Katy Ma is a user experience designer, so when it came to designing her home — this 400-square-foot apartment in the East Village she rented for three years — it was important for her to “create a home that is very functional” for how she wanted to live. “I’ve maximized storage solutions in closets, cabinets, and underneath my bed so that I can have everything I need but don’t have too much visual clutter,” Katy says.

Interior designer Gail Davis opens up her home.

Justine added removable peel-and-stick tile backsplash, changed out handles and outlet covers, and installed new overhead light fixtures to transform this 600-square-foot rental.

It's filled with so much beautiful art.

Railroad apartments definitely come with some floor-plan challenges.

The apartment needed a gut renovation.

Full-time food and lifestyle content creator Gwyneth Yuma’s 695-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment is warm, cozy, and eclectic, and has a little tropical flair.

There have been so many changes, and it’s a rental!

The renovation is stunning!

There’s even a walk-in closet room in this 800-square-foot apartment.

“The living room walls, cloaked in black, evoke a sense of a speakeasy from another age — rich, intimate, as though time itself has slowed,” describes renter Javier Riostello.

Some people live in New York City for a while, and then, when they start a family or grow tired of the hustle and bustle, they retreat to the suburbs or smaller cities. While it might not be the most common storyline for a family of four to trade their spacious home in Texas for a small apartment in New York City, that’s exactly what Tim and Liz Everett (and their children Ethan and Harper) did.

The renter even teaches yoga classes in the living room.

"It may seem a bit cluttered to some, but I love it!" exclaims Melanie, who shares this tiny studio with her cute cat. "Maximalism isn't for everyone, but I keep it clean!"