Does your master bedroom need some attention? Consider a gorgeous mirrored nightstand in the glamorous Hollywood Regency style. Or perhaps a modern nightstand with drawers in an ebony finish with sleek satin chrome pulls is more suitable for your space.

Is it time to refresh your guest room? Consider a trundle daybed in a sophisticated espresso finish. Or for a totally different look try a metal daybed with a chic and striking circular motif. A trundle daybed offers the choice of extra storage space or extra sleeping space if you choose a pop-up trundle.

Maybe it’s your living room that needs a little work. A round coffee table in trendy zebrawood with integrated shelves adds both storage and style. Or go for a dramatic sculpted glass coffee table that looks like a fine piece of art. A coffee table is a great place to make a statement and stand out, while still being functional.

If you are one of those lucky people who received a new flat screen TV over the holidays, you will probably be in the market for a new TV stand. If space is at a premium try a corner TV stand with loads of built-in storage. Or try a large 60 inch TV stand for your large TV or plasma.

Or perhaps your kitchen has become out of control. Get the look of a built-in island without remodeling with an island kitchen cart. Clear up some cabinet space by storing your excess away behind cabinet doors.

There’s no better way to start the new year than by giving your home a mini-makeover.

Ideal for older students, this furniture fits well in minimalist décors and is versatile enough to adapt to different interiors, move after move. They’re surprisingly affordable too, for student budgets that don’t have a lot of wiggle room.

For larger modern furniture budgets, anyone from young professionals to mature minimalists will enjoy Eurostyle office furniture as well. Browse their broad selection of contemporary glass, chrome, black, and white furnishings, available in many more designs to suit your particular taste.

Zaki Glass Top Computer Cart

Myra Mesh Office Chair

Marko 3 Shelf Storage Unit in Aluminum

Edsel Low Metal Mobile 3 Drawer File Cabinet

Pair your modern aluminum, steel, or other metal chairs with these glass and metal tables. Choose the size and style that fit your life.

Zuo Galaxy Casual Dining Table with Glass Top

ItalModern Hadi Dining Table with 42 Inch Glass Top

Winsome Spectrum Bistro/Tea Casual Dining Table in Black and Chrome Finish

ItalModern Jerry White Fibreglass Dining Table with 32 Inch Glass Top

ItalModern Camy Classic Dining Side Chair in Matte Aluminum

Regal Rochester Metal Patio Arm Chair

ItalModern Hillary Stacking Polished Indoor or Outdoor Arm Chair

ItalModern Preston Stacking Side Chair

Coastal Style Colors

Colors for a coastal style teen girl’s bedroom can be bold or pastel simply because the palette takes its cue from a particular coast or region – a Caribbean coast is bluer and brighter than the coastline of the eastern States, which is readily identifiable by soft grays reflecting the drifting fogs or fine sea mists common to the area.

Coastal Style Furniture

Coastal style furniture is designed to capture the spirit of a summer holiday spent by a lake; an escape to a tropical island or a winter seaside getaway. Coastal style youth bedroom furniture possesses a laid-back feel that is casual yet sophisticated – perfect for a teen girl. When looking for a bed for your teen’s coastal bedroom, choose one that includes bead board panels or louvered accents. Coastal has become such a popular interior design style that manufacturers like Lea and Young America offer bunk beds that display charming decorative details such as bead board, molding, bun feet and scalloped aprons typical of coastal style furniture. You will want to look for similar accents in case goods like an armoire, dresser or chest of drawers.

Coastal Style Bedroom Finishing Touches

Accessories for a coastal style teen bedroom should be warm, comfortable and inviting. Try to include organic elements like wicker baskets or a rattan hamper. Add touches like a shell-base table lamp, shell motif wall sconces or oceanscape prints.

Select nautical striped or botanical patterned fabrics for window treatments, area rugs and/bedding. Anything water-related such surf-themed bedding, sail boats, sea creatures, etc.

Look for collectibles like starfish, shells or hurricane lamps. Hanging objects like oars or a lifesaver make great wall art.

Pick a Theme

Especially if you’re upgrading from nursery space to a first “real” bedroom, pick a theme. This is an easy way to start decorating, because it will help you focus on a particular topic, hobby or interest that will inspire your son. As well, everything you select for his room will be related to this theme, resulting in a room that has cohesive, finished look.

Pick Where the Navy Blue Will Go

You will probably not want navy blue both on the walls and as the color of the bedroom furniture. A classic choice is to paint the walls navy, providing a rich backdrop for a light colored bed. But there is something to be said for a bedroom set that isn’t a typical dark wood finish or one that is black.

Pick the Accessories

Have fun accessorizing your son’s room, especially if he is able to contribute ideas or “help” you with some final decisions. A table lamp with a red or green base and/or shade will add a punch of color to the navy blue already in the room. If you are accessorizing a bedroom with a bunk bed in it, an easy way to define each boy’s “territory” is to choose complementing bedding sets as opposed to matching ones. Don’t forget the floor, even if you already have carpet – area rugs in primary colors will introduce a light-hearted element into the room’s décor. Adding window treatments, wall art and themed bedding will give your boy’s navy blue bedroom a classic look that everyone can enjoy.

Open Concept Dining

A dining room, whether it’s formal or informal, generally has an intimate feel about it because the space has walls; the intimacy factor can be further enhanced by the wall color that is chosen for the dining room. In a loft apartment you will not have those options since your dining set and any other dining furniture you select for the dining area will be out in the open. Here are a few ways to create a cozy atmosphere for a loft dining “room”:

• Put an area rug on the floor
• If there is no ambient lighting directly above the dining table, add a pendant or a chandelier that is on a dimmer switch
• Feature a picture or print, especially if your dining furniture will be opposite a wide expanse of wall, that projects an intimate or cozy ambiance

Contemporary Loft Dining Furniture

The most important aspect about a loft dining area is to choose a dining set that makes a statement. It will be the focal point of the loft space as a whole rather than just the immediate dining area.

You don’t necessarily have to create walls, but if you would like to project a definitive end of the dining zone and the beginning of the next functional space, position a sideboard, buffet or credenza in such a way that it acts as a boundary between the two.

There are no hard and fast rules; there is no reason why you can’t have more than one eating area. While the main dining area can stand in for the formal dining room of a house or condominium, you could place counter stools around a kitchen island or add a gathering table at the opposite end of the loft as a place to have breakfast or a casual meal.

Thanks for joining me for this 3-part Contemporary Loft Furniture Ideas series. Come back next week when I will begin a new 3-part discussion on how to design a games room for your family.

Pick a Spot

In a house or a condo, the living room is typically the main room for relaxing, personal downtime and entertaining; it’s no different in a loft apartment. Because a loft design floor plan is essentially open concept, you will have to choose a location for your living area. Pick a spot that makes sense and reflects your lifestyle. If you like to, for example, have people over to watch game, for cocktails or just hang out, it would be good to have your living room closer to the kitchen rather than at the opposite end of the loft.

Take advantage of any architectural features in the loft that would enhance your living area such as a skylight, the view from a specific window or support beams and/or pillars that can define the living room from the other areas in the apartment. If there is an accent or freestanding wall, you want to reserve that for your entertainment center. Don’t forget to identify all of the other areas you will require. In addition to needing a bedroom, and living and dining areas, would you like a pair of contemporary club chairs by your favorite window or a home office?

Create the Illusion of Walls

The main challenge that you will have when decorating a loft apartment, is that you will have only four walls. The option of putting the large pieces of furniture against the walls of each zone like the bed in the sleeping area or the sofa and the entertainment center in the living area will be limited. You will have to give some careful consideration to the actual placement of your living room furniture, taking power sources into account. To create the illusion of walls and to define the separate zones of your living room area from the rest of the apartment use living room furniture pieces like an entertainment center or modular bookshelf. When considering using a certain piece of furniture as a screen, boundary or “wall” take into account whether or not the back is finished (can be seen) or unfinished (can’t) – some manufacturers leave the backs of case goods unfinished if they are not meant to be viewed from all angles.

Loft Living Room Furniture

Because of its edgy, industrial origins, loft living room furniture should reflect its environs. For a minimalist feel select modern style furniture with geometric lines and angular or asymmetrical profiles. These living room furniture pieces would have absolutely no decorative detail and are typically made from space-age materials.

If modern is too “stark” for you, contemporary style shares some of the same design principles as modern, but lines are less angular, profiles less uniform.

Another way to define the living room from the rest of the loft apartment is to choose a sectional as your sofa and position it so that it functions as a partition.

Since you are living in a loft space and storage will be at a premium, pick specific living room furniture pieces like a coffee table or end tables that include plenty of hidden storage.

Come back next Friday for Contemporary Loft Furniture Ideas series pt 3 when I will be discussing how to design a contemporary dining area for your open concept apartment.

Hi there…The countertops in my kitchen are granite. Two counter sections are fine but the granite counter between the stove and the fridge is pretty scratched up. Should I replace all of the countertops or just the one? And I don’t think I want granite again – if I wanted to replace all of the countertops so that they match are there any alternatives you would recommend?

Design Answer

Thanks for writing in. You might want to give replacing them some more thought. As a construction material for kitchen countertops, granite has more pros going for it than cons. It is a hard, nonporous stone, which makes it durable and heat resistant: you can take hot pots off the stove and place them directly onto a granite counter without having to use a trivet or a hot pad and being able to cut food on the granite itself eliminates the need for buying separate cutting boards.

As for the scratches, have you considered consulting a local retailer that features granite products? Because granite is so durable, often granite countertops, even severely damaged ones, can be repaired and restored. It might be less expensive than have to replacing all three countertops in your kitchen.

Should you need to choose new kitchen countertops, there are plenty of different types to choose from – one isn’t necessarily better than any other. It largely depends on personal preference. Three main factors to keep in mind when selecting a construction material for kitchen counters are: cost (how much you’re willing to spend; appearance (does it blend with cabinets and the other décor elements in the space); and lifestyle (you love cooking for friends or you can never remember to grab a hot pad when taking a casserole out of the oven).

Also take into account that each type of countertop material has its own set of pros and cons. Laminate kitchen countertops are economical and most versatile, but isn’t as durable as some kinds of stone counters. Stainless steel is very easy to clean but can be easily scratched if not sealed.

Come back next week when I will answer another one of your design questions. Don’t forget to keep sending them to. I don’t have a one-question rule; you can ask as many design question as you want; just remember to send one per email.

A loft apartment is all about the space; not just in terms of how much room but the physical space itself. Because of its industrial or converted nature, the appeal of loft living is the unexpected – it could manifest itself in high ceilings complete with ducts or pipes; exposed wood or steel beams; or long expanses of brick or concrete walls interrupted only by large windows. Since loft design is typically open concept, your “bedroom” will be seen from the other living areas in the space. Don’t be intimidated. Allow your imagination to soar and celebrate the possibilities.

 Pick a Spot

In some loft design floor plans, the bedroom is enclosed but usually it isn’t. If there is no designated area for the bedroom, you will have to select the area you would like to place the bed. Take advantage of the windows by placing the bed in front of them for maximum natural light or across to take advantage of the view.

Another common place for a loft bedroom is up. In a multi-level loft, the sleeping area is only accessible by staircase. Before going shopping for contemporary bedroom furniture for your loft apartment, even if you plan on purchasing RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture, make sure that you will be able to get your bedroom furniture pieces up a loft staircase.

Create the Illusion of Walls

While open concept design is fine for the rest of the loft apartment, when it comes to the bedroom, most of us like a little privacy. You can create the illusion of a standard bedroom by using bookcases, shelving units or stackable organizer cubes as “walls” to separate your sleeping area from the rest of the apartment. Another option is a room divider or decorative screen. Choose a type of bookcase or room divider with an “open” or transparent design; you don’t want to block out light or make the space dark.

Loft Bedroom Furniture

Select furniture for your loft bedroom that will be in scale with the other furnishings in the space. This simply means don’t think you have plenty of room for oversized nightstands and a king size then find out you only have room a loveseat and a small end table in your living room.

Consider storage: you might have lots of open space but only one main closet. Choose nightstands with all drawers instead of ones with just legs or a shelf. Buy a bed or platform bed with an underbed storage system of some kind. As well as the standard bedroom set, find ways to add case goods like an armoire, lingerie chest or chest of drawers to your loft bedroom design.

Designing a loft bedroom and selecting the right bedroom furniture for the space will payoff big dividends in terms of comfort and style. Come back next Friday for Contemporary Loft Furniture Ideas series pt 2.