Deb Love your new space - Some ideas to help soften - Burlap or linen drapes to just frame the window not to cover. Hung even with the opening. - A chandy where the current light fixture is - A nice piece of salvaged architectural iron work - Like an old gate http://www.google.com/images?q=salvaged+iron+work&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=836&bih=397 - You could repeat the iron with an old plant stand some funky pots w/succulents or other plants - Frame the bulletin board - A metal vintage desk lamp for the other desk http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=836&bih=397&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=vintage+desk+lamp&btnG=Search&aq=f&aqi=g1&aql=&oq= - Vintage posters Do you want to add any color? Keep us posted Here is a link that might be useful: burlap drapes

Thanks for all of the comments so far - much appreciated! It's a one bedroom apartment since the wall to the 2nd bedroom was partially carved out by a former owner to expand the living area - so will be for a young professional/ couple (which is what I currently have despite the furnishings currently skewing university student). Unfortunately I'm competing with shiny new builds that have an industrial look and extras (like swimming pools and indoor parking) while my unit was constructed in 1900 and previous owners have stripped out all original character. The newer builds also offer appliances, which oddly enough is not the norm in the regular rental market in this city (tenants normally need to supply their own fridge/stove/etc.). In addition to the fridge and stove, there is also a washer and dryer in a laundry room that I did not show. Window treatments are also usually not provided unless they are cheap plastic Venetian blinds. Security deposits are not allowed - so most apartments are offered as-is and most landlords put in minimal effort. Personally I find this apartment so ugly, and I'm used to rental markets that provided bright white and clean apartments, that it pains me to offer it as-is without some refresh. My style definitely skews modern/industrial and my unit is now all white/ black/ grey/ exposed brick - so all of that wood in the kitchen seems awful to me. I refinished my cabinets with INSL-X Stix primer and Benjamin Moore Advanced paint when I bought the place and they are still look good 3+ years later...but understand perhaps that's not the best for a rental unit. Peel & stick flooring tiles are definitely not my top choice, but as I was researching laying vinyl sheeting, it seemed like it might be a difficult task to take on by myself. Seems like the consensus is that I should paint all rooms and install a dishwasher.

Lots to consider – thank you to all for taking the time to respond, especially jhmarie, anglophilia, herbflavor, aprilneverends, Pam A, and casamacho. For some context, the overall layout works well for our family. Perhaps what threw some people off was the room labels – I posted the listing floor plan image without changing the labels to reflect how we’re using the space; my bad. So the “foyer” (i.e. mudroom) entrance is the door all visitors use - it's closest to where visitors park their cars. In that entry, folks have a place to leave coats/bags/shoes, and they have immediate access to the kitchen – which is our social hub of activity. The living room adjacent to the kitchen (which we use as a family room) appealed to us because we can hear and talk to folks in there, but also close the door if the TV is too loud. The room labeled “office” is our kids’ playroom. We love having a dedicated space for all their toys, thus keeping it out of all the other living spaces of the house. And the room labeled “den” is my home office – tucked a bit away from all the action, making it nice and quiet. Jhmarie: thank you for the suggestion to be patient and build some ideabooks to get ideas about materials. Love the images in yours! And thanks for sharing how your family uses your kitchen and dining rooms. We’ve only used the dining room once so far, and that was for overflow seating when we hosted a 15-person BBQ. But it is probably wise to give it more time and even experiment with how to style and use it. Thanks too for the idea about replacing the microwave-over-the-range with a proper hood. Anglophilia: thanks also for the encouragement to be patient. I should know by now that our needs and tastes will probably change; I’m (maybe) over-eager to put my imprint on the house. At the same time, in our last house we waited and waited and waited to make any changes – and thus lived with a truly crappy kitchen situation – for 3 years. And then we moved. In retrospect, I wish we had done some smaller stuff early on to improve our use and enjoyment of the space. So. There’s that. Herbflavor: thanks for the layout suggestions. The thoughts on creating more connection between deck and kitchen are ones we’ll ponder. We’re definitely considering a wet bar where all those pantry cabinets are, but probably not a larger reconfiguration of the laundry/office area – though I can see why you suggested it! We’re using the office as a playroom and the wall adjoining the laundry has floor-to-ceiling built-ins that we’re not inclined to disturb. Aprilneverends: yes, agree that we can repurpose the rooms. J Thank you for reminding me that we do have a functional kitchen – it’s no disaster, you’re right about that. The things that are currently driving us crazy are the countertop – we think grouted tile as a kitchen surface is just gross: it’s a germ and stain collector and it’s not a flat surface, which is annoying. And the refrigerator: we are tall people and really dislike having to squat down to see what’s inside the fridge… we much prefer bottom freezer configurations. Maybe we’ll get used to them… ? Pam A – good thoughts on all the surprises we might find if we do a big reno. The house was built in 1996 as a colonial reproduction, so great care was taken to use materials and finishes that evokes an older and more traditional feel. So we might be less likely to have big surprises, but you never know. Casamacho - thanks… your thoughts track our thinking pretty well, including the wet bar idea. :)

Going with DH to the doc this morning and inspired by this thread, I decided to step up my outfit game. I have a cream colored merino wool knit jacket. It wears like a sweater but looks more polished, like a jacket. I last wore it before the lockdown. I had it cleaned and put it away. This morning, when I got it out, I noticed one of the buttons was broken in half and a stain that the cleaners failed to totallly remove has oxidized front and center! I can’t decide whether to see if I can find the replacement button that I’m sure came with it and wash it to remove the stain, or just give it away! I’m so bummed.