Astoria Interiors: A Rent-Stabilized Railroad On 30th Ave

BY ANNA DORÉ

Welcome back to another edition of Astoria Interiors, a series where we go inside neighborhood homes to showcase design on the most local level. Today we head inside a railroad-style 2BR on 30th Avenue, where Courtney and Jake get creative with colorful walls, custom-built furniture and thrift shop finds. From the royal blue bathroom to the guest bedroom murphy bed, we’re delighting in the details of this Astoria abode.

Remember, if you’d like to submit your home, please send a selection of six well-lit photos (including captions!) and a series of responses to these questions. All types of homes are welcome and encouraged. Send your submission to dore.anna@gmail.com with “Astoria Interiors” in the subject line. Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Name: Courtney Ortiz

Social handle: @courtney.ortiz

Location:  41st Street x 30th Ave

Years lived in: 2.5 years

Size (# of bedrooms, bathrooms): Railroad style, 2 bedroom 1 bathroom

Tell us a bit about you and your Astoria apartment: 

My boyfriend and I moved into this apartment a little over 2 years ago after finding this rent stabilized deal through a friend. I’ve lived in Astoria for the past 10 years. I’m a professional dancer and business owner and often work from our home office area. My boyfriend works as a facilities manager of a studio space, walking distance in Long Island City. Although a railroad apartment is not the most ideal layout in the world, we knew this was a great deal and love the fact that we have a guest bedroom. When we moved in, the place was extremely dated, so we did our best to make the place more current with custom furniture (made by Jake!), new paint, light fixtures, and a lot of love! I LOVE thrifting, so the majority of the pieces in our space are from our vintage adventures.

Describe your design aesthetic in 5 words or less: 

Vintage, stylish, sleek, trendy

What’s your favorite room and why?

Probably the bedroom. I love my amazingly comfortable nectar mattress and tufted bed frame, with my vintage mid-century dresser set I got for a steal back home in Maryland (thanks Dad for hauling it to NYC!).

Most prized piece?

There are a lot of really special pieces in my home. I have paint by number paintings and deer antlers that were gifted to me from my grandfather Poppy who meant the world to me and I’ll keep forever. But my most prized piece has to be my 2 cats Gatsby and Chico! They are my world and they love running up and down the narrow hallway of our apartment! Plus they are the cutest!

What part of your home are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the bathroom transformation. When we moved in, the bathroom was baby pink, with an old dated medicine cabinet that was falling a part. We grabbed some navy paint, removed the cabinet and replaced it with this gorgeous gold mirror that was one of my flea market finds from Pittsburgh. The bathroom is stunning. And Gatsby’s favorite place to hang out.

Favorite local element?

I love how Astoria has a neighborhood feel and is an escape from busy Manhattan. The food here is out of this world. And I love the bar scene as well (you can catch us as regulars at our favorite bar Diamond Dogs!). Plus, our location can’t get much better. We live between 2 train stops and only 20 minutes from Manhattan. We are very lucky!

Best apartment advice? 

A little paint and a switch of the light fixture is an easy way to spruce up a rental apartment. Although we all want a beautiful renovated space, sometimes that doesn’t always happen in Astoria, so don’t be afraid to get creative and find ways to transform your space into the apartment of your dreams!