I'm *not* a floral chintz person, but I love your room! The floral is very fresh and pretty, not at all stuffy or dated. Your condo is really lovely. I'm not usually a fan of slipcovers. If they're not really well fitted they can look rumpled. OTOH, it can be a nice change of pace for the warm seasons. I found it interesting reading your comments about current trends. Like with all trends, there are things I like and things I don't. I do like the emphasis on natural elements. They're soothing and warm and can even be cheap! Like my little stack of flat river stones currently on the mantel, picked up at the beach. Other trendy things I just don't like. Those stainless or aluminum chairs and barstools just look to me like they belong in police station or jail. Neutral colors are great, but I also love color. I wish I could afford a Susan Sargent rug, for instance. You seem to have great taste and style, so trust your instinct. If you continue to feel the upholstery isn't what you want, then go ahead and slipcover. But maybe give it a couple months more to let everything grow on you.

I love..no I LOVE gray next to the warmth of wood. They both bring the best out of each other. I didn't go real gray, all of them were too cold for me..but greige and taupe and whites and greens and whatever else I used in the house-everything was great next to the floor. Medium brown, very warm toned walnut. I must add to it that I did take a sample of the floor (the painting was done before laying the floors), and carried around the house, checking how it is working next to each color, before committing:)

I think carpet has it's place amongst some buyers. I used to be a Realtor and lots of buyers don't have the budget or want to spend the $$ on wood floors. I also think in colder weather, it helps to keep feet and rooms warmer. We have it throughout our upper level and to be honest, I don't understand why people think it requires more maintenance. I vacuum upstairs as much as I have to vacuum the wood floors on the main floor.. I also have to wash the floors on the main floor but I don't wash my carpet.. In our situation, the wood floors require more care than the carpet does.

Neutrals took off as the "in" colors at a certain level of interior design, mainly due to the prevalence of "open concept" houses and also due to most homeowners today not particularly interested in spending much time decorating their house. They choose "safe" and neutrals are usually "safe". There is a place for neutrals in interior design. In many highly contemporary houses, walls are still painted white or a pale neutral. The idea is for the architecture and the contemporary furnishings to be the "stars" and walls merely provide a "canvas" on which the picture is painted. I like to use neutrals in halls (in houses with traditional floor plans) as they can help with the transition between colors in various rooms. My front, back and upstairs hall are done in neutrals and it works quite well. Other than my gray kitchen, no other room in my house is a neutral. I like color and I"m not afraid of color! I choose colors that go with the fabrics/rugs in my various rooms. I like the variety of each room having its own look, yet still being in harmony with the other rooms in the house. Painting all ones walls gray or beige and then buying all the furniture/rugs in the same color is a recipe for a boring, depressing house. One does not decorate ones house with a weekend trip to a local furniture store or a browse on line on Wayfair. It must be planned and it may take years to accomplish, both due to time and money limited resources. If you have no idea where to start, go buy a few shelter magazines and start educating yourself.