This Brooklyn Rental Was Cold and Gray — Now It’s a Cozy, Colorful Retreat

Adrienne Breaux

April 11, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.·3 min read

Vintage movie poster on living room wall. — Gwyneth Yuma is a full-time food and lifestyle content creator and has rented this 695-square-foot, two-bedroom rental apartment in Brooklyn for a year. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Storage ottoman in center of light filled living room. — Upon move-in, the apartment was cold, gray, and modern, and would need warming up. But Gwyneth says the biggest challenge is the small size of the space. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Dweller sitting on leather sofa in eclectic living room. — "I have a lot of large furniture in here that I wanted to make work, but I feel like the layout I configured worked out perfectly." Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Decorative pillows top leather sofa. — The sectional sofa and green throw pillow are both from IKEA. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Decorative pillows top leather sofa in living room with large rounded mirror panels behind. — The oval mirrors are from Amazon. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Large plant in corner of art filled living room. — "I personally prefer a home with more character, one that's less modern, so I've tried my best to add some character in to make it look less stark and modern," Gwyneth explains. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Large windows in kitchen with white countertops and white cabinets. — Gwyneth's favorite element in the apartment is the kitchen. "I spend most of my time here, and I love how it was basically a blank canvas for me to decorate it." Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Plants and flowers top countertop in kitchen with white cabinets. — "I love adding greenery and functional supplies to my counters to warm it up," she continues. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Gingham bedding on newly made bed in natural light filled bedroom. — You can find a similar seashell art hanging from Etsy. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Large fan over neatly made bed in bedroom over looking cityscape. — The wall fan was found on Amazon.
Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Shoes and purse by floral painted entry console. — The bone inlay cabinet is from Anthropologie, but currently sold out. Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Floral eye mask on neatly made bed near decor filled window sill. — *Thanks, Gwyneth!* Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Apartment

LOCATION: Brooklyn, New York

STYLE: Eclectic, Mid-Century Modern

BEDROOMS: 2

SQUARE FEET: 695

Gwyneth Yuma is a full-time food and lifestyle content creator and spends most of her time in the kitchen. “So when I was searching for apartments my main priority was a spacious, well-lit kitchen with white countertops,” she begins.

Dweller eating at dining table in apartment over looking the city. — Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

“It took me months to find an apartment, mainly through StreetEasy and getting rejected from so many dream apartments, but I am so glad things happened the way they did because this truly ended up being my dream apartment,” explains Gwyneth of this 695-square-foot, two-bedroom rental apartment in Brooklyn she’s rented for a year.

Taper candles and other decor on jadeite cake stand in window overlooking city. — Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

Gwyneth describes the apartment before move-in day as “very cold, gray, and modern.” But today, it’s got a “warm, cozy, eclectic” vibe with a “little tropical flair.”

Dweller looking in living room mirror. — Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

“I personally prefer a home with more character, one that’s less modern, so I’ve tried my best to add some character in to make it look less stark and modern,” Gwyneth explains. “I love mid-century modern designs, so I’ve collected a lot of pieces over the years that I think help to warm up my space.”

Resources

Art work mounted on top of mint green cabinet topped with flowers, taper candle and a house plant. — Credit: Kiritin Credit: Kiritin

ENTRY

Art print — Amazon

LIVING ROOM

Sectional sofa — IKEA
Green throw pillow — IKEA
Wooden buffet — Sold out, but from Anthropologie
Similar floor lamp — Amazon
Similar ottoman — Lula and Georgia
Oval mirrors — Amazon

KITCHEN

Barstools — Amazon

BEDROOM

Wall fan — Amazon
Bone inlay cabinet — Sold out, but from Anthropologie

BATHROOM

Bathmat — Amazon

Thanks, Gwyneth!

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

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I love weird kitchen gadgets, so I tried this popular egg bite maker from Amazon

This Brooklyn Rental Was Cold and Gray — Now It’s a Cozy, Colorful Retreat

ABOUT THIS TOUR

Resources

ENTRY

LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

Further Reading

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