Rental-Friendly Finds Transform This 700-Square-Foot NYC Living Room
ABOUT THIS BEFORE & AFTER
HOME TYPE: Apartment
PROJECT TYPE: Living Room
STYLE: Parisian, Traditional
SKILL LEVEL: DIY
RENTAL FRIENDLY: Yes
If you’re feeling stuck in an apartment design rut, heed this design advice from NYC renter Nicole Radon: “I love change in a small space,” she says. “It will make you feel more productive and more excited. If you’ve lived in an apartment for over two or three years, I always say change something so it feels fresh.” (And here are some ideas for small swaps you can make for a change of pace!)
Nicole and her husband recently made some changes to their living room to make it feel new again.
Don’t rule out a large sofa in a small space.
“We started with the couch and built from there,” Nicole says. “I created Canvas to see what the room would look like, and there was lots of trial and error!”
Nicole says the sheer size of the couch made it a little tricky to work with in her 700-square-foot living area. “We needed to move it a thousand times,” she recalls, but now that it’s in the perfect place, she couldn’t be happier. “We had 20 people in our space for the NYC marathon, and they all fit comfortably! That was a first. Everyone really loved the couch.”
Picture frame moulding and sconces add elegance.
Nicole and her husband also added renter-friendly (stick-on) molding and plug-in sconces, which make the wall behind the sofa more of a statement. Both are from Amazon.
Nicole says she highly recommends the stick-on molding. “It makes the room look so much nicer and bigger,” she says. For more apartment living room upgrades, check out out this rental-friendly refresh, this colorful studio living room, and this living room paint project.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at West Elm — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
