Consider the standard cat tree: an unsteady jumble of cast-off wood pushed to whatever corner keeps it out of sight, encouraging neither proximity nor play, covered in uninspiring carpet that knows deeply what it means to be beige.

I have one. I know. I try not to look at it.

But with cats increasingly being seen as members of the family, that ubiquitous beige tower may be on the way out: the cat furniture boom is upon us.

Could there be a piece out there that adds to my space instead of dulling it?

The Bean - my aging ball of mischief who still thinks she is six months old – is perched on my lap as I search. She has several conditions for her upgrade: it should match our vibe, promote active play, provide height or cover, and be made of safe materials. 

With that in mind, here are the best finds for some functional, aesthetic unity with your four-legged ride-or-die.

We all know this is the dream

Large Wall Mounted Cat Shelves, $137.74 on Etsy

I can see it now: we’re bingeing Wednesday again, the Bean is chilling on her sweet set-up behind me, she slowly reaches down – maybe my hair really is a toy this time?

The Faux Side Table

Castillo, $199 at Mau Pets

Unobtrusive, versatile - perfect for your book nook in those few minutes before they sprawl all over the pages you’re trying to read.  

The Evolution of the Cat Tree

Archie & Oscar 43” Lina Cat Tree, $279 at Chewy.com

Cats like to look down on their subjects from on high, and this fluffy branch tower updates the old style into a more worthy throne.  

The Sculpture/Lookout

Cloud Nine Window Hammock, $79.00 on Etsy

 Is it art? Is it cat perch? Can it be both?

Plant stand or cat stand?

Boho Cat House, $300 at Etsy.com

Because of my small space, I’m here for anything that does double-duty. Part side table, part plant stand, part cat guard tower – I love it.

MCM but make it small

Instachew Ovo Modern Pet Bed, $49 at Chewy.com

I gasped. It’s so cute! There’s a Mad Men pun in here somewhere. Don Dra-purr?

Do they make this for humans?

Felt Cat Cave Cat Cocoon, $108.39 on Etsy

I have no notes. I will put one in each room.

The Honorable Mention

Cat TV House, $74.99 at Amazon.com

Hear me out: it has storage.

a few more finds —

Written by Rachel Helling in collaboration with Reserve Home

I’m embarrassed to say that I have never once stayed in a lodge of any kind, so I feel extremely grateful that my first experience was at Scribners Lodge with my friends at Urban Outfitters Home.

The weather was perfect last week and the fall foliage just started to turn, so it couldn’t have been a better time to make the trip. As soon as I settled in, I checked out the itinerary they had set for us and started exploring the lodge. To the shock of absolutely no one, it was STUNNING. I’m already desperate to go back during winter time when I can take full advantage of all of the fireplaces. COZY.

The trip included yoga, a hike to the beautiful Kaaterskill Falls, and delicious farm to table meals but if you know me, you know I LOVE a movie night, so I was most looking forward to checking out the new screening room at the lodge that had been recently designed using cozy pieces from Urban Outfitters Home.

I said this in my Instagram stories when I was there, but I was blown away by how nice all of the pieces were in person! I have those stools on my wishlist now…

1. Rohini Velvet Daybed cushion 2. Nolan Acid Washed Throw Pillow 3. Urban Renewal One-of-a-Kind Throw Pillow 4. Rita Stool 5. Devora Printed Chenille Rug 6. Akara Brushed Rug 7. Aiden Faux Leather Sling Chair 8. Astrid Round Side Table 9. Greta Recycled XL Sleeper Sofa

Since we were up in the Catskill Mountains, it was (brilliantly) decided that we should watch Dirty Dancing, so that’s exactly what we did. It never gets old.

The two days flew by and I was so sad to leave, but as soon as I got home, you better believe I hopped on the Urban Outfitters website to check out some of their new fall furniture and decor.

Sharing some of my favorite finds below!

1. Smith Candleabra 2. Smith Fruit Bowl 3. Castella Ottoman 4. Keely Hilo Tufted Rug 5. Wally Flush Mount Light 6. Rita Stool 7. Diamond Shag Rag Rug 8. Smith Taper Candle Holder 9. Alonzo Round Dining Table 10. Armand Storage Sofa 11. Kaarlo Tiled Table Lamp 12. Lark Table Lamp

It’s only been 24 hours since I revealed the paint color we went with for the bedroom (you can see that here) and I’m already thinking about the next room I would like to tackle! Or at least, start planning.

This primary bathroom was a major draw for us when we were applying for apartments. It was sunny with a beautiful window, had an updated shower featuring marble and classic subway tile, and the owner expressed a new vanity was on the way.

I knew right away that this was my chance to experiment with wallpaper — something I have never used before! Mostly because our previous homes have all had picture frame moldings, which can limit wall treatment options.

I took this photo during our first viewing. You can see why I was so excited about all of the natural light!

The first order of business was installing our relaxed roman shade from our previous apartment. It was a custom piece, but luckily it’s the right width. It’s a bit long, but we’re ignoring that for the time being… LOL.

We also hung up a view antique cabinets for additional storage and put up a placeholder mirror. Spot the new vanity too!

I went ahead and ordered a few peel and stick wallpaper samples that arrived today, but to be honest, I’m not convinced any of them are quite right. What do you think?

bathroom sources

Adding my mood board for the room below! Stay tuned for updates.

shop peel and stick wallpapers

shop traditional wallpapers

We’ve officially been in the new apartment for a month and I have to say, I am THRILLED to have all of the boxes unpacked. I can’t claim that was all me, as David is the ultra-organized one in our household and quite literally will not rest until things are unpacked. I’m beyond thankful though, because it’s allowed us to settle into life here quickly.

It also means I can focus my energies on all the fun stuff, like room makeovers. First up, our bedroom! I’m breaking the makeover into two phases. The first will include painting, swapping light fixtures, and window treatments.

Here’s a reminder of what it looked like when we moved in…

We weren’t sure which of the two bedrooms we wanted to make into our bedroom, but I decided that it would be dreamy to have a fireplace in the bedroom, so that sealed the deal. Plus, turns out it’s the only room where the ceilings are high enough for our pier mirror and I really wanted it in our bedroom this time around. It fits like a glove, right?!

Fast forward to now, and here’s how the bedroom has shaped up over the last month…

I decided, on a whim, to strip the paint from the mantel when I found out there was marble underneath. YES, someone painted over marble! It’s hard to fathom, but at least it was removable. I would still love to find a black summer surround for it or at least give the hearth a deep cleaning, but we’re so happy with how it’s looking so far.

Okay, now on to the bedroom plans + mood board...

When I imagine the bedroom I want here, the above feel comes to mind. Minimal and serene, but still injected with soft color and architectural interest. The cozy, treehouse feel of the room makes me want to (perhaps) experiment with limewash or roman clay paint, but we shall see.

Other updates happening in here very soon include installing these relaxed roman shades and swapping the fan for our antique chandelier. One of our window AC units is installed in the bedroom and since it’s a small room, a fan really isn’t necessary.

First things first though, choosing the paint color! Let me know which color I should choose here!

Phase two of the bedroom updates will bring a few fun IKEA hacks, including a wardrobe hack, so stayed tuned!

Well, we did it. After an on-again, off-again 6-month search for a new rental, we finally found one!

As soon as we found out that we had to move, I knew I wanted to share as much as possible about the process, including sharing tours in real-time and the unfortunate heartbreak we felt every time we didn’t get a place we applied for.

The rental market here is infamous for its difficulty in securing a place, but to be honest, we had relatively easy experiences finding our last two apartments. Sadly, our good luck streak was over this time around and we only got our place after being rejected for 4 other apartments.

Since I’ve received countless messages asking for tips and tricks on finding a place in NYC, I thought a blog post was called for so you can refer back to it or easily share it with a friend! My hope is that these tips, especially my search tips, are not exclusively helpful in New York and may be helpful with your search in any city, rental or not.

Sites to Search

Streeteasy — this is the gold standard for searching in NYC’s five boroughs and surrounding areas in NJ. Most of the apartments we toured were found via Streeteasy and our new place was found on there! However, most people are using this site, so you need to be actively searching multiple times a day. I suggest saving a few searches and set your notifications to email you immediately when new listings match your search. That way, you can request a tour ASAP which will set you apart from others.

My number one tip with Streeteasy or any search engine that allows keyword searches is to use the Advanced Search function. That’s how we were able to find so many apartments housed within townhomes or with brownstone-like details within.

Listings Project — signing up Listings Project is a must and includes rentals not found anywhere else! It’s a once-weekly email list that sends rentals, sublets, lease takeovers, and even art studio rentals every Wednesday. It’s not just for New Yorkers, but includes listings all over the world! Though NYC-based listings are still the priority and in the majority to be found.

Nest Seekers International — Nest Seekers isn’t just for New Yorkers, they have rental and sale listings from all over. While we didn’t use this site much, I did notice that they typically have standards for listings and might be the best site to search if you are looking for a high-end rental. If you want to be in a modern high-rise, I would start your search here, but they do have beautiful pre-war units listed too.

Brokers — Using a broker usually comes with a hefty fee (think 10-15% of the yearly rent), but sometimes the building owner pays that fee, so it’s never a bad idea to let a broker know what you’re looking for. We went to see two different places, both gorgeous, that weren’t on the market yet. That’s because I told a broker what we were looking for, and they came back with listings coming on the market soon. There is a huge benefit to seeing places before they’re listed, especially in a competitive market.

For example, at one of the pre-market tours we went to, we got to meet the landlord. We got along great and they made it clear that the apartment was ours if we wanted it. Sadly, that place wasn’t the best fit for us, but had we gone through with it, we wouldn’t have had to deal with bidding wars or competiton from others.

Most of the apartments on Streeteasy and the like are listed by brokers, so to find one, you merely have to email one (or multiple) of the brokers to see what they may have coming to market soon.

Facebook Groups — Personally, I rarely use Facebook, but I know that there are many pages dedicated to apartment searches or to specific neighborhoods that often feature available apartments in the area. Use the search function to seek them out! A few examples can be found here, here, and here.

Word of Mouth — Another way to find a broker is to ask everyone you know if they’ve used one and/or can recommend one. Generally, word of mouth can help to find an apartment as well. As soon as you know you’re looking to move soon, let your friends and co-workers know, and share on social media if you use it. You never know what leads might turn up!

Our Search Criteria: recreating our search

On Streeteasy’s main rental hub, input your preferred neighborhoods and max price. You can also check the No-Fee box here though be warned, there will be far fewer options, at least at this moment in the market. Once the initial results have populated, tap the “more” button. In the mobile app, tap advanced search.

Once you are on the more filters page, use the keyword search try out different keywords using one at a time. Our keywords included, Townhouse, Brownstone, Townhome, Fireplace, Moldings, Duplex, Parlor, Original, and Historic.

Some of these will yield the same results, but you never know what will pop up! In my experience, “fireplace” pulled up the most options. Of course, that’s assuming you’re looking for pre-war details. If, say, you are more into modern spaces, you could search “central air,” “renovated,” “updated,” “modern,” etc…

Above: Sneak peeks of our new place!

Applying for a Rental

I will only speak to what’s typically required here in NYC since I know from experience that it’s not always so paperwork-heavy in other cities. In addition to filling out an application, the owner or broker will usually ask for some combination of these supporting documents,

• photocopy of ID (front and back)

• the first 2 pages of your most recent tax return (sometimes last two years)

• recent bank statement(s)

• two most recent paystubs

• Employment Letter if receiving W2 income or CPA letter if self-employed. The Employment Letter is written by someone at your company (usually HR) that includes your job title, starting date, annual salary, and any bonuses you may receive. It should include your company’s letterhead. The CPA letter should include similar info and essentially confirms your stated income.

• most recent W2 or 1099’s if self-employed

• Landlord recommendation letter

• Credit report

I like to add a few additional items to stand out, including a few photos of your current apartment to show the owner that you will take care of their building. Sending screenshots of any further proof of income or funds is always a good idea too!

If you want to stand out further, I highly recommend adding an introduction letter to let the landlord know who you are. Introduce yourself and include what you like to do with your time, why you love their neighborhood, what you do for work, how beautiful their building is, etc! You can add a pet resume as well or include their info in your Intro Letter. We did this for the first time with the place we ended up getting, so I believe it helps!

Best of luck with your search! xx