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  1. Home
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  3. How to Decorate Your Home Like a Chic Manhattan Apartment

How to Decorate Your Home Like a Chic Manhattan Apartment

By Adeline Duff
March 01, 2017
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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Credit: Maremagnum/Getty Images
For decades, on-screen Manhattan apartments have been depicted as large, lofty, bright spaces—much to the disdain of real-life New Yorkers, who know that Ted and Marshall from "How I Met Your Mother" would never be able to afford a two-bedroom with a fireplace on the Upper West Side. Carrie Bradshaw was somehow able to live in a comfortable, Upper East Side one-bedroom—complete with walk-in closet—on a writer’s salary in "Sex and The City," which also left many heads scratching. Suffice to say, New York City apartments have not always been portrayed accurately in television and movies.

But New Yorkers are adept at making even the tiniest of spaces look elegant and chic. Since most Manhattan apartments tend to err on the small side, light color schemes are often used to help enhance the appearance of space. Since most of us don’t have gardens, incorporating plants and flowers are a great way to (literally) liven up the atmosphere.

While opulent, over-the top-penthouses—like those seen in shows like "Gossip Girl"—most certainly still exist, there’s been a rising trend of Scandinavian-inspired minimalism in recent years (this could be, in part, thanks to Ikea—the average New Yorker’s furniture brand of choice). But the city’s most beloved home furnishing stores—like ABC Carpet & Home—have been continuously delivering sophisticated, artisan-made home goods for decades, resulting in a very specific, Manhattan-chic look: austere furniture, modern art, leafy plants, white marble, and lots of luxurious little accents.

So browse through our expertly curated gallery, below, to help get you one step closer to living out your New York City apartment fantasy.
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1 of 27

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'Eat' Marquee Sign

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: $66.99, amazon.com

1 of 27

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2 of 27

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Aerin Match Striker

Credit: Courtesy of Neiman Marcus

To buy: $330, neimanmarcus.com

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Amazon Echo

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: $179.99, amazon.com

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Marble China

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $98, barneys.com

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Tiered Bar Cart

Credit: Courtesy of Target

To buy: $329.99, target.com

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Cashmere Throw

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $1,095, barneys.com

6 of 27

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Round Side Table

Credit: Courtesy of ABC Carpet & Home

To buy: $225, abchome.com

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Potted Palm Plant

Credit: Courtesy of The Home Depot

To buy: $28.50, homedepot.com

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Mohair Throw Pillow

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $395, barneys.com

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Bedside Water Carafe

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: $32.99, amazon.com

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Wood Dining Table

Credit: Courtesy of ABC Carpet & Home

To buy: from $1,395, abchome.com

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Catbird Candle

Credit: Courtesy of Catbird

To buy: $38, catbirdnyc.com

12 of 27

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Fur Footstool

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $1,095, barneys.com

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Fornasetti Umbrella Stand

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $1,615, barneys.com

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Catifa Chair

Credit: Courtesy of ABC Carpet & Home

To buy: $271, abchome.com

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Jonathan Adler Lucite Pill

Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Adler

To buy: $248, neimanmarcus.com

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Jean-Michel Basquiat Print

Credit: Courtesy of Art.com

To buy: $298.99, art.com

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Marble Candleholder

Credit: Courtesy of Barneys

To buy: $270, barneys.com

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Jonathan Adler Table Lamp

Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Adler

To buy: $495, jonathanadler.com

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'Humans of New York' Coffee Table Book

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: $18.43, amazon.com

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Jonathan Adler Glassware

Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Adler

To buy:$18, jonathanadler.com

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Sheepskin Rug

Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Adler

To buy: $695, jonathanadler.com

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Le Labo ‘Santal 26’ Candle

Credit: Courtesy of Nordstrom

To buy: $75, nordstrom.com

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Muuto Sofa

Credit: Courtesy of ABC Carpet & Home

To buy: $4,950, abchome.com

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Periodic Table of NYC Trash

Credit: Courtesy of UncommonGoods

To buy: $40, uncommongoods.com

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Smeg Toaster

Credit: Courtesy of Bloomingdale's

To buy: $149,99, bloomingdales.com

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'No Sleep: NYC Nightlife Flyers 1988-1999' Coffee Table Book

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

To buy: $26.49, amazon.com

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Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

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View All

1 of 27 'Eat' Marquee Sign
2 of 27 Aerin Match Striker
3 of 27 Amazon Echo
4 of 27 Marble China
5 of 27 Tiered Bar Cart
6 of 27 Cashmere Throw
7 of 27 Round Side Table
8 of 27 Potted Palm Plant
9 of 27 Mohair Throw Pillow
10 of 27 Bedside Water Carafe
11 of 27 Wood Dining Table
12 of 27 Catbird Candle
13 of 27 Fur Footstool
14 of 27 Fornasetti Umbrella Stand
15 of 27 Catifa Chair
16 of 27 Jonathan Adler Lucite Pill
17 of 27 Jean-Michel Basquiat Print
18 of 27 Marble Candleholder
19 of 27 Jonathan Adler Table Lamp
20 of 27 'Humans of New York' Coffee Table Book
21 of 27 Jonathan Adler Glassware
22 of 27 Sheepskin Rug
23 of 27 Le Labo ‘Santal 26’ Candle
24 of 27 Muuto Sofa
25 of 27 Periodic Table of NYC Trash
26 of 27 Smeg Toaster
27 of 27 'No Sleep: NYC Nightlife Flyers 1988-1999' Coffee Table Book

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How to Decorate Your Home Like a Chic Manhattan Apartment
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