New York

Name: Emma Orlow, roommates Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Emma Orlow doesn’t just write about food, she makes art with it.

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

Name: Rachel Waters Location: Sunnyside — Queens, New York Size: 850 square feet, one bedroom Years Lived In: 1 year, renting Rachel has lived in NYC for seven years, previously in Kensington, Brooklyn.

Name: Freddie Chavda and pups Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: Somewhere between 850 – 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting Freddie’s Bushwick loft is a perfect example of taking a raw, industrial space and turning it into a home. But rather than just filling it with newly purchased furniture, he both thrifted and found elements to add warmth to his home… as well as custom built many of the elements in the home.

Name: Julian Thomas Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years Lived In: Less than a year, renting “Who needs TV when you have Bushwick? This is live entertainment at its finest,” remarks 28-year-old self-proclaimed bachelor Julian Thomas as he looks out of a window of his Brooklyn loft in this video tour he posted on YouTube. His 1,000-square-foot home might be right next to a train—but that’s part of the city-life charm the space has.

Name: Laura Serventi, husband Filippo Del Vita, and their 5-year-old son Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years Lived In: 10 years, renting Artist and photographer Laura Serventi grew up in Argentina, spent some time studying photography in Italy, and in 2007 moved to New York, where she’s been since.

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: Emily Schildt, Co-Founder of Thing of Wonder Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Emily’s apartment is all the proof you need that living in a small space doesn’t have to mean going short on style, and that with a little ingenuity a smaller space can live just as well as a much larger one.

Name: Bill and MariaLocation: Carroll Gardens, BrooklynSize: 850 sqft.Lived in: 3 years >> (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Bill and Maria, founders of Uhuru Design shared their home with the design crowd at last week’s meetup. Not only do Maria and Bill love their two cats, but they happen to be talented designers who have their own company and who make great stuff out of simple materials.

Name: Lisa and Adam Location: Cobble Hill; Brooklyn, New York Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Rented Everyone who knows Lisa knows she likes an organized and clean space! So she’s extra challenged in a small pre-war apartment with a husband and a new baby, but she makes it work, and with a very nice feel. There is something about this apartment that all people who visit this charming home love.

Name: Michelle Lin Greenip Location: West Village, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Out the window, there’s a tumble of rooftops and a church steeple or two. Inside, a palette plucked from Ladurée, lavender fields, Hermés boxes and champagne labels, with a bit of gilding for good measure. While it’s one part atelier, including an artist’s garret of sorts, it’s the West Village, not the Left Bank.

Name: Andy Isaacson Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Walking into Andy’s open and bright apartment, you immediately feel transported to another world. Somewhere relaxing. And the more time you spend in Andy’s home, the richer the details. You’ll find an old chair from Yankee Stadium, stamps from Soviet Russia, public health posters from Laos. His unique collections fit harmoniously in a modern, comfortable space.

Name: Natasha R. Johnson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented With no extra space to spare, Natasha was both deliberate and maximal in organizing the decorative and essential elements of her studio apartment. In the 35+ countries that she has lived and/or worked in as a college professor and international human rights attorney, she has assembled her fair share of global keepsakes.

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: Michelle & Jeffrey Alves de Lima-Miller (plus Amélie & Lester, our cats) Location: New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; owned. In a beautiful old building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side live Michelle, Jeffrey, and their two cats. Soon they’ll be adding a new little one to the mix, and moving to a larger and more family-friendly apartment in Brooklyn. But just a few days before their move, they welcomed me to their lovely home.

Name: Jessica, Milo, and the world’s floppiest cat Location: Carroll Gardens; Brooklyn, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Two people and a cat in a 325 square feet might seem like a bit of a squeeze to some people.

Name: Danny and Joni Location: Williamsburg —Brooklyn, New York Size: 690 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years How do you make 690 square feet feel absolutely enormous? Add tall ceilings, lots and lots of windows, and some clever DIY storage solutions. Danny and Joni have come up with plenty of creative solutions for living in an apartment that is essentially just a single room — and that only has one closet, which also houses the water heater.

Name: Jennifer Pade Location: West Village, New York, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 17 years You may know Jennifer’s apartment from her Renovation Diary, where we chronicled the transformation of her tiny kitchen from a crumbling disaster to a sleek, modern space. After all the dust settled, Jennifer graciously invited us back to get a look at the rest of her space.

Name: Ashley Clauss, of CLAUSS & CO., a communications consultancy specializing in brand strategy, public relations and event production. Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Diligent editing and an honest desire to be surrounded in her apartment only by things she loves has served Ashley Clauss very well.

"My inspiration is based on my constant search for peculiar elements in objects I find from places everywhere."

Name: Kate McKeon Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Welcome to Kate’s light-filled, colorful home in New York’s West Village. This small-ish apartment is home to Kate and her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Lady, and also serves as her office (she works from home).

Name: Giverny Petitmermet and Mara Gannon (plus Eloise the cat) Location: Carroll Gardens/Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years (as of house tour photo shoot)/1.5 years (at time of A-Line video shoot); rented In Brooklyn, on the top floor of a charming little building located just across the street from the elevated subway tracks, is Giverny and Mara’s apartment.

Name: Allison + Matt Location: East Village (Alphabet City); New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 9 months Allison and Matt moved into this one-bedroom apartment, their first as a couple, nine months ago. Together they’ve created a space that’s a perfect reflection of their roots (he’s from Tennessee, and she’s from Seattle), their mutual love of travel, and their new life together.

Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years This Brooklyn brownstone is pretty much perfect: tall ceilings, ten-foot doors, all those glorious moldings, and floors to die for. But it wasn’t always this way. Working through endless rounds of renovations—and living in the house while it was updated—was a real labor of love for the owner.

While remodeling their apartment, this couple discovered a little bit of history hiding in the walls: huge, rustic beams from their Brooklyn building's past as a pencil factory.

Name: Alexandra Hanson & Jesse Location: Jackson Heights; Queens, New York Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 9 months; Owned Despite having only moved into their co-op in November, Alex and Jesse have already made their new space feel like home, and it’s amazing how similar the aesthetic in this place is to that of their previous apartments.

Name: Brett & Betsy Leonhardt (and Suze and Lola the bulldogs) Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 515 square feet Years lived in: 2 We’re continually impressed by the ingenuity of apartment dwellers who manage to fit a huge variety of functions into a very small space. Case in point: Brett and Betsy’s West Village apartment, whose main room multitasks as a living room, dining room, workspace, and kitchen, all without sacrificing style.

Name: Theodore Venable Location: Hell’s Kitchen — New York, NY Size: 380 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Theo recently relocated to New York City from Chicago with all of his belongings, and like any transplant coming to NYC, he was faced with the difficult task of downsizing. Theo had to make the adjustment from a 680-square-foot one-bedroom apartment to a 380-square-foot two-bedroom apartment!

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: Amhalise Morgan and her children, Harmony Cree and Rebel Spirit Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned The home of Amhalise and her two teen-aged children is the definition of a labor of love. She bought the home after traveling and living overseas for many years and essentially had a clean slate to work with upon purchasing her 19th-century Brooklyn brownstone.

Name: IdaLocation: Harlem / Sugar Hill – NYC I consider my home to be inspirational — an organized reflection of what I love to look at! My apartment is the parlor room in a brownstone (a studio) which is already beyond charming on it’s own.I am a big lover of vintage/old things, so I had some pieces I loved, but really hadn’t found a home for them yet. Once I moved into this apartment, I decided to surround myself with only things I really felt happy about having.

Name: Joshua Kissi Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When you’re one half of the creative agency Street Etiquette—tagline: “Telling Stories Through Style”—home styling is second nature to you. The home of Joshua Kissi is also more than a home—it is a meeting place, photography studio, and informal art gallery all at once.

Name: Gary and Chelsey Knight and their cats, Scout, Boo, Atticus, and Ella Fitzgerald Location: Astoria, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Musicians Gary and Chelsey Knight’s open and airy Astoria flat boasts two features that many big city apartments lack: natural light and space.

Name: James and Kelsea Gaynor and their roommate, Bridget Murphy Location: Harlem — New York City, NY Size: 2 bedroom, 2 bath Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It’s hard to believe that newlyweds Kelsea—owner of East Olivia Creative Company—and James only recently moved into their Harlem apartment after relocating from Los Angeles. Their gorgeous fifth floor, two-story flat (complete with a rooftop patio!) feels just lived-in enough to be cozy and inviting.

Name: Emily and Colin and their dog, Scruffy Location: Greenwood Heights/South Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1000 square feet Years Lived In: Colin for 4, Emily for 2; Rented One day, a little over four years ago, after always being attracted to a particular building’s rugged facade, Colin took a chance and rang the superintendent’s doorbell. As fate would have it, one of the lofts was vacant and Colin immediately took it!

Name & Location: Maya in Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York My Favorite Room: Master Bedroom Suite Specs: 700 square feet The master bedroom floor of our 1903 Brooklyn townhouse was really choppy and awkward with lots of unusable space. There was a very small bathroom, a tiny bedroom (which I basically used as a closet) and a master bedroom with a series of weirdly laid out closets and a random bathroom vanity thrown in the middle.

Name: Lauren Rogoff Location: Union Square/Flatiron/Chelsea; New York City, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Just beyond the bustling Union Square Farmer’s Market, the Flatiron’s shadow, and Chelsea’s world famous 5th Avenue shopping attractions, an attorney by day and fine artist by night strikes the perfect blend between urban and rustic.

Name: Taylor Fimbrez and Wesley Moon (plus pups Squid & Marbles) Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Do you remember when you were little, and you’d go to a friend’s house, and just want to spend hours looking at all their toys and their delightful stuff?

Name: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, founders of Aphrochic Location: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When Jeanine and Bryan moved to New York from Philadelphia 18 months ago, they were drawn to this apartment in Crown Heights because “it just felt like Brooklyn”.

Name & Location: Steven in Brooklyn My Favorite Room: Bedroom Specs: 50 Square Feet What would you do if faced with a tiny (like, 50-square-feet tiny) bedroom space that was nearly all-white and felt like the inside of an empty closet? If you’re Steven, you pick a dramatic paint color, do a little hunting and gathering for interesting items and you create a room that—despite the size—would be a nice place to cozy up in, day or night.

Name: TiffanyLocation: Studio in Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of having my own apartment in New York City. There was something about the history and charm of the big buildings that inspired me, and I loved the classical detailing that so contrasted the stucco suburb of my youth in San Diego, California.After graduating from NYU, I was ready to relocate uptown to a mellower neighborhood.

Name: Shell Azar Location: Greenwich Village, NYC Size: Started with 420 square feet; increased to 520 square feet (not including outdoor terrace) Years lived in: 6 Shell lives and works in this gorgeous studio space, which she recently transformed, with the help of architect James Vira, into an open and inviting place to call home. Materials are used in a way that’s true to their nature, giving the studio an invigorating and creative feel.

Name:Location:Size:Years lived in:New York apartment dwellers know all too well what a challenge it can be living the dream on a budget. Sometimes all you can afford is the lower level railroad apartment without direct sunlight. For Alex, the plus side to this is having backyard access to plant a garden and express his love of horticulture.

Name: Andrijana & Stanimir Location: New York City, NY Size: 750 sq ft Years lived in: Several years; Rented Andrijana & Stanimir do not like to be defined by any particular style or theme, giving them the freedom to incorporate & interchange an assortment of pieces in their apartment. This has become an integral part of their interior process as Andrijana is constantly changing and rearranging the space based on a new find.

Name: Tracy Steele Location: West 14th Street, New York, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 15 years; rented In Tracy Steele’s apartment, things are not always what they seem: a drink set hides inside a bowling ball trophy, a rotary telephone lamp base is a clock that used to be a cigarette lighter, and the narrow slice of a drawer inside a mid-century modern buffet opens vertically and holds sewing supplies.

Name: Darla Minnis & Andrew Childs Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Darla & Andrew are both creatives pursuing their dreams; he’s a web designer and she’s a freelance accessory designer. When they first saw this apartment they knew right away they had to have it. In Brooklyn, outdoor space is highly coveted, and this one has an outdoor deck to boot.

Name: Jonathan Rubinstein, Founder/Owner of Joe, a coffee roastery and group of retail shops in New York City and Philadelphia; and Sally, age 4 Location: Brooklyn Heights; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Clean lines define the neat, loft-like space that is Jonathan’s Brooklyn home, a well-edited contemporary apartment.

Name: Oliver (graphic designer), Sherrie, and Cookie (a four-year-old Pekingese) Location: Bronx, New York Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: Under 2 years; Rented After living and volunteering abroad, Oliver and Sherrie had to start their home from scratch. Their experience in a third world country had a big influence on the way they approached furnishing their apartment.

Name: Mike Rugnetta & Molly Templeton Location: Bed Stuy, Brooklyn NY Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented Molly Templeton is better known as her internet personality Mememolly, and Mike Rugnetta is a composer, programmer and performer who hosts PBS’s web series Idea Channel. This ultra media-savvy duo are often busy at work (so busy that Mike had to miss the portrait shot), so when they retreat back home they want their place to feel playful and fun.

Name: Evan Pohl Location: Upper East Side, Manhattan Size: 295 square feet Years lived in: 18 months; rented It’s not always easy to edit your life down to under 300 square feet, but Evan Pohl makes it look effortless. Not only is he faced with the challenge of small space living; landlord restrictions keep things limited with a strict no-paint rule.

Name: Jessie and Jon Location: Brooklyn Heights; New York, New York Size: 710 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; rented Within every couple-cohabited space there is a love story: the how, when, and why a house adapts to contain the spirit of the two people who have worked together to share it and create for themselves a home.

Name: Sarah & David Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1 bedroom + outdoor patio Years lived in: 10 months; rented Sarah and David’s apartment is the perfect example of a great tenant/landlord relationship. Their apartment had great bones to begin with, with exposed brick, a beautiful chandelier, and lots of lovely traditional moldings that provide a nice contrast to the soon-to-be married pair’s modern taste.

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: Amanda Bullock & Justin Taylor Location: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1.5 bedroom; 600 square feet (estimated) Years lived in: 11 months; rented Amanda Bullock and Justin Taylor like books. Amanda came from the book publishing world and is now the Director of Public Programming at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe; Justin is an acclaimed author and teaches creative writing at a number of universities in the city.

Name: Micah Clasper-Torch, designer and artist Location: Bed-Stuy — Brooklyn, New York Size: 260 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Tours photographed on rainy days always have a way of making me extra aware of the true coziness of a place. Micah’s space contains within in it such a wonderful sense of who she is and the things that make her happy and productive.

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: Carlos E. Fernández-Dieppa Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented Carlos Fernández takes the expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” to a whole other level. Carlos is a resourceful and highly intelligent designer who never lets a single item go to waste. His custom pieces are thoughtful and functional, with a playful flair.

Name: Chris Corrado and Jenny Kaplan Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: Chris 7 years / Jenny 10 months It’s not often that I walk into someone’s home and feel instantly inspired. To begin, the combination of their two separate styles merge effortlessly. Their home is filled with bold and unique pieces that are beautiful yet practical for everyday use.

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: Nick and Lizzie Johnson Location: Meatpacking District / Chelsea, New York City Size: 1 Bedroom Years lived in: 18 months Nick and Lizzie relocated from London to New York during a rough week; Hurricane Sandy had just hit and they were about to face some apartment-seeking challenges. Narrowing their search to areas unaffected by the storm, they fell in love with Chelsea and the West Village.

Name: Kai Avent-deLeon and Dan Solomito Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Kai Avent-deLeon (pronounced Kai-E) is no stranger to the homes that have put her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on the historical record of architecture and design. She was born and raised here, and the brownstone that her apartment is in, which she shares with her boyfriend Dan, has been in her family for nearly half a century.

Name: Ben Erickson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Renovated and Rented Homes like this one are what neighborhood legends are made of. Tourists walk by them and ponder their historical significance. School children imagine what fairytale or superhero character might be living inside. And adults dream the wildest dreams of ever calling a place like this home.

Name: Jynne Dilling Martin & Louie Saletan Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: 500 square foot split-level duplex + 400 square foot backyard Years lived in: 2 years; Rent Jynne Dilling Martin is the Associate Publisher of Riverhead Books (and author of We Mammals in Hospitable Times, a book of poetry). A Texas transplant, Louie Saletan taught Russian language to the first crew of NASA astronauts to fly on a joint Space Shuttle flight with their Russian cosmonaut counterparts.

Name: Margaret Meehan and Tim Monaghan Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Margaret and Tim’s Brooklyn loft is a dream of an apartment: Although it’s only 650 square feet, its high ceilings and ample light make it seem much bigger. Their building, which in a past life was a pencil factory, has plenty of interesting details: exposed brick, concrete floors, richly texture wood ceilings.

Name: Jungwon Kim, Senior Editorial Manager at Rainforest Alliance, and kids Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Born and raised a stone’s throw from the beach in Southern California, the home of Jungwon and her family is a true reflection of their tidal roots. But having lived in Brooklyn for two decades, she’s infused her home with the creativity, eclecticism and free spirit that is iconic of its Brooklyn habitat.

Name: Tanika and Brian Hochhauser (plus George the turtle and Tansy the dog) Location: Long Island City, New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months You might recognize Tanika and Brian from the Love Videos, where they shared the charming story of how they met (and of their spur-of-the-moment wedding). The home they share is just as charming as they are, a beautiful Long Island City aerie with breathtaking views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the East River.