Apartment Redecorating

We are in the process of redecorating around here. Seriously, this apartment is so mismatched it looks like a frat house. We are in desperate need of new couches, which when G suggested we buy them now spurred this whole redecorating venture. As you know, redecorating is a process. We've decided on things here and there and added things here and there and I'm really hoping it all comes together soon.

We live in a one bedroom which means we have two rooms total. I am trying to be budget friendly on this endeavor so this means a lot of Ikea, repainting/purposing furniture, and accepting some hand-me-downs from my mother and making them work. We also can't paint so I'm tried to add life to the rooms in other ways.

Here's what we've got going on for the living room:

 
Ikea Karlstad couch in Isunda Gray

Ikea Lack Coffee Table in White with some brass corners added

 
Ikea Expedit Shelving unit that is going to act as a tv stand (hopefully!)

I need to find a good 11 x 17 print to go in our living room as well. I'm hoping to do gold accents in there with throw pillows and such. We debated over white vs. dark furniture in the living room and ultimately decided white because we live in the basement and get very little natural light. Seriously, sometimes I think its sunny and its actually cloudy and vice versa.

We've got some things going on in our bedroom, too:

My mom gave us the Pottery Barn Pick Stitch quilt in the green color. Not my first choice but better than what we had before.  (image via)

 
I'm going to use this Sheron & Lewis Ikat Multi fabric in Jewel to make a headboard.

We also have two white bookshelves in our bedroom (again, to lighten the place up) and I'm currently contemplating what to paint the rest of the furniture in there. I'm thinking I might paint our dresser a light blue to go with the blue in the fabric. As for our bedside tables, my mother is adamant that I don't paint them as she says my grandmother paid a lot of money to have them dipped years ago. So that makes me feel guilty about wanting to paint them so I might not but dipped or not they look outdated! Any tips on how to make something look more modern without painting??

I can't wait to share before/after photos with you when everything is finally completed. Hopefully that is sometime before summer gets here!