More apartment

My living area is probably my fave room in the apartment. Right now I have a Room and Board couch and chaise that I think will stay. I also have a Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams chair that I bought on a floor sample sale about eight years ago. I love this and will keep it for a good long time. I also have a wicker basket/side table with storage that I think I'll also probably keep. Other than that I think we'll be making some big changes.

Before pics:

Plans for this room:

• First of all, I'm planning on painting the whole apartment, minus my bedroom Elmira White.  I've loved having such a bright and colorful apartment, but am totally ready to tone it down a bit.  

Traditional Family Room by Surrey Home Stagers Positive Space Staging + Design, Inc.

• Next, as anyone who lives in a small apartment can tell you, storage is the name of the game.  I've been in desperate need of a good bookshelf since I've lived in this apartment (5 years!), so I'm going big with what I'm calling a "media wall." Basically a console with two bookshelves on both sides.  

I'm also planning on getting the rug that's currently in there professionally cleaned (any tips on that?) and then relocating it to my bedroom.  We're going to try and reposition the chaise lounge so that it's facing into the room (which is hard for me to imagine, but I'm trusting a professional), then do a side table on the inside of the couch against the small wall between the french windows.  I am also in the market for a new coffee table - something that sits lower to the ground than the one I currently have.  

Stay tuned - I'll keep you updated on this project!