Getting Creative With Your Interior Space
Finding an apartment in NYC was harder than getting into college. I have recently tackled the hurdle of finding a place to live. The next hardest thing was to decorate it. I moved into my new studio apartment 2 months ago (you would think I would be done by now). As someone who loves interior and spends all of her time in her apartment (WFH crew), the job is never finished.
I have gotten a few requests for some random decor needs or just design questions (I mean like 3 people). So, I am sharing my tips (aka basically wrote a bible) for making your rental/shoebox feel like home, some of my favorite places to shop for home (I put together a long list but trust me I could go on), and a some home inpso to kickstart if you are stuck. Clearly, I love home decor so always hit my line on this.
Light Up Every Room You Walk Into
Yes, you can change your lighting. This is one of my biggest tips to make a place feel like a home. Most lighting that the apartments come with feel outdated. I like to make it the focal point of my living space as it feels unexpected in a rental apartment. Scones are something you also only typically find in homeowners space. There are so many fun and beautiful options now available for USB wall lighting. I suggest putting them next to both sides of your bed. It also clears space on your bedside table as you don’t need a lamp.
Down With Assouline Travel Coffee Table Books
I always feel like I learn so much about a person by their space. It is truly a representation of yourself. It doesn’t need to be fancy but I look at your coffee table books, if you have musical instruments around, games, etc. I have so many coffee table books (it’s probably worth a small fortune).
I can not emphasize this enough, we have outgrown the Assouline travel coffee table books. Yes, they are pretty but it says nothing about you. Get one or two of places that are important to you but please mix it in with other things. They have other amazing books on their website. Get browsing.
Fake It Till You Make It
I got lucky with my current apartment in that I am the first person to live here since it has been renovated. They chose white and gray finished which is perfect and neutral but I didn’t know what they were going to pick and my back up was going to be peel and stick tiles and contact paper. You will probably have to clear a few hours in your day to get this done, but it also might motivate you to cook more if you have a beautiful kitchen.
I did opt to use peel and stick wallpaper for an accent wall in my apartment. My favorite is the reaction I get every time a super from my building walks in. Now this was a pain to put up and I have a million air bubbles but it was worth it for sure (I should have hired a task rabbit though). My space feels less like a white box and more like me. I also opted for a print that had a little tropical flair to it and it makes my space feel like an oasis from the city.
To step it up even one notch further, they have peel and stick wall moldings that are renter-friendly to transform your shoebox into your dream Parisian pad.
Don’t Let Your Room Look Like Alix Earle’s
I am closeted messy person. You would never know from the looks of my apartment unless you are my parents. My apartment is always clean and thats because when I moved in, I made sure everything had an exact place to live. I ordered bulk organizers from Amazon. This makes me feel like a beauty influencer when I do my makeup (Yes, I talk to myself and pretend I am filming when I do my makeup). It also helps when I do have to clean up, I am not shoving things in a random place. I am in my Marie Kondo phase.
My biggest flex is I have a phone charger ready and available for everyone who walks through the door. I ordered an extra long phone charger for every outlet in apartment. This way I don’t have to move it around and when someone says they need a charger I don’t have to get up or play the game of “what’s your battery at?” This is something everyone should do right now. It’s truly so useful.
Keep Your Walls Up
Room dividers are key to a studio. I was personally was alarmed the first week of living in my new space and basically waking up in my kitchen. It was such a strange experience and definitely made me hungry. It’s also nice when you have people over that they don’t go and sit on your bed or are just staring at your bed. That’s my personal space. This is the room divider I have and I love how flexible it is so I can move it around incase I want to be able to look out into my living room from my bed.
Favorite Places to Shop for Interior That Aren’t West Elm, CB2, and Wayfair
My go-to for essentials
Parachute: I live for their silk sheets (break out of your comfort zone and maybe don’t get white?)
Sabre Paris: Cuttlery
Tekla: Fabrics (ie. bedding and towels) in the most beautiful shades
EQ3: An lesser-known CB2 / West Elm vibe
Schoolhouse: Similar to above
All Modern: They did a great job with naming no need to explain
Eternity Modern: For the splurge
France & Son: When you don’t want to splurge but want the dupe
1st Dibs: The RealReal of Interior
Kassatex: Particularly their bathroom accessories
The color lover
Laetitia Rouget: Unique colorful ceramics
Coming Soon: Home goods for those with an eclectic colorful taste
Abbode: If you like the link above you will like this one too
Mociun: Home Decor for Mid Centuryalist who likes color
Sophie Lou Jacobsen: Glassware for the cocktail lover
Helle Mardahl: Glassware that will break your bank account
MoMa Design Store: For the modern art lover obviously (pro tip: their art prints are super high quality)
Designers Collab: Brooklyn home goods store great for decor pieces or gifts
Loves a century described as “mid”
Lichen: Industrial Wabi Sabi
Nordic Knots: The perfect rug
Soho Home: If you want your aparment to feel like a Soho House (members get discounts)
Gata: Bedding for the girl in her coquette erra
Moda Studio: Vintage furniture store in Jersey City for the mid century enthusiasts
Hay: Danish design and a branch of Design Within Reach
Design Within Reach: Only if you have a sugar daddy
Good Friend: Neutral decor with an interesting twist
Ink and Porcelain: Same as above
Lives in NY, but wishes they were on the beach
Jenni Kayne: For the neutral costal look
Weezie: Towels for the Nantucket girl
Clic: For that California surfer vibe
We all are always looking for Art
Exhibition A: Limited edition art
Tappan Collective: Same as above
Hotel Magique: Art posters inspired by vacation
House of Spoils: Collaborations with photographers for prints
Helm + Oar: More of the same as above
Brands with a purpose
Rocco’s Mini Fridge: Cool and functional alternative to a bar cart
July AC Unit: The modern solution the dated in-window units
Bemz: Slipcovers made specifically for Ikea furniture
Pretty Pegs: Legs, knobs, & more specifically for Ikea furniture
Reform: Kitchen finishes using Ikea systems
Home Inspo For The Boys
Moodboard here
Home Inspo For The Girls
Moodboard here
Home Inspo For The Girls and Boys Who Live Together
Moodboard here
Give Me Some Space
In an effort to maximize seating and utility, I think most people get bigger couches, tables, etc. than their nyc apartment allows for. It makes the space feel cramped and in my opinion sometimes looks messy. While it is alway nice to have more seating, 90% of the time it is just you (and your roommate). Optimize your apartment for what you mostly use it for and then come up with creative solutions for when you host. The below are some of tips for specific furniture pieces to make sure you are getting the right sizing and placing everything in the right spot to make your apartment look bigger.
Couches
Art should be eight to ten inches above your sofa from the bottom of the frame.
A couch against a wall should be three to five inches off the wall and not flush against it.
Never have the back of the sofa face the entrance of the room.
Side tables should be a few inches lower than the arm.
The rug should only be two feet under your couch and a foot of space on both sides of the arm.
Coffee tables should be no more than 5 inches lower than the couch seat.
For throw pillows, size up on the insert (ie. if your cover is 20x20 get a 22x22 insert).
Rugs
I am just going to drop this extremely helpful link here that outlines the exact size rug that is ideal for any size couch, dining table, or bedroom. Should leave room for no questions.
Beds
The ideal place for the bed is to be diagonal from the door.
Doors shouldn’t open up directly onto any part of the bed.
If they have to, see if there is a way to get sliding doors.
Don’t place your bed in front of windows.
If you have to, use a low headboard or no headboard.
The bed should sit flush against the wall.
If you are lucky enough to have a bathroom in your room, your bed should not share a wall with the bathroom.
The biggest luxury in an NYC bedroom is if you are able to have open space on both sides of your bed. It’s ideal to have at least 18 inches on each side (so maybe opt for that queen instead of king).
If you are unable to see the entrance when you are in bed, use a mirror on the wall opposite the door to reflect the entrance.
Desk
A lot of us have to have some sort of work set up in our house these days. They can sometimes be an eyesore. Keep it basic, the less items the better. Here are the 4 things I would use to help your desk add to your space: opt for a cute lamp to bring in some personality, hang up some art above the desk, a cute plant to bring in some life, and some beautiful cuter desk accessories. This will have you feeling like CEO. My personal biggest tip for the girls: get a desk mirror you can move around. I have one that I use when I am not working, so it acts as my getting ready station. Multi-functional.
Art
Hang your art by its center.
The center should be at the 57- 60 inch mark (unless it is near furniture or a special nook) to be eyelevel.
If you are hanging multiple pieces together, think of them as a grouping and the center of both of them should be at the 57- 60 inch mark. Keep 3-6 inches in between the pieces.
If the piece is going above furniture, it should be about 2/3 the width of the furniture and should be placed 6-10 inches above.
Don’t be afraid to lean art up against a wall or on top of a shelf.
Curtains
People who have curtains have their life together. I don’t make the rules. Hang them from the top of the ceiling to the floor. I don’t care if you window starts at the halfway point. This will make your space appear to have higher ceilings and make the room feel bigger.
If you have made it thus far, I am sharing something embarrassing
I am a passionate nut when it comes to design and obviously took the opportunity to move apartments to the next level. This is how I planned out what I was going to purchase. Not too far off from reality in my opinion.
As always, no typos are present despite what you may think you saw. Thanks for reading, send this around, send me pics if you get anything and send requests!
Your parents must be so proud of you.
Miami apt about to get syd seiffed