Name: Natalie Linden aka The Unreliable Novelist
Location: Mission District — San Francisco, California
Size: 400 square feet
Years lived in: Almost 3— rented

My friend Jen and I popped by the home of Natalie Linden, aka The Unreliable Novelist, for some French 75s and girl chat last weekend. It was my first visit to what Natalie calls her hen pen and my attention was instantly drawn to the colorful textiles and thrifty treasures in all the nooks of her large studio. It became difficult to hold a conversation as my eyes wandered everywhere. Collections (obsessions?) of tiny vases, books, plates, and things fill the space in unexpected ways. "I come from a long line of collectors--dishware, antiques, taxidermy, jewelry, surfboards, frogs, more dishware, you name it. But in a space like this, I really have to keep it in check," she says.

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Name: Tiffany
Location: The Mission District, San Francisco

My boyfriend and I moved into this tiny studio apartment about five months ago. The overall style of the apartment is very much inspired by our jobs (which are conveniently located by our home). He works at Dog Eared Books, a used bookstore, and I work at Paxton Gate, a store that sells plants, taxidermy, and beautiful objects inspired by nature and science. More

Name: Nina Bakos
Location: South East — Portland, Oregon
Size: Approximately 500 square feet
Years lived in: 2 — rented

Nina's job is to make objects fit into a space just right as a product merchandiser for Nike, so it's no surprise her studio is arranged with love, care and impeccable taste. Her biggest design inspiration? The aesthetic of her Finnish mother and Slovac father. Great style runs in the family.

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Name: Femi
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

My boyfriend and I grew up in Curacao (small island in the Caribbean) where the houses are big and have big yards. When we moved to Amsterdam, a big city, into a small apartment where we had to make it our "own".

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Name: Shelby Girard
Location: Gold Coast — Chicago, Illinois
Size: 375 square feet studio
Years lived in: 10 months, rented

When one lives in 375 square feet, every inch matters. What I love about Shelby's home is that despite her space limitations, she doesn't shy away from decoration. Artwork, textiles, collectibles and photos are thoughtfully chosen and carefully placed around her home, surrounding her daily life with memories and inspiration.

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Name: Onielia Douglas
Location: Downtown — Portland, Oregon
Size: 535 square feet
Years lived in: 1 — rented

Onielia lives in a studio smack dab in the middle of downtown Portland. After seeing her petite, divided studio in our Small, Cool Contest, I was curious about how the cute, girly pad actually flowed. She has creatively tackled a pretty small space with the use of strategically placed larger pieces as well as personal, joyful details. And she's done it all on a tight budget!

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Name: Ryan Zagone
Location: Georgetown — Washington, DC
Size: 330 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 — Rented

In a leafy corner of Georgetown that is also a quick walk to Dupont Circle, Ryan has made a studio apartment into an efficient home. He has drawn on some of the District's best resources for vintage and antiques while adding contemporary pieces and travel finds. The result is distinctly masculine and simultaneously rustic and refined.

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Name: Rodellee Bas
Location: Hancock Park — Los Angeles, California
Size: 450 square feet
Years lived in: 3 weeks — Rent

Rodellee's previous home caught my eye in her recent House Call, and I knew immediately that her style and choices in decor were both charming and personal. Three weeks later, she's moved into a studio three times smaller and has created another amazing space.

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Name: Jessica
Location: Lakewood; Dallas, Texas
Size:515 square feet
Years lived in: 7 months — rented

Jessica's space got rave reviews when it was entered into Small Cool 2011. Even though she didn't make the final round of the contest, readers were intrigued and asked for a longer look at the style, personality and design intuitions of this animal-print, Hollywood-starlet-loving Texas gal.

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Name: Chris Paulsen
Location: New York, New York
Size: 280 square feet
Years lived in: 4 — rented

Nestled between Gramercy and Murray Hill, in one of those nebulous neighborhoods of Manhattan, lives Chris Paulsen, a former model with a propensity for modern design. As I first met him in the doorway of his little apartment to conduct our House Tour that day, I couldn't help but blurt out my first question, "Where exactly am I?"

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