A warm pale to medium grey would be lovely, and sophisticated as a part of your neutral palette.

How about a pale gold? Do you already have some area rugs that you might be using? Could you pick out one of the rug colors? What a beautiful space!

See if you can negotiate with the owner to paint. You may have to agree to repaint upon leaving and the owner may restrict your choice of colors, but at least you would have a color you could live with on the walls.

If your unit is above another unit, please seriously consider getting some area rugs. You can use them to define spaces, one rug for the dining area, one or two rugs for the living area. And they will also considerably cut down on the footstep noise that the people below you will hear.

Since the fireplace is a natural focal point, I'd put the sofa at a right angle to the fireplace, with its back to the kitchen/dining area. That would help to create a natural break in the space. I think it would look better than having the sofa facing the fireplace, which would mean having the back of the sofa facing you as you enter.

If you put the sofa at a right angle to the fireplace, you could place a sideboard or console table on the back of it, which could then serve the dining area.

I lvoe the way they've managed the chimney, flanking it with windows. I'm just imagining sitting in front of the fire, watching the snow fall outside.

Camlan great idea. The place is a townhouse, bedrooms upstairs. The whole place has these cherry floors. No one above or below.

I'm at work now but will show you some furniture I have to work with. Following your suggestion, I wonder if I could place my dining room server behind the sofa. Would that look weird?
Living room furniture, minus piano

Dining room server

Dining room set

I don't think I have enough room for everything. Don't know where to begin. Strangely, this apartment layout is similar to my house, but my home was a bigger space and the entry different.

Here's another shot of the condo living space for reference

Jane

I know you're not buying it, but I love the detailing on the half wall dividing kitchen and main room. Cool how the stair tread continues across the wall, and also how the posts are revealed on each side of the wall. OTOH, that's one odd fireplace wall.

You are right, I never noticed. Maybe the wall was added later? The whole place has a very Asian feel to it. The windows are odd. European name (German) and they pull open and also pull down from the top. What looks like sliders do not slide. Open like french doors or open down from the top. All the windows have blinds inside the glass. Have to learn how to use the windows. Doors are equally unusual. I can't figure out what color would work with all the wood. The floors are definitely reddish.

I need a lot of help with this place.

Jane

From what I've read, European/German windows are incredibly well-built compared to customary US choices. Supposed to be much better insulated. Must be a special case or an interesting landlord to have such high quality items in a rental.

It's a private owner who got transferred to Long Island. Apparently they started updating the condo when they had to move. The floors look brand new as do the appliances (except the refrigerator, which I think they took).

Any ideas on wall color and furniture placement?

Jane

Thosa are tilt/turn hopper windows, and they are very energy efficient (and $$). Its a really nice space with a lot of potential. A soft warm grey or grey green would be nice with the cherry.

It does look like they took the new fridge :)

Oh, my! What a great room to put all my light-loving plants. I wouldn't be looking out the fireplace windows at snow, I'd be looking at my plants soaking up that light. And both window walls -- paradise! My choise for walls, because I've been pale gray, cream all my life, would be Pratt & Lambert 10-8 Ginger Whip. It would be smashing with the reddish floors and would bring the needed warmth to the entire space during drab, gray days. The combination of those two colors would be great. If I were going to be there for only a year or two, I would not invest in new rugs. The sofa? Right angles to the fireplace with chairs the same on the other side makes sense. The diningroom bureau, I don't know, how about in front of the window to break it up? There'd still be room for plants if you have them. A lot of prairie-style homes have the golds and reds mixed so that they blend perfectly.
Just my thoughts. I envy you.

You have lovely furniture and a great place. About the server though, I would not place it behind the sofa if you plan to serve food on it as I think food will inevitably get on your sofa.
I have served appetizers from my sofa table...never again.

If I put the couch at right angle, what do I do with the end tables and lamps? What direction should the dining table go?

Jane

If you put the sofa at a right angle to the fireplace you can utilize the outlet adjacent to the fireplace and use an extension cord running under the sofa to a table on the opposite side. Its not ideal, but its one of the ways to deal with lighting and floating furniture.

Will there be a TV in the room?

It looks like the room breaks down roughly into three 10-ft by 14-ft sections. The dining table and chairs probably would use one of the end sections. I would place the dining table with the long side parallel to window, to break up the long run of space.

This would leave a roughly 20-ft by 14-ft are for living. It would be difficult to center seating on the fireplace, as the fireplace would be at one end of the 20-ft by 14-ft area. One possible furniture plan would be to place sofa facing fireplace, with a sofa table or narrow cabinet behind (possibly your dining server). With a 14-ft room depth, there should still be plenty of room to walk behind the sofa. Chairs could then face sofa, flanking the fireplace. Alternatively, chairs could be placed at right angles to fireplace. Note TV not considered in either of these plans.

If dining server is not used behind sofa, it could go at opposite end of room to balance some of the dining table weight. You have a really lovely condo, and I hope your existing furniture will fit.

Thanks for all the tips. The room is difficult because the fireplace is centered. It doesn't leave enough room for the dining table and server on the end of the room because the glass doors open into the room. I don't know what to do with this space. I'm so stressed over this.

Jane

I think the server would look fine behind the sofa but I would use it as a sofa table for the time, instead of a buffet. If you have to get rid of anything, ditch/store the end tables and go with floor lamps.

Do you eat dinner regularly at dining table (I see little girl in photo), or regularly use the dining table for entertaining? If not, I'd consider making the dining part of the room flexible. Maybe a drop leaf table (or other type extension table) placed behind sofa that could be opened for dining when needed.

The room does seem naturally suited for furniture centered around the fireplace. As others suggested, sofa and chairs at right angle to fireplace would make sense. TV could be placed on the half-height wall so that all seats have both fireplace and TV view.

'Bonus' space at other end of room could be used for a reading area, or piano, or whatever makes sense for your family.

Thank you. The problem is the dining table will be the only place to eat. There is no room in the kitchen for my kitchen table. It has a breakfast bar but only for 3 people. I hate using my dining room table for everyday eating but don't know what to do with it. Storage is expensive.

The little girls are my granddaughters. My daughter and her family come to visit often. We have no where else to sit to eat. We're selling our house and only have 1 month to figure this out.
view of kitchen with breakfast bar in condo

My dining room in my house

Jane

Classic dining set - it will look great in the new place! The shape of the table base even mimics the fireplace shape. (Not suggesting you do this, but my sister separated table top and base and stored top under her bed for years.)

I see a 3-seat sofa and one lounge chair in your photo - do you have more living room chairs? TV? I agree with another poster who suggested floor lamps rather than end tables. The scroll work on the end tables and coffee tables doesn't look like it will complement the new condo.

My advice is, since this is a temporary place, and you don't know if and what you will need in the next place, in two years, is to take it all with you, cram it in, and then remove what really doesn't work.

Then you can decide, "do I like this enough to pay for storage for it for two years, or should I let it go?"

Here's one possibility, just with the big pieces shown:

I'd add artwork over server and on corresponding wall on other side of fireplace.