Like a lot of other bumbling 20-year olds, I've amassed my fair share of apartments throughout the years. Some good. Some great. Some I'd really love to forget (and don't get me started on the landlords!). But all in all, I can look back on most of my humble studios and one-bedroom apartments fondly, having walked away with a lot of great memories, learning experiences and times in my life that will be so explicitly tied to 500 square feet or less. Usually less.

Of course, once I made the ultimate move to New York City (a move, mind you, I had basically envisioned for over 5 years), I knew I was up against my biggest adjustments yet. Cross country. Transferring offices. And basically starting over as far as furniture and decor went. If you recall, I had been living in a one-bedroom apartment previously in San Francisco, shared with my at the time long-term boyfriend, so when it came time to packing up this and that as a newly, minted single girl on the brink of her 30s, I made some cuts. Big ones. I had found my perfect West Village abode, but not everything (from furniture to some just too painful/fresh memories) could fit.

In a lot of ways, I felt like I was starting over. In some of the best ways possible.

I still remember that feeling when I walked into my new studio -- an air mattress and two large suitcases in tow (and one anxious corgi) -- like I was impossibly...light. Like everything I had left behind was literally and figuratively 3,000 miles away from me. And this new space was my blank canvas to tell whatever story I wanted to start.

I had a bed. A dresser. And a lot of books.

Unlike my previous apartments, where I somewhat rushed into decorating, I knew I wanted to take my time with this little place in the heart of the West Village. I wanted to finally put the mood board I'd been gradually building for years, full of gorgeous Ceiling Tiles, rugs, layout ideas and color schemes into practice. I had committed to a several-year long lease (with the promise of the rent being lower in the long run) so I decided I was past the days of buying furniture whose Swedish names were longer than the assembly instructions themselves. I was looking to make a space that would last.

Granted, decorating a studio comes with a whole slew of obstacles that are doubled when you consider the size of most New York City apartment closets (one of the biggest reasons I miss San Francisco: her slightly larger closets!).

So question: how does a girl with a Carrie Bradshaw appetite for clothes, shoes and accessories fit everything into an apartment not much larger than a Manolo shoebox?

Answer: A little creativity and a lot of shelves. And a damn good storage unit.

I started first by dividing the room between what would be my bedroom and the general entertaining area. Originally, the idea was to arrange a bookshelf/dividing wall that would help break the space in two. That is, until I had nightmares of Elvis somehow knocking the freestanding shelf over and, well, getting trapped underneath. So plan B? I had been stalking a few pins on Pinterest where folks had installed a dividing ceiling curtain that could separate the room whenever you chose to. Seeing as how I have two large windows that sit at the end of the room where my bed is situated, I wanted a lighter, sheer white curtain that would help break the room apart but still allow a good amount of natural light to shine through.

When it comes to your bedroom, I wanted to make sure that I had a lot of natural light, as nothing beats having the sun beaming on your face throughout the day. Luckily, my friend thought the same but suggested that I go down the route of wifi controlled blinds instead. Now that was an idea. She said that you will be able to control the temperature of the room, as well as the amount of light that you let in throughout the day. "Not forgetting how great they could look in a room", she told me. I loved the idea, blinds controlled by your wifi? It is unheard of and something that I may try in the future, but for now, I'm very much pleased with my sheer white curtain.

Next, I've always been obsessed with the idea of having a personal library. I'm a bookworm at heart and it's usually what most of my movers bemoan first (that, and the shoes). While I'm several years off from my penthouse home with wall to wall shelves of books and treasures (and a sliding ladder to boot), I've learned that improvising is truly a beautiful thing in life. Since the space is relatively longer and narrow, I dedicated one entire wall opposite my leather tufted West Elm couch to share some of my favorite reads, travel knick-knacks and art (OK, and a lot of shoes). It's helped immensely with the never-ending storage problem and I've found it makes for fun conversation starters with your house guests.

To further add to the storage problem, I have a few obsessions that just kicked into high gear in recent years, namely my obsession with lingerie and perfume. The former I've learned to dedicate an unhealthy amount of drawer space to and the latter I've gotten really good at editing for display purposes. My vanity probably gets redesigned and rearranged the most -- it's one of my favorite corners in the apartment.

Of course, there are a few big check boxes for my apartment that I'd like to tick off before I feel 100% at home. I want to get a comfortable office chair for when I'm working at my desk. I spend a lot of time there so that would be a worthwhile purchase. Also high on my list is an oil painting by Sabha (introduced to me by my friend Heather) and a few black and white vintage photographs that I'm collecting of Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel and Grace Kelly. AKA a babe wall. The walls are looking a little bare so I need to get some new photographs put up as soon as possible! For my common area, I really want to get a new rug (or Teppich as they call them in Germany!) I think that rugs can really improve the appearance of a room so I've been spending a bit of time deciding which material and color I want to get. It's all so exciting!!

I'll hopefully be sharing more photos soon once the final pieces come together, but in the meantime, it's felt really good being happy and patient with my home front progress. I truly feel like I'm building my NYC refuge -- a spot I can escape the city from, by just lighting a few candles, putting a little Van Morrison on and sitting back to relax with a few close friends. This city can definitely run you ragged, in some of the most beautifully challenging ways, so it's nice to be able to reflect on that in a place that feels entirely and utterly you. Because you made it here. You. Alone. Did it.

If you're looking for more apartment inspiration (especially building and creating a space in New York), be sure to check out Corcoran's new lifestyle blog, INHABIT.

This post was in collaboration with Corcoran. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!

Photos by Lydia Hudgens