Name: Sandy and Mike Location: Downtown — Los Angeles, California Size: 970 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting The Santee Building in downtown Los Angeles was granted historic landmark status in 2001. The former textile factory-turned-modern loft building is now home to Sandy and her fiancé Mike; they’ve lived here for about two years with their friendly labsky (labrador husky mix) Bowie.

Name: Rachel Tepper Paley and her husband, Jon Paley Location: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Rachel and Jon moved into their Prospect Heights, Brooklyn condo after years of renting in NYC. During their search, they were able to find a lovely and spacious 1,050-square-foot place with one tiny catch: It had NO closets. Like none.

Name: William Watson (and Lola!) Location: Bowery — New York, New York Size: Approximately 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Will was involved in the art world for several years before starting his own creative agency, Watson and Company. And he moved into his Soho apartment nearly a year ago. He uses his space not only as a place to live, but to paint and spend time with his adorable baby girl Lola when she stays with him.

Name: Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton and Adam Fulton and dog Rocky Location: West Village — New York, NY Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton knows about self-care and spaces where you can relax. She’s the founder and CEO of Chillhouse, a nail salon/spa/cafe that’s “a destination for modern self-care” on the Lower East Side.

Name: Arielle Assouline-Lichten Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Architect and designer Arielle Assouline-Lichten has a badass, burgeoning design career. After studying at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, she founded the multidisciplinary design firm Slash Projects in 2013, which specializes in both physical and digital spaces.

Name: Sophie Demenge and Michael Ryan Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,240 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned Sophie lives in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn with her husband Michael, two kids Mae and Marius, and three cats. The neighborhood is best known for rows of brownstone homes, one of the nation’s first food co-ops, and access to Prospect Park (what I like to call the Central Park of Brooklyn).

Name: Bliss Lau Location: Lower East Side —New York, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned Jewelry designer Bliss Lau’s wearable creations are minimal—simple forms that are elegant and architectural—but they aren’t plain. Her necklaces, bracelets, body chains, and rings feature luxurious details. It’s a style combination seen in the minimal and modern home she shares with her husband Evan and their new baby Soa.

Name: Desiré van den Berg and her sister Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Size: 775 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Desiré has a talent for decorating her space on a budget. “My whole living room, I’d say—under 1000 euro.” This includes seating, a coffee table, dining table set, and framed art. Not only does the space feel cohesive, but she threw it all together within a week of moving in.

Name: Niki Azevedo Fairchild and Bennett Harrell Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 22 feet long Years lived in: 1 year, owned Most of the year Niki and her partner Bennett share a fearlessly decorated Brooklyn apartment with “Jonathan Adler Goes Dumpster Diving at the Golden Girls Estate Sale” vibes. And while that creative space is their permanent residence, every now and then the couple calls this incredibly colorful bus home.

Name: Emma Gray Location: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, New York Size: 430 square feet including the entryway Years lived in: Owned! I’m a brand new homeowner (eek!). Just 2 months, but it feels like much longer! After living in her last apartment with a roommate for about six years, Emma decided she was ready to purchase her first home. “I kind of thought I’d rent forever,” she says.

Jessica Yatrofsky is an artist, photographer, minimalist, and a certified tidying consultant specializing in the KonMari Method™.

Name: Paige Hansen Location: Union Square — New York, NY Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “My apartment is more than just a place I live; it has become a source of happiness, comfort, and connectedness to this city, my friends, and myself.

Name: Shiloh Enoki Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Shiloh has lived in Los Angeles for nearly five years in several configurations: She lived in the spare room of a model’s Hollywood Hills house, she rented the bottom floor of a first-time homeowner’s Silver Lake home, and now she lives in this one-bedroom apartment by herself.

Name: Courtney and Jeffrey Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, New York Size: About 700 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2 years Courtney and Jeffrey live in the charming Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn. Known for its Polish roots, Greenpoint is a destination for artists and families alike. The couple met at work — they both work at Kickstarter — whose offices are located “literally 30 seconds away.

Name: Alexandra Sifferlin Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, New York Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: Renting 9 months Having lived in New York neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen and Crown Heights, Alexandra Sifferlin recently settled into her first studio apartment, this time in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Her small space is above an acupuncturist, and is close to Prospect Park. “It seems like every time I move, I’m in a calmer location,” Alexandra reflects.

Name: Michelle Lopez, her partner Erlend and their cat Penny Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, rented Michelle and her partner Erlend recently relocated from Portland, Oregon to this sunny Brooklyn apartment. The couple moved to New York for Erlend to attend grad school at Columbia University. Michelle is a food blogger, specializing in desserts.

Name: Coco Cohn Location: Upper West Side — New York, New York Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, rented Coco’s Upper West Side apartment in New York is an homage to her theatre career. Not only is the actor and drama teacher’s space filled with pieces highlighting her adventures, but the space itself is dramatic: The living room is dark gray, the bedroom walls are red, and the bathroom is primarily pink.

Name: Tom Chirico and Carolyn McMenemy-Chirico Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Renting 7 years The original architectural details of this apartment — located on the top floor of a 1912 row house in a quiet spot in Williamsburg — are to die for. We’re talking well-preserved marble fireplaces, stunning hardwood floors, and enviable crown moldings.

Name: Eva Medoff, branded content editor at Well+Good, Delaney Rohan, and Scout (the cat) Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years, renting When Eva moved into her Brooklyn studio apartment seven years ago, the space suited her needs: It’s centrally located in the trendy Williamsburg neighborhood and she has a great landlord. Despite the pros, “It didn’t feel like a real home,” Eva said.

The lower Manhattan studio she's inhabited for a decade with her partner Fred exudes freedom and fearlessness.

Name: Rachel Winard, and Stacey Flannery and their cat Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Rachel and her partner Stacey bought their Brooklyn apartment five years ago, they put in lots of work to create a clean and comfortable space that supports a healthy lifestyle.

Name: Phillip Picardi and Dr. Darien Sutton-Ramsey Location: Downtown Brooklyn — New York Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Phillip and his partner Darien live in a luxury high rise apartment building in Downtown Brooklyn. “I hate to admit this, but we could never go back,” Darien laughed when talking about the perks of living in this space. The airy apartment features high ceilings, modern finishes, and amazing views of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Name: Aelfie Oudghiri, her husband, their daughter, and Shah the cat Location: Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Fans of textile, furniture, and accessories company Aelfie are familiar with the brand’s stylish offerings—quirky graphics, loud colors, patterns that complement (and sometimes even clash, in a good way).

Name: Ashley Miles and Sam Miles and their two daughters Location: West Village, New York Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Ashley’s 1800s carriage house in the West Village is as steeped in history as it is style; photographer Diane Arbus and her two daughters were once residents. Now, Ashley—the Executive Vice President of Sales & Brand Partnerships at Refinery29—and her husband Sam (college sweethearts from Ole Miss!

Name: Sunny Shokrae, Ryan Eugene Kelley and Leo Arya Kelley Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,183 square feet Years lived in: Less than 1 year, owned Sunny and her husband Ryan became homeowners just shy of a year ago. The longtime Williamsburg, Brooklyn, residents needed a change in anticipation of birth of their son Leo. And moving a few miles south to Bedford Stuyvesant offered the growing family more space and freedom in how they style their home.

Name: Emily Zirimis and Jesus Antoshka Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: Honestly unsure! Years lived in: Almost 2 years, renting Emily and her boyfriend Jesus must have felt like they won the lottery when they landed their Bushwick apartment. Their place has a lot going for it: It’s in an increasingly hip area, features original architectural details, and boasts a dressing room for Emily and a pottery room for Jesus. Oh, and the rent is reasonable.

Name: Adam J. Kurtz and Mitchell Kuga Location: South Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: Literally not sure I think around 650 square feet ????