\u201cI like to think that my literal 1-in-8 million chance of winning the housing lottery was due to good karma,\u201d begins Olivia, whose years of NYC renting hell ended three and half years ago when she moved into this 300-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Queens\u2019 Astoria neighborhood.<\/p>\n
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Olivia chooses her mural wall and projector as her proudest DIYs in the space. “The mural wall is blue, because it was inspired by my blue velvet couch. I wanted it to look seamless. It reflects the curves of the couch and helps create a defined living space separate from the kitchen,” she writes. “I taped off the ceiling for a nice edge and stood on my chairs while using a paint roller to do so many coats of paint until the color was solid. It was a core workout. The white arch is the original wall color \u2013 it is negative space from the ceiling and bookshelf painted around it. I measured and drew off the arch just so that when you pull the projector screen down, it\u2019s the same width.”<\/p>\n
“There is a lot more work that goes into installing a projector setup than you\u2019d think,” she admits. “The screen has to hang the perfect distance away from the projector, and they have to line up. The projector screen has to be the right width and length, too. That meant hanging the shelf the projector sits on at the right height and getting hooks of a certain size to hang the screen at the same height. I have an Apple TV hooked up to it so the projector can even act as my second monitor. But to do that, I had to get a unique short range, 1-to-1 very small Bluetooth transmitter that is also HDMI compatible from a random warehouse overseas. Otherwise, you\u2019d have to turn around and point the remote at the projector above the couch, instead of at the screen in front of you. The signal is similar to a Wii remote. And my Wii does work with the projector, too!” Credit: Erin Derby<\/a><\/p>\n Olivia has been the first tenant to rent this newly built, surprisingly luxurious space \u2014 the unit came with heated floors, including the shower. \u201cI never would imagine I\u2019d live in a place with heated floors; they make up for all the hours I\u2019ve lost sleep to a radiator clanging,\u201d she quips.<\/p>\n While the market rate for an apartment like this is around $3,400 a month, Olivia\u2019s rent is stabilized at $2,550. \u201cAs a single freelance artist in my 30s, my passion is also my career and life, which can become a very expensive gamble in NYC. I believe affordable housing should be an option for any life stage or profession,\u201d Oliva writes.<\/p>\n This is still the highest rent Olivia has ever paid, (she says she was selected because she\u2019s never earned a high salary), but admits that \u201celiminating the \u2018what-ifs\u2019 of city life caused by a revolving door of roommates and the time and cost of moving every year has finally given me the time, peace of mind, and savings to make a place my own.\u201d<\/p>\n In just three and half years, Olivia has completely transformed the apartment, which was handed to her in a \u201ccompletely millennial gray\u201d state. She DIYed to personalize the space, including painting the living room and bedroom, building custom bookshelves, removing some baseboards to install cabinets, and a little drilling into the ceiling. And she\u2019s added so, so much art.<\/p>\n \u201cI live and create art in this space. I am a landlord\u2019s worst nightmare because I love to customize everything,\u201d Olivia admits. Nearly all of the art in the apartment is Olivia\u2019s own, and everything in the space serves a purpose.<\/p>\n Related: House Tour: Olivia Konys’ Maximalist 300-Square-Foot Artist’s Apartment<\/p>\n \u201cThe space is not very big, so all of the decor has a story or intention behind it. Some say it\u2019s cluttered, but it is crazy to think that this is honestly everything I own. I like being able to see my tools \u2014 books, paint, and brushes, novelties that keep me creative and grant me ideas in passing.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Olivia moved into this apartment \u2014 during those many trials and tribulations of renting in NYC \u2014 she used to joke that she was \u201cthe last roommate you will ever have \u2014 because if you live with me, you\u2019ll statistically meet the love of your life and also move in with them in under a year.\u201d She claims this happened with five consecutive roommates. \u201cNow, I joke that if a future spouse moves in with me someday, hopefully they don\u2019t own any furniture \u2014 but I have plenty of closet space to share!\u201d<\/p>\n Resources Peg Board Organizer \u2014 Target<\/a><\/p>\n Mirrors \u2014 All salvaged from Trash<\/p>\n Candlesticks \u2014 Housing Works<\/p>\n Perforate Brass Wall Lamp \u2014 Article<\/a><\/p>\n Record Player and SONOS Speakers \u2014 Big Reuse Thrift in Gowanus, Brooklyn<\/p>\n Nickelodeon Alarm Clock \u2014 eBay<\/p>\n Custom Oblong Coffee Table \u2014 Housing Works<\/p>\n Deer Head Sculpture \u2014 Housing Works<\/p>\n Colorful Rug \u2014 Urban Outfitters<\/p>\n Blue Velvet Curved Sofa \u2014 Wayfair<\/p>\n Sheer Curtains \u2014 T.J. Maxx<\/p>\n Corduroy Reading Pillow \u2014 Urban Outfitters<\/p>\n Barbell Brass Floor Lamp \u2014 Article<\/a><\/p>\n Paint \u2014 Sherwin Williams \u201c6510 Loyal Blue\u201d<\/p>\n Marble Cutting Board \u2014 T.J. Maxx<\/p>\n Vintage Kitchenaid Coffee Grinder \u2014 Housing Works<\/p>\n Vintage Kitchenaid Teapot \u2014 eBay<\/p>\n Expandable Dining Table \u2014 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n Aztec Print Rug \u2014 Urban Outfitters<\/p>\n Hanging Stained Glass Lampshade \u2014 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n 1980s NYC Lithograph \u2014 Housing Works<\/p>\n Floating Glass Shelves \u2014 Temu of all places<\/p>\n This tour\u2019s responses and photos were edited for length\/size and clarity. Further Reading<\/p>\n I Tried My Mom\u2019s Technique for Keeping Baseboards Clean and I\u2019m Never Going Back<\/a><\/p>\n 6 IKEA Hacks for the Most Disorganized Among Us<\/a><\/p>\nThe custom bookshelves cost around $500 in supplies and took Olivia 30 hours of labor to make herself. “And yes I have actually read the majority of the books on my bookshelves,” she writes, also explaining that she painted both the living room and bedroom in the same month, “because if the place was going to be a mess it was going to an all-or-nothing thing. And then halfway through the project I ended up in a neck brace after trying to golf at a wedding. But I finished painting the walls anyway, since I could only look directly in front of me for two weeks.” Credit: Erin Derby<\/a><\/p>\nOlivia’s favorite element in the space (other than perhaps her art and DIYs) is that “both rooms face the street with windows that cover the largest wall, and there\u2019s a lot of natural sunlight. Every day between 4-5 p.m., the sun hits my three disco balls just right, which I have dubbed “disco hour,” and it reminds me to stop working and take in the light. My view reminds me of the movie Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. I have been told my apartment feels like a movie set!”
Credit: Erin Derby<\/a><\/p>\nOlivia has been a volunteer with Housing Works for over four years. “I love seeing the range of donated items in different neighborhoods. Every item is so different and has a story and a life before you. I think it’s important to decorate your space with items that aren’t mass produced. I don’t want to see the same art on your walls as I do in a dentist’s office or in a hotel room,” she admits. “We need weird stuff. Get something simple from a store or a friend and customize it. Spray-paint it. Turn it into a lamp. Hang it upside down. Collage it. If I go to your house and see a Tom Ford Coffee Table Book + Hermes Blanket, I’m leaving your party early.” Credit: Erin Derby<\/a><\/p>\nThough most of the art in the apartment is by Olivia, her favorite art piece is a “gift from NYC artist Danny Cole. It\u2019s made out to me and signed, only a few were made. It\u2019s probably 50 pounds, and I also carried that home by hand on the subway. It\u2019s a screenprint on wood from an art show, where Danny personally interviewed everyone at the show who was interested in buying his work. I was chosen because he liked the idea of selling to another artist with a print background. I think that\u2019s so cool.” Credit: Olivia Konys<\/a><\/p>\nENTRY<\/p>\nLIVING ROOM<\/p>\nDINING ROOM\/KITCHEN<\/p>\nBEDROOMBATHROOM<\/p>\n
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