I've been living in Manhattan for the past 8 months and it has been a whirlwind.
Not only did we move during a pandemic, but it was also a few days before Thanksgiving, so we partially moved in and then spent time with family for the week. Not long after we returned back to our apartment, I tested positive for covid a week before Christmas. After the New Year, my husband and I decided to head down to Florida for a couple of months for some sunshine and a change of scenery (quarantining in a tiny apartment for two weeks really affected my mental health).
All in all, it's safe to say that the first few months of NYC living did not go exactly as planned. In a weird way, I think unpacking a little at a time and then leaving game me time to think about how I wanted to decorate and organize. We aren't planning on staying here for more than another year, but I of course wanted to create the perfect little Upper East Side oasis while we are here.
It took a lot of research and patience while apartment hunting. I've only lived in the state of New York, so I'm not sure what apartment hunting in other big cities is like but this was stressful. Even during a time where a lot of people were moving out, it was discouraging to find a great apartment, only to find that there were a lot of other strings attached. We were a little skeptical at first about our apartment because we had to walk up five flights of stairs (👀) but once we got to the unit, it was worth it. It was newly renovated, so all the appliances were new, the bathroom was gutted and the lighting was updated. There is also a washer and dryer in the front closet, which has been incredibly nice (even though it takes up a closet, I'm not mad about it).
I'm the type of person that will continuously reorganize and decorate on a weekly basis, so I feel like my space is never really done 😆. With that being said, I've had so much fun decorating over these past months and feel like I'm at a place where I wanted to share my space with you all!
You can also check out the full tour on TikTok!
Though small and narrow, the exposed brick wall in our bedroom offers a mix of comfort and charm. I wanted to tie in the natural exposure of the brick with some pops of gold and a thick wooden floating shelf. The other wall is plain white, so we sourced wallpaper from Target and made an arch shape to give it some character. The hat wall is cute, too 😊👒
We have a beautiful (and very heavy) bar cart currently sitting in storage, so I really wanted to get something that was practical but not bulky. After looking at *literally* hundreds of bar carts, I landed on this one from Wayfair. I love how it came together and how we incorporated some of our thrift finds with some more modern pieces. I'm also a huge lover of florals and greenery and think it's such a great way to add that extra cozy component to your space.
The exposed brick wall in the living room was one of the biggest selling points for us (I know, it's a just a wall, but it really tied in the NY experience). I was waiting to purchase the infamous gold mirror for when we had a house, but we needed a full-length mirror and there was a sale going on, so I caved. The remainder of the living room is filled with thrift finds and coffee table books because IMO, you can never have too many books 📖.