The rose bush in my backyard is blooming like crazy right now, and I've been bringing one or two flowers into the house at a time. In design, roses easily can go granny, but they also can be fun, graphic, sweet, and in some cases wonderfully fragrant.

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Billy

Location:

Brooklyn, NY

Square Feet:

775

Division:

Little

What I Love About My Small Home:

Our apartment has 6 very large north facing windows which allow tons of light to flood in during the day. We are 7 floors up, which is right above the treeline, so we have lots of ways to pretend that we are looking out onto a yard. Additionally, this was the first apartment we've owned, which we bought with the intention of completely renovating. After living in rentals our whole lives, we threw many years of pent up energy into making this place exactly what we wanted. It was one of the more satisfying things we've done.

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Raquel

Location:

New York, NY

Square Feet:

500

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

We live in a pre-war converted hotel that was built in the 1920s, and we love many of the details like the casement windows, sunken living room and molding. The open layout of our studio makes the apartment have a bright and airy feel despite its small size. Another great thing is that we can see Grand Central Terminal from out our window and the Empire State Building from our roof.

I have a nephew who loves Minecraft. Ben obsesses over building virtual structures and fitting them out almost as much as his Aunt loves actual decorating. Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be cool if he could have Minecraft in the real world? If his virtual bedroom could become a reality?

Emily and her family of four live in a 1,000 square foot apartment in Westchester County north of New York City. They're expecting the fifth member of the family any day now and since her other two children share a bedroom, she's set up a corner of the master bedroom as a welcoming nursery nook for the new arrival. 

White Enamel Four-Piece Place Setting

• $74 for a four piece setting
• Gretel

Something totally different and summery for the table: "white enamel-coated steel flatware is by Italian company Variopinte. It has a gorgeous glossy finish which is achieved by baking each piece twice at 800 degrees C; this also makes the range very durable and dishwasher-safe."

Like this Small Cool 2013 contest entry? Favorite it below!

Name:

Ziv

Location:

Tel Aviv Israel

Square Feet:

635

Division:

International

What I Love About My Small Home:

It's colorful, yet calm. It combines modern design and retro accessories, and holds collections of tin toys, old posters, plush dolls and other sweet memories from our childhood. Though it's pretty small, it feels spacious enough. It totally feels "ours"!

When I first started brewing beer at home, I was a 5-gallon girl — much like most new homebrewers. It's just what you do. Then I discovered 1-gallon batches, and here's why I may never brew another 5-gallon batch of beer again.

• 1-Gallon Homebrewer
  The Kitchn

Q: I live in a den that's been converted into a bedroom. My doors are bi-fold and have a gap at the bottom, the top, and in the middle. They provide very little privacy and sound passes through them rather easily. In addition, one of the walls has a door that can't be opened but is very poorly sealed off, making all the building hallway traffic highly audible. Any ideas for soundproofing?