It may be that my screen isn't showing your true colours but what I'm seeing works well together. However, art that pics up the various neutrals in the room, right the way from black to white, through greys, browns, sepia should work beautifully.

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sepia-owl-carla-kurt.html

Something like this would be lovely :) http://www.art.com/products/p38075669906-sa-i9806583/jaime-derringer-study-15.htm?sOrig=CAT&sOrigID=0&dimVals=0&ui=411AD54DE9394A4580DB41C396023421&searchstring=navy+and+white&SSK=navy+and+white

I think the furnishings look great. I actually have that same rug. But it might be too big to that area. Love your glass bookcase. Is there anywhere for it that is not so tucked away? Like on the tv wall or something? I think its beauty is not featured with it tucked into that nook. Can you post pic of other sides of room? Try minted or artfully walls for art.

That looks wonderful in that frame, Mark.

Thanks Rina. Not sure if it's too gold or not but I do really like the piece of art.

Thank you! I'm so lost on art since my old apartment had a ton of windows. I really like the light colors in Marks option since a lot of my furniture is darker, attaching more photos of the progress so far. Above the brown chairs I'm starting a gallery wall (only one piece hung so far) and the gold shelf is by far my favorite new addition and I could play with the placement of it if anyone sees a better spot, I do love the navy from the nook behind it though. Thank you!

A monochrome graphic framed text print would tie all of your black and white and grey together really well. And i think they look amazing and you can really say something statement with a piece like this...

Not traditional art as such but would compliment your room for sure!

Mimi

http://www.mimi-jade.com

Oh and I can't get a smaller rug since our building requires 80% of the floor to be carpeted unfortunately

Go with a really large horizontal picture. This is 57W x 47H. Z Gallerie

Look for art that's 2/3 to 3/4 the length of your sofa. Hang it low--about 5 inches over sofa.

Art is not something you buy for decorative purposes. Art is something you buy because it has meaning to you. It has nothing to do with "tying a room together".

That said, there are lots of things you can use that aren't art, but are great decorations. There are some great clocks:

Or even just fabric that looks interesting:

Or shelves or whatever. You can even use them as place holders until you find art that speaks to you.

Joe

ETA: Oh, and your rug is too big. You shoud give it to me instead. I'll take it off your hands free of charge! ;-) (That's just me saying I love your rug. Keep it.)

love your new place. your things look great in the space. I think a large picture over the couch and a picture wall behind the chairs as suggested is the solution. maybe black and white with a splash of color.

you should pull in the color from that little nook into the room as accents in pillows and artwork. it looks blue to me, so any landscape with a blue sky would accomplish that. you could use a photo you have taken on canvas and pictures from travels and family along with things you like. installing a picture ledge or 2 allows you to change things out without having to make more hole in a wall. one 4" wide allows you to place other smaller objects on it too

In your idea book you have an art piece called 'devine view'. That would look great over the sofa.

A series of six square pieces in a grid pattern 2 high x 3 across in dark stained wood frames would be great. Or a larger abstract canvas painting in a dark wood frame.

Josef, must comment on your comment. I was born an art purist, so I have huge sympathy with your point of view, but I've come to believe there is absolutely nothing wrong in a situation like this with looking for a piece of art that would "tie it together". What would be wrong would be buying something you don't love just because it ties it together. But there are a lot of works of art that would do exactly that in this room, and to find one you love would absolutely be first prize.

Well said Rina :)

I don't fully agree or disagree. But "tying it together" is not the point of art. It is the point of decoration. Does that mean art could tie it together? Sure. But it will also transcend the decor when everything else changes. No point in wasting money on art that only serves one purpose. This is not a mischaracterized "purism". It is the effect of art. If the need is decor, I see no need to confine one's thinking that _only__ art can tie everything together.

That said, thinking of art in terms of consumption is a serious societal issue.

As far as I'm concerned asking for art to tie a room together is like asking if a coke is better paired with a blue cheese or should it be used to water plants. You can certainly do either. But there are better choices that can be made.

And btw, I think I offered some viable alternatives. I didn't even get into decorative mirrors.

Joe

Gah. On my phone. I clear up that one sentence when I'm at a computer.

Here's some suggestion for your wall you might like......to know more about my Art work and collections please visit my shop on Etsy website -

https://www.etsy.com/shop/PooviArtGallery?ref=pr_shop_more

Thank you everyone- this is so helpful! I know art is personal and I wouldn't buy something I didn't love just because it went well in the room but these ideas have been so helpful nailing down colors and styles that work with everything I already have. I am leaning towards the Z Gallerie picture leelee sent or art.com from Mark if that gives anyone a sense of my taste! Once I figure out the art I will be able to nail down the details such as pillows/lamps/etc to make it more homey.

For the gallery wall I am using the same frames but in difference sizes (West Elm gallery frames in polished brass). Mark I liked that layout you sent so much I just changed the lay out to look like that! I will upload pictures when finalized.

Any other advice throughout the apartment I would love-- moving and setting up a new place is exhausting!

The art.com folks are good people. I've have also been round and round on this topic with them, too (lest you think this is only expressed on Houzz). They do also offer original work from living artists worth looking at.

Joe

art.com is the absolute best place to browse for art! You will soon find a pattern develop of your taste & what you love.

I would also suggest, take your time. You don't have to fill every corner right now. Wait until you find things worth owning and not disposable. We have enough of that already.

Joe

I feel like your 2 chairs need to be scooted in towards couch. I dunno might just be angle of photo but I'm not a fan of all seating up against walls. They seem a bit removed from rest of seating. It may be the room is such a size that 1 chair angled in would look better. Then put brass shelf unit against that wall where chairs currently are

Bonjour Maggie,
I've got an idea with your wall, with a New York photography in black and white, in the same color of your rug and your pillows, what do you think about this idea ?

To see this art in detail HERE : http://etsy.me/1RaNl9

I feel like Mark and Rina both hit it out of the park right off the bat. Wow, I am hoping that when I get to the art in my room, I will ideas as useful!

Honestly, Rina's looks like it was painted to go with the rug. What a good eye! And Mark's, I feel like the artist sat down in your living room looking at your couch to paint and throw pillows to paint that. Un air du Paris incorporated the shape of the pillows in the image she offered. I love all of it!

I think I would go with Mark's. It looks like a match made in Heaven. The lines even have a slight nod toward the shelves behind the divider. It just feels so complete.

Thanks, Mark and D.L. Joseph, happy to declare a truce. I enjoy an exchange on the principles that underlie what we do here. Maggie, great that you seem to have found the direction you want to take.