Thanks for posting the additional pictures. My earlier advice stills stands--bring the two sofa together in an L shape. The yellow sofa should not begin until after the TV stand, if that makes sens. I'd get as tight arrangement as i could with the L--I'd try to ge the sofas with the pillows horizontal with the island as much as I could. Do not be afraid to push furniture away from the walls. If you can bring the sofa in closer to the TV, there might be room for a console table behind it with a lamp.

There appears to be a chair now next to the sofa with pillows. Could you bring the chair into the open part of the L, perhaps flanking the island at angle turned into the TV stand?

The desk is very awkward next to the sofa. One suggestion (contradicting other advice) is to put it right up against the short side of the island that faces into the living area. You'd still want an L shape with the sofas, but the sofa with pillows would likely have to back against the wall.

Another suggestion is that there appears to be a nook at the far end of the kitchen cabinets, to the left of the kitchen range. Would the desk fit in there? The idea you pinned with the map of the world on the wall where the desk is placed would be entirely possible if the desk fits into that space.

Another suggestion is to just forget the open concept intended with the kitchen and move the smaller sofa to the other side of the room partically against the island, and put the larger sofe against the wall with the window. You'd need to experiment a little to see what looks best: the TV stand against the short wall where it now or against the opposite wall. The desk would be on the wall where the TV stand isn't.

I kind of like the idea of the desk in the middle where the TV is now if you did something like the world map on the wall as it would create a focal point that isn't a TV. You would not get that if the desk were on the opposite wall because that does not appear to be the wall you first see when you enter the living area.

It is a little hard to tell from pictures what your true space limitations are. Neither the sofas nor the desk are heavy. Start moving them around trying some of the suggestions above. You really can't tell what looks good until you actually try it. And as you try various combinations, you'll think of others.

By the way, there looks like there is blue in the cute pillows you've added. I'd try that in addition to the yellow and the brown.

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Thanks for your suggestions. I have decorated a little and posted more pictures. I think one of the white sofas needs to be covered in some sort of fabric as the room seems very white .

I'm thinking about buying a yellow and brown pillow to go with the matching set. It would look something like this :
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/washed-velvet-pillow-covers/?pkey=cdecorative-throws-pillows%7Cpillows%7C&

I don't know what kind of budget you are on, but World Market has velvet pillows with washable cases for much less--a good size starts at $9.99 and they have a 25% friends and family sale going on, so you can get them for $7.50.

http://www.worldmarket.com/search.do?query=velvet+pillows

I'd keep the white for now and see how it goes with adding color through pillows etc before spending the money for a slipcover.

what do you have to start with?

I would suggest scouring craigslist and etsy for items as well as ikea and even amazon.com believe it or not.

OP here: Thanks for your suggestions. I have decorated a little and posted more pictures. I think one of the white sofas needs to be covered in some sort of fabric as the room seems very white .

I'm thinking about buying a yellow and brown pillow to go with the matching set. It would look something like this :
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/washed-velvet-pillow-covers/?pkey=cdecorative-throws-pillows%7Cpillows%7C&

I refuse to sign up for pinterest so it allows me only the briefest of glimpses when I try to enlarge.

What is on the wall opposite the window? It looks like it could be a kitchen counter--perhaps you could take a picture of it and post that as well.

Is the door to the outside to the right of the window? And what is behind the sofa on the right--I am assuming a short hallway from the front door that takes you back to the kitchen.

In any case more photos would be helpful.

Offhand I'd say the sofa on the left is way too far to the wall. I'd bring it down (covering or partially covering the radiator) so that it is perpendicular to the sofa at the right, almost touching it. This would be much better for conversation. You might be able to move the whole arrangement up to the left more to be close to what I presume is the TV stand.

In the bottom right of the picture there is either a desk or a dining table. Could that be brought to be horizontal to the presumed kitchen counter?

I am trying to decorate my tiny grad school apartment. We don't want to spend a lot as we will only be here for a year or so. Any suggestions on how to decorate with a few peices ?


[url]https://www.pinterest.com/roseywhite12/my-apartment/

Thanks!