Erin Derby

Tour Charlotte's large house she shares with her five kids, which feels completely colorful and one-of-a-kind, thanks to incredible DIY projects.

"My personal home style inspiration has a wide range, from traditional maximalist to English cottage home to Scandinavian clean lines to farmhouse to Rajasthani folk with its warm colors and block-prints, even a bit of New York loft-style with art-filled walls and plants," begins singer/songwriter Abhilasha Sinha.

Thanks to the studio apartment's high ceilings and huge windows, as well as Leecy's brilliant small-space styling and organizing skills, her home feels much larger than it actually is.

Fashion consultant and merchandiser Jasmine Hart worked with interior designer and set decorator Kendra Cusic to decorate this Brooklyn rental apartment.

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.

Designer Kim White has transformed her cozy Brooklyn rental apartment with smart DIY projects, like using banquette seating to build a custom sectional sofa, using mirrors to make the space feel larger, and more.

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.

Christina Goldschmidt, Head of Product Design at Etsy, lives in an 859-square-foot condo in New York’s Battery Park City.

Caity Birmingham, a production designer for movies and TV and a prop stylist for commercials and photoshoots, loves color and fits a TON of it into her 680-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment.

Brigette Muller, known as @hummusbirrd on IG and TikTok, may only rent her 560-square-foot NYC apartment, but she’s invested in her own happiness by designing and renovating it to fit her style.

Interior designer Alvin Wayne has lived in this gorgeous 800-square-foot rental apartment for three years.

Celia Skvaril and Carrie Carrollo's two-bedroom Brooklyn apartment is a perfect example of how you can turn a bland and "renter-grade" space into a personalized and functional home with some creative DIY projects and hacks.

Monica Johnson is a psychologist and the host of the podcast, Savvy Psychologist, and has infused this apartment with color and different elements that inform their identity and interests as a person.

Tiffany and her cat, Jinju, have turned their small New York studio into a gorgeous home by mixing styles and creating a layout that gives her space for all of life's necessities.

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.

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.

Kayla works in HR at Apartment Therapy and has turned her home into her sanctuary. Working with a small space and budget, she used the color palette of her neighborhood to bring to life her gorgeous bohemian home.

Meher immigrated to America ten years ago and never believed she'd be living on her own in New York. When she was finally ready to take the leap, she created a vision board of everything she wanted in her apartment. Just as she was about to settle, she found the perfect spot that she's decorated with items and color palettes from all over the world.

Brendan and Kiersten got married in July and have been living together for six years. They moved into their current apartment two years ago with their Corgi, Lottie. Being lovers of books, they transformed their second bedroom into a library and office space that would make any bookworm jealous.

Journalist Jessica Bennett and her partner Sam did a gut renovation on this Brooklyn loft, updating the kitchen, bathrooms, and building custom furniture for many of the rooms.

By shopping secondhand and grabbing items off the street, Bronwyn Tarboton, a musical theater performer who runs the brilliant Instagram and TikTok accounts, @nyctrashtotreasures, was able to make her dream home an affordable reality.

Michal Kolaczkowski and Trevor Kuhn have been renting this 300-square-foot studio apartment on New York City's Upper West Side for about seven months.

The entire home is full of historic architectural details, from original herringbone wood floors, original dog-bone tiles in the bathroom, mirrored cabinet in the kitchen, gorgeous crown moldings on the walls, and the high ceilings, which Jessica says make the studio feel spacious.

Katie has turned her Harlem apartment into a home by adding in her Alaskan roots and finding beauty in small spaces.

When Bailey moved into an Upper West Side studio, she had to make purposeful purchases and decor decisions to fit all her favorite items in this very small space.

As an artist, Jessica has transformed her apartment into a colorful paradise. She fills the walls with her own art and works by other artists to make her home into a bright, DIYed space.

Maitri Mody (@honeyidressedthepug on Instagram) grew up in Mumbai surrounded by colors and says she can't live in a minimal white box. "I moved into this apartment after separating from a 10-year marriage and starting off on my own. So, I wanted it to be happy, cheerful, and positive," she writes.

Thanks to great layout planning and smart storage ideas, this couple's small apartment feels much bigger. And there's an adorable terrace, too!

Heather and Michael share a very organized, extremely stylish 600 square feet with their three daughters, Lennon (4 years), Georgie (2.5 years), and James (15 months). The home's style is "cozy, thoughtful, not fussy, and somewhere between minimal and collected."

"My favorite color is pink, which is also very evident in not just my apartment but anything I design at work too. If I can work the color pink into a project or my home, I will absolutely do it," says Briana Guin, who shares this 635-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with two roommates.

With the help of crafty family members, Skylar Pittmon was able to totally customize her teeny home with DIY furniture and storage that's as stylish as it is functional.

Gaby Neira and Chris Yera moved into their Upper West Side apartment almost a year ago. "Living in New York is expensive, especially for college students. We had to design the space with a small budget, limited stock availability across the city, and a two-week moving time constraint."

It was small, the kitchen was basically nonexistent, and the bathroom wasn't exactly pretty, but Irene Shamas saw the potential in this studio unit. She worked with Luki Anderson of Studio Officina and EDR Construction to transform this small one-room apartment into a functional and cozy home.

"It’s both chic and punk — a technicolor euphoria impossible not to feel at home at," describes writer, comedian, and award-winning screenwriter Greg Mania of this small rental apartment.

Kissenia shares this small Bronx studio apartment with her son, Max, and partner, Kim. "Over time I have made this apartment more than I ever imagined," she writes.

Illustrator Gica Tam shares this 760-square-foot rental apartment with a roommate, but thanks to smart storage ideas and lots of light, the space doesn't feel too cramped or cluttered at all.