You don’t give up a 1,400-square-foot Upper West Side apartment. Not for a relationship. Not for anything. And especially not when you’ve spent the last 20 years turning it into a reflection of your personal style.

What an amazing thing for my apartment to have been featured in the New York Times Real Estate section about the decision to personalize a rental apartment. In a city where 70% of people rent, many residents don’t realize they can be creative even in a rental.

To be featured in the Times evokes so many emotions for me as a longtime resident and interior designer in New York City.

I’ve called this 12th-floor rental in the West 100s home since I was 4 years old. In my 30s, after a few moves around the city, I took over the lease from my mother.

And now, 20 years later, I’m still here.

This apartment is my creative canvas—a place where I’ve redefined what’s possible for a rental property.

Here are some reasons why people often choose to invest in their rental apartment.

• if you plan on being in your rental apartment for 5+ years.
• if you work from home 2+ days a week.
• if you’re an extrovert and you enjoy entertaining.
• if you’re an introvert and the comfort of your home is essential for your well-being.
• if you’re getting more for your money in a rental than you would if you were owning.
• If you split time between a beach or country house and NYC.
• if you LOVE animals and you rent in an animal-friendly building.
• if you have kids destined for NYC colleges and want a pied-a-terre for visiting or family use

Whether you’re renting a small apartment or are fortunate enough to own in Manhattan, creating a unique space is an experience that doesn’t have to be considered an indulgence.

I believe in my heart and have created in my design practice the idea that it is possible to balance maximal aesthetics and smart investment.

Manhattan apartments are more than a piece of real estate—it’s a lifestyle.  

Great design is about seeing beyond constraints and knowing when to go all-in, whether you’re in it for the long-haul or planning for an exit.  

I’m not going anywhere.

– Tobi