Forgot to include my favorite piece(the lamp) that I can hopefully tie everything into:

Holy Cow. Bless your heart.

Hi Alexis! You have so many interesting pieces. I think what you may be missing are a few storage ideas and a little bit of design interest in varying your furniture. There are a number of opportunities for the main wall of your apartment. You could purchase colourful baskets to go under your tv unit which would hold your shoes as well as create visual interest and colour. Love your turn table! What about draping the cabinet it sits on with a tailored cover - like a slip cover, that would open at the front to allow access to your records? You could also have a piece of glass cut to fit the table top so your turn table sits on a flat hard surface. It would also be great to see a larger area rug in the living room - something with colour - pick up a colour from your fabulous pillow on the sofa - and make it a large area rug to unify the space. Try looking for a large canvas to hang on your wall as well to create a focal point and then double up your existing art work to hang on top of one another.

Sustainable Dwellings, I think I'm in over my head. I think my problem is that I like too many things and I never consider if they'll match. Well, that and the fact that my budget is pretty much nonexistent.

Thank you, Ferguson Designs, for all of the tips! I definitely agree about the area rug and think I have only been waiting because I thought I should formally choose a color scheme before taking the plunge. I also agree about having one large piece of artwork above the couch. If anyone has any suggestions for a great place to get inexpensive artwork online, I would love to check it out!

Do you have any storage area??? If so, make a fun project of what goes and what stays... that is a problem when you blend households. good luck.

Looks like the wall across from the couch just has a bunch of different items all in a straight line/row.

Try moving the lamp on the console table to the other side so the cord hangs straight down to the outlet instead of running across the wall......or tape the cord to the back of the table until it is over the outlet. Sorry....I just get anal about cords. BUT I love the table and the little rack over it and the picture placed beneath it. FUN! But now I am wondering if that table is truly needed in this space, as you have to consider function in a small area, too. It is a long table and truly takes up a bunch of room. I love the little bar area right next to it. Could the bar area slide under the mirror and then there would be a blank space there for the eye to rest. Try the picture over the bar area and the one at the other end of the wall together behind the couch.

Also, do you need/use the coffee table? Seems like valuable floor space and that table is huge with barely anything there. Do you use it as an ottoman while watching tv maybe? Could it go? The different color might be throwing things off, too.

What about the rug under the table? I wonder if maybe it should go, too, and just let the lighter carpet be there for the darker furniture instead of making the floor right there dark, too.

Alexis, You don't need to do the large canvas piece over your couch - you could do it over the tv which is by defacto, your focal point. Give yourself the biggest "pop" in the area you look at the most. I love your side lamp beside the sofa! See if you could find a round drum shade for it to create more drama - LOVE the base! I also love the colour! Check out IKEA for storage ideas, light shades and art!

Love that lamp, too. Does it give you enough light if it is not on the pile of books? I feel like the books are taking away from the beauty of the actual lamp.

I think I've decided to use the colors in the side lamp (green and blue) to tie the room together. I'm working on hiding all of the cords and adding some baskets under the tv that I can use for storage. I, personally, really like the look of the records and books showing under the turn table and hopefully, after I hide away all of the other odds and ends in the baskets, this shelf won't seem cluttered. As for the artwork above the tv, do you think it should be centered above the tv or should I place it off to the side a little bit. I am taking the other pieces off the wall. I don't want the art behind the tv to take away from the tv.

Any art placed above the tv WILL take away from the tv. Your eyes will not know what to look at. The tv deserves its own personal space with nothing competing with it.

Abbyjean, unfortunately, our place does not have any overhead lighting and little room for a tall lamp as I have it set up now. Maybe if I try to give height to another lamp I could take that one off of the books. I'll play around with it a little bit. Thank you guys for all of the help so far!

here are my suggestions - find a three panel screen (on Craigslist, thrift store etc) and put it in front of elliptical bike. I have a large tread mill in my dining room and my screen has a picture of the Eiffel tower. People never notice the treadmill. The screen could introduce some colour from the lamp into the room (or not) Because the room is small and narrow, I would sell your television stand and find another one that is tall and move the turntable and albums there. Again, you don't need to buy something new. This will free up the corner and you can move your little bar there, arranging it on an angle in the corner so that all the furniture is not lined up in a row. Then take the unit the albums are in and put it by the front door. Maybe paint or paper the inside (you get to throw in some more colour) and use the bottom shelves for shoes. Get some baskets (Ikea has some good square ones) and you these for ? hats, gloves, scarves miscellaneous. Put the larger mirror that's over the couch over this piece. Now take the table that you already have there and cut it down to use as your coffee table. This will free up some room but still give you a place to put down drinks. Make some pillows with lime and some other favourite colours in them. As for art, there are a few options, depending where you live. Some public libraries and art galleries rent out art for free or very little. Go on pinterest and find some ideas for DIY wall coverings. It doesn't have to be a piece of art. It could be a series of photos (yours or someone elses), a collection of something you collect, decals, plates, a large branch with paper flowers. Most of the time you can do wonderful things on your own, the only requirement is a bit of research and your time. Keep us posted.

I'm new to these discussions- how can I delete a comment I prematurely submitted?

I think you can. Go to the post and see if there is a cancel button to hit. Click on the pencil and your post will show up and at the bottom you can either click on cancel or submit.

click on the pencil icon in the corner of your comment, you can edit or delete.

LOVE the suggestions, oneofeleven! If your name means what it seems to imply, I'm sure you are used to trying to fit a lot of people's different things into one space. :) As much as we love our current coffee table, I think you are right about using a smaller one to free up some space. You can barely walk around in here as it is now. Thank you!!

What a unique lamp! I would use that as a jumping off spot and make the room all about that lamp and it's colors and I would get a different lamp shade, one that screams "no one else has a shade like this!" Perhaps something with more sharp angles or something that looks more like a parasol

Your room is small and it appears everything in the room is small (except the exercise bike) First thing I'd do is find a new home for the bike. I've found that in a small room if you have just a couple of LARGE pieces, you get better storage and the room looks less cramped and small. I would take the wall where the TV is and make it floor to ceiling shelving and cupboards for most of the length of the wall. Either a custom built in piece with a space in the center for the tv and tons of storage for things less used and places to display your art and knick knacks. You may be able to find something cost effective at IKEA that would give you the same look.

I would also lighten the look of the coffee table with two smaller tables, side by side that have glass tops and thin legs.

Your very welcome; the eleven of us are now adults but I've always lived in small places and enjoy figuring out the best way to make the most of what you have. It' s like a puzzle, and I enjoy puzzles. Can' t wait to see your room after a few changes, I'll send some pictures of these ideas that I've saved on Pinterest.

Sounds like my beloved coffee table has to go (for now). We'll meet again, my friend.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/our-favorite-living-rooms-best-of-2013-198417#gallery/46025/15
here's a funky collection
noti http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/our-favorite-living-rooms-best-of-2013-198417#gallery/46025/9ce the heater?
I have some good wall stuff but Pinterest is down right now.

Here's a few ideas, none of them cost much, frames are easily found at yard sales or thrift shops.
walls - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234750199300331355/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234750199300092009/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234750199299428629/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234750199299369788/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234750199299320928/

The different heights of all the pieces on the TV wall are visually disorienting with too much stuff on the surfaces. I would bid au revoir to the TV stand, existing coffee table, and find other locations for the key mirror, and small art pieces. A good-sized round rimless thrift shop mirror over the bar would look nice to add some curves to that wall and reflect any art you put over the couch on the opposite wall--your focal point. If you could find a great screen to hide the gym thing, and it would work, oneofeleven's idea is good for that. But measure carefully because it could make the room too crowded.

I also like her idea of cutting down your console table and making it into a coffee table. Brilliant. With the too-big coffee table and TV stand gone, put together some shelves roughly the height and depth of your bar cabinet and corner book cabinet. Run the long, low shelves across the wall, fitting in your bar in the middle where it is with the round mirror. Paint the shelves all black to tie it together. (Your music shelves--are they Ikea? If so, get a couple more like that, making room for your bar somewhere in the middle.) Keep the shoes on the bottom shelves or in baskets.

I think the Chinese lamp is wild and fabulous. Put a modern white shade on it. So with that in mind I did a quick search for "East Asia" on AllPosters.com. They sell framed prints in all sizes. Get the widest one you can with the green of the lamp in it. There are several bamboo forest prints as well as the attached below. Then pick up your pillow colors from the photo. I do think photos would work better with the lamp.

Wow, thank you so much! I am overwhelmed with all the great ideas and they are all inexpensive and easy enough for me to tackle on my own. I can't wait to get my boyfriend's input and start revamping the room! I'll send picture updates as things progress.

I picture my dream apartment looking something like one of these three or maybe some combination of the three: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/small-amp-cool-as-ever-small-cool-2013-roundup-best-of-2013-198559
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/our-favorite-living-rooms-best-of-2013-198417#gallery/46025/9
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/our-favorite-living-rooms-best-of-2013-198417#gallery/46025/15

I'm imagining something like this for the coffee table if we end up not cutting down the other table we already have: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mid-Century-Modern-Regency-Wild-Biomorphic-Glass-Brass-Lucite-Cocktail-Table-/390735832209

I like that table but you don't really have anything in your room that is mid-century except your lamp by the door. I think your other lamp might be 40's. You stated at the beginning that you are having trouble choosing a colour or scheme and I think that introducing another style but further confuse you in your room make over. What I suggest is simple sitting down and looking around. Make note of the pieces you like the most and what period/style they represent. Then follow in that vein when choosing furnishings. I see a bit of modern design. a rustic table and some world furnishings. Also, that table looks like it's the same width as the other one you currently have there. Space is what you're looking for.

When I looked at the three spaces you like I would say you're leaning toward mid century with a bit of world accents for interest.
The rooms you chose were all lighter in appearance, something to keep in mind as you were drawn to them for a reason;.

Hope you don't mind if I weigh in on that glass free form coffee table. I don't think it will work at all. It's much too wide. Stylewise it just adds another uncoordinated visual element that doesn't tie into what you already have. It's pretty pricey, too. Save your money for a long, low wall system, all at the same height, depth, and color across the wall you'll be facing. You can work your bar into it with a round mirror over it. Oneofeleven gave you a brilliant idea--cut that console down to coffee table height.

this living room reminded me a little of yours, might be some inspiration here

I found this on Craigslist, it has an oriental feel and it's the kind of cabinet I was imagining for your television and albums
http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/fuo/4223281221.html

Have you thought about a storage unit for some items that may not be essential to your daily living? I think you may want to eliminate some items, like the rug, the coffee table and maybe the elliptical? Also, move the furniture around a bit - so everything is not lined up against the wall. Can you wall mount your TV? With regard to your lovely lamp - please get a lighter colored shade - it will increase the amount of light in the room and really show off the lamp itself. I think a light colored slipcover may help, and it will really show off your brightly colored throw pillows. Lighter colored furniture (painted?) will make your room look bigger. A mirror behind the sofa will give the illusion of more space also.

Hey guys! I spent the first day of the new year trying to fix up my place using all of your great suggestions. I still have a lot of work to do, but here are some pictures of the changes I was able to make today (without spending a dime!). We are going to Ikea later this week to buy a floor lamp for a little more light(we get very little natural light in our apt and we have no overhead lighting) and a room divider to try to hide the elliptical. We also want to put up a cluster of picture frames and artwork somewhere on the wall- any ideas about where/how we should do that? Are there any useful tips when it comes to deciding on which frames to use and what to include? I don't want it to look too disorganized, but my boyfriend wants to include the pieces of art we already had hanging on the walls. I have it all stacked between the tv and the bar right now, so disregard that in the pictures and I am working on hiding cords and small stuff like that tomorrow. Thanks for all the help so far!

One more design idea: Marry him and buy a house. All your design problems will be solved (or replaced by others). Just kidding! But in any event if you like/love each other (which it seems you do), give him a due date after which you are moving out! Tell him you need a bigger living room, says HOUZZ.

Haha. We will have something nicer eventually. We are both very young and I'm just trying to do the best with what I have right now. I think it's a little early for ultimatums- I'll save those for toilet seat fights. ;-)

Let me know if anybody has any suggestions for clustering frames or anything else we can easily change! :-)

Get cheap frames from Ikea (this is what I did) and make a template. In other words, trace around them on some paper and then either tape it to the wall or lay them out on the floor so you can get an idea of how to shape a gallery wall. I got the idea from Pinterest, personally, but this way, you can change the pics/images/items in the frames really easily.

Ikea for sure; look online at their website for storage ideas first before you go. The key to the wall art is keep it close together in one area in a group. They don't necessarily need to match in any way, just group them artistically. This is what I did to make it interesting: my husband built narrow shelves with a front lip so they wouldn't slide off and I leaned my art on the shelves. Easy to change out the art. One wall had 3 shelves spaced apart so the artwork would fit and not be cramped between shelves. See Ikeas floating shelves or make your own. Declutter; get decorative bins for those shoes or just plain get them out. Good luck; you have made a good start in 2014.
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I've been looking at some ideabooks of eclectic homes and found some ideas for these frame clusters. I really like this one http://houzz.com/photos/4353026 with the shelves. I'm still scared that it's going to look disorganized and cluttered. Speaking of, shoe bins are also at the top of our Ikea list. :-)

I really like this one, too: http://houzz.com/photos/4619462 I love the idea of creating a kind of blueprint to plan it out beforehand. Any suggestions for where in the room we should try the gallery?

Hi, Alexis. I like seeing your Chinese lamp on your Asian bar--Looks great. Maybe you can find a white shade about the same size as you have on that lamp. The coffee table hack oneofeleven suggested looks fantastic! While you're at Ikea, see if you can find a good-sized tray in one of your colors from the lamp--lime or red/orange to put on the coffee table or an accent basket in those colors to put little stuff down and add color and shape to the table while keep things uncluttered.

Wall system. Is that an Ikea cabinet you're using for your music cabinet? If so, find a couple more like it and put your TV on one. Or just do an Expedit or Billy same height as your bar and music cabinet. The aim is to have one smooth wall system--same height, same color--to look at. You can arrange your art gallery over that. Keep all those frames the same, too, for harmony. Scroll through this house tour on Apartment Therapy to the image (which I can’t seem to download) showing a tall lamp like yours and a TV on an Expedit cubby shelf along with LPs. If you got a couple of those to run across the long wall, I think you’d find it would work better than your current TV stand.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/drew-annies-house-tour-house-tour-198100#gallery/45915/18

I really like always designings Interior Photography shot with the long wall system like the kind I'm talking about with a good-sized piece of artwork leaning against the wall. Then you could do another gallery over your couch like in the Bohemian Eclectic photo she showed you. Follow her advice on putting smaller pictures tightly together.

Measure all your spaces before you go to Ikea--walls, floor, especially the space in front of the couch if you go rug shopping. Measure your artwork, and get some good sized frames with wide mats for them.

Measure how much coverage you need for a room screen if you decide to get one at Ikea. A simple, vaguely Asian one, the Risor from Ikea, ties in with the world market vibe you have. This one though it might be too big, so measure the space in front of the elliptical trainer. If you put a lamp behind the screen, you’ll get a nice glow in the evening. Walmart and KMart have similar ones. Since you have a lot going on in the room, keep the divider very simple. Good luck!

You can add pics to wall behind couch with mirror