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ABOUT THIS TOUR
HOME TYPE: Apartment
LOCATION: East Harlem, Manhattan, New York
STYLE: Eclectic, Maximalist, Vintage
BEDROOMS: 2
SQUARE FEET: 1000
“We want our kids to grow up in a home that is colorful, warm, and filled with music,” begins Becky Smith, who along with her partner Marco, twins Emi and Nico, and cat Roo, moved into this East Harlem co-op in the summer of 2025 after 10 years renting in the same neighborhood.
“Because we take in so many discarded things from the street, we spend a lot of time painting, refurbishing, wallpapering … my contact paper obsession knows no bounds,” Becky writes. “My favorite project is a lampshade I made from some discarded fabric and tassels I found at Mood fabrics and an old vintage floor lamp I found from a secondhand store around the corner. I’ve had to give many of my previous projects away because they weren’t babyproof, but they still live on in my memory.” Credit: Becky Smith
“We were previously renting a fourth-floor walk-up around the corner with our 18-month-old twins, until we decided we couldn’t hack the stairs anymore. Living in an elevator building has been a dream come true,” Becky continues.
Credit: Becky Smith
While the parents are big fans of the easier transportation, they didn’t love that the unit was new construction. Becky says that they “miss some aspects of our old prewar apartment, but we’ve worked hard over the last few months to make a generic apartment feel like home.”
Credit: Becky Smith
Becky and Marco both work in nonprofits, and explain that their budget to transform the “boring” space was tight. “Our interests and backgrounds are reflected everywhere in our home,” she writes. “From our politics, to our love of country music and antiquing.”
ResourcesHouse Tour: This NYC Apartment’s Bedroom Is Smack Dab in the Middle of the Home (It’s Not a Studio!)
Credit: Becky Smith
LIVING ROOM
Coffee Table — Offer Up
Accent Chairs — Facebook Marketplace
Frames — Antique Stores
Prints/Art — Family Photos, Hatch Print or Just Seeds
Credit: Becky Smith
DINING ROOM
Chairs — Wayfair From the Street
Bar — Facebook Marketplace
Bar Chairs — Facebook Marketplace & Refurbished
Mirror — Vintage Emporium
Credit: Becky Smith
KID’S CORNER
Mini Jungle Gym — Amazon
Credit: Becky Smith
KID’S ROOM
Wall Tapestry — Wedding Gift from Friends
Prints — Old Calendar we Framed
Dresser — From the Street
Mini Kitchionette — Buy Nothing Group
Artwork — Vintage Emporium or Hand-made
Our bedroom is the only space we inhabit without the boys, so it’s gotta be cozy. Credit: Becky Smith
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Art & Frames — Antique Stores
Dresser — Facebook Marketplace
Linens and Pillows — Mexico City
Bedside Table — Facebook Marketplace
Chair — Vintage and Refurbished
This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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