinion you should not put a rug in the living space like usual but, really you should in the dining area! I would choose a kilim....

Matthew, if you do get a leather chesterfield, they are extremely comfortable. (No buttons on the seat, though... pass those up.)

I really love having arms the same height as the back for the "stretching out in the corner" thing. And I think they're timeless.

And are those anatomy prints on the far wall? What are those? They look cool.

Audiophile here as well. When I saw the edge of the speakers all I could think of was that room needs a large, fat, thickly textured carpet. My speakers also extend out into my living room but I like the tradeoff. I have two sets that extend out actually. Vandersteen 2ce sigs, & Chartwell Ls3/5a's. I also have Quad ESL 63's that are on speaker stands that are mounted to ply on casters that can be rolled out before use, & rolled back in after use. Good luck & let us know what you decide to do.

Hello -

You may want to work on getting your media together 1st. It looks as though you could build in some low height shelving for your records, books and cds under the window areas that would solve the clutter issue. You could even make them strong enough and on rollers with cusions either build on top or removeable to have your storage be extra guest seating.

When your clutter is taken care of you can tackle the rug, which can be bold or not so depending on your taste. You have a basic patina in there so why not a rich red indian or opulent southern asian rug large enough to cover the middle of your room.

There ya go.

Matthew-
I also agree. A rug would help 'ground' the living area. Another suggestion to separate the dining/ living would be to put a freestanding bookcase coming out perpindicular from the wall. It would actually make a little cozy 'room' for dining, and create more of a division for the living area. West Elm makes some nice cube-y ones (rolling storage bookcase) that I think would still provide an airy openess to your apt...and you can easily move around.

i basically have the same apartment in park slope, give or take.

i have a large sisal on the floor of the living-room area. the sofa is on left wall about 3-4 feet out from said wall, coffee table in front of it. on other side (where sofa is now) are two chairs, away from wall. small table in between for a lamp or whatever.

i brought my dining table a tad closet to the kitchen wall to define both areas.

a large mirror on one of the side walls will do wonders to open the space. i also have a built-in windowseat in the front windows.

e me for pics if you'd like. as once upon a long time ago a was a home decor editor.

SCREAMING FOR A RUG

I believe it is a law to have 80% of your floors covered by carpet for sound proofing purposes anyway.

So after evaluating all the helpful comments I've decided to go full steam ahead and do the following:

Build built-in storage under the windows with seats above.

Put a long console behind my couch, which will be a chesterfield (when the one I want surfaces).

Get a persian (or similar) rug that extends to just shy of the speakers and the couch feet and has a nice amount of burnt orange if possible.

Hang the rest of my art (finally).

Replace the pass-through counter with a stone or wood surface to make an eating bar.

As for the prints above my bar: they're anatomical prints from the wilson (?) health and hygiene seriess seen here:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/slinks/from-at-san-franciscoour-site-that-covers-the-bay-area-011743#comments

more later,

matt

You guys are right on: the rug can be used as long as it's pattern and color don't further delineate the space. Think : flow. I have the same feature chair. Ditch the cushion on it. The chair is a beauty without it and surprisingly comfortable. Nice paint colours!

Hi,
My two cents. Have a separate rug under your dining table which extends to at least as far as your chair legs extend (pref. more). Have another area rug in front of the couch (about 6 inches from edge) and under the coffee table, but it doesn't have to be as big as 10x10. 8 x 5 should do it, or 8x6. Have some wood showing before you get to the TV so you always get the breathing of the wood floors so as not to close off that nice open feeling of your space. Don't get sisal for under your dining room table. It stains like a madman. Get an oriental or smart pattern to hide any stains and bring some personality to that corner. It'll give it its own identity. Go for something less dramatic in the living room, again this will keep the calm, openeness of the room. A nuetral with only a minimal, linear design, or a nuetral with no design at all. You can go to the basement of ABC Carpet and have them bind a quality remnant piece for you - a nice wool. Carry these concepts to the rest of your rooms. Thanks-Libby in LA (formerly of NYC)

Definitely put a rug in the living area: it needs some block of color to bring some relief to the color selection. (which, btw, I love). Propeller has some gorgeous shag rugs which would be just the ticket. (Unfortunately, the rugs aren't up at their website.)

Is this apt. in NYC? It seems HUGE to me. Anyhow, I didn't read through all the comments; I'm just making my own. I may be redundant. We'll see.

Get the largest rug that will fit the entire living room space (larger than 8x10), either to go all the way under the couch, or just in front of it. Make sure you have an even border of floor around the room and that it doesn't interfere with the dining area. It is unnecessary to plan a rug for the dining area. Get a wool rug - you have so much floor space you (or guests) may be sitting on the floor and sisal and non-natural materials are very uncomfortable. I would stick with a transitional/contemporary soft geometric or something with tiny lines rather than bold patterns. Try abc carpet & home; crateandbarrel.com, garnethill.com, or westelm.com.

Oh, and move the couch away from the wall a couple of inches.

That's my 2 cents.

Valerie

Definitely consider a rug. You want something that knits the space together, which clusters some of the great furniture you have in there. Keep it simple, try for texture instead of an overt pattern. Otherwise, consider one big "hit" of colour. Nani Marquina has a huge and pretty incredible collection.

And as someone suggested earlier, I would move the photo that is between the windows to another location. The windows are enough art.

If you wanna put a rug under the coffee table keep it a light color & lush. No need for a persian or patterns if you like that open loft feeling.

Oh, it's probably too late but I hope you read this. matthew, can you please share where you got your dining set? I love it.

Wow, what a popular study here.
I would go with one big rug for the living area. Check the guidelines for placement of your seating on it etc. to figure out the size. In doubt? Go bigger.
Adding one to the dining area will steal the glory from the other one, be a chaotic addition, and will just serve as a trap for fallen food bits, etc, creating a tougher cleaning routine for you.
I also think the dining area rug will make the setting look less attractive. Rugs are not always an enhancement.

I have that exact same chair on my patio.
It is surprisingly so comfortable and nice to look at.
Ditch the cushion and show off it's sculptural quality.

I'm wondering if someone could be talked into writing a set of guidelines on speaker placement.
My place is tiny (no rug). and it seems the farther apart my speakers got placed the better the sound.
They are directed oddly now as well to bounce sound around before hitting my ears. The sound is even better.
Any good feedback or sources on audio placement and tuning?
I like the view to the outdoors to have no surrounding competition. Drapery panels framing it, but nothing else.