A Small NYC Apartment Has the Cutest Simple Plant Display Above the Bed
Name: Emily Barry and fiancé
Location: West Village — New York, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 650 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, renting
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My fiancé, Evan, and I rent our apartment in New York’s West Village neighborhood. We fell in love with the exposed brick, high ceilings, and the view of trees outside our window. We were moving in together for the first time, so we had many different styles of furniture coming into the apartment that we had to make work; we tried to tie everything together by using a lot of plants and artwork throughout.
What is your favorite room and why? There are only two to choose from (NYC life!), but I love our living room. It was just a big rectangular space, but using we were able to create a dedicated office and reading nook by installing a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf and using a large plant to separate the desk area. Our guests always talk about how cozy the space feels, and the layout is really functional and works great for our needs.
If you could magically change something about your home, what would it be? I would love to do a full kitchen renovation–our appliances are pretty old, and I think it would look great with some new backsplash–however since we are renters are aren’t able to do any major upgrades. I did paint the kitchen a deep navy to separate it from the living room and make it look a bit more polished.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Relaxed Mid-Century Cozy
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Yet another plant! We’ve been increasing our plant life pretty steadily since we moved in. I saw a rosemary bush at the farmer’s market and thought it would be a great addition to our home–it looks great, smells amazing, and we can use it in our cooking!
Which fictional character would be most at home in your place? I’m not sure, although I think Belle would appreciate the giant bookcase we installed (it’s just the Billy from IKEA with a couple extension units on top!).
Any advice for creating a home you love? Take the time before buying furniture to really think about what your needs are for the space. We started with two big open rooms, and put a lot of thought into how we could create distinct spaces within the rooms for a home office, dressing area, etc. We went through many iterations of drafting floor plans to figure out exactly where furniture would go, and what pieces we would keep or get rid of during the move. After you have the basic layout down, figure out what will make you feel at home in the space. For us, it was a lot of plants, artwork, books, and thick rugs, but it might be different for others. Lastly, lean into what your space gives you; our exposed brick and old wood floors gave us a more cozy vibe to start with, but in a newer building we might gave gone for a more modern look.
