Decorating and Design - new to decorating, feeling hopeless, help!

I'm renting a great one-bedroom apartment in the city and have no idea how to properly decorate it so what has resulted is a scary mishmash collection of pieces that while comfortable, need help. I'm not interested in paiting or remodeling since it's not my place but all the "stuffing" is up for grabs. My front door is on the left side of a long entryway and opens into a nook directly accross where I now have a low shoe rack and a high coat rack. Past the entryway is an opening into a very awkward dining area, with a small opening on the right and a large alcove on the left, which leads into the kitchen. I have a small sofa on the left and a small kitchen table on the right. Past the dining/kitchen area is about 24 feet of living area space (length: 24', width, about 14') where I have a pink (yes, pink. The thought grossed me out at first but they came free and surprisingly, match the rose-ish carpet) arm chair, 3-cushion sofa, and another armchair. Between the sofa and arm-chairs are make-shift end tables. No coffee table. Across from the sofa is a bookcase and the "entertainment" unit with TV/VCR/DVD setup. Past the farthest arm chair is an office-like set-up with bookcase on the left wall, desk/chair in the middle at a right-angle to the wall, and a hutch against the right wall.

The walls are completely bare save for some posters that I could live without. There isn't even any window treatment for the almost floor-to-ceiling, huge windows. I really need help with the "special touches" to make the place feel homey.

Any suggestions would be highly appreciated!

wow! so you need help with the whole apartment, huh? that's a pretty tall order. i'd suggest you go to furniture stores that have finished room settings and get some ideas. or look in catalogs and replicate the looks you like. start room by room, so the project is manageable. maybe start with getting some end tables & a coffe table or big ottomon, and some wall art. enlist the help of a stylish friend to help you put it all together. it's the finishing touches that are the most difficult, and nearly impossible over the internet like this! (except for that shoe rack in the entryway - that's easy: get rid of it or move it to the bedroom. definitely not a classy item for visitors to see first thing.)

I think that decorating magazines, books on home decorating (the library's a great resource for these, too...or you can go to Barnes & Noble and look through them for ideas)...or even catalogues (ie: Pottery Barn).

Ikea's a great place to purchase inexpensive space-fillers and organizers. A bit pricier is Hold Everything. Both have online sites that are fantastic & also great for ideas.

You can pull together ideas from all these resources, and put them together in ways that appeal to you & individualized to your needs/taste.

Have fun! Don't be intimidated. There are really very few 'rights and wrongs' in decorating, it's more about what YOU like to live with!