Even though antique-textiles and rug dealer Betsy Murphy spent seven years in the pricey carpet department at Christie’s, she’s a bargain-hunter by nature: “I picked up almost everything in Morocco or Turkey, or at the flea market,” she explains. “I like things with a lot of patina, and I like things that remind me of a certain time and place,” she adds, gesturing toward a wall of images in the entryway (most are old family snapshots that she had rephotographed, enlarged and then placed in cheap frames).

The space, a 450-square-foot one-bedroom in Gramercy, is blessed with high ceilings and an excellent layout—three small separate-feeling rooms with an adjoining kitchen—which create the illusion of a much larger apartment. Murphy installed antique French doors from the old flea market in Chelsea (try the one in Hell’s Kitchen for similar finds), in the entryway between the bedroom and living room; the kitchen is well-demarcated from the entry thanks to cerulean walls. “I want more color,” she adds, nodding to a shelving unit that houses a collection of books. “I don’t know what shade those are going to be.”

“I am always buying things, whether it’s abroad or on eBay,” she laughs, “which is why I’ve become versed in selling things on eBay as well. This apartment is small! If I haven’t used or worn something in a year, it’s gone.”

1. Murphy fends off antique overload with modern paintings—from Christie’s annual art-handlers’ auction: “Many people who move art are amazing painters,” she explains.

2. Storage units can double as attractive display: “I fill them full of stuff and pile them on armoires,” Murphy says.

3. A onetime ABC Carpet & Home shopper, Murphy captures the store’s fabled vibe with significantly more affordable DIY touches. “You can buy a lot of gorgeous, affordable textiles—ikats, suzanis, etc.—on eBay and have a tailor whip up some throw pillows for $30,” she says.