Name: Shell Azar
Location:  Greenwich Village, NYC
Size:  Started with 420 square feet; increased to 520 square feet (not including outdoor terrace)
Years lived in: 6 

Shell lives and works in this gorgeous studio space, which she recently transformed, with the help of architect James Vira, into an open and inviting place to call home. Materials are used in a way that's true to their nature, giving the studio an invigorating and creative feel. 

Name: Alexis Tompkins and Ian Mesey
Location: Inner Richmond, San Francisco, California
Size: 850 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; Rented

As a designer, Alexis views her home as a platform for experimentation. It’s also an opportunity for her and Ian to let their inner funkiness shine. They are art collectors and creative spirits, and have embraced the idea of accumulating meaningful decor that they love to shape their home. We first saw their apartment in 2012's Small Cool contest, and now we're back for more!

Name: Anne and Steve Truppe, Photographers and Visual Storytellers/owners of trü studio
Location: Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois
Size: about 900 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Rented

Great art reveals new elements of itself every time you look at it, which is exactly how I feel about my visits to trü studio. For the design-inclined, the space is the art, and Anne and Steve take great care with their creation. The couple believes in the potential of “good bones,” and saw huge promise in the architectural details and wide windows of this third floor apartment, which they found on Craigslist. Moving in together for the first time after getting engaged (they met as undergraduates at an architecture program), they balance patience and persistence to fill the ever-evolving canvas of their live/work space.

Name: Joan Hiller and Matt LeMay
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
Size: 550 square feet
Years lived in: 1 for Joan, 2 for Matt; Rented

We first met Joan when she was living in this stylish studio in Portland, so we already knew about her phenomenal sense of individuality and style. Knowing this, it's not surprising that upon moving to New York, she would meet and fall in love with someone whose creative energy parallels her own. Together Joan and Matt have put together a home filled with charm, personality and love. 

Name: Clayton Apgar + Kate Morgan Chadwick
Location: Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 1 1/2 years; Rented

Clayton and Kate live in one of those classic Spanish architectural charmers, on my favorite street in Los Feliz. Their home is shaded by trees and dappled with filtered sunlight. Clayton, an interior designer, has applied his simple design philosophy to create a perfect home for himself and his fiancé, actress Kate Morgan Chadwick. 

Name: Jennifer Culp, owner of Jennifer Culp Design, and John Hoffman, director of sales and marketing for Sungreen Systems
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 2,500 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years

Jennifer is one lucky girl! Many times I drive up and down the streets of Miracle Mile admiring all the old Spanish apartments and duplexes. When I got a chance to peek inside Jennifer's home, it did not disappoint. There are lots of beautiful architectural details, a vintage tiled bath, and even a wood burning fireplace (which believe it or not actually gets used, even during LA winters). 

Name: Amy Yvonne Yu
Location: Downtown, San Francisco, California
Size: 400 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years; Rented

Amy lives downtown in the bustling hub of the city, and her innate energy and enthusiasm are a perfect match for her surroundings. As an art buyer, producer and creative consultant (she works with the Selby), her artistic eye and ability to edit carefully shines through in her space.

Name: Mark
Location: South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington
Size: 680 square feet (plus 150 square foot terrace)
Years lived in: 3 years; Rented

Whether he’s entertaining a group of friends for a home-cooked meal (one specialty is chilaquiles), working on architectural plans at the kitchen table, or relaxing after work with the patio doors open, Mark brings a sense of ease and playfulness to his condo — and there’s always good music playing. Despite having once been in love with crisp lines and modern profiles, he’s now “so over stark modern” and is enjoying having fun with the decor in his centrally located Seattle loft.

Name: Johanna Lane & Mike Harvkey
Location: Brooklyn Heights,  Brooklyn, New York
Size: 440 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; Own

Having previously lived in an apartment about the same size as the home that writers Johanna and Mike share, I am acutely aware of how challenging it is to make a space that lacks in square footage feel spacious. That's why I was so impressed by how comfortable and roomy their home feels.