See Inside This Couple's Chic NYC Apartment That Rents for $5500 a Month

Adrienne Breaux
·3 min read
White living room with brown leather sofa
White dining room with wood floors, sputnik-style pendant light, and large mirror
White workspace area with wood desk and chair, books, and statement art
<span>"Our very, very comfortable room. We only sleep here. No electronics allowed! The art above the bed was painted by yours truly. The bed frame is CB2, as are the nightstands and the dressers. The mirror is Crate & Barrel." Credit: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/greenehouse_nyc/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Tommy Chan with Greenehouse NYC;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Tommy Chan with Greenehouse NYC</a></span> <span class="copyright">Credit: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/greenehouse_nyc/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Tommy Chan with Greenehouse NYC;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Tommy Chan with Greenehouse NYC</a></span>

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: New York, New York

STYLE: Art Deco, Colorful, Traditional

BEDROOMS: 1

SQUARE FEET: 800


Maria-Elena Stellas and her husband have shared this 800-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in New York City for one year, and spend $5500 a month on rent. “My husband and I moved into our NYC apartment less than a year ago. We both work from the office five days a week, so furnishing our apartment, while maintaining styles we both gravitate towards, took time,” Maria-Elena writes. “He likes dark, leathery, clean lines in furniture, while I lean into color, texture, and brilliancy. I believe we landed somewhere in the middle: a space that reflects both of our tastes, and is inviting, livable, and eccentric. It took compromise and creativity — and we absolutely both love it!”

White living room with brown leather sofa and large marble coffee table with books

Maria-Elena says that both of her and her husband’s “personalities and tastes are reflected in this home. Although the larger pieces of our home are espresso stain or dark leather, they are almost always accessorized and topped with lots of color, form, and shine. You can look at any corner in the room and find bits and pieces that fit both me and my husband.”

White workspace area with wood desk and chair, books, and statement art

Apartment Therapy Survey

What is your favorite room and why? My favorite room (nook) in our home is the small office nook. It’s extremely usable and inviting for us both. He works on the computer and I’ll read a book — sometimes at the same time! We share this space quite often.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A canvas and paintbrush — I painted the photo above our primary bedroom bed! I call it “Cool Morning in New Mexico” — it gives me a sense of peace each day when I wake up and go to bed.

Wood bar cabinet with gold round pulls and circle mirror on wall

What’s your best decorating, shopping, cleaning, or organizing advice? I am not an online furniture / decor / accessory / art buyer! I believe you must see each piece in person to really feel and love it!

Thanks, Maria-Elena!

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

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