Inside Dame Traveler Nastasia’s Manhattan Apartment Inspired by Paris

As many of you know, I’ve been based in NYC for about 4 years now, with a short stint in Paris. I’ve always had love for both cities for different reasons and in my imagination, I feel like there has always been a love affair between Paris and New York City with Paris being the feminine and New York City, the masculine. I’m very grateful to have called both cities  my home. For the past 5 years, I was traveling for work about 80% of the time and though I moved to NYC in 2016, I never felt like a true New Yorker because I was never here. That is, until the pandemic hit and the city went into complete shutdown on March 14, 2020. I locked the door and didn’t come out for awhile. This experience completely flipped my world upside down and I was forced to adapt. But I’m no stranger to tough times and every time I’ve experience tough times, a creative project was always the cure so I decided to become my own interior designer and create a space that was not only cozy and truly felt like home, but also made me feel like I was in Europe, which is my happy place.

I moved into this apartment exactly one month before the pandemic with nothing but my clothes and the old furniture the previous owners had left for me so I was completely starting from scratch. I consider myself an old, romantic soul who should have been born in Europe during a different era so that’s what I wanted my home to reflect. And so, I’m excited to share all of these pieces that came together to make my house a home!

Gallery Wall by Printique

I’ve always wanted to create a gallery wall in my home but I never got around to it in my previous apartments until I discovered Printique, an Adorama company. Based out of Brooklyn, the photo lab prints the highest of quality products like the canvases I opted for my gallery wall.  Printique not only produces the highest of quality products, their website is super user friendly and their shipping is fast (especially during a time when shipping has been so slow!) They offer books, albums. wall decor and more. Use promo code DAME20 for 20% off!

Mid-Century Modern Velvet Sofa

I opted for the Sven Pacific Blue 72″ Velvet Sofa by Article which I absolutely love. It’s deep and almost feels like a sofa bed without the pull-out feature. This color is gorgeous too and went well with the brushed gold accents in my apartment.

Affordable, Sustainable, Natural Luxury Mattress by Brentwood Home

I truly have never slept better before I got my Oceano Luxury Hybrid Mattress paired with the Crystal Cove Activated Charcoal Pillow and Oceano Gel Memory Foam Pillows by Brentwood Home. I have scoliosis so a well made, high quality mattress and pillows are crucial for a good night’s sleep for me and I’m truly in love with the Brentwood products. They’re made with certified non-toxic materials with natural and organic elements. Brentwood Home also strives to be environmentally responsible with by having a National Forest Fund: 3 trees for reforestation for each sale and whenever you buy a mattress, we make one and donate one for emergency relief!

Red Persian Rug

I opted for a red Persian rug to add a little bit of Middle Eastern flair that reminded me of my upbringing (I’m Iraqi!) and the faded red color was a great contrast to the Pacific Blue sofa. I also love the vintage look adding to the European look I was going for. The price point is really great for this rug too.

Gold Coffee Table

I opted for a glass and gold trimming coffee table which I love. the size is perfect and the details are feminine.

Candles from Brooklyn Candle Studio

The Travel Candles by Brooklyn Candle Studio are a must have in any jetsetter’s home. They have candles inspired by anywhere from the Catskills to Tokyo to the Tuileries gardens in Paris. I love their minimalist design and their scents inspired by nature are simply beautiful. Some of my favs are the Broolyn and the Italia candles.

Paris to New York Hooks

I obviously fell head over heels in love when I saw these Paris to New York hooks! They’re perfectly placed right by my door and I use them to hang my keys, mask and hat but you can also use them in your bathroom as a towel hook.

La Toilette Bath Mat

It doesn’t get more Parisian than this bath mat for the bathroom! I had to immediately get it!

The Filtered Showerhead by Jolie

We love the new The Jolie Filtered Showerhead that removes chlorine, heavy metals & other contaminants from your shower water — to improve your skin, hair and wellbeing. Jolie will give you your best skin & hair.

Decorative and Well Made Storage

I felt like it was nearly impossible to find great looking but also durable storage that weren’t cheap plastic and bulky until I found Open Spaces.  Their post-industrial steel Wire Baskets offer exceptional durability and they’re so beautiful and their Storage Bins store everything from shoes and garments to appliances and cleaning supplies with a durable set of stackable bins.

Handmade, sustainable, affordable soft cotton sheets

I love my sheets and duvet cover by Pizuna Linens. They’re so well made and everything the company stands for from their holistic approach to their sustainability is totally aligned with what we believe in so we are happy to support! Our favorites are the Pizuna Royale 1000 Thread Count Cotton Sheet Set and the Pizuna Royale 1000 Thread Count Cotton Duvet Cover Set!

Gold Lamp

I love the sleek Regent Floor Lamp by BRIGHTECH. It’s sleek and the gold flows perfectly with the other accents in my apartment. It’s a modern yet classic piece.

Chic and comfortable Desk and Chair

With most of us working from home these days, it’s now more important than ever to have a really great at home office. I searched high and low to find a desk and chair that were chic, comfortable and most of all, not bulky. I finally found this Mid-Century Art Display Mini Desk and this Blush Pink and Brass Office Chair that is so gorgeous.

Smeg Vintage Fridge

This Smeg fridge has been on my wish list forever so I finally pulled the trigger and went for it and I do not regret it one but. It’s a bit of a splurge but it’s a staple that you will have for a long time and it really added so much character to my space! I chose the neutral Cream color in case I want to change up my color palette design in the future but there are so many fun colors such as pink, cream etc!

Gold Antique Chandelier

This antique and elegant gold 6-Light Candle Style Chandelier truly added the Parisian touch I was looking for. I love that the gold isn’t shiny (more matted and antique looking) and the crystals are subtle and not tacky.

Parisian Style Mirror

We’ve all seen the popular gold Anthropologie mirror a thousand and one times and I too wanted to get it until I discovered the Josephine Mirror and fell in love. It’s still a Parisian style mirror but it’s not as overdone as the Gleaming Primrose mirror that you see every blogger post!

Parisian Decorative Fireplace Surround

This piece is truly the vital component in making my place feel like a true Parisian flat. My PInterest board is filled with ways to decorate this gorgeous fireplace surround and it’s truly a game changer.

Hand-Embossed Lotus Six-Drawer Dresser

Storage is key in my tiny NYC apartment but I did not want to spend a ton of money on just a basic boring dresser and was surprised to discover how few dressers with character are out there! I eventually found this Hand-Embossed Lotus Six-Drawer Dresser which had a bit of Asian and European antique flair which I LOVED. It’s super gorgeous and the drawers are deep allowing for lots of storage space!

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Wine Rack

I don’t like to have too many bottle of wine at a one time and since I don’t have much space, this Moroccan themed gold wine rack is perfect.

Hasegawa Ladders Lucano Step Stool

You know you’re going to get quality when you see anything made in Japan and the Hasegawa Ladders are no exception. I’ve never seen a more chic looking, high quality step stool. They come in a variety of beautiful colors and sizes.

The Designer Catbox

Have a cat but don’t want to leave their litter box on display? The genius Deisgner Catbox by Designer Pet Products is the perfect solution to help keep your litter box concealed, but easily accessible to your cats. This gorgeous piece of furniture is a stylish addition to any home, and also helps to minimize odor and prevent litter from being kicked out onto the floor! My cat Brooklyn just loves it!

Steamer

I LOVE the Kexi H2 Travel Garment Steamer that is perfect for at home garment steaming but also for travel! The design is gorgeous and it’s super powerful.

Retro Fan

I absolutely love this super chic retro fan to keep you cool during those hot summer days and it totally adds character to the space!

Lawrence Beige Duvet Cover Set

If you’re more into duet covers, we love the Lawrence Beige Duvet Cover Set by Kenneth Cole. The chic look completely elevated our space and the material is so well made.

Dishware by East Fork

I love  East Fork for so many reasons but one of the  main ones is that it is a certified B Corporation in Asheville, North Carolina and they are Climate Neutral Certified, the standard earned by companies that offset and reduce all of their greenhouse gas emissions. They also partner with local non-profit, grassroots organizations and individuals working toward racial equity, community reconciliation, and supporting the liberation of folks who’ve been systematically oppressed by white supremacy, patriarchy, and heteronormativity.

The pottery is so well made and my favorite is the Potter’s Dinner Set in Panna Cotta.

 

 

Custom Window Shades

I love the custom window treatments by Graber who ensures that you’re choosing a shade style you’re happy with and that measuring and installation are organized perfectly. They offer a product manager who looks into popular fabric options and will recommend some for you and they send digital swatches, making it super easy to choose the perfect shades for your home. I opted for the Graber Roman Shades in Saterra, Terrain natural shades with the cordless lift that matched perfectly with my decor.

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.