If you love the ‘New York apartment aesthetic’, and want to see loads of inspiration, keep reading!
We all know the ‘New York apartment aesthetic’. Many of us spend our teenage years and 20s dreaming of living somewhere with the perfect New York apartment aesthetic.
But what does a New York apartment aesthetic actually mean?
And how can you create a New York apartment aesthetic in your own home?
We’ll share loads of tips and ideas with you here, so you can familiarize yourself with the New York apartment aesthetic, learn what it means, and replicate in your own home!
In the tips at the top of this article, we’ve focused on a more ‘realistic’ New York apartment aesthetic, and the kinds of apartments most people in their 20s and 30s can hope to afford.
If you’re looking for the ‘dream penthouse’ New York apartment aesthetic (rather than the realistic New York apartment aesthetic) – then scroll on down to the bottom of this post. We’ve included the million-dollar penthouses down there too!
Where does the New York apartment aesthetic come from?
When thinking about the classic New York apartment aesthetic, your favorite NYC sitcom probably comes to mind.
These were the original ‘New York apartment aesthetic’.
Think about the mismatched furniture and exposed bricks of the Friends apartment. Or the cozy and snug feel of the How I Met Your Mother apartment. Carrie’s comfortable yet glamorous apartment in Sex and the City.
That’s where the New York apartment aesthetic started.
Lots of us watching characters’ lives play out in front of our eyes in these amazing NYC apartments, which we could never afford but aspired to nonetheless.
The New York apartment aesthetic is about feeling comfortable, cozy, nostalgic, and being surrounded by the glittering city lights. A haven of comfort surrounded by a chaotic city.
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How can you create the New York apartment aesthetic?
One thing we love about the New York apartment aesthetic, is how flexible it is.
It’s not a set formula or list, that you follow. We think the New York apartment aesthetic is about making the best of your space, and making it yours – all the while, accenting it with classic NYC decor touches.
It’s about embracing any imperfection.
It’s about working with small spaces, and turning cramped into cozy.
It’s about pairing rustic textures, with comfortable and homely textures.
It’s about maximizing your view (if you have one).
It’s about feeling safe, warm and wonderful.
We’ll go through each type of room below, with inspiration images and suggests for how you can achieve a similar look and a similar New York apartment aesthetic, using styling tips!
Living Space
Living space is so important in any New York apartment aesthetic.
For many New Yorkers, their living space is also their sleeping space (studio apartments are so common here).
Because of that, your living space has to feel homely, inviting and (most of all) it has to work for you.
For example, we love seeing New York apartment aesthetic that includes plants in the living space, because it invites the outside in, and adds in color to the room too. If you’re an outdoorsy kinda person, this will work for you.
Another popular New York apartment aesthetic is floor to ceiling windows and warm but minimalist decor. See the photo below…
This is an apartment we views a couple of years ago in NYC. We fell head over heels for the big windows, and the light streaming in, meaning that the space felt so much bigger.
It’s easy to crowd bigger space (especially in a city like NY) but we’ve noticed a popular trend for New York apartment aesthetic currently, is to keep larger spaces more stripped back and minimal, so the view can do all the talking.
I mean, who needs art on the walls, when your view is the most beautiful city in the world?
Another apartment we viewed recently, is this smaller open-plan space. Again, the big windows do a lot of the talking here.
New York apartment aesthetic is all about making the most of what you have – and whilst the kitchen is small in this apartment, the open plan design really maximizes it so well.
Again, notice the plants by the windows, inviting the outside in, another key component for New York apartment aesthetic that we mentioned above.
In term of fabrics for a New York apartment aesthetic, it’s totally dependant on the kind of space you have in the city.
One of the most popular New York apartment aesthetic looks, is to embrace those chunky knitted cozy fabrics, especially in living spaces.
Blanket are an amazing way to introduce luxury textures and fabrics, and they’re functional too (especially on winter days!).
Something that is very ‘New York apartment aesthetic’ is having multiple blankets, with multiple textures, to add depth and dimension to an otherwise relatively simple decor choice.
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Kitchen space
OK, now let’s talk about New York apartment aesthetic when it comes to kitchens.
Kitchens are small in NYC, unless you’re lucky to earn over a certain amount (and don’t worry, we’ll include some inspiration for bigger spaces too!).
You may be lucky to have a kitchen that is in a separate space to you lounge (like the one above). Or you might have a smaller kitchen that lives within your living space (in an open plan style).
The kitchen space above, was part of a large NYC studio apartment (check out how amazing the views were).
The kitchen was part of the entryway, but because of the clever use of island space in the middle, it felt like a fully functional and separate space.
Below is a slightly zoomed out perspective, so you can see how the kitchen slotted into the wider studio space.
In general, the ket to perfecting the New York apartment aesthetic for kitchens, is to make the kitchen feel welcoming, and clean.
No matter how small your kitchen is (or how big!) the key to New York apartment aesthetic is having a welcoming kitchen that feels like part of the living space (not just an after thought).
Check out the New York apartment below for the perfect example of making a small kitchen space livable and welcoming.
There isn’t much to this kitchen space at all, but the glass divider, and the plants, lanterns and tiles – all add a thoughtful and homely touch.
We actually love this example of New York apartment aesthetic!
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The bedroom
OK, now it’s time to talk about the New York apartment aesthetic for bedrooms.
You know the idea here, it’s all about comfort and coziness. Think about these details; multiple blankets, fluffy layers of duvet, beautiful textures, exposed brick, rustic but elegant styling.
The New York apartment aesthetic for your bedroom should feel like a haven away from it all.
The city might be buzzing and bustling outside, but your bedroom should be a shield away from it all.
This is one thing New York apartment aesthetic makes absolutely clear for bedrooms in the Big Apple!
This bedroom (above) looks un-finished, and a little rough around the edge, but it also looks so comfortable cozy, and inviting. It’s a perfect example of a New York apartment aesthetic.
It even has the classic exposed bricks, which are crucial to the New York apartment aesthetic!
We think the photo below is another perfect example of realistic New York apartment aesthetic.
We would probably add some cozier blankets to the beds, and some larger textured cushions – but aside from those small details, we think it has the simple yet stylish look that New York apartment aesthetic is all about.
The outside
The outside of your NYC apartment, is just as important as the inside. And for many people who apartment hunt in NYC, it’s the outside that makes them fall in love.
Now, if you’re recreating the New York apartment aesthetic in another city – then this is pretty impractical (you can rarely change the facade of a building to this extreme!).
But we wanted to share these New York apartment aesthetic photos with you of the outside of buildings, because it gives you that full picture.
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If budget was limitless, what would New York apartment aesthetic look like?
We’ve focused mainly on a more affordable New York apartment aesthetic in this article, but we know you might also be looking for that ‘dream scenario’ or ‘lottery win’ New York apartment aesthetic.
So we’ve also put together some ideas for that too!
Here are some limitless budget New York apartment aesthetic ideas to get you feeling super inspired!
You’ll notice a main component of the ‘New York apartment aesthetic’ when there isn’t a budget- is remodeling and restyling older spaces into stylish apartments.
The ‘converted loft’ is such a classic element of New York apartment aesthetic. But it’s expensive, and something only mainly available to people making a lot of money.
But we can dream hey?
The following images have that magic NYC quality about them, because they just look like the epitome of ‘New York apartment aesthetic’. The loft style penthouse, the leath, and the big black-rimmed windows. It’s classic New York apartment aesthetic.
These kinds of apartments would cost millions in New York City (we’re talking between $5 million and $20 million, if located in the heart of Manhattan or Soho / Greenwich Village area).
Which is one hell of a price tag!
But that doesn’t mean you can recreate these styles and looks on a small budget elsewhere!
Take the elements of these amazing examples of New York apartment aesthetic, and apply them to your own home!
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We hope this post about the New York apartment aesthetic has given you plenty of inspiration!
The New York apartment aesthetic is such a vibe, and we hope our guide to creating a New York apartment aesthetic has helped you figure out what you want to do with your own apartment.
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