A 400-Square-Foot NYC Studio Is Dreamy Thanks to Chic Rental-Friendly Updates
Adrienne Breaux
·5-min read
"My design style is what I call Traditional Eclectic," begins freelance writer and content creatorClaudia Williams. "My space is slightly cluttered, but also intentional. Everything has a place. Nothing matches perfectly, but goes together. It’s my little urban cottage." Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
Claudia pays $2,600 a month to rent this 400-square-foot studio apartment and has been renting it since November 2023. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"My floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves are my pride and joy," Claudia shares of a favorite element. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"Before this apartment, my books never had a proper shelf and were either stored under my bed or oftentimes, on the floor. Now, they have a real home amongst my collection of antique ceramics and art." Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"I made some rental-friendly updates to the kitchen, like adding peel-and-stick paper to the gray counters," Claudia says of some of the updates she's made to the space. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"My friend Shea and I hand-built the green whimsical, fabric chandelier using an old sconce shade, some wire, wood, and a tablecloth. It replaced a really outdated, hospital-like fluorescent one I despised!" Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"When I moved in, there were two really ordinary [chandeliers] installed," Claudia explains. "After months of searching online, I finally found what I was looking for." Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"I worked with a brand called Pooky and installed these two brass chandeliers that have floral Morris & Co silk shades that tie the whole room together. They changed the entire look and feel of the space by adding texture and warmth. I am obsessed." Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
When asked about the oldest thing in the apartment, Claudia thinks it's either pier mirror or her "great-grandmother Annabelle’s century-old cane armchair OR my grandma Carol’s brass candleholder. Both hold so many memories and family history!" Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
Claudia says that her apartment is located in a home built in 1900 that was originally owned by a doctor and his family. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"Besides my cat, Stanley, my favorite thing I’ve bought would have to be my antique English pine dresser," Claudia writes. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"I got it for such a steal on Facebook Marketplace. The wood joinery is absolutely exquisite – they don’t make them like this anymore!" Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"If there’s one piece of advice I can give to others moving into a new space, it’s to never rush," Claudia advises. "Slowly collecting pieces you truly love is so worth it in the end. I love pieces that tell a story and hold memories." Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
"My shower curtain is made from an Indian block-printed tablecloth, just like the light in the kitchen. I couldn’t for the life of me find a shower curtain I loved online, so my friend Shea and I decided to DIY it. I went to fabric stores all over Manhattan, but it wasn’t until I went to a shop in Cobble Hill called 21 Tara that I settled on this yellow fabric with pink and green flowers," Claudia admits. Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
How do you spend time in your home? I am such a homebody. My favorite way to spend my time at home is by turning on Billie Holiday or Stan Getz, making a coffee, and cozying up on my couch with Stanley. In a dream world, I also have a loaf of banana bread baking in the oven. It’s the little things! Credit: Erin DerbyCredit: Erin Derby
“I decided to put my stuff in storage for a few months and traveled to England. I spent some time in London, The Cotswolds, and Dorset,” Claudia writes. “While I was there, I had a broker touring apartments for me and helping apply to places back in Brooklyn. I got denied from 10 or more. Landlords don’t love freelancers, and I kept getting beat out by couples with two incomes. I decided to come back to New York and start looking in person because I knew the only way I’d get accepted somewhere was to win over the landlord. Which is exactly what happened.”
“After two-plus months of looking on Streeteasy every day, I finally found this apartment,” Claudia says of this 400-square-foot Brooklyn space. “The listing photos were tragic, but I spotted the massive windows with original shutters and, of course, the pier mirror. The home was built in 1900 and was originally owned by a doctor and his family. I toured it the next morning, became BFFs with the broker of the building, and got accepted soon after.”
“I moved in on November 4, 2023, and got to work making updates almost immediately. I had the walls painted a fresh creamy white color, installed floor-to-ceiling shelves, and made some renter-friendly updates to the kitchen. I love how tall the ceilings are and all of the original dark moldings. I feel like the months of getting denied by other apartments was all so I could find this place. We were made for each other!” Claudia explains.
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