Doh! Just saw your BR study pix! I wouldn't personally want to repeat the same area, but if you love it, you can. I'd want art. Even black & white art or photos. Something that speaks to you personally so your home doesn't look like a showplace - but like your Home! lol My only other thought is that you don't want it to look too safe - like you couldn't make any decsiions so you just did everything in either black or white. You want the design to look purposeful. Search Houzz for black & white living rooms & you'll find lots of inspiration (which you probably have doen already!). Just for fun, I've attached a couple of pix of an arc lamp we have in our apartment. The globe is glass & my DH hit his head on it & broke it once. That's why it's not really properly placed but is too close to the wall! lol Live & learn! That's the only way to make it in life!

The vertical blinds MUST go. Sorry, but they are hideous and add nothing. Get some fabulous mid century fabric pattern in some gorgeous colours and make curtains. You can make a couple of scatter cushions also out of this fabric. Then pick out your favourite colour from the fabric to add some plain cushions. If you have gone with the patterned rug option such as asquithoatley has suggested, then just pick out the gentler colour for plain curtains to compliment the rug. Either way then choose cushions using any, or all of these colours. Then you should look for some decorative items in these colours such as beautiful bottles that might pick up an aqua, or some lamps with bases that colour to put on a side board. For the wall I suggest that you look on ebay in mid century modern and see if any wall sculptures attract you. There was quite a fad for enamelled metal wall sculptures back in the 60s which would add some life. Try to find one that also incorporates one of the pattern colours. Susan_66 made a great suggestion with a Howard Arkley print of a mid century house. You might even find one that is similar to your house style which would be fun. Happy hunting. You have some good pieces and they will work well with a bit of fun fabric or rug to link them.

I'm surprised to admit I really like the brown. I usually don't like earthy neutrals of any shading but this one is ok, it certainly provided balance for the dark furniture the previous owners had. I love the idea of the side table at 90 degrees to the start of that wall to create a reading nook/dining space and redirect traffic. You could get something reasonable tall facing toward the glass doors to be storage/extension of the kitchen so there is a sense of connection. You could then put paint, wallpaper the back of that cupboard and put up the mirror and a little table for keys. Or even have matching bookshelves back to back and use the one facing the front door as a 'wet' room/shoe storage. Ikea sells so many great units that you can tailor the combination of size and shapes open and closed to get just the right look on each side.If you do this you have to screw the two units to each other so that stand straight and appear as one. If you did use the nook as dinning space you could have all the serving/special stuff in that cupboard so you dont have to go far for setting the table and leave the kitchen cupboards for daily use stuff. When I first moved into my big home from a super tiny apartment I just laid out what I had (plastic dinning set and all) as best I could and moved them around every few weeks till I got the combination of how to use the room right. Then I went and bought more/new furniture over the next 6 months.

The right coffee table, throw and wall art are not going to be enough to disguise the fact that you have downsized from a much larger home with your large, dark, formal furniture that dominates a compact room. Have you considered moving pieces to other rooms, or selling it, and buying clean-lined, contemporary style furniture off eBay? This style will fit the proportions of your room, and make it easier to live with your dust free strategy. The beauty of second-hand furniture is that when you can afford to upgrade you can sell it again on eBay. and recover your costs. Never paint perfectly good pieces of timber furniture as it will devalue the pieces. Sell them as is, somebody will cherish them as they are. I would keep the couch, decide on the tone of your new timber floor, and use these two elements to decide on the rest of your colour scheme. Your celing fan/light is also a distraction, so replace with something sleek and contemporary that is not such a feature. Your room layout is problemmatic with the number of doors coming into the room, but it is hard to suggest a better stategy without a floorplan. Best of luck with making this house your new home, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls