This “Dingy” 450-Square-Foot NYC Apartment Is Warm and Inviting After Some TLC

Written by

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Sandra Regalado
Sandra RegaladoContributor
Video Producer, Photographer, Writer
published Jan 23, 2025

This “Dingy” 450-Square-Foot NYC Apartment Is Warm and Inviting After Some TLC

Written by

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Sandra Regalado
Sandra RegaladoContributor
Video Producer, Photographer, Writer
published Jan 23, 2025
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Bedrooms
Square feet

450

Sq ft

450

Actor and model Jillian Marie Sayegh was raised just outside of New York City, and says she’s “always loved interior design, and everything about NYC. I grew up shopping secondhand with my mom, and together we loved finding vintage gems and using them in our home decor.” Jillian firmly believes that a “rental apartment can be beautiful — especially when decorated on a budget.”

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"I love using vintage trunks in the space; they give me so much storage and function," Jillian explains.

Three years ago when she was apartment hunting after the “post-Covid deals,” she describes it as a horrible time to look for rentals, with the market “oversaturated with everyone moving back to the city. I was using StreetEasy for listings, and every open house had a long line of people all fighting to look at an overpriced studio, the remnants of what was left to rent after the post-Covid deals.” 

Apartment Therapy briefly published a peek at Jillian's home last year, but I needed to see more!

This apartment — a 450-square-foot unit on the Upper East Side — had been on the market for 33 days, and Jillian says “the pictures were kinda sketchy looking, but the price was great.” After a having to deal with a too-eager agent and the listing being removed for repairs, Jillian took the chance and has rented this space for $2000 a month for three years.

Jillian says she leaned into the moody vibes when decorating the space. "My living room, for example, gets virtually no natural light, and most people would try to make the space seem bright and airy. I have leaned into the dark greens, and made it super cozy. The space will never be bright, so I will not fight it."

Before moving in, Jillian describes the space as “so sad. It was dark, cold, many things were broken, the vibe was off, this place needed TLC.” And she gave it TLC with a slight renovation. “The ceiling in my tiny bathroom was crumbling when I moved in. My super is amazing; we tackled it together.”

You can also follow Jillian on Instagram, My Small Bite of the Big Apple.

“I also demoed shelves on my first day in the apartment that were blocking my living room window. These were clearly built by someone very skilled — it took hours! With the help of my boyfriend, we also changed all the lighting fixtures, which were all broken, to vintage brass and crystal ones!” 

The bathroom is painted in Behr's "Vine Leaf."

I would like to believe that my home has warmth now! There was a lot of love and effort that has gone into making this dingy rental my oasis. I think the antique decor and rich green tones make the space elevated, inviting, and unique,” Jillian describes of the home now.

Resources

PAINTS & COLORS

  • Bedroom — Collaboration with LICK paint “Green 18”
  • Kitchen, Hallway, Living Room — Behr paint “Bit of Sugar”
  • Bathroom — Behr paint “Vine Leaf”

LIVING ROOM

  • Furniture — Secondhand
  • Mirror — Family heirloom
  • TV — Samsung Frame
  • Paintings — Thrifted

KITCHEN

  • Backsplash — Amazon
  • Floor — Amazon
  • Contact Paper — Amazon
  • Tea pot — MacKenzie Childs, gift from a friend

BEDROOM

  • Furniture — Secondhand
  • Floor Lamp — From a film set

BATHROOM

  • Rug — Vintage
  • Light — Vintage

Thanks, Jillian!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.