Name: Sarika
Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York

My studio apartment is smack dab in the middle of New York City's Lower East Side — a neighborhood that recently topped a list of best places to live for the "young, single and cash-strapped." Fitting the bill on all three of those things, and zeroing in on the last item (working on a reporter's budget here!), I've used a do-it-yourself attitude and mementos from my travels to turn the place into a warm and light space that is cozy and perfect for one.

For example, I transformed the map straddling a bathroom corner by using purple thread to track my parents' move from India to California and blue thread to track my continued travels. The solo pins remind me of the places I still have to go! In the kitchen, the newsprint and 'supergirl' prints are simple (and inexpensive) gift-wrap sheets. I've made an impromptu 'landing strip' with an old wall vase re-purposed as a reed diffuser and tacked in a place to stash my MetroCard. The wooden table from Ikea was painted a lime green to provide a pop of color in the kitchen. The art over the bed is fabric hand-stretched over a wood frame while the other wall hangings, and the star light fixture, are from my travels. A nightstand is complete with mementos from friends' weddings, travel tchotchkes and a collection of NYC travel guides.

I've lived here for over two years and I still feel charmed by the space everyday. I hope you like it!

Thanks Sarika!

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