Need Small Space Inspo? This Influencer's Ever-Evolving NYC Apartment Has It All

You don't need to own a house to have a home, you can easily make your rental feel like your dream space with just a bit of imagination and renter-friendly updates.

While most rentals are temporary, the one we're highlighting here is lived-in and thriving. Having a rental doesn't mean you can't decorate it to the nines and fully reflect your personality through all its stages. Carly Fuller is an influencer who rents a pre-war 450-square-foot apartment in New York City.

What were the greatest finds or DIY projects in your home? For your DIY projects, what was the estimated cost?

I have a good few favorite DIYs that I personally think were such a success! Each DIY is never expensive, because my whole point in doing it is to make something that was out of my budget for cheaper. The pendants I made in my bedroom cost me about $12 total to make because I had most of the materials I needed already. And the pendants that inspired me were $186 each on Etsy. Now, mine are made of card paper and spackle but the ones on Etsy are made of ceramic and are made with talent and skill. I don’t think $186 is too expensive for a hand-made ceramic pendant, I just wanted to see if I could get the same look for less!

I have a dining table DIY idea I want to try soon, this time I’m not trying to copy something expensive, I’ve actually never seen a dining table that looks like what I want to create so I’m excited! Stay tuned!

Some areas of your rental have seen plenty of upgrades over the years. How would you describe your approach to decorating your apartment?

If I have an idea, I usually do sit with it for a while and talk to my design friends who I’m lucky to have—I can be very indecisive with my own apartment. My jobs keep me quite busy so sometimes it could take me a while to finally start a project, or I’ll put it off for a while because I just don’t have the motivation to start, but then one day I’ll just wake up and get started and can’t stop until it’s finished and then I’m always so ecstatic with the result that I wished I had done it sooner!

Who or what are your biggest design inspirations?

Lately, I have been drooling over Jake Arnold’s work! His design is primarily neutrals but he adds so much warmth and ambiance to the space with rich and organic textures, artisanal and vintage details. He magically makes a room look so lived-in and laid-back but tailored and intentional at the same time. I love that collected look where each piece looks like there’s a story behind it.

I wouldn’t say my apartment style even 100% reflects this right now, but I’m slowly getting there. I have the neutral palette to start, that’s for sure. Over the last year or so I’ve been collecting more second-hand furniture, pieces that are solid wood and unique that I will keep for a long time— they'll definitely travel with me to future homes.

What was the most challenging part of making your apartment a home?

I really don’t think anything was a challenge apart from getting very heavy things up all the stairs—that was so hard. Otherwise, my landlord is very chill with whatever I do so I'm very grateful.

How long did it take you to get your apartment to where it is today? Is there anything else major that you’d like to do to your apartment?

I’ve been decorating it constantly for the last six years, and the design has changed about three times. I like to say the design of the apartment matures with me. Six years ago, I think I was in the mindset that I wasn’t staying here that long, so what was the point of taking on large time-consuming projects?

But then another year would go by, and another one after that, and each year I’d complete a big project until eventually the apartment was looking like I had always envisioned. There is one more project I’d really love to do that I’ve been putting off for probably four years, which is to cover the black tile kitchen floor with peel-and-stick wood vinyl. Maybe this year is finally the year!  

Apartments, for most, are temporary. How did you juggle the idea of “this could be a temporary space” with wanting to make it as personal as possible?

I just love interior design so much, it’s such a passion. I appreciate beautiful things and want to be surrounded by them in my own home. I don’t want to only be able to appreciate a pretty home through a magazine or social media. To be able to have somewhere you look forward to coming home to is really important to me. Even when I only had a room in a shared apartment to decorate, I would make it feel as cozy as possible and get really crafty since I couldn’t really afford much.

No matter how long you plan to stay, or if it’s a room, a whole apartment, or a whole house that you’re living in, I believe it will truly add happiness to your life and benefit your well-being to create a safe space for yourself, a place full of your personality, a place where you can completely be yourself.

Your TikTok and Instagram are full of inspo! What's your biggest tip for anyone trying to make their home the oasis of their dreams?

When I started to decorate my apartment, I was so beyond excited to have an entire apartment I could finally make my own that I really rushed it. I bought pieces I wasn’t entirely in love with just because I was on this mission to finish. I eventually learned it will never be finished, I’m constantly changing things and improving.

My tip would be to not rush it and really wait for the perfect piece, it will be worth it. Also, don’t try to copy what other people are doing, it would be incredibly boring if everyone had the same looking home, and your home is usually where you spend the most amount of time so you want to truly love the way it looks.