San Francisco

After a fire forced Taylor Jordan out of his San Francisco apartment of 11 years, he wanted to make his new 560-square-foot rental feel like home immediately. It took careful planning, some Etsy finds, and furniture he already owned, and he created a lived-in home in four days.

The vibe of the place is giving plantsy! Artsy! Booksy!

In this 550-square-foot Nob Hill rental a cute window seat offers jaw-dropping city views, and the rest of the apartment is a plant-filled, maximalist wonderland.

See how renter Sarah Elsner created a nook for her bed with a standing shelf and a DIY dried flower bar hanging above her bed that she's been collecting for 20 years.

This 100-year-old San Francisco apartment was completely transformed with bold wallpaper, vibrant color, and playful details.

"I wanted to give my own modern spin on a classic Victorian SF style," writes renter Juliana. "Each room is meant to have a rich color that stands out on its own, but speaks to the other rooms in the house."

Gina’s been renting this micro studio for 7 years, and has made tons of improvements to make it functional, including a very cool custom multi-purpose table she made with her dad.

Jasmine Espinoza actually grew up in this building and was able to get a deal on this small but cozy studio apartment: $1,500-a-month rent!

Tour this small San Fran studio apartment in a 1906 Edwardian building with ornate molding and gothic door hardware.

This Scandi-inspired rental has mid-century modern touches like a gas fireplace, warm wooden floors, and huge windows.

These parents switched the couch and dining table to create more space for parents and baby to play.

See inside this 730-square-foot, one-bedroom rental apartment shared by a couple who have filled it with plants, treasures from their travels, and enough space for them to both work on their careers.

Xiao and her partner are big fans of small and well-designed spaces, and their shared studio is a great example.

See inside a funky, vintage, cozy, inviting, and eclectic rental in the Cow Hollow District of San Francisco.

See inside designer Aviva Kanoff's maximalist, playful, and artsy apartment in the Mission District.

Architect and interior designer Anand Sheth plays around with saturated paint colors in unexpected ways.

The kitchen in Courtney's SF studio apartment is no wider than her arms can spread out, but it is "character rich, with wood shelving painted pale blue."

Aparna Jayaraman is Indian and has always been "inspired by the bold colors, patterns, and glitz of traditional saris." But while she says color is very important to her home, "neutrals provide it the foundation to really pop."

Laura and Jason have designed the space to be like a "modern-day curiosity cabinet, and tried to evoke an overall style that blends mid-century, old British gentleman's club, and playful modernism to create a space that highlights all of our collections."

Bronwyn, who rents this 800-square-foot Nob Hill apartment, advises: "Let things evolve slowly. Invest in antiques with soul."

"I'm Italian American, lived in Rome for 10 years, and studied Humanities and Classics at university; these attributes reflect everywhere in my world," explains LeAnne Smith. "I love stone sculpture, architecture, pencil sketches, and gardens."

Taylor Jordan says the key with rentals is "to work with and around the things you can't change." In his San Francisco apartment he worked around the original yellow toilet and tub, and in the kitchen he "changed out the cabinet hardware and backsplash for an updated, modern look."

"We live in a mid-century home that was a bit of a blank slate when we moved in," begins Julie Mak. "It has been a wonderful palette for adding the lively fabrics, patterns, colors, and lines that I love."

Ruth and her 17-year-old son moved close to the beach in the pandemic, where they made it a priority to visit the beach every day and eat dinner together five nights a week. Their San Francisco home mixes bohemian styles with beachy vibes for a clean, welcoming aesthetic.

Tay BeepBoop is a designer and DIY-er on social media. When she accidentally bought five gallons of paint in different colors, she gave herself the challenge of adding tons of color to her San Francisco Victorian, turning it into a one-of-a-kind home.

Emma and David were dating long distance for two years before moving in together. As soon as they saw this apartment on Craigslist, they knew it was the one. They blended their aesthetics by adding new art and toning down colors.

This 560-square-foot studio apartment in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood is Dipa Halder's first solo apartment, and she's personalized this blank canvas with murals, DIY art, and furniture and decor that remind her of the colors of a sunrise.

"The goal for my home has always been to make it feel like the most fun place you’ve ever been in, and I want every room to have a surprise in it once you enter," says TikTok DIY decor star Taylor BeepBoop of her "Pee-Wee’s Playhouse chic" San Francisco condo.

"Being an interior enthusiast, I also knew that I wanted a home that I could put my very-own stamp on. I didn’t want anything too turn-key. We instantly fell in love with this 1300-square-foot 1930s row house perched high up on a mountain top," says Anthony.

Laura is a pro at designing and optimizing small spaces, and lives in this condo located in a 1909 Victorian building. And a clever dog crate camouflaging idea is just ONE of the great ideas you'll find in her home.

Sheta Chatterjee, who works in user experience design at a tech company, shares this 823-square-foot condo in San Francisco with her cute pup, Stanley.

Instead of using heavy or bulky room dividers, Abigail was able to maximize all 415 square feet of her tiny studio apartment and create an entryway, living room, dining room, bar, bedroom, and office!

Nayana used white marble contact paper on the counters and removable white subway tile backsplash in her dark rental kitchen to brighten up the space.

"I have found so much joy in sharing my colorful spaces with others and showing how you can make a rental as personal as any home and that a small space doesn’t limit how much fun you can have in your home!"

This interior designer traded her small studio apartment for a slightly bigger (but just as beautiful) junior one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco.

This gorgeous rental apartment's style is modern vintage meets wabi-sabi.

It's definitely maximalist, but not chaotic.

CW Stockwell CEO Katy Polsby reinvigorated her apartment in this San Francisco house with lots of patterned wallpaper and color!

It’s like a Wes Anderson movie that hasn’t been filmed yet or like a little Madonna Inn.

Full-time freelance photographer and music enthusiast Ryan Tuttle lives in a small custom designed tiny house on wheels she calls the "Tuttle Shuttle."

Inspired by Australian and Japanese design with a little California desert mixed in, we went for a natural, relaxing, minimalist aesthetic with low profiles and warm desert colors.

Nicolette and Michael built their very own tiny house in 2018 in just seven months. And they've fit a lot in to just 300 square feet!

This interior designer's studio may be on the small side, but it has beautiful hardwood floors, picturesque windows, and original cabinetry and molding.

She didn't see a single piece of decor or furniture in person until it arrived, minus her curtains.

Before the remodel this house felt cramped. After the remodel, it feels as if it's gained 50 percent more square footage.

Every item must have at least three different uses, be used three times a week, or be used for more than three years.

Name: Krystal Bick Location: Hayes Valley — San Francisco, California Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 — rented Krystal Bick’s style blog showcases all of her designer duds and playful outfits. Her studio with attached kitchen and rather large closet reflects her fashion sense perfectly — eclectic, feminine, clean and glamorous. Krystal’s space is small but efficient.

Jon O'Shaughnessy is inspired by the things that make him happy—travel, the outdoors, and forests.

With the multi-colored rug anchoring the living room and the beautiful but still rather neutral blue walls in the bedroom, this is an example of how to add color to a rental without risking not getting your security deposit back.

You can Instagram every corner of this San Francisco rental apartment, where every element inspires and tantalizes your senses.

The number one rule is there are no rules!

Name: Jamie and Byron with Roux, Simone and Coco Location: Cow Hollow — San Francisco, California Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 — rented We first saw Jamie and Byron’s dining room in the 2011 room for color contest. Painted shades of grey, their apartment embodies a sense of mystery and glamour. Byron describes it as the canvas for Jamie’s artworks, and they truly make a statement on these walls.

Name: Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger, with dogs Winston and Blue Location: Noe Valley — San Francisco, California Size: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths Years lived in: 5.5 Susan and Eric Koger have come a long way from the cramped dorm room where they founded ModCloth in 2002. High school sweethearts turned college entrepreneurs turned retail power couple, their current home may be a bit bigger than their original digs, but the spirit behind things hasn’t changed.

Name: Girolamo and Alex Location: Dogpatch — San Francisco, California Size: 871 square feet (1,200 square feet including the coffee shop) Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Very few people can roll out of bed and be at work in just a few steps. For Girolamo and Alex, getting to their coffee shop—La Stazione Coffee and Wine Bar—is just a quick commute down a spiral staircase.

Name: Paige Bennett-Primke & Thorben Primke Location: Mission District; San Francisco, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Paige and Thorben’s Mission District apartment shows what good teamwork can create. When they were tired of looking at the white-walls in the living room, they brainstormed and decided to change it up, covering it with reclaimed wood they found in a near-by neighborhood.

Jane’s San Francisco home is inspired by her surroundings from architecture, retail spaces, and nature (plus some mid-century modern)—a style Jane calls “Happy Californian.” If you’re inspired by these things, as well as clean lines and craftsmanship, check out the shoppable links below. Teepee — Similar: Etsy Table lamp — Similar: Zinc Door Credenza — Similar: Overstock Mini globe — Similar: World Market Brass duck — Similar: Jet.

Name: Cindy Zhang Location: Soma — San Francisco, California Size: 232 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Finding a nice, affordable apartment has become a challenge for anyone moving to San Francisco. When Cindy Zhang moved in 2016 from San Diego, she was super happy to find a cute little studio in the hip neighborhood of Soma.

Name: Jory Dayne Location: Tenderloin — San Francisco, California Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented The bustle of the street scene just outside Jory’s doorstep is a contrast to the warm, serene studio apartment he calls home. A flood of light pours in through bay windows, reflecting off the cluster of plants in the corner.

Name: Leo and Daniel Location: Dolores Heights — San Francisco, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2.5 years Leo and Daniel consider themselves fortunate to live in a stunning, spacious San Francisco apartment overlooking the city’s skyline. Daniel’s parents own the building, so he and his sister (who lives in the unit above the couple) got first dibs.