Since the big stuff is done now (paint and floors), now comes the fun part- I’ve been slowly getting rid of the furniture pieces that were left in the space. But two things have to stay- the couch and the mattress (because nobody wanted to actually move them and then find a way to get rid of them!) The big issue with the couch is that it has this pattern on it. It’s not a horribly offensive pattern- it’s subtle and neutral, but it is a little dated. So the question is: how can I make it work- how will it go with the new color of the cabinets?- should I just slip cover it and start fresh?
After some thought, I felt like there had to be a way to make the pattern work (since it really wasn’t that bad,) and try to figure out a way to pull in the new cabinet color as well. Plus I just have never had good luck with slip covers (they never seem to fit right and I can’t seem to find the colors I want), and of course, not using one would also save on unnecessary spending of money. My solution for these things is usually to find a “starting point” piece. One thing that either has all the colors needed, or something that sets the tone and then everything falls into place after this one piece is placed in the room. Strangely for me, this piece usually ends up being a pillow! This case was no exception. I went to various stores in the area looking for ideas and finally went to Kohls. I found this orange pillow from their Apt. 9 collection (“Helix” Oblong pillow and it was on sale!). 
It totally gave me the “a ha!” moment. I felt the orange-y red would work well with the cabinets, and also the shape and print works well with the couch. 
It also gave me inspiration for something to cover the mattress in the bedroom. I then found a nice comforter set (on clearance too! woo hoo!) that came with a bedskirt and some shams, which would help bring in the colors into the next room. Here’s a shot of how it flows from one room to the next. Oh, and I also bought some cheap curtains from IKEA, which helped camoflage the weird placed window in the bedroom. 
Finally I found a nice piece of artwork and another accent pillow from Homegoods, and I feel like i’m pretty close to being done. Here’s some shots of how the colors are working from one room to the next so far. 
I’ve been bringing Pepé with me on these trips to the condo, and let me just say, he has been absolutely no help whatsoever.
I guess the final steps now are to find some lighting to replace some of the fixtures and finish cleaning up some other details… stay tuned…
