working on my insides

so, with the coming of the new sofa, i’m inspired to make other decor changes to my apartment. first up will be new curtains. the burgundy stripey thing i’ve got going on will probably be too clashy with the red leather sofa (oops! i let it slip!), so i’m thing of finding nice warm brown curtains in a soft fabric – ultrasuede or velour, maybe. ideally, something to balance out the coolness of the leather.
then, of course, i’ll want to either replace or recover the comfy chair. it’s got the right colours, but it is something like twenty years old and, thanks to having spent half its life with feline accompaniment, is pretty ratty. while i’d love to put an equally cozy leather chair in its place, i’m thinking that a custom slipcover might do just as well. i once found the website of a local company which does such things; i should look for it again and get a quote.
the least likely change to my main rooms will be the wall colour. i’m a poor judge of what will look good without actually seeing it up and about. give me a photo and i can say i like or dislike a completed room, but i can’t seem to visualize from paint swatches and photos of accessories. plus, while i really enjoy painting, it’s such a hassle: all the moving of furniture, sanding, taping, drop sheets and, worst of all, clean-up. although, i am motivated to change the wall colour in my bedroom and will probably attempt that in the new year.
what i’d love to do is get someone like lori andrews to work up a colour palette for me. i’m a huge, huge fan of her work as displayed on flickr. when you look at photos of a designer’s home and drool a little, you know that’s the designer you should hire. too bad i’m poor. i wonder if she does free consults over the internet…