A 680-Square-Foot NYC Apartment Has Expensive-Looking Furniture That’s More Affordable

Name: Khadija Gulzar and husband
Location: New York, New York
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 680 square feet
Years lived in: Almost a year

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a fashion designer who is currently dabbling in the social media world. I always get tons of compliments from my followers on the internet whenever I share snippets of my home. It’s my sanctuary, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be living in this big jungle of a city and making this apartment my home.

We moved into this apartment almost a year ago, and we fell in love the instant we set our eyes on it. The floor-to-ceiling windows bring in a lot of natural light, so there was very little we had to do to make it look inviting and cozy. I like to think of myself as a person who loves color and texture but also clean lines. I’ve tried to incorporate all those things in my apartment, and so far I think we have done a pretty great job. I don’t like clutter, but I also am a collector, so that’s been a tricky thing to achieve, but so far, so good.

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room has to be the kitchen. We have an open kitchen and I’m absolutely in love with it. The floor-to-ceiling window in there brings in a lot of light and since I love to cook I genuinely enjoy being there.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Very inviting, cheerful, distinctive, cozy, personal

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? We found a gorgeous beige sofa for our living room. We were enamored with the cloud couch from Restoration Hardware, but that’s a little pricey for us, so we couldn’t have been happier to discover this one from Valyou Furniture. I’ve been told I have an eye for pieces which look and feel expensive but are actually quite affordable. That’s one of my many hidden talents (hehe).

Any advice for creating a home you love? Stick to a budget. Expensive doesn’t have to be the best. Do your research and if you like something which seems pricey I can assure you you can find something similar if not the same at a much cheaper price and still have it look expensive.

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

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