Apartment Therapy Submissions

Veda Banerjee combined touches of her Indian background with her love of Paris apartments with some lucky mid-century modern scores on Facebook Marketplace, all to create this colorful and cozy home.

After Marilou's 40-year marriage ended, she wasn’t sure if she'd be able to afford to live alone, but with careful planning she was able to buy a little one-bedroom condo in a town in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tour this exceptionally designed home for humans (and cats!) that's the home of Victoria Karieva, the lead architect and co-founder of Between the Walls. She bought this apartment with her husband, Volodymyr, two years ago.

Robert F Samuels Jr. (AKA "Bobby Trendz") refers to his home as "The Trendz Gallery," and it features a black-and-white minimalist but luxurious aesthetic with architectural elements, patterns, contemporary art, and mid-century design.

Tour this 880-square-foot rental apartment that's shared by two creatives; there are cool painted wall squiggles and a couple of fantastic secondhand scores.

During the pandemic Gillian Lyons moved to Savannah, Georgia, from NYC to be closer to her family, purchasing this 744-square-foot apartment.

Nicolas Lecoeur's rental apartment is a Haussmann-type space with moldings and parquet flooring, located in the historic district of Montmartre.

"I consider myself to be a fun person, and I want to be surrounded by stuff that makes me happy," explains Federico Duarte, an art director, of this two-bedroom Valencia, Spain, apartment he shares with his partner, Pilar.

Lifestyle and food blogger Camilla Hughes lives alone in this small London rental studio apartment, so she has the "freedom to make my home exactly how I like it."

While architect Keaton Cizek would love to own and renovate his own home one day when he has the means, as a renter he finds "so much joy in making an apartment feel like an extension of myself as much as I can."

One day Olivia Huffman was driving to work and saw something out of the corner of her eye in an alley: the "dreamiest, curved clamshell sofas" just sitting there, ready for the taking!

The kitchen in Courtney's SF studio apartment is no wider than her arms can spread out, but it is "character rich, with wood shelving painted pale blue."

Damini grew up in India and moved to the U.S. in 2016. "After four years of art school and three years into my graphic design career, this is the first place I've stayed at where I've run wild decorating and watched it transform into a space that feels like home (and part art studio)."

"Our home is a place for us to visually express ourselves. I like to think of it as one big canvas on which to design, taking inspiration from our lives together and telling little stories in different corners of our home."

Lee Newman lives in a time capsule home built in 1974 that has been "maintained by the original architect and his family. It was one of his first builds, and has some quirks."

Film, dance, and theater artist Brighid Greene has lived in this rental apartment in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood for five years, and her partner has rented here since 2012. They pay $1700 per month, and say their landlord has not raised the rent in over a decade.

Jenny and her husband hired plumbers and electricians, but did the rest of their home's renovation all on their own. "From demo, framing, drywall, installing tile, installing hardwood floors, painting, knocking down walls, and building out closets, we've done it all!"

Before Selma bought their condo two years ago, it had been a plain rental with popcorn ceilings, old appliances, and a dark kitchen. But after renovating, the condo is now fresh and bright.

Jessica's rental house was built in the 1930s; she says it has a lot of "quirks, but also a lot of historic charm. It has original built-in cabinetry, windows, and tiling and a big backyard for us to all enjoy."

When Lindsey Kephart first arrived, the previous tenants (and friends) had painted the kitchen a color they loved: yellow. With a little paint and new hardware, Lindsey transformed the room — and the entire apartment — into a chic space more fitting to her personality.

Artist Mauro Baiocco loves a bargain, so most of the furniture in this rental apartment has been found on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or the street.

Lily’s favorite thing about her apartment is all “the sunlight that comes in through the windows. The entire front wall is curved in a semicircle shape, so strong sun comes in from all sides. The plants have all really flourished, and I love watching them grow over.”

Bianca Tueretsky wrote a series of YA books called "The Time-Traveling Fashionista" about a girl who travels back in time through an enchanted vintage dress. Her small Prospect Heights apartment reflects her love of books, history, vintage pieces, and travel.

Aparna Jayaraman is Indian and has always been "inspired by the bold colors, patterns, and glitz of traditional saris." But while she says color is very important to her home, "neutrals provide it the foundation to really pop."

Musician Mathew V has moved five times in the last six years in “search of a home that felt like just that: home.” He’s found it here in this polished condo he shares with his partner, Justin.

Alexander and Jesse avoid newer luxury buildings, "preferring brownstones and buildings with more historical character. So when we were looking in Charleston we prioritized spaces in old, classic Charleston homes. Our building was built in 1840."

"The space had a modern aesthetic and we used the green kitchen as a jumping-off point for leaning into color and modern details," writes Mark Goldwell, the founding partner and executive creative director of Zero Studios.

Laura and Jason have designed the space to be like a "modern-day curiosity cabinet, and tried to evoke an overall style that blends mid-century, old British gentleman's club, and playful modernism to create a space that highlights all of our collections."

This $5500-a-month West Village rental apartment of herbalist and floral designer Emily Swarts is only 550 square feet, but feels a lot larger, thanks to it being spread across three floors — not to mention the huge windows and tons of light.

The colors in Nityasya and her partner's home are bright "and there's a lot of texture and patterns to not just take us back to India (our homeland), but also to make the feel space vibrant and full of energy — on even the coldest winter day in NYC."

Lifestyle blogger Jessica Kirby and her partner, Craig Mackay, did all the renovations themselves on this house in Rhode Island, and they had a very small budget. But they maximized their efforts "by spending on materials instead of labor. Our house is small and it’s an open layout, but we managed to make it feel spacious and still cozy."

"We wanted everything to feel super fun and happy to look at," Victoria Buckley says of the home she shares with her partner and dog. "We both try to be really positive and I think our home helps a lot with that! When we’re relaxing at home or even working during the day, the whole atmosphere feels very positive and motivating."

Elielle describes their home's style as "botanical, airy, eclectic, relaxed, traditional."

"We moved from a converted church to a converted school house," says Rachel Hill, who shares this home with her husband. "We both love the character that comes with an old building which is brought back to life and repurposed as a home."

Bronwyn, who rents this 800-square-foot Nob Hill apartment, advises: "Let things evolve slowly. Invest in antiques with soul."

Kate makes an effort to avoid buying new things for her Chicago rental apartment, instead sourcing "items from thrift stores, antique shops, and second-hand marketplaces. About 80% of the things I buy come from these places, and I love incorporating historic designs into a very modern building."