The couple paid $380k for the 700-square-foot apartment located in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood two-and-a-half years ago, and they moved in with their young son (Zeke, who’s now 6 years old) and while Khrystyne was still pregnant with their daughter (Taliyah, now 3).

“I believe that the flow of a space matters more than the amount of bedrooms, and this space seemed perfect for our almost family of four. We loved that it was right near a beautiful park and had incredible train access but yet was so quiet and affordable,” Khrystyne admits. 

Despite not being deterred about the apartment’s lack of extra bedrooms, the family has still had to tackle difficulties due to the home’s small size. “Our biggest challenge has been navigating the different stages of our family in a small space,” describes Khrystyne.

“When we moved in, my daughter wasn’t even born yet, so the space had to accommodate a toddler and baby and all the gear that entails. As our kids have grown, it’s been a constant battle of assessing what our family needs most in that season, and how to work within our budget to create longevity in the apartment. Where do the bikes go? What size stroller are we willing to store? Moving from crib to bunks, etc. It’s definitely a challenge navigating the different stages of life with limited space while being cognizant that things will change as they continue to grow.” 

And though the couple didn’t tackle a large-scale renovation when they purchased the home, there were still things they wanted to accomplish around the apartment to fit their family. “For budget, we had a list of things we wanted to do around the apartment when we moved in, and we started tackling them one at a time. I remember being so overwhelmed by the cost of decorating — we had just bought this home and now we needed to do all these things,” Khrystyne admits. “Making a list of priorities really helped keep us focused and allowed us to spread out the expenses over a longer period of time.”

The first and biggest priority to figure out? Where each of the four would sleep. The solution was giving the apartment’s only bedroom to the kids … and then making it so the living room transforms into a primary bedroom for the parents at night. A Murphy bed ended up being the family’s first big investment after purchasing the apartment.

• Living Room/Kitchen — Behr “Polar Behr”
• Kitchen Nook — Benjamin Moore “Black Beauty”
• Kids’ Room — Benjamin Moore “London Fog”

• Vertical Shoe Storage  — Wayfair 
• Leather Bar Stools — Wayfair 
• Coat Hooks — Thrifted 

• Park Sofa — Albany Park 
• Live Edge Coffee Table — Wayfair 
• Mid-Century Modern Keyboard — Doner
• Suspended Grow Light — Amazon
• Full Size Murphy Bed — Breda Beds 
• Artwork — Meghan Caughill
• Flower Decor — Flowers by Emily 

• Dining Table — IKEA 
• White Dining Chairs — Amazon 

• Chairs — Wayfair 

• Mydal Bunk Bed  — ​IKEA 
• Kallax Storage — IKEA

Thanks, Khrystyne and family!

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

Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form