A “Bland” NYC Rental Is Chic After a “Really Good Scrub” and a “Lick of Paint”

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Jan 21, 2025

A “Bland” NYC Rental Is Chic After a “Really Good Scrub” and a “Lick of Paint”

Written by

Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
published Jan 21, 2025
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
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“The apartment was rented as-is, meaning it needed a really good scrub, a lick of paint, and an updated kitchen and bathroom. The owners of the house are long-time friends (I live in their top-floor apartment) and we worked together on minimal kitchen/bath upgrade and I handled all the rest,” begins artist Kellie Rogers, who’s rented this two-bedroom apartment for six years and pays $2,200 a month (what Kellie calls an “absolute bargain”).

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“The vibe of the apartment was typical NYC rental with no special features, bland, and a bit beat up. The fireplaces were long defunct and the marble mantels were long gone. But the spaciousness and endless sun that streams through all the windows held special appeal for me, so I moved right in,” Kellie writes.

“This is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place (a nomadic life since birth), and it’s become a home in more ways than one. The vibe is welcoming and relaxed, with all my favorite things on display. The approach is practical (I rarely make purchases unless they have a pragmatic use), yet fun and comfortable.”

“The decor is a mishmash of items I’ve collected along the way. Bits and bobs from living abroad, a special chair from my grandparents’ home, mostly secondhand pieces found online, gifts from friends. My most prized possessions are my books and collected artworks, and they both have pride of place.”

Resources

LIVING ROOM

  • Green frames — Hold the Brooklyn pages of my late grandfather’s road atlas.
  • Pillows — Handmade from F. Schumacher fabric of a Saul Steinberg illustration.
  • Coffee table — Secondhand from West Elm
  • The loveseat and trunks — From CB2 (many, many moons ago)
  • Console — Crate and Barrel
  • Wallpaper covering the bump-out — Homemade

STUDIO

  • Furniture — IKEA and West Elm
  • Art — Pettibon, Ono, Holzer, Kruger, Baldessari

BEDROOM

  • Small lamp —Anthropologie
  • Photo cut in two and framed above the bed — Tracey Emin’s MY BED
  • Wardrobe — IKEA

Thanks, Kellie!

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