This NYC Apartment Was Transformed With Dark Paint and Wall-to-Wall Carpet

What she won was this 750-square-foot apartment in a Manhattan building where units almost never become available because they’re so coveted. After splitting with her ex (who still lives in the building in their previously shared space), she was looking for a place to move — and when the opportunity to rent a unit in this building presented itself, she put her name in the lottery and got it.

Like the homes she previously shared with her ex, this apartment started out quite stark, with white walls and minimalist leanings. This one-bedroom could have suffered the same plain fate if it hadn’t been for someone’s suggestion that Lena try Ayahuasca, a trip that completely shifted how she saw color.

“When I came out of that i was seeing color for the first time in my entire life,” she reflects. “I grew up with psychedelic colors everywhere in San Francisco. I hated it and wanted beige and boring and simple. And after that journey, after opening up my mind, I suddenly had a huge appreciation for my parents, for the house I grew up in, and for color.”

Not only did Lena yearn for color when she got the keys to this apartment, she says the space was “really dying for it, too.” Because the unit gets southern exposure natural light all day long, it’s a bright space and Lena felt like she could really “go for it with color” on the walls. She chose a deep, moody, statement making dark blue.

Lena had always loved Farrow and Ball’s “Hague Blue,” and it became the perfect saturated hue for the living room and bedroom walls. Next, she took inspiration from the incredible gallery wall of authentic vintage psychedelic posters (that were her dad’s!) and chose accent colors. She got a deep red couch and painted the shelving and the radiators the same color. The vibe she was going for? An explosion of color.

She didn’t just lean into color when it came to making a rental her own; she did something unexpected for many renters: She installed wall-to-wall carpeting in the living room and bedroom, something she says makes a home feel extra cozy and luxe.

The way she’s embraced personalizing her rental — along with how she lives in the space — both feel especially worth emulating. “Our time is so limited. Don’t save the fun stuff for a special occasion,” Lena advises. Her everyday dishware is china from 1830 that was gifted to her. She uses meaningful ornate silverware from her dad daily, even if she does have to polish it sometimes. And she drinks out of crystal glasses because, why not?

“So for me we never know when we’re gonna go,” she writes. “We can’t control everything in our lives. So why not use what we love while we’re able to use it. And use it every day to make us feel like every day is special.” 

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