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ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York

STYLE: Colorful, Contemporary, Vintage

BEDROOMS: 2

SQUARE FEET: 850

A year ago, when photographer and content creator Kate McReynolds and her fiancé toured their would-be Upper East Side apartment, the shell of the space wasn’t what excited them.

A woman stands on a green sectional sofa with decorative pillows, surrounded by framed art and a wooden coffee table.

“There are a lot of un-sexy reasons we liked this apartment, which is probably the case with many people in NYC who don’t have an unlimited budget,” Kate admits. She even described the initial apartment as being “basically a stark white shoebox. Literally everything was white. Dated ugly kitchen and bathroom.”

Cozy bedroom with a beige headboard, striped bedding, white and dark pillows, and framed artwork on the wall.

However, the bareness (or, more romantically, the blank canvas-ness) of the original apartment was what drew Kate in. She wanted to make her mark on the space, but thought it’d be difficult if, for example, the kitchen had already been modernized. There were other bonuses, though, like the natural light streaming throughout the home and the extra space provided by two bedrooms.

A cozy corner featuring a plush white chair with fringe, a wooden cabinet with ribbed texture, and a framed landscape painting.

What was a blank canvas is now a home full of color and texture — namely, the peel-and-stick wallpaper on the living room’s accent wall, the fringe chairs from Target, and the vintage-inspired temporary floor tiles in the kitchen. I had the chance to visit Kate’s home and, upon arrival, it was as if I left the bustling city below and entered a cozy, storied, and quiet cocoon in the sky.

Related: House Tour: Smart Studio LayoutsResourcesCozy living room featuring two cream-colored chairs, a wooden sideboard, and a landscape painting on patterned wallpaper.LIVING ROOM

Coffee Table — Bed Bath & Beyond

Bookshelf — Nathan James

Narrow kitchen with white cabinets, green pot on stove, wooden utensils, and a patterned rug on the floor.KITCHENCozy bedroom featuring a beige upholstered headboard, green pillows, white bedding, and a white dresser with gold accents.BEDROOMBathroom featuring a white sink and toilet, a pink floral vase, and a shower curtain with a ruffled edge.BATHROOM

Shower Curtain — West Elm

Thanks, Kate!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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Further Reading

10 Under-$500 Couches That Look Way More Expensive Than They Are

Stylish Vinyl Record Storage Cabinets We Love

10 Smart Tupperware Storage Ideas That Will Organize Your Cabinets Once and For All

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