Allsunday's Profile

Plenty of people have wood furniture on wooden floors, so I really don't think that's your problem. If I were in your shoes, I'd add a lot more lighting and maybe some brightly-colored art and/or white throw pillows for the couch.

vjm -

How is it sexist?

Contact paper is a great solution for cabinets you can't paint. I'd use white paper to keep everything spacious and open. I'd also keep the wall with the door, the ceiling, and the walls above the cabinets white, to give the space height and dimension.

The bubble light should be replaced with a light fixture you like, and if you have to keep the bubble light for future tenants or something, just put it in storage. You should also consider getting lighting to put under the cabinets in order to light the counter space and brighten the whole kitchen.

Other than that, my highest recommendation would be to keep clutter non-existent. Don't keep anything on the counters, on top of the fridge, or on top of the cabinets. Keep everything hidden away neatly in the cabinets, and buy organizers for them if you find it's a challenge. Even a small amount of clutter can make a small space look ten times smaller, instantly.

If you can afford it:

http://www.citiquiet.com/

Yellows and golds go wonderfully with green, as does rich purple. Which you choose really depends on whether you want to go light and casual or deep and dramatic.

Hey, the furniture could be worse. At least it's all in good repair and none of it is overly offensive, even if it's not your style. And since it was free, now you've got plenty of money to really make the place look nice!

I'd suggest buying a slip cover for the couch, a big round area rug to open up the space, complimentary pillows for the sofa, a pair of contemporary table lamps for the end tables, and some nice artwork for the walls. That big empty space at the bottom left of the photo can be filled with a nice Danish modern recliner or rocker, and the floor lamp can go in the space behind it to balance everything out and provide even lighting. Also, if you can take down the vertical blinds without your landlord throwing a fit, get curtains. Something with some texture.

As for colors, I'd suggest going for light blues and rusty red-oranges to pick up and compliment the colors on that chair. Then, even if you don't like the chair, at least it'll look right in the space.

Good luck!

I'm agreeing with parttimedesign. I can't believe there aren't more votes for the PH 5. The CB2 light everyone is linking to is great, but it's far too large for the space!

I think what this space needs more than anything is better lighting. Apart from a new fixture (if your budget can accommodate one), you should find some decent budget lighting to go both above and below the cabinets. Ikea is a great resource for this, or rope lights are always an option.

I also agree with what other people have said about painting all the appliances black to match and changing out the hardware on the cabinets but not painting the cabinets themselves. They're a nice light color already, so they're not what's dragging down the brightness.

If you have your heart set on painting the walls, choose a color that will reflect the light and bring sunny days to mind, such as a springtime green, an ocean blue, or a sunny buttercream.

Forget the towels, I just want to snuggle the dog.

Oh my god, that's horrible and I would never have it in my house, but I'm still sitting here laughing.