apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I agree with painting or wallpapering the background; I especially like the idea of an ice blue or modern bright.

I would go for a really bold paint color!

Do you have any collections to display? Even books would work.

Line up your collection and look for a small accent color somewhere in your items that really contrasts with the overall color tone of your collection. Consider painting your nook in that color, or something similar. Pulling contrasting colors from your collection would allow you to go bold while either staying within your comfort zone or pushing a little outside of it, if you're willing.

how about using some fabric panels?
a shiny silk or a luscious velvet?
you can keep it monochromatic or do a different color for each niche...

also, how about mirrors?

That grandma feel is particularly evident in the cabints in the dining room - and that dated scalloped/wavy trim is to blame. With these cabinets, replacing the dated trim with a smaller, more streamlined one will do wonders, especially paired with a bold paint or wallpaper. The dining room cabinets look simpler and I'd leave those alone -- although you could modernize their effect with some interior lighting.

Great-looking space, by the way.

Ugh -- sorry -- I meant the LIVING room cabinets look simpler and I'd leave those alone or put lighting in... sheesh.

Wallpaper or fabric are not the answers here - I agree with the poster who suggested painting the interiors bright eye-popping color: If your collectibles are Blue, such as Rimini Blue Raymor pottery by Bitossi use an Orange like Benjamin Moore's Outrageous Orange.

For Brown items, use a Tomato Red or vice versa - or display White pieces (check out "Blanc de Chine" on eBay) in front of the a brilliant Ocean Blue, Orange or Pink. When you paint, do the entire interiors including the shelves. Use painters tape on the leading edge of the bottom shelf so that you don't paint onto the front of the cabinet. Allow the paint to dry for a few days before placing objects, otherwise the paint will stick to your pieces.

Consider replacing the chandelier with a pendant lamp such as the Kartell FL/Y in a matching color: Blue Shelves/Blue Lamp, Red Shelves/Red Lamp, Orange Shelves/Orange Lamp, etc...

Don't overload the shelves or fill with tiny tchotckes either - just one or two large pieces per shelf like a tureen or a pair of Foo Dogs.

For the Living Room, choose a color that's a bit more restful, like a Seafoam Green to line the shelves on the left where you can display big art books and photographs in all matching frames.

For the shelf on the right, go to the art store like FLAX and buy canvas stretchers a size slightly larger than the opening, assemble them and staple a piece of groovy vintage fabric that coordinates with your furniture over it like a canvas - Hang this over the opening like a piece of art. Put the junk you want to hide in the opening behind this (like that ugly old stereo/wireless router, etc....)

If the window on the right has ugly metal or plastic venetian blinds - yank them out immediately and replace them with inexpensive matchstick blinds from IKEA or Cost Plus. A big vintage lamp on the far right and a couple big vases to the left complete that space.

One large mirror over the fireplace - maybe a Starburst Mirror?

Oh, and get rid of that fireplace screen - it's Ugly!

beautiful built ins! I think painting the inside a contrasting color will make them really pop

I was going to say paint the interiors as well. I would choose a robin's egg or a nice celery green.

thank you all very very much. you have been so helpful. thank you for the time and detail Bepsf. will def utilize some of each readers ideas. i will keep yall posted. the whole house has this feel, and i think modern colors are the way to bring it into this decade.

I just did a store interior witha ll soft neutral greys and whites, then popped out two walls in Outrageous Orange and Eccentric Lime from Benjamin Moore- very hot contemporary look in an otherwise boring space!!

If I'm not too late here, I'd like to chime in with a little suggestion that perhaps if you had some glass cut to the shapes of the backs of each of these sections and paint the BACKS of those bits of glass, it would be KIND of like mirrors, and yet very much the pops of color you need (which ever colors you go for).

I think that if you want to make it very modern, something like all white ceramics, or all white somethings in there.

And furthermore, if you keep the shapes of that stuff (which I think you kind of ought to), I think something like nice big fat round white vases would look amazing on each of those shelves, preferably all identical to each other!

Not to late at all Curtis! Thank you. I love the ideas! Also, Bball really like your color scheme.

Thanks all!!!!! Will re post pics when done.

ONE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION FOLKS: I originally thought of painting the fireplace mantle, white. But, if I do it think the brick will be floating in the middle of the room and the mantle will be lost, yes? thoughts???? also, thoughts on high-gloss paint?