Kyra searched for this home for three years. While touring other apartments, she would always ask herself the same question: “Is this place ugly enough for me to make beautiful?” And then she found this one. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
Even though her family saw it as an intensive project, she saw potential. However, she admitted it needed a lot of work, describing it as "a cramped apartment with chipped walls, outdated appliances, tiny broken-down kitchen, broken and old light fixtures, and a musty odor lingering in the air." Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
"I immediately felt a connection to it," Kyra admits. "I knew I could breathe new life into that space. I fell in love with what initially seemed like a small, cramped kitchen and the pre-war bathroom featuring original black and white wall tiles that embodied classic New York City style." Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
Thanks to Kyra's experience flipping houses, she was prepared to reimagine her own. She wanted to transform her home — the largest project being updating the kitchen — within two months. She finished in a month and a half. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
"I updated the floors throughout the apartment, choosing a light oak waterproof luxury vinyl from The Home Depot," she explains. "With the help of videos and my contractor boyfriend, I tackled the floor installation myself. I also transformed the wall color from a tinted off-white to a crisp, stark white, making the apartment feel a lot bigger." Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
One challenge Kyra faced when remodeling was getting the new appliances and materials to her 10th-floor apartment. They had to wait for their turn to use the main elevator and also disassemble some appliances to help them fit through the door. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
The kitchen got an entire makeover. When Kyra moved in, it had six small cabinets, a dated white stove, and "a fridge smaller than me," she admits. She also wanted to expand the kitchen area to be on two walls. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
"I wanted to draw my main focus on the kitchen because I have a chef dad, and all my time growing up was always in the kitchen with my parents and family," Kyra reminisces. "I knew I had to maximize the heart of the home." Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
Some people doubted that there was enough space to install the fridge on the other wall, but luckily, Kyra listened to her gut. "By rearranging the appliances and incorporating more storage, I’ve created a kitchen that feels open, inviting, and the new hang-out spot," she says. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
The kitchen's green tile was the starting point for the rest of the home's design. "I wanted an area that made a statement," Kyra says. "I decorated everything to accommodate the green tile; it’s my favorite part of the home and kitchen." Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
Now that the home is finished, Kyra describes it differently than when she first saw it. "An NYC apartment with a transitional and minimalist style highlighting soft, neutral tones, comfortable furniture, and plenty of natural light," she explains. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
"The newly open space was thoughtfully arranged to create a serene flow. Textured and neutral textiles enhance the warmth, making it feel like a calming oasis. A true retreat from the bustling city outside," she continues. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
Kyra broke a design rule when remodeling her home. "I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I always tell my clients and anyone else that they shouldn’t live in their home while it’s under construction. I learned my lesson," she explains. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
The oldest items in Kyra's home are the wall and floor tiles, cast-iron bathtub, pedestal sink, and towel holder. "It truly is a vintage NYC bathroom," she says. Credit: Kyra VargasCredit: Kyra Vargas
When Kyra Vargas, who attended The Interior Design Institute and founded Handled Interior Design, started her business in 2020, she worked with a few clients. Still, she wanted to try her hand at flipping properties. She flipped a home in Bristol, Connecticut, and sold it within three months — this experience made her eager for more personal projects.
“This experience ignited a desire within me to find a space I could renovate to showcase my personality and style — a place I could truly call my own, free from limitations,” Kyra explains.
For the next three years, she searched high and low for a home to buy, which needed to check a specific box: “Is this place ugly enough for me to make beautiful?” was the one question she and her real estate agent asked during every tour. In 2024, she found a one-bedroom, 800-square-foot fixer-upper in Queens, New York City. Kyra describes the initial space as “a cramped apartment with chipped walls, outdated appliances, tiny broken-down kitchen, broken and old light fixtures, and a musty odor lingering in the air.”
Even though her family saw the home as “a space that needed a lot of work,” Kyra fell in love with the potential in the small kitchen and pre-war bathroom. She knew that she could transform it into a beautiful home. Despite several challenges along the way, Kyra finished remodeling the apartment in just a month and a half.
Kyra describes her post-renovation apartment as “an NYC apartment with a transitional and minimalist style highlighting soft, neutral tones, comfortable furniture, and plenty of natural light. The newly open space was thoughtfully arranged to create a serene flow. Textured and neutral textiles enhance the warmth, making it feel like a calming oasis. A true retreat from the bustling city outside.”
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