Elektron-Users

go to a library or a bookstore and find something about building a studio space

there is plenty out there, and it does not cost as much as you think! Just takes some time is all - but hey, you own the place right? Spend the time and do it right so that you only have to do it once. Build it slowly - work up to the level I mentioned. In the meantime though, just avoid reflective surfaces, put some furniture in there to soak them up if you need to, and get some auralex foam or something for the corners in the meantime.

I'm totally against foam now. :-x I bought a few Auralex kits, let them de-gas for over 6 months, then I mounted them in here. The room reeked all of the time, even with the windows open during the day, and it gave me headaches. Did some online research and read some scary suggestions about possible long-term exposure to foam gasses... Needless to say, they were in here, and now they're making pretty shapes on the floor elsewhere. Waste of money.

I would totally endorse the "natural" approach using drapes, couches, and rugs to high frequency acoustics control.

Colors can be psychologically stimulating from what I've learned recently. Red causes aggressiveness, yellow happiness, blue passifies, purple makes you unsure, black depresses, orange stirs like red but to a lesser degree, silver and gold reflect affluence (obviously), etc. There's some interesting research out there.

Milkman - check your PMs. :-D

forget solid colors... go for a nice paisley pattern. mmmm paisley