New York

With only 437 square feet in her studio apartment, Kelcey Harris knew she needed to keep things light and bright, but also wanted the furniture and decor to feel welcoming instead of cold or stark.

Courtney and Jules rent this 248-square-foot studio apartment in New York's West Village... and they've done an amazing job creating a functional AND beautiful home.

Logan West says he's a maximalist who values minimalism.

When Carley first moved into this small studio apartment, the "backyard" only had a picnic table and a chain link fence. After a trip to Lowe's and a few hundred bucks' worth of lumber, she built a fence and crafted the perfect outdoor living space.

For the past 10 years, Abbe Wright's small rental apartment has been her sanctuary during a hurricane, breakup, a death in the family, and job changes. But it's also been where she's celebrated new jobs, gathered travel collectibles and family heirlooms, and found love.

Inspired by the beauty of tropical nature and the vibrancy of Mexican culture.

Paul — better known as @plantmepaul on Instagram — shares this small rental apartment with a roommate, beautiful brick walls, natural light, and tons of plants!

When longtime New York City resident and Francophile Meghan Donovan moved to her new apartment last August, she knew right off the bat that she wanted to create her own slice of Paris in Brooklyn.

Antonio Monserrat, the founder of Monserrat Studio, has totally transformed this Brooklyn loft with his own modern style, adding arches, opening up the space, and even building custom furniture (for humans AND a cat!).

It's like a "Gay Man’s Modern Victorian Apothecary."

It was important to Julia and John to build a house in a way that was respectful of the environment and that would be sustainable to live in long-term. It took three years from when they started building to before they were able to move in, but it's because they did nearly all the work themselves while working full-time jobs.

This tiny 350-square-foot studio loft with laid-back vibes and tons of windows sits on the top of a tall building, glistening in the sky.

And it's positively PACKED with clever budget decorating DIY ideas!

There's an entryway, living area, dining area, library/office area, and sleeping area!

Podcast Host Becca Freeman needed to find a creative display and storage solution for her books, and a gorgeous custom bookcase from Soil and Oak was just the right fit.

The biggest challenge was mastering the layout of a studio apartment and figuring out my storage situation. Using underbed storage for cameras, photo supplies, and out-of-season clothing saved the day!

Former Small/Cool Contest winner Pamela Kaupinen's tiny apartment has had to turn into many different things during quarantine, including a home office and gym! See how she fit more functions in her small space with this updated look at her NYC rental apartment.

Painting was a budget-friendly way for Angie Eng to elevate her studio apartment, helping to keep the "rooms" aesthetically separate, but still fluid.

Actress, podcaster, and writer Julie Klausner's NYC rental apartment features a neon sign, stripes, and fake cakes and flowers in the entryway, wild paint colors in the living room, dessert-themed wallpaper in the kitchen, and more.

The apartment came with a loft bed, which allowed Isabelle Eshraghi to create an entire living room and study space within the cramped square footage.

"Dedicating time and attention to designing spaces that are happy, healthy, and supportive is the ultimate form of wellness and self-care we can give ourselves and our family. There is a lot of power in good, intentional design."

Writer Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson has managed her sanity during quarantine by tackling some home refresh projects that were on her to-do list.

Clay Crider and his husband, Julian Kline didn't plan on having a monochromatic living room, but they "fell in love with the paint color and then the two blue couches, and it all started to fall into place."

Architect Samantha Stein and her fiancé moved from a studio apartment to a slightly larger apartment in the middle of a pandemic (and while on a budget) but the result is quite dreamy despite the challenges.

Pia Thompson is the founder of Sweet Digs, where she teaches clients how to get their homes in order. The Brooklyn rental home she shares with her young daughter is spacious, tidy, and yes, incredibly organized.

Esi Agbemenu is drawn to fun, bold colors, big patterns, and glam accents.

Author and New York Times journalist Jessica Bennett explains that while it's useless in terms of noise or light, her loft's open wall/bookshelf makes for a lovely zoom background.

Both uncluttered AND colorful, Faith Roberson's small studio apartment has brilliant storage ideas in the kitchen, bathroom, cabinets, drawers, and even the shower. She also has an amazing DIY art piece in her kitchen that may inspire your own project.

Despite being one room, Liza Taney feels like she's created a place that feels like home in her super small New York City studio apartment.

Molly Robbins thoroughly frequented all of the great antique shops in the neighborhood to find great anchoring pieces like a mid-century modern lamp, dainty vases, Lucite nesting side tables, and a statement marble coffee table.

Fashion stylist and editor Audree Kate Lopez used storage furniture to turn a small one-bedroom apartment into a home with a living room, separate office, bedroom, and walk-in closet.

KC Cibran's TINY 280-square-foot Manhattan studio apartment won the Tiny Bracket in 2020's Small/Cool competition, and really that's no surprise to anyone who's seen inside her "Tropical Boho and Cuban Abuela" style space.

Caitlin has been working from home during quarantine, and though she's only got 300 square feet to live and work in, she's come up with a creative way to transform her home when it's time to relax on the weekends.

Patrick was able to approach the design of this small space with creative solutions that maximize its functionality, efficiency, and style... without losing his rental deposit.

Sound musician, artist, teacher and meditation leader Jackie Cantwell is an absolute expert in making small spaces stunning. And she has a meditation space in her rental she calls the "Rip Room."

Chelsey Brown founded the blog, City Chic Decor, and authored the book, "Rental Style." She has a home full of projects that break the stigma of renter restrictions.

French expats have made this charming one-bedroom apartment in a pre-war building from 1900 into a lovely, cozy small home.

Erin Blank is an ethical, sustainable designer of her own label, and the Brooklyn home she shares with her husband is colorful and patterned thanks to lots of handmade textiles!

This teeny studio apartment feels like a small indoor jungle where everything fits together well.

Tyler Moore blogs under the name "Tidy Dad," and tidy is just what you have to be when you're sharing a small NYC third floor walk-up, railroad-style rental apartment with a family.

Budget was a challenge, but most difficult was organizing the space to create an open feel in a 10-foot-wide apartment!

A lot of what Sydney has in her home is from the streets of NYC. "There is this Instagram account called Stooping NYC, and I found a lot of amazing treasures on the street for free."

This tiny NYC studio has a piano instead of a couch, an expandable table that can seat up to six, and lots of vertical storage solutions for small spaces.

Mentalist and performer Vinny DePonto's shelves are filled with endless old books on magic, mind-reading, the occult, design, and psychology.

Every section of my apartment has a different removable wallpaper to accent the room and divide the space.

Every inch of this studio apartment has been intentionally designed and maximized with DIY ideas and clever storage hacks.

It's pretty amazing how clean, modern, and lovely this small Manhattan apartment is, especially for two adults and two teenagers.

Artist Melissa Murray created an inspiring home for her whole family.

Bold black and white stripes once dominated the kitchen's decor, and the living room used to have a faux-wood wallpaper vibe. You have to see what it looks like today!

Take a look at what two decades' worth of Halloween enthusiasm—and decorating—looks Like.

Hidden architectural details like beautiful brick walls were uncovered when Janna began pulling up floors, breaking down walls and ceilings, and renovating this space.

This apartment started as a blank white box with no character to speak of. Lisa Lu not only added a ton of renter-friendly style, but she's also fit a TON of storage in this small home.

Nicole Lockhart calls her small studio's style "Urban cowgirl’s world traveling retreat".

Interior designer Lindsay Colby took inspiration from high-end interiors and found ways to achieve those looks in a more budget-friendly way.

Take a video tour of Apartment Therapy CEO's GORGEOUS house.

Joyce Lee's home features an earthy color palette and an array of cozy textures.

These thespians made a cozy home in Harlem dedicated to a love of theatre.

ALL of the furniture, from the rug to the coffee table to the chair, was found on either Facebook Marketplace or thrifted! Some elements even found free on the street.

This couple's apartment has everything a New Yorker wants: a dishwasher, in-unit laundry, hardwood floors, and four massive closets!

It's also got a fireplace, built-in bookcases, the perfect nook for a couch, and fits a massive marble coffee table.

From a table skirt in the entryway to a pile of pillows in the living room corner, this apartment has storage ideas for any size home.

From an acrylic desk to glass tabletops to see-through chairs, this studio uses the trick of clear furniture to make a small space feel uncluttered and airy.