apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

A rug ... obviously!

:)

yep, a rug, even I know this one!

Yep, I 2nd Jane, most definitely a rug.

definitely definitely a rug. How about this one?

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1267&f=24239

A rug, accessories, some artwork on the walls. The colors you are using are very rich and varied which is not conducive to minimalism (as an aesthetic) in the first place.

Yes, definitely a rug. It will pull the couch and chairs together and make the coffee table stand out since it sort of gets lost against the wood floor.

I third Jane. Rug up!

Also, am I right that the first picture shows a flat-screen TV with a DVD player or cable box on a shelf below it? That ensemble seems like it's floating around on the wall with nothing to tie it to the rest of the room. Maybe get a short, low credenza-type thing to go below the TV, put the DVD player in there, and lower the TV a bit?

Yep. A rug.

well frankly I think that your wall color takes away from any interest that might be found in your furniture.

Your furniture doesn't pop, but rather is soaked in by the walls.

Also: all your furniture is boxy. You need something organic , shapely, and not brown, be it an interesting iron lamp or glow light or soft window treatments with a subtle print or flowers in a vase on the table. Or just a vase or some sort of interesting object in view.

You definitely need some sort of subtle print somewhere and oh oh...
I just realized you don't have any low lights, as in a lamp lower to the floor on a side table or somewhere. That is crucial to bringing good and cozy ambiance to the room, instead of using the overhead light on the ceiling.

In addition to a rug, maybe a plant? The room feels a tad sterile in these pics.

Perhaps this will serve as further inspiration:

http://decor8.blogspot.com/search/label/home%20tours

I thought this was done pretty minimally with white floors and walls and yet was warm because of lots of worn wood pieces, dark couches and lots and lots of area rugs (see the second post which is the newer apartment of the same couple).

A rug, side tables, and lamps. Not to be busy, but to be useful.

Also, the white trim with the red walls looks more like an exterior paint job than an interior, which makes it unsettling for me to look at.

I think a nice floor lamp or reading lamp would be great next to the sofa, or on the end table.

I really like cb2's lamps (and they're pretty affordable for how cool they are):

http://www.cb2.com/lighting/accessories/vhttp://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=120&f=3484&viewall=1

as is it's very cosy - and just a tad tired... if you don't want to do a rug - then maybe a bit of color - try some drapes with clean lines or simple table runner on your coffee table, or some new pillow covers, even a small piece of pottery for the coffee table adds interest - like your floor vases

Pillows that tie in the wall colors. Pictures or drapes or books or softness. This really isn't minimalism (as in strong clean lines), it's just without personality.

The only things I "see" are the bright white window casings and trim. And I think the red walls clash with the tan furniture. Your TV seems too high, too.

I would repaint the walls in a lighter color, and hang the TV lower. I would leave the room rugless, unless you really want one. I also second the ideas of a nice table/floor lamp and console/credenza under the TV to hold your AV equipment.

Your room is missing:

1. A rug, preferably one with a pattern, and not a wimpy piece of woven cotton. A real rug, with a pile! Find a pattern that includes just a tiny bit of a cool color to add some drama to your extremely warm color scheme. Orientals are good for this, and they're classic.

2. Floor lamps to vary the light. I'd go floor lamps because if you're a minimalist, you don't want to complicate your life with more tables.

3. Two lush, green plants: a tall one for the side of the room away from the TV and a short, bushy one to go under the TV.

4. A low piece of art, like a handmade bowl, on the coffee table (which looks small in relation to the sofa, but a rug will help). Whoever said this room needs organic touches is absolutely right.

How committed are you to the red walls? Msjessica's right that these are fighting your furniture. Your furniture says "soothing, elegant, tailored organic modern," and it would look fantastic against beige (like the sofa), chocolate, white, or possibly even one of the grays that is so "in" right now. With the red, you get contrast, but it's not meaningful contrast because the red isn't picked up anywhere else in the color scheme and isn't really an organic modern/minimalist color.

Definitely a rug.

The wall colors almost looks like it was there when you moved in. Its so random in that room. Maybe change out the throw pillows to complement the wall color.

Minimalism is nice, but I think what is lacking in your room is personality. Add a fuzzy rug, some throw rugs with red in them and something personal (some artwork or a real plant) and the room would look a lot more liveable.

This room seems unaccessorized more than minimal. A rug would absolutely help anchor the room. Given the space and current furniture placement, I think a non-rectangle would fit well and also soften the boxiness. I would also add or swap in some brighter pillows [again, maybe non-rectangles] and/or throws, and I love the idea of a low credenza, side table or bench below the TV.

Here are some quick rug examples:
http://www.chiasso.com/shopping/modern-rugs-textiles/modern-rugs/pebbles-rug.aspx
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=1010&f=3582
http://www.flor.com/service/flor/shop_by_model_rug.html?mv_arg=Fuzzy_Button
http://angelaadams.com/individual_woolrugs.php?cw=49&ptrn=113

Adding my voice to the chorus about a rug. The walls are very bright and the furniture is so close in color to the floor that it just disappears. I think a rug would help with bringing the furniture back into better focus, and soften the place. Some nice lamps would also add warmth.

A rug would be nice, or if you dont want one (I dont have one because i like to sweep the floor and be done with cleaning) some lighting, plants (bamboo is cliche but works well for minimal, and is relatively durable/hard to kill)

The side table thats off in the corner could sit under the Dvd or whatever on the wall, like the earlier suggestion,

To me the room lacks any personal touch. It could be a hotel room. What do you like? Do you travel, put up a cool map, or a globe (though i suppose thats not much of a minimal suggestion.....) Are you sporty? arty? bookish? none of this shows in the room...do you like film? get a cool retro print of a great movie you love and spice up that wall....

My first purchase would be a warm and cosy throw, that could add some colour too.

Isnt the rule with lighting to have 3 different sources in the room?

Post an after picture so we can see what you do!

Before I even read the comments, the first thing I thought of was... a rug!

1.
Rug.

Just wondering: is it just me or is that television mounted higher than what would be considered 'comfortable viewing'?

An additional thought -- while I'm not a strong enthusiast "watered down feng shui for Westerners who read decorating magazines," this is a room where the bagua would be a source of quick-and-dirty fixes. It's currently all earth (square and beige) and fire (those walls). Your little bit of wood is being devoured (needs some green plants to shore it up), and you're extraordinarily deficient in air and metal, which may be why the room feels dull and oppressive even though the individual elements are all good stuff by themselves.

One last thought, and then I'll go have a life -- repaint the walls in roughly the gray of your furry pillows, then put a rug that incorporates your neutrals and a little color under the coffee table. You will be astonished at how the room comes into focus and has an emotional center.

PS: Jenny in DC, it seems that you've already mentioned the tv situation, so it's NOT just me. Haha

I'd agree that a sideboard/unit of some sort placed underneath would do the trick and anchor that television effectively.

I think the problem is that you have RED walls with WHITE trim, which sets you up to expect lots of high contrast, but everything in the center of your room is basically the same color and so it all slumps into brown rather than keeping up with the energy of the wall contrast. You need to add contrast to the center of the room, or considerably tone down the contrast on the walls by painting the trim ivory or cream. Doing both might actually be best.

I'm with the rug crowd. I'm envisioning one of those chunky shag-type rugs in white. Something with in-your-face texture, like this rug from West Elm.

Or, to be totally different, what about painting your trim black? It always sounds crazy, but when done properly, it always looks awesome.

The other thing that bothers me is that your coffee table is too small, and is also the same color as everything else so that it practically disappears. A square-ish coffee table in anything but brown wood would really help anchor the space, and with the right table you might not need a rug.

I think adding a rug would be an improvement, but I'll second the various comments about the wall/furniture colors not working together. I think that is the bigger problem.

Parhelia stole my exact comment!

Everything she said, and also think about moving the chairs. It is hard to tell from the picture what is behind the two side chairs, but I would either change them from that hotel-ish tilt, or possibly even move to create a separate seating area.

I also think the comment about re-painting the walls the pillow color is spot on.

Definitely a rug.

It looks so cold and I understand being a minimalist, I hate clutter, but it also needs to have some personality. This looks like a "first" apartment with whatever furniture you could get and not being able to afford decorative items- curtains, some pictures or art work?

Agree- it needs a rug. And I second the idea of a plant or 2. Nothing major, but if you are fine with the color scheme then I think a good pop of green is in order.

I like the organic feel you have going and I don't think it's a total loss to keep the red. I would like to see a low bookshelf with some nicely arranged books on it and a small lamp maybe.

deepa -

Thanks for that link - I'm in the midst of an apartment overhaul and that link is very inspiring.

Thank you.

I think the sofas kind of disappear into the floor as the color is similar. If you want to keep the sofa and chairs how about some cushions that pop out of the sofa? A rug is surely a good idea but I think plants are also important or just some flowers on the table. This would give the place some life.

Some nice sheer drapes and move your furniture away from the windows to create a better flow. A rug would be nice but with your wall color, I would stick to lighter colors to brighten up the place. Good luck!

A rug, some curtains, maybe a floor lamp or two, a small entertainment center instead of the wall-mounted look, some artwork, and some hanging plants or big potted plants - something organic is required.

If you like the wall color then add some pop to the room with some yellows and greens.

A rug like this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20053506
or this: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60039165
would really add some character and color to the room and sit well with the red walls too.

The tv is way too high!

A rug will help bring it all together. I'm not sure if its the photo but the paint on your walls looks like it's blotchy and could use another coat. However, I don't think the red is working with your furniture.

Add me to the (longstanding) Greek chorus of "A rug! A rug!"

Sometimes I feel like Cassandra.

And, lamps. I see nary a one in those pics. Please tell me you don't live by overhead light! They should be banned.

I'd also say (as have others) you need to get the wall color bounced down into your furniture choices somehow. Not full force, even, but right now the red wall looks like a an uninvited party guest. Or worse, someone who showed up for a party and discovered a wake.

NOT that your home looks like a wake!!!!!

Ill say, add some light, translucent, but colourfull curtains (it will make the room more homey).
A nice light in the corner between the window and tv, that shine on the ceiling (that will give a nice gradient to ur red flat wall).
A low shelf by the tv (something to frame ur tv a bit), where u put books, or, pic frames, or even better small plants, u have nice big windows u should use their sunlight.
Either put a rug, as mentioned below, or change ur table into something that will break the overwhelming wood feel, like metal or something black (works with ur black couch).

i love the floor wood, but i thing the coffee table is a bad choice. u need to make ur room homey, it feels that there is no personal touch to it.
or maybe im completely wrong!
hope i helped in some way.
cheers :)

You definitely need a more substantial coffee table. This table would be well suited to an entry hall, but in front of this very solid looking couch and even more bulky looking chairs I think it is all wrong.

If you are willing to spend the money, I think replacing the chairs would help. I feels off kilter to me when I see one chair that matches the couch and one that doesn't. It looks like a mistake.

The red with the white trim is too much contrast, and and much as I like deep color, this is not the right shade for what you have going on. I honestly think even plain white would be better than that red.

I don't think a rug is absolutely necessary, provided you get the furnishings and walls corrected. I do think the windows need a little something to make them look finished and I think some variation in lighting is a must.

I don't really see this room as an example of minimalism. To me it looks unfinished.

On second thought, the tan chair could work, but maybe the other one could go somewhere else?

Pull the couch out from the window about 12-18", place the tan chair at a 90 degree angle to the couch, which will also do a good job of hiding that radiator from view. Put that end table between the couch and chair. Maybe the coffee table will fit in front of that window now? Put books on it, or magazines. Hang some sheer curtains.

Finished that? Now go shop for a new coffee table!

A rug. And a big frondy palm.

..yes, a rug like an Oriental or a kilim (if you choose to keep the color) in jewel tones to coordinate with the wall color and to warm up the room. Some art work with white mats to balance off the white-trimmed windows which would suit white canvas or linen Roman shades. Lower the TV, possibly placed on that coffee table and the room will look less like a guy haven. Add plants, suggested lighting, pillows in a low- contrast fabric (to avoid busyness) and maybe a fur throw.

I think that since that's KIND of a bay window, I'd try to emphasize it, so it doesn't look like some kind of mistake or something.

Like... maybe have an oval coffee table as the nucleus of the room? Or if you're attached to the one you have, maybe have the new rug (that you MUST get, as you see from everyone's comments) be an oval?

I think I'd also be tempted to have those chairs at similar angles to what you have them now, but in front of the corners of that bay window wall but not smack up against the walls, and put plants in the obtuse triangular spaces that would create behind them.

Then I'd put the sofa across from the center of the window, so you could look out the window while sitting on the sofa.

I do like the idea of taking the TV off that wall-mount and putting in or on some kind of media unit, too.

I think a rug would make the room look smaller, if the walls were a light color and contained, say, a row of small but bright prints e.g. postcard size. Yank the TV off the wall and put it somewhere else maybe out the window :)

maybe something round, even circular? like a clock or globe or cylinder tables or something.

i would like an oriental rug that brings in the red, but you should get a toned down red, more of an earthy brown-red, or add more red to the room. I love red - it's my favorite color and i wish i had the cojones to paint something red, but i think that tone is a bit loud. maybe there's some sort of diy thing you can do (watch color correction on hgtv) like using a stain over the top. then get a bulkier coffee table, maybe black with a glass top or something that stands out. you can barely tell where the floor and coffee table are separate.

actually i changed my mind about the red. just bring in red and white patterned pillows - something super funky and instead of an oriental patterned rug, maybe a white one, to offset the red and beige. i think you need plants, too. the more i looked at the pics, the more i liked the red!

Repaint the room a light gray or off white. Keep the baseboards and window moldings no more than a shade or 2 different from the walls. This will help with the minimalist element by not emphasizing the baseboards and window detailing. Right now, the red and white contrast is all about adding to the room, not subtracting. Don't forget to use primer when you repaint. The person who painted the walls red didn't and it shows.

Add a rug that coordinates with your new lighter room color. Very light or very dark are probably the way to go since your furniture and floors are squarely in the midtone world.

Lower the tv. The current height is only good if you watch tv standing up. To determine the correct height, sit in your favorite tv watching chair and measure from the floor to your eyes. The CENTER of the tv screen should be at that same height. No more than a few inches higher. This will make television watching more comfortable and will improve the brightness and contrast of your lcd screen.

I'd move the end table (black one) next to the tan chair and put floor lamps on each side of the couch. I'd put a small lamp on that side table by the chair if possible so you can get an 'around the room' low lighting vibe happening. It will soften up things, but still keep that open vibe. Lighting is so key to warming up a room. I agree with the tv being to high as well. Also ditto the rug thoughts, just a small one under the coffee table. Drapes would be lovely. I think one rod that extends over the three windows and a simple panel hanging on each side would do the trick (as opposed to each window having two panels, which I think would be overload). A throw for the couch with red will tie in the walls. Williams Sonoma has an awesome large red throw (I have one) that looks & feels amazing as well, as some striped pillows that would compliment it really nice. But it's all a matter of taste. But bringing the red into the room would tie the walls into the space and not make them stand out so much. I do like the red by the way, it just needs some company, lol...

I wish AT would post larger photographs for 'Good Questions'. They are always too small.

This space is a guy haven that I thought I could fix quickly. Being the only woman in the house makes decorating a challenge. After, reading the above comments I started making changes immediately. The painter is coming on Tuesday to assist in picking a paint color or two. The Maurice villencey chairs will have to stay until I recieve a good offer. The coffee table and shelf is free for the taking. I am heistant about the rug because I like the easy clean of the wood floors. I am a known plant killer but I will google plant killer friendly plants. TV OH TV next...

A room without a cat is an empty room.