Jill Slater

Name: LorinLocation: Greenwich Village, ManhattanSize: 400 square feet — StudioYears lived in: 9 years “Just because you have to live in a small space, doesn’t mean you have to forgo convenience, organization, OR luxury.” After nine years in a studio in the West Village, this is Lorin’s modus operandi. Not only did her square footage change dramatically when she moved from a townhouse in DC, but her style did as well.

Name: KathyLocation: Brooklyn Heights, BrooklynSize: 750 sq.ft. 3 rooms, no kitchenYears lived in: 3 years >> As I climbed the weathered but beautiful winding wood staircase up the five floors to Kathy’s apartment, I imagined an ascent to a 19th century Parisian atelier filled with dust and clutter, but also a room full of gems. When I arrived I was not disappointed…>> Kathy does not have a front door or a kitchen, and if you put down your glass of water, it is hard to find it again.

Name: LauraLocation: Boerum Hill, BrooklynSize: 450 sqft, one bdrm rentalYears lived in: 7.5 years “I’ll show you the closet, it’s really nice!” When Laura said this, I knew this house tour was going to be different than nearly any other from the past 3 years.That’s because Laura is a professional organizer and she puts her money where her mouth is….

Designer: Lisa ZadorLocation: West Village, ManhattanSize: 400 square foot, two-bedroomYears Lived In:: 20 Lisa has grown into the person she is today — over the past 20 years — in the same apartment. While it started out as a cramped share amongst college friends, replete with milk crates and plywood desks, it started to mature when Lisa took over the lease.

Name: Jocelyn, mom of Griff (3) and Lila (8mos) Location: Tribeca, New York City Room Size: 150 square feet The great thing about Jocelyn’s nursery is that it is as completely engaging for kids as it is for adults. Jocelyn has managed to create a kid oasis without overloading the room with too many kid-centric items. When Jocelyn and her husband moved into this loft apartment, they had no kids and the space had a completely different feel.

Name: Jocelyn Location: Tribeca, Manhattan, New York Size: 2,000 square feet indoors Years lived in: 5.5 years; owned Jocelyn and her husband purchased a loft from a long time resident artist with great creative flair, but who made design choices that were very different than their own. Let the scraping begin.

Name: Jesa Location: Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Jesa and her husband moved to Bay Ridge, a family-oriented neighborhood in southern Brooklyn not necessarily known for high style. So, it was with great surprise, that around the side of a purposely derelict facade (so as to not draw unwanted attention), I found a modern, and very cool, renovated home.

Name: Danielle Colding Location: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Almost 2 years; Rented “Everything in here is from so many generations,” explains Danielle as I ooh and aah at an apartment packed with style and sentiment. At every turn there is a beautiful something and a story attached to it. Danielle is not afraid to let me know that for her, “more is more” when it comes to creating a home you want to come home to.

Name: Anne and Richard Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York Size: 2,500 square feet, 2 bedroom Years lived in: 2 years; Owned “I think that you go astray when you aim for perfection,” declares Anne when discussing her approach to home decor. Anne and Richard’s relatively new home is filled with a mix of the old and the new, the damaged and the pristine. For Anne, these charming inconsistencies make her home a much more comfortable place in which to live.

Name: two children (4 and 1)Location: West Village, New York City Doryn grew up in a house in which the kid options were few and far between. While she did not wish to turn her home over to her kids, Doryn successfully created wonderful kid friendly places that integrate well into the overall design. In addition to each of her two children’s bedrooms, there is a great playroom on the ground floor.

Name: DorynLocation: West Village, New YorkSize: 4000 square feet, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath townhouseYears Lived In: 7 months After a few years of adhering to the widely held belief that having kids means moving to the suburbs, Doryn and her husband decided they could no longer live with that choice, and moved back to Manhattan. Fortunate enough to be able to afford a comparable square footage to that of their suburban home, Doryn and her husband found a townhouse they could love.

Name: Nick (12) and Lucas (8)Location: Upper West Side, ManhattanRoom Size: Bedroom is 240 sqft and Playroom is 144 sqft.Jane has a beautiful home, that, while child friendly, makes very few aesthetic sacrifices. Her boys’ bedroom and playroom are no exception. The rooms are sophisticated spaces that, at the same time, burst with excitement and the potential for adventure for Jane’s two playful but wise-beyond-their-years young boys.

Name: Sabrina SotoLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 1200 square feet, 2 bedroom, 2 bath rentalYears Lived In: 7 months Sabrina, an HGTV designer and personality, just moved to NYC from Washington DC for her new show. She downsized from a sizeable house to a brand new 2-bedroom luxury rental, basically starting over from scratch.

Name: JaneLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 3 bedroom, 3 bathYears Lived In: 8 years Jane and her husband have very different approaches to design. While they both have a vested interest, Jane leans heavily towards form and her husband is a big fan of function. Together, however, they have achieved greatness. Jane is a designer by profession, so she took the lead seven years ago to create one home out of two apartments — one above the other.

Name: The YardLocation: Long Island City, New YorkSize: 650-square-feet — 1-bedroom condo Modern Spaces has taken brokerage and marketing of new condos at the Yard to a new level. The model apartments benefit a long list of local artists and a female furniture design duo who transform salvaged wood scraps into signature pieces! Nightwood, the deconstructed furniture and textiles company, is very into modern rusticity.

Name: Michael and ShannonLocation: Upper West Side, New YorkSize: 400 square feet one bedroom rentalYears Lived In: 5 years “We’ve always had a thing for the relaxed library [look],” explains Michael, a travel photographer, as he gives me the grand tour of his and Shannon’s home. You may recognize this well-curated (small!) apartment as one of the ‘teeny-tiny’ category finalists in this year’s Small Cool Contest.

Standing at the Union Square farmers’ market, the cast iron arches of the former headquarters of Tiffany and Company always made me swoon. This week, I had the pleasure of viewing them from the inside out. The 19th century manufacturing, office and showroom space has been transformed into a monument to large-scale living. The 16-foot ceilings are enough to stop one dead in their tracks.Vicente Wolf thoroughly assumed his role as designer for the 36-unit building.

Name: Katherine & AlbertLocation: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 4-story limestone building. Phase 1: one-floor, 938 square feet. Phase 2: 2-floor, 3-bedroom, 1,876 square feet (tenants live on the other two of the floors)Years Lived In: 3 Katherine, a stylist, is very particular about, and sensitive to, her immediate environment.

Name: Time Warner’s Signature HomeLocation: NoHo, ManhattanSize: 3,000 square feet — 3 bedroom triplexYears lived in: temporary showhome In an effort to introduce their new Signature Home product in style, Time Warner took over and redecorated a triplex on Bond Street. The idea was to imagine a seriously wired home, on in which technology was seamlessly integrated into every room in the house.

Name: JacquelynLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 712 square feet — one bedroomYears lived in: 1 month Jacquelyn’s goal for the design of this apartment was to infuse it with glamour — a home and a “life filled with beautiful objects, imbued with femininity and opulence.

Name: LauraLocation: Financial District — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 693 square feet — one bedroomYears lived in: 1 month While the Financial District can often seem dark and ominous — especially this time of year — Laura managed to foster a bright and uplifting aura in her home. The colors are cheerful. The design lines are crisp and meticulous. It’s a totally cute place!

Name: Jeremy (and his roommate Ralph)Location: Spanish Harlem — Manhattan, New YorkSize: 875 square feet — 2 bedroom rentalYears lived in: 5 months Jeremy’s home should look familiar to readers — House Call: Jeremy & Ralph’s Bachelor Pad. Visiting Jeremy and his roommate’s home in person confirmed that they are destined for a life of fine living.

Name: Sharon, Chris, Julian and Larry (the dog)Location: Greenwich VillageSize: 1080 square foot 2-bedroom coopYears lived in: 1 Sharon is a fashion designer and her husband Chris is a developer and contractor. So, she wanted to go for a completely individualized look and he wanted to ensure re-sale potential. The result is great bones, and solid materials, with the most gorgeous and romantic flourishes.

Name: Kate & CameronLocation: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 850 square feet — 1 bedroomYears lived in: 10 months Kate and Cameron are very in sync when it comes to style. They married a year ago, and moved into this great apartment soon thereafter. Buying furniture was easy as they both knew they wanted simple and efficient pieces.

Name: LJ, Elena and Teo Location: Downtown Brooklyn Size: 550 square feet studio Years lived in: 5 years Long-time Apartment Therapy fans may recall LJ’s impressive work in progress! Well, LJ finally finished and it looks incredible! This home is a labor of love and sweat. LJ, an architect, built almost everything you see! Major elements that he didn’t build with his own two hands were often salvaged from other people’s architectural projects.

Name: Dale & Adam — Dale’s firm is DRD Studio (website underway)Location: Chelsea — NYCSize: 1,070 square feet — 2 bedroom duplex Years lived in: 7 years Five years ago, I had the pleasure of documenting Dale and Adam’s home for a pioneering Apartment Therapy House Tour! Since then, they’ve had a few changes: a new kitchen, new half-bath, and twins! Dale is an architect so all the designs for the renovations over the years were home made.

Name: Debbie MillmanLocation: ChelseaSize: 1,600 square feet — 2 bedroom with backyardYears lived in: 16 Debbie was in the mood for a change but wasn’t sure how to go about it. As Debbie recalls, Susan replied, “Well, if we are going to get new furniture, maybe we should get new floors, and if we get new floors maybe we should get…an entire new everything!” When Debbie asked what she should do with all her old furniture, Susan replied, “Curbside!