Mike purchased his Uptown Manhattan apartment in 2002 and has spent the last 23 years transforming it entirely by hand — not just painting walls, but tearing them down. He gutted and rebuilt the kitchen with standard big-box cabinets, installed French doors himself to maximize natural light, and built a faux chimney to hide TV wires. Despite owning the place, he still favours renter-friendly hacks like peel-and-stick wallpaper and vinyl tiles, mixing family heirlooms and street finds with mid-century modern pieces sourced on a budget into a warm, cohesive home.