Home
life
news
A woman makes her 280-square-foot apartment feel like home with plants and statement lighting

A woman makes her 280-square-foot apartment feel like home with plants and statement lighting

Samantha Grindell

The apartment is cozy despite its size.KC Cibran

KC Cibran lives in a 280-square-foot studio apartment in New York City.
Plants, wood decor, statement furniture, and textured pieces make her space feel cohesive and homey.
Cibran said she makes the most out of her space by ensuring all of her furniture is aesthetically pleasing and functional, and she relies on cozy lighting to make the space feel warmer.
"I truly believe that no matter where you are, no matter how small your budget is, and no matter how small your spaces, you can make your space a home," Cibran told Insider.

KC Cibran lives in a 280-square-foot studio apartment.

KC Cibran has lived in New York for four years. KC Cibran

The 26-year-old has lived in New York for four years.

She lives in a fourth-floor walk-up in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and she pays under $2,000 a month in rent.

Although the small apartment is made up of one large room, Cibran has worked to make it cozy.

The apartment is cozy despite its size. KC Cibran

Cibran uses plants, wall hangings, and natural wood decor to make her space seem larger than it is.

"I was able to, in this very small space on a very low budget, make a whole little tropical island in a New York City apartment," she told Insider. "I think when people walk into my apartment, they're always shocked, like, 'Oh my gosh, you have so many plants and wood, and I feel like I'm not even in New York anymore.'"

Cibran removed the cabinet doors in her kitchen to create an open-concept space.

She removed the doors from her cabinets. KC Cibran

She stowed the cabinet doors under her bed.

Cibran doesn't have much counter space, but the open cabinets make the kitchen seem larger than it is. She also added a peel-and-stick tile backsplash to give the kitchen more personality.

Cibran filled the shelves with cute baskets, signs, and plants to make the space even more inviting.

Cibran tries to make smart use of her limited counter space.

She optimizes her counter space. KC Cibran

"In my kitchen, I have hanging baskets for my fruits and stuff so that I don't utilize any of the space on the counter," she said.

Her small microwave also helps her save space, and she told Insider she's searching for a kitchen island she can purchase to add to the area.

Plus, the organized setup of the items in her cabinets prevents things from looking cluttered.

Cibran said her home features a mix of decor styles.

Cibran blends decor styles. KC Cibran

"Something that I like about my apartment is that it doesn't really fit into an exact style," she said. "I've got boho, but I've also got modern. It's minimalist, but also maximalist."

"I'd say there's a lot going on, but I think that's what I love about my space," Cibran added. "It's more just surrounding myself with what I love, not trying to fit into a certain box of a style."

Cibran uses texture to make the space more dynamic.

Texture can make a space inviting. KC Cibran

The neutral color palette of Cibran's apartment prevents it from feeling too busy, while the textured bedspread makes the space inviting.

The wood wall hangings add texture to the space as well, and the natural hues work well with the plants.

Cibran also has a small fire escape she can sit on when she wants time outdoors.

"One of my biggest tricks that you wouldn't normally think of in a small space is the lighting," Cibran told Insider.

Lighting makes a big difference. KC Cibran

"With most rentals, you have the overhead lights that come with the apartment, but those usually tend to make spaces feel really cold," she said. "To warm up your space, use your own lighting."

Cibran has a standing lamp with an Edison bulb, as well as some fancier Christmas lights up on the wall.

"I feel like that really just brings the space together," she said. "It's a huge difference between when only the overhead light is on and when those other lights are on."

Cibran also uses regular-sized furniture rather than buying smaller items as some tiny dwellers do.

She uses big furniture. KC Cibran

"I just buy full-size furniture," she said. "I think it's really easy to be like, 'I'm in a tiny space. I need tiny furniture.' But I actually think having large pieces of furniture helps split up a room."

Cibran also makes sure her furniture serves multiple functions.

Furniture that serves multiple purposes is important in tiny spaces. KC Cibran

"Everything is on display," Cibran pointed out, so she works to find furniture that is both pretty and functional.

Cibran's TV stand doubles as a utility closet, and her bar cart is also a storage place for her record player.

"It's finding pieces of furniture that aren't just aesthetically pleasing, but that can also be used for some form of storage," she said.

"I truly believe that no matter where you are, no matter how small your budget is, and no matter how small your spaces, you can make your space a home," Cibran said.

This corner is Cibran's favorite in the apartment. KC Cibran

"Just surround yourself with things that you love and just really make it a place that you're as comfortable in as possible," she advised.

"I think with small spaces, it is a little bit harder to decorate, but because they're smaller, they have this cozy feel that you just don't get with larger homes and larger apartments," Cibran added. "And I think that's a really nice thing to have. You're just surrounded by everything you love in a small, cozy space."

Cibran documents her life in her small apartment on both Instagram and TikTok, and she recently won Apartment Therapy's Small/Cool contest in the tiny bracket for her space.