Erin and Andrew just nabbed a spacious, vintage apartment in the Bay Area and asked me for some suggestions on color schemes. Their new place is awesome, but they don’t get much direct sunlight in their living room.

I looked through hundreds of photographs that might inspire them, and then pulled color palettes from the images that gave me that young-and-fun-couple-in-a-Bay-Area-apartment kind of vibe. Considering their lack of direct sunlight—with a north-facing bay window and west-facing windows covered by an oak tree—I tried to find images that use colors with red and yellow undertones, to warm up that cool-blue northern light.

Here are my four favorites.

Punchy
This set, from Benjamin Moore (a great resource for decorating ideas, by the way), is bold, bright, and fearless. The colors make me think of peacock feathers. Wisely, they’re combined with a lot of white, black, and gray.

(I’m aware this one isn’t exactly the “warm” color palette I said I’d stick to, but I couldn’t exactly eliminate these, could I??! I mean, LOOK!)

Cozy
I admit I love the connection between this urban-hippie style and San Francisco’s bohemian subculture, but the décor isn’t as important here as is the color palette, taken from Pittsburgh Paint’s color trend guide for 2011.

Mod
I’m in love with this living room from Benjamin Moore. It reminds me of a cool professor—think bright red shirt under a brown tweed jacket. A wall color this bright warrants neutrality in furniture and accessories, which explains why these images are actually palatable.

Neutral
A white-walled room doesn’t have to be boring, as you can see in these images from Crate&Barrel and Room&Board. But since north-facing windows will cast a blue-gray light in the room, some furniture and accessories should have a warm undertone.

And here are the color palettes all in a row. Good luck, kids!

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail asking for advice on window treatments. Her bedroom has three large windows set out like a bay window, currently with a beautiful view of green trees and a lot of sky. However, as townhouses are slated to be built next door, soon her only view will be of windows and siding. Depressing!

She asked me, “Do you have any ideas for recreating the tranquility of our current view with window treatments? I’d like to keep the room very clean and light.”

Natural Woven Shades

One option I love is natural woven shades. Besides being available in various colors, they’re also available in various grades of translucency, which means you have some control over privacy from the outside and light streaming inside.

Also, if you’ve painted the walls, carefully chosen textiles, and invested in beautiful furniture and yet your room still feels like something is missing, natural woven shades add texture and warmth and can possibly balance out your room, especially if it feels slightly stark.

Solar Shades

A second option is solar shades. On the average, solar shades may be more expensive, but they are, in all honesty, worth it. They have UV protection, so your books, fabrics, and furniture won’t fade; they also reduce heat transfer from outdoors, so you’ll save on energy bills. They come in a variety of colors, textures, and, like natural woven shades, various grades of translucency.

Another thing I really like about solar shades is that you can continue enjoying your view, since they’re sheer. If you just don’t want to look at the neighbor’s house, however, this is probably not the right option for you.

Creating the Illusion of Stained Glass

A lesser-known option, especially appropriate for DIYers (i.e. not me), is painting your window to resemble stained glass. It looks much more authentic than using contact paper, because the paint holds a texture. And you can buy the paint in a kit that comes with “lead strips”—which are actually raised stickers.

I don’t know how difficult this process is, but as you can see, it really does look like stained glass.

Top-Down, Bottom-Up Shades

Top-down, bottom-up shades are my personal favorite option. If I wanted privacy from my neighbors but didn’t want my shades closed all the time, this is what I’d choose. And the fact that you can get them in patterned fabric, sheer linen, woven wood, and a variety of other materials makes them even more appealing.

Other Light and Airy Window Treatments

Roman shades, roller shades, and what Smith+Noble calls “horizontal illusions” are other options I like if you want to bring light in yet keep a sad view out.

Drapery for a Bay Window

Many of the above options can still be combined with drapery (not a bad idea if you want two levels of privacy and light filtering). To leave you with this last piece of inspiration, check out how William and William have used curtains on the bay windows in their Chicago living room. Lovely.