{"id":102667,"date":"2026-01-16T21:39:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:39:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/102667\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T21:39:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:39:33","slug":"a-renter-turned-a-brooklyn-apartment-into-a-colorfully-diyed-sanctuary-wait-until-you-see-the-cats-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/102667\/","title":{"rendered":"A Renter Turned a Brooklyn Apartment into a Colorfully DIYed Sanctuary (Wait Until You See the Cat\u2019s Office)"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABOUT THIS TOUR<\/p>\n

HOME TYPE: Apartment<\/p>\n

LOCATION: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York<\/p>\n

STYLE: Eclectic, Organic Modern<\/p>\n

BEDROOMS: 2<\/p>\n

SQUARE FEET: 875<\/p>\n

This two-bedroom, 875-square-foot rental apartment has been the home of Annika Morgan and her cat, Tony, for two years now. It features tons of prewar charm (the building was built around 1930) like picture frame moldings, tall ceilings, and big sun-filled windows \u2014 all elements that sold Annika on the rental.<\/p>\n

\"Cozy<\/p>\n

“For a long time I let my perfectionist tendencies hold me back when it came to decorating a space. I was fixated on the \u2018finished product\u2019 and would be worried about executing a specific aesthetic or get frustrated when things didn\u2019t come out exactly as I had envisioned them. It often stopped me from even trying,” Annika admits. “And then I noticed that everyone with homes I admire approaches decor as an ongoing process and genuinely enjoys the steps along the way. Once I shifted my mindset and started approaching designing my apartment as a puzzle, I was able to find more joy in experimentation and playing with different styles and techniques. I now genuinely enjoy the process of trying a new idea, whether it ends up working or not.” Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

\u201cI went full Virgo mode as soon as I saw it on Zillow. I had my rental packet complete and deposit check signed before I even saw the place. Fortunately my gut was right!\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n

\"Cozy<\/p>\n

“I started a food access nonprofit early in my career, so food was always going to be at the center of any home I make. This kitchen is small but mighty. My favorite item is my pink ice cream maker. It was an impulse purchase during the very first Target trip to buy a shower curtain liner and trash bags. But I absolutely love it; I experiment with new flavors all the time. It is also my first kitchen with natural light in it; the south-facing windows make any meal look exquisite,” she writes. Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

This is Annika\u2019s first time living solo, and as a self-employed, nonprofit freelancer, Annika says it feels like a \u201chuge accomplishment to have my own space that I can work from. I like surrounding myself with projects that exercise my creativity and capacity with a drill. There is nothing I love more than saying \u2018I made that myself!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

“I can\u2019t paint the walls of this rental, so I have found ways to add color or texture by customizing simple pieces of furniture; painting IKEA pieces or staining stripes onto wood to add some dimension and a feeling of novelty,” she writes. “I also love adding pendant lights; I have several. As long as you have an outlet you can find a cord and bulb fairly cheap that can be hung from the ceiling with any simple fixture. My favorite ones are just origami paper from Etsy that cost $30.” Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

Something else she\u2019s working on in this apartment is \u201cleaning into a new found identity as a creative person. In the internet age there is so much to take creative inspiration from. I have about 20 ideas for every one that I actually execute. Typically concepts that make me laugh or feel really unique are the ones that I am able to get across the finish line,\u201d she writes, using Tony\u2019s \u201coffice\u201d as an example.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

I love this little built-in in the office. It came with some very ancient wallpaper so I striped and painted it, which was a much more involved project than I anticipated. The lower shelf is the first place Tony hid when he first came home so I decided to turn it into his office,” Annika explains. “I maybe got a little carried away with the Sopranos theme. He does actually sleep in his little bed while I work. Tony\u2019s closet was so fun to put together because I could have fun with the references and the knowledge that he would be sitting behind me there while I am on Zoom calls in my office. And he actually loves sitting in there!” Annika says it’s her favorite DIY. Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that my choices honor the integrity, charm, and history of the space while also injecting a bit of modern eccentricity,\u201d she admits. \u201cThe space is cozy, joyful, and practical. I enjoy contrasting vintage dark wood furniture with bright colors and organic patterns. Decorating has really been an exercise in getting to know myself on a deeper level. I am famously indecisive, so each item in the space has truly been agonized over in the process of FB Marketplacing, DIYing, or vintage shopping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: Extended Tours: Big Families, Small SpacesResources\"Cozy<\/p>\n

Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

LIVING ROOM<\/p>\n

Coffee Table \u2014 Facebook Marketplace<\/p>\n

Frame TV \u2014 Best Buy open box sale<\/p>\n

Chairs \u2014 Facebook Marketplace<\/p>\n

Credenza \u2014 Dobbin Street Vintage<\/p>\n

\"Cozy<\/p>\n

Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

DINING ROOM\"A<\/p>\n

Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

KITCHEN\"Cozy<\/p>\n

Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

BEDROOM<\/p>\n

Light Shades \u2014 World Market<\/p>\n

\"Cozy<\/p>\n

Credit: Annika Morgan<\/p>\n

OFFICE<\/p>\n

This tour\u2019s responses and photos were edited for length\/size and clarity.
Share your style: House Tour & House Call Submission Form<\/a><\/p>\n

PLEASE NOTE: You may notice comments are turned off on our house tours for now. We temporarily moved conversations to our community forums<\/a> to ensure they stayed supportive and welcoming \u2014 but we heard you loud and clear. We\u2019re bringing comments back to House Tours<\/a> soon, with thoughtful moderation to keep the vibe kind and constructive. Thanks for your patience while we put the finishing touches on this update!<\/p>\n

Further Reading<\/p>\n

Before and After: Black and White Paint Covers Up a Wood Paneling Kitchen<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Under-$500 Couches That Look Way More Expensive Than They Are<\/a><\/p>\n

12 Top-Rated Amazon Sofas We Love<\/a><\/p>\n

Sign up for Apartment Therapy’s Daily email newsletter to receive our favorite posts, tours, products, and shopping guides in your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n

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A Renter Turned a Brooklyn Apartment into a Colorfully DIYed Sanctuary (Wait Until You See the Cat’s Office)<\/p>\n

“When I moved in, the place had been unoccupied for a little while so it needed a bit of cleaning up. I spent a full day removing paint splatter from the windowpanes and hardwood floors,” writes Annika Morgan, who’s been renting this apartment for two years. “Maybe not entirely necessary, but I was thrilled to have my own apartment to do tedious little tasks for.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ABOUT THIS TOUR HOME TYPE: Apartment LOCATION: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York STYLE: Eclectic, Organic Modern BEDROOMS: 2…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":102668,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[46960,98,100,99,13310,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-102667","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-annika-morgan","9":"tag-brooklyn","10":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","11":"tag-brooklyn-news","12":"tag-credit","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102667"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102667\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}