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Instead of the one overhead chandelier-type fixture, you could hang two medium-sized pendant lamps from the ceiling. There are always neat and cheap ones on eBay; Ikea has some too (look at "Septim," maybe although the scale is hard to judge without seeing the actual room/lamp, the wicker "Leran" or stainless "Foto" could be cute too).

If you did choose to whitewash the wood paneling and/or ceiling (it's pretty so personally I wouldn't use opaque paint) you could use white enameled or porcelain ones and they'd kind of fade into the background.

A light-colored or striped dhurrie or jute rug could be a relatively inexpensive way to brighten things up/unify the living area

Urban Outfitters has some that look like they could fit, but I don't see your dimensions here

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=24237&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=24237&crosssell=1

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=29686&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=336&iSubCat=296&iProductID=29686

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=29687&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=336&iSubCat=296&iProductID=29687

We've had the same Crate and Barrel sofa with matching easy chair for about 10 years and they've held up quite well -- and I saw in Elle Decor/Sept 2005 that fashion designer Peter Som had the same couch in his W Village apartment! The price was similar to the one you're considering buying.

Careless decor decisions (i.e. bad lighting, cat/Klimt posters) makes me sort of happy: When I fantasize about happily-ever-aftering with the date, all the stuff in the house is mine! No compromising! Some people just aren't aesthetes, and I have enough opinions for two.

But there are warning signs. Here's an example ... I once went home with a cute, smart-ish, Ivy League, Wall Streeter and the only books he had were 1. a copy of the Kama Sutra and 2. a beat-up textbook from B-school. No sign of interior life in that interior.