Upper East Side

The bareness of the original home was an advantage to Kate.

By combining dark furniture, natural wood, white textiles, and plaid accents, Yuan Tian created a balanced, minimal, and warm home. “The result is a studio where every inch is functional, and the contrasts in materials and colors define its distinctive style.”

Hee Yeon Hwang loves the colors lavender and green, art, trinkets, daisies, and her dog, Doo Yoo. And she’s managed to showcase all of these elements and more in her tiny rental on the Upper East Side.

Dan Trumble and his wife wanted a clean, cozy, art-filled oasis when they moved into this blank Upper East Side rental apartment. With a small budget, they had to get creative.

Color and art represent Carolina’s Puerto Rican and tropical side in her apartment, which is a classic prewar unit with arches, wood floors, crown molding, and ceiling beams.

Justine added removable peel-and-stick tile backsplash, changed out handles and outlet covers, and installed new overhead light fixtures to transform this 600-square-foot rental.

The renovation budget was $100,000.

This rental was sad when Jillian moved in. “It was dark, cold, many things were broken, the vibe was off … ” Jillian put a lot of TLC, love, and effort to turn this dingy rental into an oasis.

"It may seem a bit cluttered to some, but I love it!" exclaims Melanie, who shares this tiny studio with her cute cat. "Maximalism isn't for everyone, but I keep it clean!"

Shaped like a “T” and with original picture molding lining the hallway, this NYC rental apartment has a “modern folk, moody modernism” vibe.

This native New Yorker has personalized her small rental apartment with renter-friendly DIYs and “98% secondhand finds.”

Decorator Barbara Campbell isn’t a “white wall” person; instead she insists on being surrounded by “uplifting, welcoming color.”

Honestly you'll forget you're even in New York City thanks to this apartment's chic floral pattern mixing.

Jenny Davis and her husband, Cory, have rented this one-bedroom, 650-square-foot apartment for 15 years. They share the home with their three kids, their cat Leo, and their bearded dragon, Rexy.

This homeowner’s style muse is Keely Jones from “Ted Lasso” and Barbie.

Rachael Harvey, Assistant Membership Director for a synagogue in Manhattan, moved to this 275-square-foot, $1,800-per-month Upper East Side studio apartment eight months ago.

Since this is Mindy’s first time owning a home, she was as involved as possible in the renovation, like knocking out the old kitchen and taking off the bathroom tiles, all to build the minimal and modern small home of her dreams.

"Living in a studio means that I see everything all the time, so I really need to like everything that's there," explains Upper East Side studio apartment dweller Jamie Mandel.

Even though Laura Mullaney’s rental apartment is small, she knew the layout had a ton of potential when she first moved in. “I was also super impressed with the amount of storage for such a small space.”

Because Jung Hi Han's rental is just a large rectangle, she had to figure out how to arrange the furniture to make different areas. "I used an IKEA bookcase to separate my 'bedroom' from the entry, along with wallpaper to visually create a bedroom. I used the gallery wall in my 'living room' to separate that space, and the two Tara McPherson prints to section off my 'dining room,'" Jung Hi explains.

After going through a breakup and having to move out, Hayley committed to making her next life chapter about celebrating herself, starting with living alone for the first time. She found her home on the Upper East Side and began curating a collection of clean neutrals that keep her home looking pristine.

When Jennelle moved into her place for the first time, she realized buying everything at once would be expensive. So instead, she slowly collected things from the curb, Facebook Marketplace, and places within her budget to create a beautiful New York apartment that nods to her parents who immigrated from Jamaica.

Interior designer Nicole Arruda's whole rental studio apartment is proof of how much architectural interest and beauty you can add to a space with just a few details.

Though just 500 square feet, Jacqueline Clair's studio apartment is a bright corner unit with tons of windows, and features lots of ideas for maximizing a small space.

The period charm in Danielle's Upper East Side apartment is a dream: original hardwood floors, exposed white brick, a painted tile backsplash in the kitchen, and a wood burning fireplace.

Jenny and Cory have rented this small one-bedroom apartment in New York's Upper East Side for 14 years... and it's had to change and adapt with the addition of a 4-year son and 1-year-old twins. 

This apartment had '80s vibes in all the wrong ways.

Name: Lauren Rubcic Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting When Lauren found out that she would be relocating to New York City for work, she only had three weeks to find the right apartment. To her surprise she found an affordable studio apartment on the Upper East Side, an area of NYC that she associated with Carrie Bradshaw and a heavy price tag. Another great selling point: the layout of the 325-square-foot apartment.

Lifestyle blogger Tanika's home is super cozy with added hints of boho charm.

"My inspiration is based on my constant search for peculiar elements in objects I find from places everywhere."

Name: Ross Garner and Pat Hicks Location: Upper East Side — New York City, NY Size: 700 Square Feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented This carefully curated home reflects the love of a traditional, nautical style that Ross and Pat share. Making an effort to co-design their apartment helped them find a balance that resulted in a lovely and inviting home. Ross: We are always at the water and I think that it’s really apparent in our style.

Name: Christeleny Berner Location: Upper East Side; NYC, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Christeleny’s love for design and style has resulted in a seriously gorgeous apartment. The home did not come together without hard work, though; the apartment went through significant renovations which took years to finish. Once renovations were complete, Christeleny set to furnishing her home using her strong eye for design and her patience, which was challenging at times.

Name: Olivia Muenter, her boyfriend Jake, and their dog Winnie Location: Upper East Side, NYC Size: Not sure Years lived in: 1.

Name: Elizabeth Sutton and her kids Miro and Nora Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 1,370 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting For New York-based artist Elizabeth Sutton, leaving the first home she ever owned was the most difficult part of her divorce. “My ex and I purchased it together a year after we got married and we lived there for five years. It was the first home to both my children.