Apartment

When Annabell Ren and Steven Karvelius moved in to this unit in a 120-year-old historic four-flat in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the interior was dated and there was very limited storage space. But it had potential.

As soon as photographer Colleen O’Toole saw this rental apartment's gorgeous stained glass, clawfoot tub, and original hardwood floors, she fell in love with the place!

Originally from Taiwan, Kathy Hao-Hsuan Chang, moved to Norway 3.5 years ago, and fell in love with Scandinavian style design. "It is minimalistic, but still with very beautiful things to look at."

"I decided to go full on with the decor and the wall art," Erin, who rents this space in St. Louis says. "In a new state literally and figuratively, I allowed myself to really settle in and get out everything that I'd been holding inside."

"I often say the vibe I’m going for is the home of a Time-Traveling Anthropologist," says artist Keighty Alexander, who has owned this two-bedroom apartment for four years.

Sarah Campbell, a graphic designer, and her boyfriend and roommate, both music producers, share this apartment, which is colorful and "artful but not cold or pretentious."

Journalist and soon-to-be published book author Brianna Holt wanted multiple places to sit down and write in her home. Her decor is the inspired by the creative spaces of the artists she admires.

Actor Charles Busch believes a home is a visual autobiography. And his NYC apartment's style is best summed up as: 19th century Parisian bordello mixed with the Golden Age Hollywood.

Nicole, also known as "The Cuban Carrie" on Instagram, transformed her entire 600-square-foot rental apartment, including turning a tiny loft into a very chic dressing room, home office, and yoga area.

Roxy Michaud brought in textures like wicker, dark wood, bamboo and greenery to her Brooklyn home, as well as used the color black to make the space feel more warm and cozy.

Lavinia and her partner live in this 1860s apartment, which they have renovated beautifully with clean, modern lines and a simple and soothing palette.

Over time, Joseph and Mike's style has evolved from subtle mid-century to Art Deco to bohemian maximalist. But no matter what your style is, Joseph says, ask yourself this: Does someone feel comfortable, and can they put their feet up while they visit?

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.

A ceramicist and her roommate share this one-bedroom apartment and have filled it with vintage finds, artwork, and of course, lots of cool pottery.

A few words to describe this one-bedroom apartment? Maximalist, Eclectic, Graphic, and Neon. And the best part is that all of the added details are renter-friendly. (You've probably never seen such creative uses for washi tape or such colorful cabinet upcycles!)

Alex is a consultant who’s spent the past decade working in strategy and Alyssa is an educator who now works at a global non-profit. Together they have filled this gorgeous rental apartment in Melbourne with great vintage finds.

Aly, her partner Mitch, and their parakeets moved to this one-bedroom after living in a studio and have enjoyed filling their larger (but still small) space with furniture and fun energy. Mitch has a knack for finding cool vintage furniture while Aly's original paintings hang throughout the space.

When Monica moved into her apartment, the fireplace tiles were painted over in a standard off-white rental shade, but in her gut, she knew there was something special underneath.

Mellissa's apartment balances coziness and vibrancy and is filled with abstract finds that reflect her style as a painter.

Because Natalie Wong's condo in Los Angeles' Koreatown neighborhood was built in the 1930s, her interiors were heavily inspired by the Hollywood Regency era.

Marie-Helene's Quebec City studio apartment may be small, but she fits a ton of style in just 275 square feet.

At 622 square feet, Ariel and Patrick's Prospect Heights apartment has just two rooms, and they set out to make this small home a multi-functional space they can work, relax, and pursue creative endeavors in.

Lily, a fashion designer and Holistic Health Practitioner, and Llew, an illustrator and folk tattoo artist, find inspiration from their collection of antiques and treasures found at flea markets.

Johanna's rental came with tall ceilings and windows and a spacious floorplan for one person. But the space needed a lot of work!

Apart from the bathroom, Matt's Auckland pad is all one room, which means you can see the cool wooden shelving, the art-filled living room, and the cozy kitchen (including a must-see emerald Smeg) from any vantage point.

This apartment is a mix of new furniture, family hand-me-downs, and personal artwork.

Check out the cozy but vibrant space.

Architect Anjari Ganguly (@thatyellowtrunk) has always believed in the saying, "Creativity is intelligence having fun." Her apartment, full of plant-filled colorful workstations, is the perfect playground for content creation and DIYs.

Gabriela's goal was to make her apartment place cozy and welcoming with new and thrifted pieces that bring personality, warmth, and fun to the space while maintaining a relatively neutral palette.

It's not just the entryway (which was turned into a cozy and much more functional spot) that got a refresh... every room was updated without breaking the bank.

These grand prize winners have a warm, colorful, and cheerful space they DIYed themselves.

The period charm in Danielle's Upper East Side apartment is a dream: original hardwood floors, exposed white brick, a painted tile backsplash in the kitchen, and a wood burning fireplace.

One of Khadija Gulzar's talents is finding pieces that look and feel expensive but are actually quite affordable, like the sofa she snagged for much less than a more expensive one she had been eyeing.

Chris wanted a place that felt worn in, like a favorite jeans. "A place with character, sort of the antithesis of a new development made with IKEA furnishings."

Ginger Tayler's home's style is "Old Hollywood and Palm Springs architecture, Jayne Mansfield's house, the Playboy mansion, 1970s decor, log cabins, and old motels. Particularly American ones."

Jenny and Cory have rented this small one-bedroom apartment in New York's Upper East Side for 14 years... and it's had to change and adapt with the addition of a 4-year son and 1-year-old twins. 

Lara Jojo had been dreaming of an exposed brick wall apartment for as long as she can remember, and scored the rental of a lifetime with this Seattle space!

Victoria and Zach have tried to curate a space that feels cozy and intentional and filled with items that are sentimental.

Holistic nutritionist Dave Coast shares a 1920s classic Venice bungalow with his partner, George, and their dog, Stanley.

When it came to decorating this Oakland apartment, interior designer and artist Sophia E. Aguiñaga painted the entire space, and surrounded herself with pieces that inspire and start conversations: like art by Black artists and artists of color, queer artists, and pieces purchased from Black- and woman-owned shops.

Adam worked with Kim White to design this 715-square-foot rental apartment that came with a unique element: a small platform bed area that instead got transformed into a perfect home office.

There are all-white walls, an open concept for the living area, the kitchen was moved to what used to be the entrance, the bathroom was fully renovated, and Sebastian also built a home office from the former bathroom and closet.

Alyse Eisenberg hacked IKEA storage pieces to look more expensive than they are, found items at scrap yards, vintage stores, and second-hand stores, and DIYed art to design this large rental apartment she shares with her husband.

Artist and content creator Symphony J. loves hidden storage for the less-cute everyday essentials, and shelves for the curated clutter.

Not only was this homeowner on a tight budget, this apartment's makeover was finished in a week!

Los Angeles-based interior designer Kara Thomas' small LA apartment is full of ideas on how to make your rental apartment look good.

Maggie has made her small apartment look and feel like a fantastic home without a huge price tag, optimizing every area for storage and adding shelving.

This one-bedroom apartment comes with a beautiful canal view, and Busra and Pieter have kept their small rental home's style minimal, with nods to the '90s.

With only 600 square feet, Celeste and Lucas had to get creative to fit as many functions into their small home as possible, employing an interesting furniture arrangement to do so.

Maya Goldfine breathed life into her rental home by embracing a mixture of textures, color, and styles, which was primarily inspired by a trip to Mexico City.

13-foot ceilings give this rental a lofty feel and highlight classic architectural details, from the crown molding to the original wood shutters to the deco fireplace.

It's like Lisa Frank meets Hot Topic with a sprinkling of theater kid, rhinestone cowboy, and disco daddy.

Restauranteur and Mediterranean lifestyle company owner Sequoia Del Hoyo loves "earth tones, texture, patina, natural grain, and all things that get better with age."

Josh and Matt struggled to decorate their home while ensuring they didn’t damage their rental... so they make their own home decor and art that's easy to install AND remove.

Designer Tiffany Miller-Baker didn't let the fact that her Brownstone apartment is a rental limit her home's design style.

When it comes to decorating, Michelle works with colors and black art and pop culture art that she loves.

Architect Jill Porter says her Brooklyn apartment had zero original details when she bought it 16 years ago. But after a makeover it now has color, pattern, and most of all joy and charm!

It was important for Kaitlyn that her apartment be "dually comfortable and creative." She describes her style as "refined maximalism."

This apartment's reading nook is the perfect '80s Art Deco glam spot.

Katie's home's style is: "Grandmillennial maximalism with a touch of Scandinavian minimalism."

Linsdey Son's rental apartment style is a "funky-fresh pop dream."

Erin Kerr's style can best be described as: "Like if a Danish Grandpa and Primary School Teacher Grandma had a grandkid who loved Memphis Milano."

Ms. Pink and Mr. Black share this three-bedroom flat set over three levels in a Victorian house conversion with three sons, and their cats, Coco and Tommy.