Gorgeous Renter-Friendly DIYs Transformed This 400-Square-Foot NYC Apartment

published Jul 14, 2025

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About this tour

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Home Type

Apartment

Location

East Village, Manhattan, New York

Style

Bedrooms

Square feet

400

Sq ft

400

Katy Ma is a user experience designer, so when it came to designing her home — this 400-square-foot apartment in the East Village she rented for three years — it was important for her to “create a home that is very functional” for how she wanted to live.

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“I’ve maximized storage solutions in closets, cabinets, and underneath my bed so that I can have everything I need but don’t have too much visual clutter,” Katy says. “There are hooks and organizer units behind every door. I love to be surrounded by beautiful things and am not a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, but I try to keep it edited, which helps keep my head clear. A lot of things are multipurpose — for example, my kitchen bench is an IKEA kids’ toy chest that doubles as a giant storage unit for my dog’s stuff.”

Credit: Kiritin

Thrifted baskets: I pick up inexpensive wooden baskets from thrift stores constantly. They add such a charming touch and are so functional. There's a basket for my mail, house slippers, dog's leash/harness, fruit, blankets — you get the idea. When I want to switch up the baskets in my home, I just use them to hold gifts for friends instead of buying a gift bag.

Before Katy, who shared this home with pup, Nuomi, moved into this apartment, she describes it as being kind of a “bare-bones canvas.” She describes the fixtures as being outdated, the bathroom as needing a refresh, and the windows desperate for cleaning. But she “fell in love with the French doors and knew there was a ton of potential.”

Credit: Kiritin

Katy added her personality to the blank canvas primarily using furniture and decor that was either “thrifted, gifted, or found on Facebook Marketplace. It’s rare that I’ll go into a store and buy something new. I love the thrill of going to a thrift store with no expectations, and finding something that’s had a whole life before me and is made with quality.”

Credit: Kiritin

“I love seeing something that’s in my home and thinking back to the memory associated with it. I spend a good amount of time at antique shops, estate sales, flea markets, and junk sales digging around for special finds,” Katy continues. It’s the thrill of the hunt that has likely contributed to the apartment’s distinct mix of Parisian, mid-century modern, and cottage styles. “The way it looks and feels often evolves, depending on how my style is changing and what’s going on in my life.”