Living room trapped in a 1980s time warp

Help! I am living in the 1980s. All my living room furniture was bought in 1985.

Besides being outdated, the sofa and love seat are both ripped, stained and dirty. The end table and coffee table are scratched beyond repair. The pictures and the dressing screen scream 1985.

I feel like I am in an old 1985 John Hughes movie. Help me move out of the 1980s.

Design by O'Reilly's Furniture

Expert: Michael Walsh, owner, www.orfurn.com; Debora Watson, interior designer, Acanthus Design.

Budget: $4,000

This room is stuck in the '80s and it is showing after 33 years of use. The furniture is oversized for this space and has worn out its welcome. This room has a good base with its neutral color palate, neutral walls and carpeting. The living room just needs be brought up to the current day.

Suggestions

• This room has a good neutral starting point, so really the updates are mainly focused on furnishings. We are recommending a couch and love seat set from England. England's Rouse Series is ideal for this space with its unbelievable plush comfort, yet simple look with its lean lines.

• Both well-proportioned seating pieces are available in an array of fabric options. For this room, we would suggest a gray-toned fabric, keeping the look clean and modern for the couch with a complementing accent fabric for the pillows.

• To complement the clean look of the sofa set, we are adding an Amish-style coffee table with matching end table in an antique, slate gray finish. The slate gray finish allows for the wood grains to show through while keeping the look of this space more contemporary. These tables create a sleek, modern look.

• The finishing touch would be to update the lighting in this room with a new table lamp. We are suggesting a 28-inch lamp with a silver finish.