Oh and I should mention that I am an American expat in Europe if that matters for being able to find certain things... TIA!!!

Nice living space. Don't abbreviate the sight lines from your apartment by hanging window treatments. Expand the sight lines from your living space by making the balcony more attractive. Not sure what is on balcony now. The balcony should be spotlessly clean. Scrub brush & clorox. Balcony does not need to have furniture or plants. Keep the balcony clean and the windows / door spotlessly clean. Then, you will see the sight line from your apartment will expand from the balcony to the view beyond and will seem very much larger and more interesting and you will be happy you did not cover this up with window panels.

Great apartment! Bonus points first...I actually love the orange throw pillows and the color of the sofa against the black cabinet. I would try a splash of orange on one wall only, behind the sofa. Try Orange Burst 2015-20 by Benjamin Moore. Orange has a mild modern reference when used in small doses this way. Leave the other walls white and add colorful art. As for the
window treatments, I think panels on either side of the tall windows/ door would lift the ceiling a bit. You can find panels with grommets that feel modern. For the small window, I would just do a flat roman shade. Make sure you get a continuous loop on the shade, it looks like you have small children. You can extend the rod about 6-8 inches beyond the trim on left and right so the fabric will stack on the wall and not interfere with the door opening and
closing. Mount rod just below the ceiling to visually increase your ceiling height. I agree with you that window treatments will give a more finished feel to your room. Hope this helps you. Charmean Neithart

put a rug
suggest carpet tiles from flor
and you might want to paint the wall in about the color of the pillows
just slightly muted to make the art pop and the rest is simply about keeping clutter to a bare minimum on the coffee table.

Thanks so much for the replies! I love the idea of an orange wall and the panels to frame the window. @Charmean, what color panels/roman shades do you recommend?

I like all the sunshine colors you have in the room. Maybe a shade of tangerine, rasberry, or buttery yellow.
Also, love a little black in a rug with a bold pattern. Try this one ... http://www.westelm.com/products/zigzag-rug-r656/?pkey=crugs-flooring
Hope this helps, let me know if you need more information. Have fun, it' a great space. Charmean
You can follow me here...
http://www.houzz.com/pro/cninteriors/__public

use custom roman shades open or closed or half way you won't loose the beauty of your windows or the light that way

using roman shade that open top to bottom instead of bottom to top and how about a rustic orange paint bold but will brighten and goes with most decores

Here are all the colors together I suggested. Just wanted to give you a visual.
http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=174732
Have fun with it. Charmean

Hi --- You said you are just renting so your not going to invest in anything custom -- so I think the best thing for you is to get enough natural wood drape rods to go the full lenght of that whole wall and hang them up as high on the wall as you can and get some - full length - washable - semi-sheer patterned - white drape panels- enough to drape the whole wall . Ikea has a good selection. . The room needs a little softness and it's not a big exspence and you will probably use them where ever live next. The panels can be opened when you need to open the door. Now for a color -- I like the white walls for your space but having a color on the sofa wall would be fun. If you can get Benjamin Moore paints where you are, then have a look at ---- soft pumpkin 2166-40 --- harvest moon 2167-30 ---- willow R-9988 ---- rusty nial CC-390 ----- boardwalk CC-410 ---maple strup CC-420. Go on their web site to have a look and while there look at the new "Affinity Collection" - A designers fav right now is" Citrine" in that collection -- but my favs for you are - rusty nail and or willow.

I concur with the shades of orange as your "pop" color. Option might be to get orange panels, instead of painting the wall, hanging them high and on the sides of the window. Then paint the door the same color, and don't add a window treatment. I do think the balcony needs something to draw people towards it, I would suggest maybe a lime green plastic chair, and a bright pot with a plant next to the chair....then if you want you can bring the lime green into the LR with a pot og grass on the coffee table, or a pillow on the sofa.
Mishi - Defining Design, LLC

A long time ago, I was told or I read where you should take a main focal point and pull your colors from it. Since there isn't much color in the photo on the wall and there isn't any real focal point other than that I would add another one. You have two walls on either side of the main balcony doors. Find something that would compliment the pillow throws like a Klee painting that is multi-colored and pull a color from that to put on the wall. Keep the color subordinate to the painting. Great idea to extend the view to the balcony.

Oh, I would also get rid of the rug and coffee table. I used a colorful rug under a glass and chrome table but since you have a young one that might not be appropriate. But the coffee table color is too dark I would look to something either lighter or warmer like a teak. If possible if you go with the idea of the colorful rug a table with a glass insert would help to use the rug as a design element.

spell check where were you?

I'd go with no window treatments and bring in some lush greenery and colorful plants for the balcony. That would keep it very contemporary and bright!

I'd curtain the entire dining room wall and put one panel to the right of the living room. It would give the impression of an entire wall of full length windows with only the balcony windows exposed and correct the imbalance presented by the dining window.

How about something like this over just the center window? It would add interest without really blocking light, you could spray paint it orange (I like the suggestion of using orange in here), it's pretty inexpensive (there are others on the website, even some I like better, but they're out of stock) and you could have it shipped to you relatively cheaply! http://www.target.com/p/Sotto-Retro-Chic-Hanging-Room-Divider/-/A-11039120?reco=Rec|pdp|11039120|ClickCP|item_page.adjacency&lnk=Rec|pdp|ClickCP|item_page.adjacency

I'm struggling with bookcase behind sectional- Either put more dramatic art behind sofa and more dramatic rug (with shared color palette) or paint bookcase perhaps camel color to relate to what you have. Else can the bookcase move? and replace with large mirror to bounce more light into the room. That could create bigger play space near balcony. (and move sectional down to create wall space on L side of sectional).
Larger plant near door, plants or focal points on balcony, art or photo on wall between window & balcony. I'd love to see what you end up doing!

A low bench with wire/ metal legs by the windows - light enough in "feel" to help delineate inside space helps bring the eye to a stopping point before moving outside. You can also use the bench as extra seating when needed.

And I agree that your balcony needs to be spotless and/or stylish since without window treatments - it is in full view. Trimmed hedge plantings or nice container gardening will take care of that, along with fun appropriate sized outdoor seating that is nice to look at from every angle. Best of luck in your designs!

Nice digs, ymang! IKEA has flat, narrow, decorative, fabric panels that hang near the ceiling in channels. If you hang the channels all the way across the french doors and extend them onto the wall to the left (and right, if you want) you will be able to 'stack' them against the wall when you don't want them over the windows. It's a very clean, unfussy look that adds texture and/or pattern to a modern space without drawing too much attention. Plus, they're relatively inexpensive.

@psuep: Yes!
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/10702/

Yes, great idea. They have the grommet panels as well at iKEA.

I agree with j222b.....take your eye out to the balcony.....make it another room for early morning coffee or after work retreat, or a play area for the kids..hide the toys to the right side on some shelfs so you do not look out to clutter.

Hi there! I would replace coffee table with round storage ottomons..maybe leather or very washable fabric ie ..in/outdoor.orange or or charcoal? Then paint the frame around door and windows dark gray to blend. Scrub your balcony ,plant long rectangular boxes with herbs or shade loving plants ..for color.Your Childs feet picture tells me...add peach as well to compliment.board window treatments with batting beneath with green,peach, orange ,brown floral print( ikea style fabric)

If they let you paint, paint a deep contemporary color around the window and doors to accent and warm up that wall. Or better yet, paint the door and windows themselves...if you are allowed a color that matches those glass door bookcases on the the other side of the room, this way they will match. For a contemporary treatment to the windows and doors, try some inexpensive shutter doors that you can simply mount to the walls on either side of the doors and windows. You can paint a dark or light color depending on what you do with the wall color and it will look like shutters that are currently in an "open" position. Not sure what those vertical rods are on either side of the floor to ceiling window/doors and the shorter window so don't know if they will interfere with the treatment to further accentuate the windows/doors. Add some inexpensive weatherproof contemporary small patio furniture to the balcony, even just two chairs is fine or two chairs squarely facing each other with a small square table in the center. Add a contemporary vase on it with some narrow straight twigs...but not too tall as to block the view.

Didn't want drapes and had nothing but dirt outside my living room windows so I wanted to keep the eyes from wandering outside by having an intense color on the wall as a focal point ... so I tried 4 different shades of orange/red. They kept turning peach due to the lighting. Ended up with Dunn Edwards Iron Ore. It accentuates my lamps, one of the colors in my area rug, a few other little pops here and there and the brazilian cherry flooring. I just can't seem to take good photos even tho you'd think these digital cameras would be goof proof, but I think it might give you an idea of a wall with some pop. Other walls are Dunn Edwards Golden Gate. Both harmonize well with our lighting which is a Western exposure.

Thanks again for all the replies - so much great stuff to consider!

To address a few points, I don't really want to get rid of the existing furniture (coffee table, rug, etc.) but would prefer to work with what we already have. The bookcase and coffee table are matched by a TV stand and also go with the dining room table and china hutch. Although I *am* tempted by that west elm rug...LOVE the bold zig zags!

The color scheme I was hoping for was a little warmer than what Charmean suggested (although I love that print - it just isn't "me") although a related one does work - http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=174281

Oh and I agree with everyone about the balcony - I should have set it up better before taking the picture! We have a great teak table and chairs with green seat covers, and will have some pretty and bright window box flowers along the railings come spring. It has been -20 C here so we had to put everthing inside/away.


I like the iron ore color suggested by littlemissk a lot actually. And I like the Klee print too!

So the plan right now is: orange wall, maybe another family print (the one above the couch is my son's toes... :)) closer to the window on the same wall. the Klee on the opposite wall to tie it in.

Am *still* not sure about the window coverings...I like the grommet panels with a roman shade for the smaller window...but if the wall next to it is orange, then orange curtains would be too much right?? So...white? Or maybe something similar to the print I linked to above?

Am so amazed at all the responses - I promise to post an update when it is all done! :)

Oh and I'm in Germany. :)

Sounds like the suggestions are a great starting point for you. To answer the last question about the orange curtains - yes, that would be a bit strong. Something in a sheer 'oatmeal' color, or white - soft and flowy would also draw people outside. (my sis is in Basel - so while visiting have done design there)

Solar sliding panels that stack right to give you access to the door - also they're mostly see-through so they won't impede your view but will filter out some of the UV that will destroy your floors and furniture. For the window, just do a matching solar shade.

Oh and if you wanted to do curtains, I'd do a natural beige linen with orange banding down the inside edge. then for the roman shade, I'd have U-shaped banding in orange.

If you like that zigzag area rug at Westelm, and if your Landlord allows wallpaper, you might think about some type of contemporary patterned border to place around your large slider and smaller window for a little interest and that would help create a palette of texture and pattern in your living space. Just something a little different.

Hey Houzzers, I just ran across this great fabric - Joonas from Marimekko. Instead of the black and white rug, how about these as curtains? Too much with an orange wall?

Not too much. Looks fun and eye catching. Thumbs up.

Yay, thanks Charmean!

Hello everyone,

I am a casting Producer at Leopard films. I thought I would reach out to let you know about the exciting new spin-off show that we have in production here at House Hunters International. The new show is called House Hunters International: Renovation and we are looking for expats who have recently bought fabulous properties and are about to embark on some imminent renovations. Ideally they should be outgoing and fun, aged under 45 and have bought a property within the last few years.

We are looking to film this Summer and for the renovation projects to be finished by end of November so perhaps a new kitchen, a small extension etc. We have some budget that would go towards finishing the project which makes it a little more interesting!


Please do get in touch if you have any contacts for people who may be interested in the show.

Best wishes,

Michelle

Michelle James
CASTING PRODUCER LEOPARD FILMS
1-3 St Peter's Street, London N1 8JD - +44 20 7704 3300
michelle.james@leopardfilms.com
www.leopardfilms.com

Hi Michelle, I have perfect people and places for you in Nassau, on the sea. I did a show for HHInt. years ago, Episode 107 Bahamas Dream.

Great thanks Sara! Drop me an email, we love working in Nassau! michellejames@leopardfilms.com
xxx