You need light and bright. Being rented is tough. First change out the drapes with to the floor length. Cream with a horizontal stripe of brown to match or furniture. This will 1. get rid of the horrid things hanging there 2. pull the initial visual to that wall instead of the floor. Tall and high colors ( mango, aqua, yellow) decorations on your mantel with shorter cream and brown items. Then a large square table in the middle, painted distressed cream, with high color items setting on it. DIY project or Ikea. Green is the number one calming color, just don't let it put you to sleep. :)

Hi anne, that's what I was originally thinking, my issue is what colour I use for the 'pop' :) I keep coming back to a teal/turquoise colour (it's one of my favourite colours!!), I love blues, purples, teal/turquoise - many on here have suggested yellow but I'm really not sure about it. Here in New Zealand we're in Autumn, nearing Winter so uncertain about the yellow. I found these cushions that I've fallen in love it, and wondering how I could make these work.. do I try teal and mustard together, as an interior designer suggested?

Hi, love that you love bold colors and patterns. I think a rug that will help to highlight what you've started in your space without competing with it would be beautiful. Because most of your patterns are medium to large in size, I would probably recommend a rug that has some black in it and even with a pattern but with a different scale pattern (much larger or smaller/more subtle) than what is shown in your pillows, chair and lamp. Here are some examples.... Mostly of rooms with bolder (black and white) patterns and the rugs that were used with them. In pic 3, a rug with a larger scale pattern was used in combination with pillows, drapes with smaller or no pattern (and with black/white contrasts). Your space would be the reverse application I think....like in pic 4. I also love the idea of a bolder, more contrasting in color (like the colors of your pillows, etc.) of a cowhide rug. Perhaps even a hair on hide rug.

Get the professional sander guys in to repair the living areas and kitchen but don't go too dark with the stain as it will kill the lovely grain in the matai. I'm thinking a couple of tones richer than the timber knots showing in your photo, definitely no yellow tone at all. In NZ stepping on to carpet especially in a kiwi winter is so much nicer than a cold floor board shock!!! A nice area rug for the lounge and you're done.