Chinasa Cooper

Teju’s rental came with typical NYC apartment challenges like old infrastructure, window issues, uneven floors, and weird walls.

See inside Gina Fuchs’ small Brooklyn studio apartment that’s full of color, tchotchkes, small-space design ideas, and perhaps most importantly, a ton of fun!

Fernanda Clark landed THE vintage orange couch used in Jeremy Allen White’s viral Calvin Klein ad.

From glass blocks, vintage sofas that make a conversation pit, and more, secondhand finds have made this Bushwick rental incredible.

Joey Skladany, a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer, found his one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment with a little luck, timing, and resolve.

Lisa’s rental home might only be 350 square feet, but the location is unbeatable and an “outdoor” space makes it feels much less smaller.

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.”

Designed by Rosario Candela in the 1930s, Isabel’s apartment building has a rooftop terrace with 360 views of midtown and the East River. But that’s not what sold her on the apartment. “I fell in love with the classic black and white foyer tile marble the instant I walked in the apartment,” she writes.

Shelley V. Worrell is the founder of caribBEING and led the initiative to designate the Little Caribbean neighborhood. She shares this beautiful Brownstone home in Brooklyn with her husband, Janluk Stanislas (a filmmaker and a co-founder of caribBEING).

Lily, a fashion designer and Holistic Health Practitioner, and Llew, an illustrator and folk tattoo artist, find inspiration from their collection of antiques and treasures found at flea markets.

Logan West says he's a maximalist who values minimalism.

This teeny studio apartment feels like a small indoor jungle where everything fits together well.

Roar + Rabbit co-founder Mitzie Wong shares this newly Brooklyn apartment with her partner Jenifer Herrmann.

Ericka Hart shares this beautiful and bright Brooklyn rental apartment with her partner Ebony Donnley, and their adorable dog, Baguette X.

Name: Adrianna Gardini and Craig Youngren, two kids, and two cats Location: Alphabet City — New York City Size: Approx. 520 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned When Adrianna, a display artist, and Craig, a teacher and editor, bought their apartment, it was a bare, white, and bright space that felt outdated and in need of change.

Rachel's budget-friendly style is "modern, muted maximalism—with a touch of humor and a tiny bit of Texas."

Mandy Ansari is the founder of the blog "Girl and the Bay" and lives in this small Manhattan apartment that was inspired by three of her favorite places.

Alyssa Greenberg lives in this teeny 208-square-foot Crown Heights studio apartment.

Carrie, a Beauty Editor at POPSUGAR, has had nine addresses in the past eight years. But this teeny studio apartment on the UES is a stylish keeper.

And almost everything (from the unicorn oil painting to the rug) is either thrifted or given to her by a relative.

Name: Brigid Andrews Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years, renting Brigid Andrews, a merchandising director, has been a part of the fashion world for 15+ years. And her Brooklyn apartment reflects this experience… as well as her love for eye-catching visuals. Stacks of fashion magazines cover the top of the credenza in the bedroom, transforming it into a show-stopping feature.

Name: Timothy Griffin and Nico Fournier Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Timothy and Nico, both hoteliers, have created an apartment full of mood and atmosphere. They both wanted to try and create that feeling of hygge, and they did it thanks to cozy textiles, moody colors, and atmospheric light choices.

Name: Ali and Chip McEnhill Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 478 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Ali and Chip McEnhill moved into their apartment in Cobble Hill Towers — a Brooklyn landmark built in 1879 — they were inspired to reintroduce and recover some of its original character.

Name: Irmak Karayal and Spencer Ramsey Location: East Harlem — New York, New York Size: 550 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting “Everyone who steps into our apartment says something along the lines of, ‘This is the perfect little apartment for you guys!’ We hear the words ‘perfect little’ all the time,” says Irmak — one half of the couple that lives in this East Harlem apartment. This description couldn’t be more true.

Name: Amy Chan Location: Chelsea — New York, New York Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: Renting Amy Chan, the founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp and a relationship columnist, has a philosophy when it comes to designing spaces. “Spaces have energy. Your body can feel the energy of the space once you walk in — listen to that. I saw over 20 apartments before I found this one, and when I stepped inside, I just knew it had to be mine.

Name: Aster Thomas Location: Harlem, NY Years lived in: Less than 1 year, renting Aster found her studio apartment less than a year ago. The biggest selling point? “The enormous bathroom/luxurious glam room,” which comes with a clawfoot tub and high ceilings. For the design of the rest of the studio apartment, Aster drew inspiration from European studio apartments on Pinterest.

Name: Sarah Jacobson Location: Lower East Side — New York, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “Above all, I believe in comfort—in a home that makes you feel more relaxed the second you step through its doors,” describes Sarah of her style. You can feel and see that sense of comfort in features like the two-person breakfast nook or the living room area, at least once you get over the stunning style of the apartment (specifically the kitchen!).

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.

Name: Siria Alvarez and Emmanuel Perez Location: West Harlem — New York, NY Years lived in: 3 years, renting Siria and Emmanuel were lucky to score a Harlem apartment with great bones: High ceilings makes the space feel spacious, a heavy but glorious fireplace is a bold focal point, and a dark-wood hallway is a striking statement. But it’s how Siria and Emmanuel have furnished the space that makes it so inspiring.

Name: Katherine Steinberg Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned “Sleep on any major changes before committing,” is Katherine Steinberg’s sage advice. And after taking on a full-blown renovation when she moved into her Brooklyn apartment over two years ago, she’s had a lot of experience with making big updates in her home, everything from moving the location of a staircase to picking out wallpaper.

Name: Alina Fassakhova, Artem Churikov and cat Usha Location: Upper West Side — New York City Size: About 400 square feet Years Lived In: 14 months, renting Working and living in a small space is already a challenge. Add to that a messy (artistic) profession requiring oil paints and large canvases, and it becomes truly challenging to balance work and personal life in one space.

By visiting flea markets wherever they travel, the couple finds unusual objects to create a warm, romantic, and textural style throughout their home.

Name: Habiba Koroma Location: Central Harlem, NYC Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting A ball pit is not necessarily something you expect in an NYC apartment, but in Habiba’s home, it’s an integral feature of her son’s play area. The ingenious, whimsical kid-friendly space that Habiba, an interior designer, has created for Miles also includes a library, a whiteboard, a hanging yarn installation, and a giant rasterized mural of him.

Interior designer and stylist Elaine Burns has taken a small studio apartment and turned it into a cozy, functional home.

Name: Jory Sutton and Alex Simon Location: Washington Heights, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Jory and Alex’s 650-square-foot NYC apartment is a feast for the eyes. So much so, the small sneak peek we shared with their house call last year just wasn’t a long enough look. With hand-me-downs from family members, vintage pieces purchased at thrift shops, DIY artwork, and different periods and styles of decor, every room has a conversation starter.

Architect Talia Braude went all out with her home's color scheme.