After a year in the city, here are all the ways I organized our New York apartment! I wanted to give an overall picture of what life looked like here as a family of three. From storage solutions to decor hacks, these are the strategies that helped us make our apartment functional, stylish, and cozy! Coming from Instagram and want to shop my home decor? Head over to ShopMy!

Storage Solutions for Small Spaces

Living in a city apartment means learning to maximize every inch of space. Here are some of the strategies we’ve found invaluable:

Off-Site Storage

We kept a storage unit in New York for items that aren’t used daily, like seasonal clothes and extra decor. It was a lifesaver for maintaining a clutter-free home without sacrificing the things we love. And we had so much stuff that we wanted to keep but obviously didn’t have the room for after moving from Florida!

Under-Furniture Storage

The space under couches and beds is prime real estate for storage. Bins or vacuum-sealed bags can hold clothes, extra blankets, or even kids’ toys. For our baby, we rotate toys using bins in his closet.

I love this vacuum sealer from amazon! It’s a small handheld vacuum and comes with tons of plastic bags to use for storage. Just plug it in the wall and suction!

Baby Organization

Can you believe this is a New York city closet? We really did luck out. Shep’s is bigger than mine! I try to do a toy rotation every day or two for him, so I’ve loved these small clear plastic bins for toys and books.

Every so often I would do a full closet clean out and put all of his clothes that are too small for him in these big bins for storage. Always emotional to do this hahaha but it sure feels good to cull!

Maximizing Closets, Doors, and Bathrooms

Adhesive hooks on the backs of doors, in closets, and even in showers expand storage without drilling holes. Here are some I love:

Shower hooks | Robe hooks

Kitchen cabinet organizers can double or triple your storage, making even the smallest kitchen fully functional.

Decorating and Personalizing a Rental

It’s absolutely possible to create a space that feels intentional and beautiful in something you’re renting! That was my mission, and here’s what I loved:

Peel and Stick

My absolutely favorite peel and stick grasscloth wallpaper that I’ve put up in so many hosues prior to this apartment. It’s amazing, goes on so easy, sticks well, and comes in every color needed for a beautiful space. I love that it adds a texture type feel to warm up a room and fill in white space without being overpowering.

Another favorite peel and stick has been this checkered floor tile! I put it down in our kitchen and it’s worked like a charm. Easy to cut and SO cheap. I think this room cost me like $70 in total. Great with water and hasn’t peeled up at all since putting it down months ago. In my mind, it’s so cheap and looks so good that even if one does come up in the future, I’ll just replace it.

Lighting

Rechargeable lamps and sconces from Pooky Lighting are perfect for apartments because they don’t require hardwiring. They add warmth and function, especially in spaces that may not have optimal overhead lighting.

Window Treatments

I found this amazing rattan roman shade company who sells on amazon, and I will forever be ordering from them! I put up these in Shep’s nursery and had them blackout lined so his room is so dark! We also have them in our master bedroom too. The price is so good, and you can custom order whatever size you need!

I love these pinch pleat curtains also from Amazon. We had them in our previous home’s dining room, they looked just like my custom curtains that were a loooot more expensive. Such an elegant option for an apartment!

Curtains too long? Cut them to the length you need and fold them in using this fabric tape.

Because our windows are so close to the ceiling, a curtain rod wouldn’t work. I had these curtain tracks installed and they work like a charm and are very discrete!

Furniture Favorites

We have this trundle bed in Shep’s room that we sometimes slept in if we had a guest, or if Shep was sick. This is the one we ordered and have another twin mattress underneath. A very easy to have another bedding option, and looks so cute in Shep’s room.

This behind the door jewelry organizer is a life saver.

Must Have Cleaning Necessities

I use this lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner and it works wonders with the dog hair

Compact Hampers that fit in a closet perfectly. From amazon! They are so inexpensive and slip right inside al of our closets.

If you’re moving to New York, you must have a buggy that you use for errands, cleaning, laundry, etc. We use this one for lugging groceries, going to and from the storage unit, or buying something bigger. The wheels are heavy duty and it folds up nicely to go in a closet or under a couch.

Final Thoughts

Living in a small apartment as a family required some strategy, patience, and a little creativity. It took some time to adjust after downsizing from our Florida home, but with the right systems in place, an apartment can feel spacious, functional, and luxe!

I hope these tips inspire you to create a home that works for your family, no matter the size or layout of your apartment! Follow along on instagram as we settle back south to Charleston SC in a few weeks. Best year in the city!!!

You might also like:

Traveling to Europe with a baby? Read this!

My Newborn and Postpartum favorites linked here.

Here is the full blog post on our blue and white nursery!

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