Looking for NYC bedroom ideas? Come take a peek into my tiny NYC bedroom to see how I've made the most of the space!
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I am a total voyeur when it comes to how people decorate their homes.
If I'm out walking at night, you can bet I'm peeking into any home that doesn't have it's curtains closed ... ha. Don't worry, I'm not climbing the hedges or anything. I'm happy with the view from the sidewalk!
Today, I thought I'd give you another peek into my home. I live in a turn-of-the-century brownstone. It's a charming building, and it feels very New York. Everything is very narrow though, especially the bedroom.
Here's a floor plan for my tiny NYC bedroom give you an idea of what I'm talking about:
As you can see, my tiny NYC bedroom is only 7.5 feet wide, which really limits the layout of the furniture.
That huge radiator is in a really unfortunate position, too. The only way to fit our queen size bed in the room without wasting a lot of space was to place one of the long ends against the wall.
In case you're wondering, I'm the one sleeping by the wall ... womp womp. I'm totally used to it by now, although it is annoying climbing in and out of the bed sometimes.
Here's a view of the bed.
I love my bed! It's so cozy. There is nothing better than returning home from vacation, knowing that my comfy bed is waiting!
One of the quirks of this apartment is how hot it gets year round (see the huge window below).
So although I love cuddling up under a down comforter, my duvet only comes out in the dead of winter. The rest of the year, this coverlet is all we need.
The view from the bed:
This end of my tiny NYC bedroom has a huge arched window (the other two-thirds of the window are in the living room).
The window is definitely one of the apartment's best features. We're on the third floor, so the tree-top views are very colorful in fall.
Normally, I'm not a fan of TVs in the bedroom, but my husband doesn't like the Real Housewives, and I'm not a fan of sports. Our bedroom is the only place with room for the extra TV. Joel likes to watch football/nap here on weekends, so I know he loves it!
Here's a view of the room taken with my back to the window.
Does this give you an idea of just how narrow the room is? Thankfully, the ceilings are very high and keep the room from feeling too tiny.
The tall headboard basically divides the bedroom into two smaller rooms ... a sleeping area and a dressing area. It's a really effective way to squeeze as much function as possible out of such a small room.
The left door goes into my closet (check out the post on my closet makeover). You can see a little of the apartment's entry through the bedroom door on the right.
Our dresser is on the other side of the headboard.
I had the same dresser in our San Francisco apartment, except now I have to share it with my husband. I've completely taken over the closet and top of the dresser though, so I can't complain (too much).
Check out how I organized my jewelry here.
The apartment has beautiful hardwood floors throughout. According to our lease, we're supposed to keep the floors 75% covered, which is a good excuse to buy fun rugs!
The Andalusia wool rug from West Elm that's by the dresser is a favorite of mine.
I still need to hang art, but the shape of the room and layout of the furniture has me a little stumped.
Here are two pieces I'd like to use:
I think I'm going to hang the mirror on the wall next to the dresser to create even more of a dressing room feel. Check back with me in another six months, and maybe I'll have made some progress ... ha ha.
I'm planning a few changes for this room:
- Update the color scheme to include brighter colors.
- Get a new duvet and pillow shams. I love Crane and Canopy's Linden Coral Duvet.
- Change up the throw pillows.
- Add extra storage behind the bedroom door.
- Find a basket to hold pillows/extra blankets.
- Hang art and mirror.
Thanks for checking out my bedroom tour. It still needs a few tweaks, but overall, I'm really happy with the space. I'd love to know what you think!
P.S. Check out the updates I made to this bedroom since this post:
- I finally hung some art and a mirror.
- I added blinds to the window so I could sleep in later.
- I gave the room a Bright and Colorful Industrial Makeover.
P.P.S. View my complete NYC Apartment Tour here!
I am fascinated by the big city and I so enjoyed this little peek into your home. I still can't get over the fact that your bedroom is only 7.5 feet wide! Less to clean, right? XO
Hi Christy! It is definitely less to clean - bonus! Thanks for stopping by:)
It is beautiful! You are creative with the space!
Thank you so much! I'm really having fun decorating it:)
Did you make the jewelry hanger on the dresser??
Hi Rita! I made the large bulletin board with the necklaces, but I purchased the acrylic bracelet and necklace stands.
Where did you get the curtains? Looking for something similar for my bedroom. Like others have said - excellent job with the layout. Love the floorplan graphic.
Thanks! I may have had a little too much fun creating the floorplan;) The curtains are from IKEA, but they are a few years old.
I can only imagine how challenging it is to decorate your bedroom. Have you planned on decorating the long walls with anything? Maybe that's where you could arrange your mirror/art? You've done a great job so far---and I'm so jealous of where you are and the space! Lovely!
Thanks, Angela! I'm hesitant to put anything on the wall that right next to the bed - I've been know to have some crazy dreams, and I'm worried I'd knock it off;) The other wall might work though. I definitely need to play around with it a bit!
I think you've done a great job with the space you have! You're VERY smart to use the headboard as a sort of room divider. I imagine your bed seems like a very private getaway space!
Thank you so much, Richella! It does feel that way, so I'm glad it came across in the pictures:)
It is always inspiring to get a peek into someone's home! Your bedroom is so airy...surprising that it appears that way when it is also small. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Tracy! I was definitely going for that - there is not a lot of color apart from a few pillows and lamps, so I think that helps:)
I love those coat hangers too! I've got black ones, but those white ones look better. AHHHH, shit I'm getting old--excited by coat hangers
Ha ha ... I know;) I think it's definitely a sign of getting old! At least we can be pleased by the simple things!!
Wow that is narrow! It looks very cute though and worth it to live in NYC. I like how you divided the room with the headboard.
I can almost touch both walls with my arms stretched out ... ha ha! The only thing I miss is having a nightstand:)