Liana Hayles Newton

Name: Michelle Konar Location: Upper West Side — Manhattan, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rent As a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Michelle learned to hone her creativity. As a graduate she has taken those skills and applied them to her work in advertising, as well as in her home. Unafraid to take on a project, she is always looking for ways to improve her space.

Name: Joan Hiller and Matt LeMay Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 1 for Joan, 2 for Matt; Rented We first met Joan when she was living in this stylish studio in Portland, so we already knew about her phenomenal sense of individuality and style. Knowing this, it’s not surprising that upon moving to New York, she would meet and fall in love with someone whose creative energy parallels her own.

Name: Johanna Lane & Mike Harvkey Location: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York Size: 440 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Own Having previously lived in an apartment about the same size as the home that writers Johanna and Mike share, I am acutely aware of how challenging it is to make a space that lacks in square footage feel spacious. That’s why I was so impressed by how comfortable and roomy their home feels.

Name: Mimi Shim Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Mimi shares this colorful, light-filled Brooklyn apartment with her husband and two cats. The space manages to feel comfortable and welcoming and yet chic and well edited. The lack of clutter and well designed living space are a testament to this couple’s attention to detail, and the results are nothing short of charming.

Name: Jacqueline Clair Location: Upper East Side, New York City Size: Approximately 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented If you take a peek at New York City blogger Jacqueline Clair’s Instagram account you’ll see plenty of images that are well-composed, colorful, chic, and fun. The same could be said of her Upper East Side studio. Her taste reads clean and polished, with touches of whimsy and romanticism.

Name: Irma Zandl and Brad Kahlhamer Location: Lower East Side, Manhattan; New York, New York Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 20 years; Owned Light, open and airy, Irma’s Manhattan loft feels like an oasis in the heart of downtown. Upon entering, it is immediately clear that the art that fills this home has all been chosen with a strong eye for talent and a great love of the work. To spend time in this gorgeous space is at once calming and inspiring.

Name: Katie and Matt with their cats, Fritz & Pepper Location: Washington Heights, New York City Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Katie 2.5 years, Matt 6 years; Rented When Katie moved into her two bedroom home in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, she had her work cut out for her. At the time it was occupied by her fiancé and two roommates—the living room doing double duty as common space and as a bedroom.

Name: Jessica Bowers – founder of West Village Life Location: West Village, NYC Size: 1 Bedroom/1 Bath Years lived in: Under 1 year; Rent Nestled on a charming street in the West Village, lives Jessica, founder and author of the popular Instagram @WestVillageLife, an account that shares the many charms of this historic neighborhood with its nearly 30K followers. It’s no surprise that her eye for detail and style extends into her personal space as well as her photography.

Name: Ross Garner and Pat Hicks Location: Upper East Side — New York City, NY Size: 700 Square Feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented This carefully curated home reflects the love of a traditional, nautical style that Ross and Pat share. Making an effort to co-design their apartment helped them find a balance that resulted in a lovely and inviting home. Ross: We are always at the water and I think that it’s really apparent in our style.

Name: Sam Location: West Village; New York City Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 Year; Rented Keeping her home clear of clutter and displaying only the things she loves gives Sam’s 300-square-foot home in the West Village a spacious feel. Meanwhile, light from the many windows, pops of color, and the warm, neutral tones of her decor go a long way towards making it feel welcoming, comfortable, and soothing.

Name: Christeleny Berner Location: Upper East Side; NYC, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Christeleny’s love for design and style has resulted in a seriously gorgeous apartment. The home did not come together without hard work, though; the apartment went through significant renovations which took years to finish. Once renovations were complete, Christeleny set to furnishing her home using her strong eye for design and her patience, which was challenging at times.

Name: Kip & Saadia McConville Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 sq ft Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rent Saadia and her husband Kip (not pictured) love to travel, whether it’s within the United States or internationally. They have a love of adventure and trying new things that is infectious. A look through their apartment demonstrates this through decor picked up along the way.

Name: Joey Krietemeyer, Art Director at 1stdibs.com, Antoni, and one very well loved Fiddle Leaf Fig Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Size: 600 square foot studio Years lived in: 3 years; renting Walking into Joey and Antoni’s studio apartment is not like walking into other studios in New York. They have managed to create a home that feels open and spacious, but still has distinctly separate living areas. Details abound that catch the eye without cluttering up the space.

Name: Aimee, Rene and Max Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1100 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Aimee and her husband, Rene, recently readjusted their Park Slope home to accommodate baby Max, the newest addition to the family. Rene’s a chef and Aimee works as an Account Analyst in Apparel Production, so putting together a beautiful, warm home with plenty of style came naturally to this creative couple.