This 330-Square-Foot Chinatown Rental Was Transformed With a $5,000 Budget

Morgan Goldberg
·4 min read

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Dating a design content creator has its perks. Phoebe Kut, who has nearly 200K followers on her TikTok account, @pbjdesign, used all the tips and tricks she shares online to completely upgrade her partner’s 330-square-foot New York City rental on a tight budget. She did DIY projects, shopped secondhand, and chose multipurpose pieces to pull off the transformation for just $5,000.

Fortunately, Kut had a beautiful canvas to work with. The compact one-bedroom apartment is over a century old, so it boasts original brick walls, exposed wood beams, and ornately carved window trim. “It has that historic charm,” she describes. “I believe the building dates back to the early 1900s. The kitchen and bathroom were already renovated.”

“The black-and-white photo behind the sofa is of the apartment building, taken in the 1900s,” Kut shares. “It used to be a dentist’s office, this unit.”
“The black-and-white photo behind the sofa is of the apartment building, taken in the 1900s,” Kut shares. “It used to be a dentist’s office, this unit.”

The first thing Kut did was warm up the living room with a coat of Texas Sage by Benjamin Moore, a muted olive tone. “Before, everything was white, so we painted that accent wall just to give it some color and character,” she explains. “Green is very cozy and homey, but we didn’t want a really dark shade because it would make the space feel a little bit enclosed. This is a medium, balanced sage.”

For the sofa, Kut opted for a modular pale gray Burrow number that tucks into the corner for comfortable lounging and turns into a twin bed for overnight visitors. “[My partner] wanted to be able to have guests over,” she says. “In New York, there’s always people wanting to crash and you’re hosting them, so that was a specific thing that we did end up finding a really great piece for.”

Since storage is limited, Kut hung a coat rack on the wall outside the bedroom.
Since storage is limited, Kut hung a coat rack on the wall outside the bedroom.

Other furniture items serve two functions as well. The amber acrylic AllModern coffee table is easily converted to a side table when flipped over and the entryway console is actually a slim piano that Kut’s partner sourced from Facebook Marketplace. “We specifically found that because it could look very sleek without buying a separate console,” she shares.

Kut’s partner plays the piano, so they sourced a slim instrument that doubles as an entryway console. A retro West Elm lamp sits on top, while a CB2 painting hangs above. “I thought the colors tied in nicely,” she says of the artwork. “Because the brick is so historic, we wanted something a little bit more modern and dynamic.”
“None of this is stuff that was bought to be staged,” says Kut. “These are all his personal items, the books. And we thought, Okay, let’s just lean into that and make it part of the decor.”
“None of this is stuff that was bought to be staged,” says Kut. “These are all his personal items, the books. And we thought, Okay, let’s just lean into that and make it part of the decor.”

In the dining area, Kut paired a stone-topped tulip table (also from Facebook Marketplace) with sculptural moss velvet Daals chairs, a narrow Design Within Reach Story bookcase, and a lantern that nods to the home’s Chinatown location. She then installed cream-colored Roman shades that filter in the natural light. “Before, it was those really nasty, blue plastic blinds,” remembers Kut. “The Roman shades are good because you can still see the historical casing on the outside.”

Before Kut crafted DIY lampshades for the pendants in the kitchen, the lightbulbs were simply exposed.
Before Kut crafted DIY lampshades for the pendants in the kitchen, the lightbulbs were simply exposed.

Next, Kut swapped out the builder-grade stainless-steel electrical switches and plain cabinet hardware for antique brass versions she purchased on Amazon. She also enhanced the white galley kitchen by crafting pleated lampshades for the existing pendants. “I went to the fabric store and made those,” she reveals. “It was no-sew. I just used an iron, interfacing, and a hot glue gun.”

The handy built-ins in the bedroom received Amazon antique brass pulls, too—but it’s the curvy, vertical striped Lulu and Georgia headboard that steals the show. It’s flanked by swing-arm sconces and walnut Burrow Index stools that act as minimalist nightstands day-to-day, but can also be used as extra seating for guests and to reach high-up storage. Of course, Kut made sure they could play multiple roles.

Kut updated the built-in storage in the bedroom with antique brass hardware, adding warmth and personality to the white cupboards.
Kut updated the built-in storage in the bedroom with antique brass hardware, adding warmth and personality to the white cupboards.
Kut styled the floating shelves in the bathroom with vintage art and everyday necessities.
Kut styled the floating shelves in the bathroom with vintage art and everyday necessities.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

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