Franke Chung

Name: Darcy Young & Mike Putizger with dog Moose Location: West Town — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Darcy and Mike arrived at a building in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago for a condo showing two years ago, another unit owner in the building happened to be moving out at the same time. The door was open and they popped their heads in.

This may be Emily's first studio apartment, but she deftly squeezed in a private bed area, living area AND room for entertaining in only 400 square feet

Every ounce of artist Hillery's place is dripping in warmth. There are stacks of cozy blankets to curl into and Mali the dog appears perpetually huggable.

Name: Karie Leonardo Location: Pilsen — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years All around Chicago, there seems to be a residential rehabilitation of once-commercial spaces on a massive scale. But rarely does a single person attempt it with a sole commercial property.

Name: Heidi and Erik Salo of Salo Design and their daughter Frankie Location: Lakewood — Cleveland, Ohio Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Homeowners Heidi and Erik Salo mix periods, styles, textures and colors to get the best possible match, blending retail trends (like a Sputnik dining room chandelier) with personal trends (like thrifted destination plates) and travel items (like from their honeymoon in Thailand).

Even at just 400 square feet, Jaime's managed to create a chic space that takes advantage of the natural light that it's blessed with, compounded by warm and inviting pieces.

Name: Franke Chung, Jason Wark, Neko the cat, and Ozzy the dog Location: Streeterville — Chicago, Illinois Size: 640 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Many folks who live in studio apartments might agree — they function quite efficiently… until you have company over. That’s when there’s a sudden shift in the equilibrium. There’s one too many bodies in here.