See Inside a $4000-a-Month Railroad Apartment in Greenwich Village

Adrienne Breaux
·9 min read
4
A living room with a white couch, glass coffee table, and many decorative items.
A corner with a large window and a small bench for reading.
<span>This is my dining room-- when I first toured the apartment and saw that there was an extra room, I knew that I'd make it a dining room so I could host! I always leave the doors between the dining room and living room open, so it flows and is one big open space. When looking for a dining table, I wanted the biggest that I could fit in the space, and was ultimately able to find this one which seats 8 people on Apt Deco! I also found the chandelier on Apt Deco a few months later. The curtains and espresso martini wine glass are from Etsy, and rug from Ruggable. Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
<span>And one final angle from the dining room-- I'm so happy with how this bar shelf from Ballard Designs turned out! The glassware is from Facebook marketplace and green vase is from Mother of Junk in Williamsburg. Also-- my biggest accomplishment of 2023 was realizing how easy it is to propagate plants so I can have them all around the apartment :) Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
Large wooden dining room table under a chandler and large vintage circular mirror
<span>So taking a step back, this is actually what you see when you walk into my apartment. It's a railroad, so you enter and walk directly from the kitchen, into the bedroom, and then into the living area. I think the room I'm using for the dining room is technically supposed to be the bedroom (since that's where the only closet in the apartment is), but I made the decision to put my bedroom where it is so that I could have the open living space. Interestingly, I don't mind that you see my bedroom right when you walk in-- I keep it clean, anyway. I'm definitely realizing that my stuff is all from the same handful of places, though. Kitchen table, bedframe, and bedroom chandelier from Apt Deco; four framed floral prints from Vintage Thrift Shop on 3rd Ave; and embroidered table cloth & picture above the table from Cure Thrift on 3rd Ave. The eye paintings are from a New Orleans artist (they were my first splurge when I had my first full-time job!). I bought the pendant lamp new from DeVOL Kitchens. Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
<span>Here's another floating shelf situation in my kitchen. I love ceramics and started collecting handmade mugs from small makers a few years ago, and this is the first apartment I've actually been able to display them in the open! I really love choosing which one I'm going to drink from each day depending on my mood. From left to right, the mugs are from (on Instagram): - @potterybym - unsure--bought at a market and haven't been able to find their Insta! - @laurachautin (she's NYC based!) - also unsure-- another market purchase - @windrainalice - @carlynne.ceramics (also NYC based!!) - @hessaalajmani Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
A bedroom with shelves and a desk with floral designs.

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: Greenwich Village, New York, New York

STYLE: Maximalist, Parisian, Vintage

BEDROOMS: 1

SQUARE FEET: 1000

Sarah and her one-eyed cat, Fetty, have rented this one-bedroom, 1000-square-foot apartment in Greenwich Village for eight months, explaining that the space is a pre-war walk-up with a railroad layout. “It goes kitchen –> bedroom –> dining room –> living room,” she describes. “I know the layout wouldn’t work for everyone, but I think it’s perfect for how I spend my time.”

When it came to the interior of her apartment, Sarah went on a road trip around France a few years ago and got to stay in a few Airbnbs with “beautiful traditional/Parisian styles.” She took a lot of inspiration from that trip and incorporated it into her living room.

Large wooden dining room table under a chandler and large vintage circular mirror
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

“Even though I wanted the main living space to stick to this Parisian aesthetic, I haven’t been too particular about it, either — there’s still a bunch of personal touches and pops of color (like a neon yellow sculpture I made of my cat on the mantel),” Sarah explains. “Having personal items out — like the set of coasters on my coffee table which were hand embroidered by my friend’s mom for her wedding — bring me joy every time I look at them.”

“My dad and I probably spent half of our Saturdays over the last eight months in this apartment hanging everything (chandeliers from the ceiling, floating shelves, curtains, artwork, and tapestries) or driving around New York City picking up items I put on hold because they were too big to bring home without a car,” Sarah continues. “In addition to all the fun of decorating the apartment, it’s been a really great experience to spend all that time with him.”

<span> Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

Apartment Therapy Survey

Describe your home’s style in five words or fewer: Parisian-inspired, with personal touches.

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room is definitely the living room — it’s where I spend the most time (I splurged on a deep, comfy couch!) and I love how much light it gets. I spend a lot of my mornings and evenings here. It’s also the room where I’ve been able to get the most creative, so it’s filled with a bunch of my favorite thrift finds.

A corner with a large window and a small bench for reading.
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? My last major find/project in this apartment was the tapestry above the couch in the living room! There’s a lot going on in the room already, so I knew I needed something big to help anchor the room (vs. a gallery wall) and wanted to keep the French theme. Compared to my usual habit of purchasing things *and then* finding a place for them, I really took my time to make sure I found the right item to fill this space.

A few months ago, I tried bidding on an authentic vintage French tapestry in an auction but it ended up selling for outside of my price range. I told my dad about it and he came up with another solution — this one is actually a rug from Manhattan Rugs. I ordered a custom hanger on Etsy, and that was that!

<span> Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

What’s your best decorating, shopping, cleaning, or organizing advice? My best advice is to keep moving things around whenever you feel inspired! Your apartment doesn’t ever have to be *done.* Some of my favorite nooks/pairings in this apartment are recent, like throwing a lace cloth I already had over the side table in the living room; it’s small, but for some reason that pulled the room together for me. I also just moved a large mirror into the dining room (previously above the kitchen table) — I’ve been so happy with how much brighter it made the living space.

I’m very happy with these new changes, but we’ll see where they are in a few months!

Resources

A living room with a white couch, glass coffee table, and many decorative items.
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

LIVING ROOM

  • Chandelier, Large Glass Floor Vases, Easel, Gold Magazine Rack, and Light — Facebook Marketplace

  • Coffee Table — Apt Deco

  • Mirror — Anthropologie

<span> Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

DINING ROOM

  • Tapestry Rug — Manhattan Rugs

  • Dining Table — Apt Deco

  • Chandelier — Apt Deco

  • Curtains and Espresso Martini Wine Glass — Etsy

  • Rug — Ruggable

  • Mirror — Dobbin St. Coop in Greenpoint

  • Floral Prints — Vintage Thrift Shop

  • Food Candles — John Derian Company

  • Bar Shelf — Ballard Designs

  • Glassware — Facebook Marketplace

  • Green Vase — Mother of Junk in Williamsburg

<span> Credit: Sarah M</span> <span class="copyright">Credit: Sarah M</span>
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

KITCHEN NOOK

  • Floral Chair, White Bench, Coasters, and Lace Cloth — Cure Thrift Shop

  • Floral Prints, Glass Lamp, and Wood Side Table — Mother of Junk in Williamsburg

  • Floating Shelves — Wayfair

  • Marble Table — World Market

  • Vases — Made by me

  • Kitchen Table — Apt Deco

  • Pendant Lamp — DeVOL Kitchens

A bedroom with shelves and a desk with floral designs.
Credit: Sarah M Credit: Sarah M

BEDROOM

  • Bedframe — Apt Deco

  • Bedding — Bed Threads

  • Vanity Chair — Facebook Marketplace

  • Hand Painted Desk — Nadeau in New Orleans

Thanks, Sarah!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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