We may have been a little distracted by holiday celebrations and trying to keep everyone entertained, but that didn’t stop us from sneaking in a few home projects and sharing the results. After showing you my compact city space, it’s time to take a closer look at John’s apartment on New York City’s Upper West Side. This tour is the second in a short series of videos I made for Kitty, my best friend who lived in Iowa at the time.
John edited this video down slightly, so you won’t see the living room in full. At the time, the living area existed only briefly before walls were added to convert it into a third bedroom so a third roommate could move in — a classic New York City move to split costs. The clip also skips the five flights of stairs you had to climb to reach the apartment; we don’t miss those long climbs.
The apartment reflects a lot of resourceful, budget-friendly decorating and a distinctly lived-in, masculine vibe that we later softened. In this tour you’ll notice several memorable details that highlight the small-space creativity and thrift-minded approach:
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Free and inexpensive furniture finds — pieces collected from thrift stores, curbside rescues, and hand-me-downs that came together to make functional living spaces without a big price tag.
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A compact kitchen that felt surprisingly efficient — small but thoughtfully laid out, with clever storage choices and styling that made the most of limited square footage.
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A strong brown-and-blue color palette — a decidedly masculine color scheme that dominated the apartment until we eventually softened it when we moved in together.
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A painted accent wall mural inspired by one of our favorite album covers — a collaborative DIY project based on The Shins’ artwork that added personality and visual interest to the space.
This apartment tour captures the charm and trade-offs of Upper West Side living: tight quarters, clever space conversions, and the resourcefulness required to make a small rental feel like home. It’s also a snapshot of a moment in time — when roommates came and went, makeshift renovations were common, and decorating choices reflected the personalities of the people living there.
The things we loved about the place were practical as well as personal. The mural was a fun shared project that turned a plain wall into a focal point; the furniture hunt produced surprising treasures that gave the space character; and the kitchen, though small, proved that even a modest cooking area can be both usable and stylish with a little thought. These elements show how you can create a cozy, functional apartment with creative solutions rather than expensive renovations.
Though the video doesn’t cover every corner — and it omits the stair climb — it’s a warm, honest glimpse into city living and the sorts of choices people make when renting in Manhattan. If you enjoy compact-dwelling tours, DIY accents, and budget-savvy decorating, this one offers plenty of inspiration and a few practical ideas to adapt to your own small-space challenges.