It is necessary to feel comfortable in the most visited interior of the house: The Living Area.
I have combined oak flooring with the color black, lacquered white and metal. I think the mixture of these colors create a modern , elegant and cosy area to welcome friends and relax.
There are a lot of options you could implement in the nook. I have provided 5 of them in the first slide like a bar cabinet, a place to display a painting or a sculpture, a shelfing unit to store your video games/movies in knowing they are among your hobbies, a fire place, a desk-work space for you to sit down and write, an illuminated wine cellar to exhibit/collect your wine bottles, and other than that you can also turn it into a "music area" where you have a sideboard and you display your music player, speakers and CDs on it.
For the furniture, I kept the couches as they currently are, and focused more on the solids. I picked out tables, TV units, shelves and lighting fixtures from IKEA, so you can easily get everything in one outing. I displayed an abstract painting with colors you might like, (you can see in the 2nd slide), it gives life to the space and makes it warm and welcoming. The little touches make a difference. Since reading is one of your hobbies, I picked shelves where you can store your books. The total cost of the furniture I have picked is around 700$, which is less than half of your budget. In addition to that, I encourage you to invest in a "Charles Eames lounge chair" by Herman Miller, and display it in front of the shelves, close to the windows, replacing one couch, to sit down in a comfortable position and read. This chair would go perfectly with the materials and furniture I provided. You can easily find its replica, knowing it's an extremely famous and comfortable lounge chair. The replica costs around 850$, more or less, which still is below your budget. It will be among the most important and charming pieces in your living area. The lighting fixtures are made out of steel, that give an industrial yet elegant, manly atmosphere.
I hope I created the atmosphere you had in mind.
Thank you for your time :)
