Congratulations, you’ve landed your dream home in New York City. You’ve settled in and are ready to make it your own. How can you customize your new home to make it a comfortable refuge in the city and an attractive place to invite guests? All without breaking the bank?
Great design and décor can instantly transform any NYC apartment or condo to feel like home. Whether you have a small (or micro-) apartment or a four-bedroom penthouse, you’ll find plenty of ideas. New York is the fashion capital of the U.S., after all. This post will give you some general tips for decorating your NYC home.
Get Things You Can Take When You Move
As hard as it may be to imagine now, you may not be in your home for a very long time. A poll found 75 percent of New Yorkers moved at least once in the past five years, and 20 percent moved more than once. There are many reasons for this. So if the time comes for you to relocate, you’ll be glad you didn’t spend on that new wallpaper.
Instead, think about pictures and paintings hung on the wall, lighter furniture that’s easier to move (and won’t occupy as much space), and potted plants.
Think About How You Want to Use Your Space
What do you want your home to be? A secluded spot in the middle of the city to relax and unwind? A place to have quiet dinners with a couple of friends? Or a fun place for parties?
If you plan to have people over, you’ll need lots of seats and tables. But also consider the traffic flow. You don’t want to bump into furniture as you walk from the kitchen to the bedroom. Plus, too much furniture can make a room seem cluttered. Try mapping out your home on paper to try different ideas.
If you have hobbies like painting or exercise, you’ll need to allocate space for those. Get storage for your painting or exercise supplies where you can get to them quickly; otherwise, you might never work on your hobbies.
Buy Higher Quality
Although you may move in the future, that doesn’t mean you should buy just inexpensive items. A few more expensive but higher quality furniture pieces are a better use of your decorating dollars than lots of tables and chairs that will wear out in a year.
But you don’t have to pay top dollar. Consider department store sales and specials and second-hand items. You may not want to buy someone else’s mattress, but maybe wall paintings and table lamps? NYC has many flea markets and secondhand stores that can upgrade the appearance of your home for less.
Don’t Forget the Lighting
The lighting can make a huge difference in how a place looks. Put lamps and chandeliers on your list. Experiment with different placements and angles, and see how the lighting changes. Also look at decorating magazines and websites for ideas. If a floor lamp or table lamp takes up too much floor space, consider a wall lamp. There are wall lamps available that don’t require the services of an electrician to install.
Ways to Maximize Your Space
In NYC homes, space is often at a premium. You want to make the most efficient use of your square footage and make your home look as big as possible.
One way is with window curtains. Instead of hanging your curtains right above your windows, hang them near the ceiling and let them fall to the floor. This makes your room seem taller.
If bedroom space is limited, and you don’t have a Murphy bed, consider putting your bed on bed risers. This enables you to store some items underneath.
Another way to decorate your apartment or condo is with rugs. If you don’t have physical dividers between different areas of the room, area rugs can serve the purpose of identifying the dining area, living room, and home office.
Mirrors can go a long way to making a room look larger by creating the illusion of depth. You can place mirrors in the entryway, in the living room, above a fireplace, and even in the kitchen and bedroom.
When floor space is limited, make the most of vertical space. Shelves, closets, and over-the-door storage can increase storage space.
Sharing Space With Roommates
Many people in NYC share homes with roommates to split the cost. This can be hard, but there are ways to make it work. A room divider can be made from curtains, a bookcase, or a paneled screen. Adding houseplants can make the place look brighter and fresher. If you can’t implement your desired decorating ideas in the shared space, you can at least make your bedroom all your own.
Decorating your NYC home can be fun as you call on your creative side. Adding personal touches like those suggested in this post can transform your home into an attractive and comfortable oasis.
We hope you found this post, Tips on Decorating Your NYC Home useful. Be sure to check out our post, Decorations That Give a Unique Look to Your Home for more great information.
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