This page may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission for products purchased through my link.
welcome to my nyc apartment tour
After a year of living in my current New York City apartment, it’s about time for an apartment tour. It’s perhaps one of the most highly requested things by my readers and audience, and I get it. I’m nosy myself and love seeing what others’ apartments look like, what’s in their grocery cart, and so on. Homes are a little more personal than your groceries, if you ask me, because it reveals a lot about an individual. Also, homes are sacred spaces, especially for the introvert, homebody, or work-from-home freelancer. In other words, me!
For that same reason, I wanted to invest in making my space supportive of my work, comfort and calm. Things can get a little tricky when you work from home–in my case it’s not only my apartment, but also my photo studio, test kitchen and office. I spend a lot of time here, so it’s worth investing in.
about the space
I want to note that I live in an average sized studio apartment for a few reasons. First, I live alone and only need so much space, and I also have OCD (maintaining a smaller spacehas always worked best for me). Also, New York City rent is high, so what you get for your money here is a lot smaller than in most other parts of the world. My favourite thing about living in a smaller space, however, is that I am forced to be mindful about stuff. Material items and things can easily crowd and overwhelm the space, so I’m mindful about really sticking to the necessities.
All of the things I do own, however, are made from vegan materials (meaning, you won’t find any leather, wool, or other animal byproduct anywhere). I also keep toxicity and environment in mind when it comes to things like house plants, fragrances, candles and cleaning products. If you’re interested in learning more about detoxing your home or living space, we can save that for another blogpost.
And finally, I kept the bathroom and kitchen out of the tour because I figured you’ve seen plenty of my kitchen in YouTube videos and bathrooms are never too exciting. I do, however, have some great recommendations in both spaces in terms of organization and non-toxic/eco products, so let me know if you’d like to see that next!
the reveal
With all that said, you can watch the transformation and full reveal in my YouTube video tour. You can also find links to everything shown in the video, or similar pieces, below.
shop my home
I’ve tried my best to include as many direct links as possible, and if not, a similar product that I was able to find. Home decor and furniture isn’t cheap, but I’m a firm believer in investing in quality, timeless pieces, and holding out on purchases until you find something exactly like what you’re looking for. For example, I was missing a dining table and standing mirror in my space for a VERY long time, because I didn’t want to end up with something that I wouldn’t want to keep long term.
desk/office
This is where I spend the majority of my day. I drink my matcha here, edit videos and blogposts, you name it. I decided to purchase a standing desk (similar desk) so that I wouldn’t be sitting down for long periods of time. As you may know, sitting is not the best for health, not to mention sitting and using a laptop, especially if you slip into poor posture. The chair is adjustable, and very tall, made to fit with the standing desk.
I try to keep a variety of feel-good items on hand, since I do spend a large chunk of my day here. Diffusing essential oils, can be calming while working on the laptop, and the salt lamp is great for early mornings, or evenings. Oh, and you can see my avocado airpod case peeking out. I have to say, the case itself makes me want to use my airpods more than I really need to.
bed/sleep
When it comes to bedding, finding vegan products can actually be quite challenging because pillows are commonly stuffed with down, and mattresses often contain wool. Fortunately, there are many newer mattress brands that have emerged, and most of them have ditched the wool. There are also great down-alternative pillows available, even at mainstream home stores.
It’s also important to note that not all mattresses are non-toxic. Kind of a weird thing to say, right? but many mattresses are made with toxic ingredients, like flame retardants, for example. Newer mattress brands seem to be heading in the right direction in terms of staying away from toxic ingredients. I previously owned a mattress from Avocado, as well as a Tuft & Needle mattress, both of which are vegan. Currently, I’m sleeping on a Casper mattress, and I actually liked them all!
Finding a vegan comforter can be very difficult, and I actually have a very thin down alternative comforter at the moment. You can find them on Amazon by searching “down alternative”. My friend Kat really loves her Buffy comforter, which is down-free and apparently very cloud-like, so I’d recommend that brand too! I may even get one myself for the winter months coming up.
In the YouTube video, you saw that I painted a triangular “headboard” behind my IKEA bedframe. I felt like my current IKEA headboard was a little lackluster, so I painted a peachy triangle on the wall behind my headboard. I used Clare paint in shades Turbinado and Pop mixed at a 3:1 ratio and I chose Clare because their paint is zero VOC and low in chemical emissions. In other words, a heck of a lot better than most conventional paints. Since my apartment is small, and I didn’t have the foresight to paint this before moving in, I wanted to go with a paint that I felt safe sleeping in the room with, same day.
D R E S S E R + M I S C
The dresser area is my favourite part of the apartment, that feels the most complete. The mirror and the area to the right, where the coffee/dining table is, is a work in progress. I have to keep the reason why a bit of a secret, but I promise you’ll find out soon, and it’s worth the wait!!!
This post may contain affiliate links.
