Have you thought of using wall vinyl to add some expression to your room? It really does add that little bit of character and warmth, and can always be removed without damaging the walls. The awesome part about these is that they look like they are painted on the wall- I have a bunch in my house! Plus you can get them in virtually any color to go with your rust walls. I would suggest a dark chocolate brown or maybe a light cream. Check out the ideas before, and let me know if you maybe would like to design something custom! You can browse through the stock designs at: http://erins.uppercaseliving.net

That looks like natural wood so i wouldn't ever paint it, I would try to match the wood color and use a more substantial wood drapery rod next to it and remove the clock above it. Light jade pieces would be good and shiny too. Something inexpensive would be all green or white/cream Haeger (maybe spelled wrong) ceramic rectangular "planters" usually about 3 inches tall, 2 or three inches deep and 6 or so wide and other shapes also like small vases are easy to find. I think they are from the 40's or 50's so they would match the built-in style. You can pick them up at thrift stores for about five dollars and they have nice shapes. I agree with the other comments that a strong theme rather than random objects are key.

I dunno, do you like this (from our recently remodeled livingroom w/open entry area? Like Kah says, the easiest place to start is from color -- at least that's what my designer wife did first.

I would brighten it up by painting the walls a more neutral color. Adding new bedding and fun pillows, artwork, etc. will add punches of color that will work nicely with the neutral backdrop. As a student I know designing in a budget friendly way is important. If you have an Ikea, HomeGoods, Gordmans or At Home to shop at, these are all great places to pick up interesting and fun pieces without breaking the bank. As far as space planning, from the picture it looks like a fairly long/narrow space- I would keep the bed at the back, back a sofa up to that and add a couple of comfy chairs and maybe an area rug. Dont forget the artwork too, this adds a very important layer to your space. Hope this makes sense and helps!