For 10 Years, This Mom of 3 Has Made a One-Bedroom NYC Rental Work

Adrienne Breaux
·6 min read
White multi-use area with red and white floral wallpaper and large window
White multi-use space with couch, bed and large window
Mirror, baskets, and table in white entryway
White kitchen with black granite countertops
Couch and artwork in white multi-use space
Chair at desk in front of red and white floral wallpaper and large window
White desk and red what floral wallpaper
White working space
Computer chair in white working space
Bunk bed in white children's room
Computer chair and art in white working space
Art objects on white shelves
Beige tiled bathroom

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: Manhattan, New York

STYLE: Farmhouse, Traditional

BEDROOMS: 1

SQUARE FEET: 525

Alexa Priego says moving her bed into the living room of her apartment was one of the best design decisions she’s ever made. The full-time content creator who focuses on beauty, fashion, and motherhood on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, shares her 525-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan with her three children, 12-year-old Owen, 7-year-old Gracie, and 3-year-old Kason. Sharing just one bedroom between four people can’t be easy, but Alexa has lived in this apartment for 10 years, and has figured out a ton of ways to make the space work for herself and her family.

Woman standing in bedroom area with floral wallpaper

Like making the large living room function as her living room, bedroom, and workspace. A smart desk and vanity area is her home office, which she separates visually from the rest of the space with pretty floral wallpaper. The look of the entire living area was improved by the addition of peel-and-stick wall molding that she got off of Amazon. She says it was pricey, but well worth it.

The apartment’s single bedroom is dedicated to the kids (although right now, youngest son Kason is still co-sleeping until he moves into a toddler bed). The purchase of a bunk bed maximized the room so much that Alexa was able to create individual desk areas for the two oldest kids — each side personalized to the individual.

Light green couch and pillow next to bed in white space

Alexa has hidden storage everywhere in the space, even starting right at the front door, where two baskets in the entryway hold kids’ shoes. A cabinet from Wayfair under the TV holds all of her youngest son’s hearing aid equipment, diapers, wipes, and other daily needs. The Dalton storage bed from Castlery that she sleeps in offers four big drawers that hold everything from linens, sheets, and keepsakes.

White working space

The storage continues in the kids’ bedroom, where a super-tall storage dresser from IKEA holds clothes for Grace and for Kason, as well as provides some visual separation between the two older kids’ desks. All the stuffed animals are in a container hidden behind the bunk beds. Thankfully, the apartment came with a few closets. One has another dresser for the eldest son’s clothes and baskets full of toys that Alexa can take down as needed. And a large walk-in closet in the bedroom holds Alexa’s clothes, shoes, as well as all kinds of items — even the stroller. “The walk-in closet is where I hide the clutter,” she admits.

“Every nook and cranny in this house has stuff stuffed in it, okay?” she said in a voiceover on one of her TikTok tours of her home. While that may be true, she’s done a great job of finding a place for everything, and the home doesn’t feel cluttered at all.

Resources

Mirror, baskets, and table in white entryway

ENTRY

  • Entryway table — Target, currently unavailable

  • Mirror — Gifted

  • Shoe storage baskets — Zara Home

Couch and artwork in white multi-use space

LIVING ROOM

  • Sofa — Raymour & Flanigan

  • Rug — Ruggable

  • Coffee table — Bed, Bath & Beyond

  • TV shelf — Amazon

  • Wallpaper — Gucci

  • Bed frame — Dalton storage bed from Castlery

  • Bedding — HomeGoods/Amazon

  • Desk — IKEA

White vintage storage shelf in white space

KITCHEN

Bunk bed in white children's room

BEDROOM

  • Twin bunk bed —  Max & Lily

  • Desks — IKEA

  • Kids’ accessories, desk chairs, and other apartment decor — Amazon

Thank you for sharing how your home works for your family, Alexa!

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

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Further Reading

We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space

We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Pottery Barn — Here Are the Best for Every Type of Need

See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room

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