Renter-Friendly DIYs Transformed This NYC Apartment into a Dreamy Home

Because Justine Berger is a copywriter and an artist, she wanted her 600-square-foot apartment to reflect a colorful, creative lifestyle. “Since I work from home (and, thus, spend a ton of time in my apartment), my goal was to spark joy in every corner,” Justine begins of the space she’s rented for four years. “It’s taken me several years, but I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made.

Justine has created her home partly thanks to her love of finding secondhand furniture and decor through thrifting and consignment shopping. “[N]ot only are the pieces beautiful and well-made, but they’re also more affordable and sustainable. Not to mention, they’re also unique! I love having one-of-kind things that make great conversation pieces. While this apartment might not be my ‘forever home,’ I look at it as investing in forever pieces.” 

Even though this apartment is just a rental, Justine is committed to making it “truly feel like a home.” In that spirit, she’s tackled renter-friendly projects like “putting up a removable peel-and-stick tile backsplash in my kitchen, changing out the door handles and outlet covers, and even installing new overhead light fixtures (goodbye, boob lights!).” 

Cooking and entertaining are passions for Justine, and therefore when she was trying to find an apartment, both a dishwasher and “decent-sized oven” were must-haves. “The size of the kitchen was also a huge draw when I moved in — it’s definitely larger than your average NYC apartment kitchen, but weirdly didn’t have a ton of counter space or cabinetry. I was able to fit a prep table and a large wire rack to fill that void, and they’ve made my kitchen much more functional,” Justine writes.

“I also discovered a few years ago that I was able to fit a six-person dining table in my living room, which has been a game-changer for my dinner parties. There are few things I enjoy more than setting a beautiful table and cooking dinner for my friends and family.”

• Glass Hallway Table — Amazon
• Green Lamps — Wayfair
• Mirrors — Thrifted 
• Rug — Green Front Furniture 
• Coat Rack — Target 
• Art — My own 
• Linen Cabinet — The Home Depot

• Sofa — Raymour & Flanigan 
• Pillows — Etsy 
• Coffee Table — Wayfair 
• Side Chair — Kaiyo 
• Side Cabinet — Kaiyo
• Teal Lamp — Facebook Marketplace
• Bookcase — Thrifted
• Buffet — Thrifted
• Rug — Green Front Rugs 
• Tree Floor Lamp — Wayfair 
• Art — Mix of Etsy, thrifted, and my own work
• Curtains & Rod — IKEA 

• Dining Table — Crate & Barrel
• White Dining Chairs — Article
• Green End Chairs — Anthropologie
• Side Table — Kaiyo
• Mirror — Facebook Marketplace
• Table Lamp — Sezane 
• Small Chinoiserie Lamp — Thrifted 
• Artwork — Mix of Etsy, thrifted, and my own work 

• Zellige Taza Green Vinyl Peel-and-Stick Tile — The Home Depot
• Water Hyacinth Cubes — Container Store
• Kitchen Island with Butcher Block Top — Amazon
• Cafe Curtains — Amazon
• Under Cabinet Lighting — Amazon
• Rug — Ruggable
• Delta Spray Faucet Head — Build
• Brinkley Glass Ceiling Mount — Ballard Designs
• Floor Lamp — Wayfair

• Screen — Thrifted
• Quilt & Sham Covers — West Elm 
• Decorative Pillows — West Elm 
• Bedskirt — Etsy 
• Crystal Flush Mount — Ballard Designs
• Wall Mirrors — Etsy 
• Dresser — Facebook Marketplace
• Rug — Green Front Furniture 
• Nightstand — IKEA
• Green Lamp — Thrifted
• Small Lamp — Home Goods
• Curtains & Rod — IKEA
• Floor Mirror — Amazon 
• Van Gogh Framed Art — GreatBigCanvas.com 

• Over-the-Toilet Rack — Wayfair 
• Rug — Rifle Paper Co. 
• Shower Curtain — Custom Made 
• Towels — Matouk 
• Bamboo Bench — Wayfair 
• Trash Can — Target 

Thanks, Justine!

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

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