Apartment

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."

Daria and husband, Faizal, decided to use Peranakan patterned cement tiles for the kitchen and balcony floors because they're just "beautiful and evoke a sense of old-school Singapore charm that we both love."

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.

The apartment initially didn't have a lot of opportunity for light outside of the gorgeous natural light during the day and one light source in the kitchen, so the renter's parents installed under cabinet lights and lights behind the bed frame.

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.

Mariana's condo is new construction and initially lacked architectural charm, but she brought life into the space by mixing her own paint colors, sourcing things secondhand, using what she already had, DIYing what she didn’t, and investing in a few things that could really make a difference.

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.

Brendan used a bookshelf to divide his narrow studio apartment, carving out a cozy little cocoon of a living room, and a bright little "millennial jungle" bedroom nook.

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.

This flat is naturally beautiful with large windows, lots of natural light, and exposed brick, but renter Sruthi Ramesh made the space infinitely more lovely and cozy by adding light textiles, a mirror for light to bounce off of, and nice lighting.

"Don't be afraid to paint it and use exciting color. It's amazing how you can express yourself by declaring your home."

Myriam uses mirrors, lots of plants, and her favorite color orange to make her small rental studio apartment a cozy and warm place where she can forget the outside world.

Blogger and fashion stylist Hayley Hughes describes her Australian rental home's style as "Think modern 'Golden Girls,' heavily pink with lots of vintage and quirky pieces and lots and lots of art!"

Professional photographer Eric Garcia has worked from home for five years and knows a thing or two about designing a home that you both have to live AND work in.

When COVID hit and ruined Mike Han's restaurant dream before it could open, he pivoted from sushi to art, transforming his small apartment into an art gallery.

Now that Ricardo is working from home, he reimagined one of his closets to create a sleeping nook with a platform bed with storage, allowing more room for a work station.

Michael got creative when it came to compartmentalizing functions without ruining the openness. Multi-functionality is at play everywhere: His desk doubles as a nightstand, bench as a coffee table, and dining table as counter space.

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.

Christina was drawn to this apartment's details (like the funky bathroom tile), but some details were outdated and tired, so she added removable peel-and-stick floor tiles and faux peel-and-stick subway tiles to her kitchen to give it a renter-friendly upgrade.

Through her business Maximizing Tiny, Shamika helps clients with practical and creative solutions—like what size furniture to purchase for a small home and how to maximize storage space. And she's also designed a smart, functional, and ultra stylish home in just 750 square feet for her and her family.

Creative technologist Amy Wibowo's small San Francisco studio apartment is packed with personality, including a mermaid headboard of her dreams.

Amarachi Ukachu's tropical bohemian New Orleans rental cottage has copper contact paper on the cabinets, a peel-and-stick tile backsplash, and an ingenious lounge sectional made from affordable floor pillows.

This renter hasn't been afraid to make temporary improvements like swapping out ugly kitchen pendants lights, switching out cabinet knobs, and more to create a gorgeous home.

The vintage bungalow was originally designed by an artist in the '80s who added special touches like wood plank walls and a mosaic tile bathroom floor. Maxie and her dad worked together to transform the teeny backyard patio into a dreamy jungle oasis.

Designer Adnan Anwar replaced a standard light fixture with a lantern, hung a mirror to emphasize light and ceiling height, employed vintage bowls to corral clutter, and used plenty of other smart small space and renter tricks to decorate this tiny apartment.

Battling beige wall-to-wall carpeting and plain wall paint colors isn't easy when you're renting, but Dominique Fluker played around with intentional use of shapes and colors to create a fresh look that matches her and her partner's style.

Nicole moved into this apartment in the middle of the March 2020 Covid lockdown, so she had to buy the majority of her furniture either through Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

The tiny studio has been a challenge for storage, especially because Nina has a lot of stuff, but it's forced her to be super clean and come up with smart organizational solutions.

"My first weekend in town, I went to the local thrift shop where I found my couch for only $15 (just one reason why I love living in the Midwest). Using it as an anchor for the space allowed me to shop much more intentionally."

Kelsie bought this condo after the end of a long term relationship and has spent the last one and a half years turning this into a dream cocoon.

Sandra and Carlos made this home their own by tearing down walls to create an open concept space, updating the floors and windows, and blending personal touches throughout.

It's a delightful mix of mid-century furniture, handmade items from contemporary makers, an impressive art collection, and some pretty good plants.

Designer Julie Mitchiner didn’t want to take away from the character of this classic Chicago home or its great architectural bones, but still wanted to make it their own. She accomplished this feat with paint, wallpaper, and other DIY design elements.

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."

Alina Abegg's rental apartment's decor style is eclectic, playful, and colorful—just like her jewelry.

Kelsey has spent the last three years collecting things so that her small space can naturally feel cozy, especially in the Chicago winters.

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

There was dated '70s decor, a mothball smell, and lots of clutter in this teeny studio apartment, but Michelle and her husband were able to transform it into a cozy and clean one-bedroom!

Lindsay Meyer, the CEO of Batch, and her pup, Ralphie, share this modern and clean San Francisco rental apartment.

This apartment's design was inspired by New Orleans. The main bedroom resembles the cozy style of Southern bed and breakfasts. And the kitchen is in the color of boiled crawfish.

Raúl Zea describes his apartment's style as "minimal maximalism."

As a former assistant to Broadway production designers, here’s how Robbie Ashurst sets the stage for his everyday life in the Midwest.

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.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to make your house a home; you can rework what you already have to work for you.

It’s a little studio with a lot of personality.

Jawaria and her family—husband Jibin and four children Zayn (almost 17), Sayf (14), Zoya (11), and Sophia (6)—beautifully and successfully share a very small rental apartment.

Crystal Reed and her husband created a relaxed atmosphere with bohemian decor but also included a dash of millennial luxury with pink and gold decor on the walls and fixtures.

Budget was a challenge when Samantha Stein first started her interior design business. She had to search through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplaces, estate sales, garage sales to furnish her rental home.

This nurse and her husband furnished an entire apartment with Craigslist and other online finds when no stores were open during early quarantine.

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!

The unit’s arched windows, exposed beams, and rustic brick are charming, and the building’s location can't be beat—just steps away from art galleries, cozy cafes, and the nation’s oldest residential street.

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.

Interior decorator Sarah Montgomery moved into her West Bucktown 800-square-foot rental apartment and wanted to make it her own.

The furniture, art, and views in this Seattle house are so gorgeous!

Adrienn and her father designed many of this condo's key elements together, like the TV stand, dining table, white cabinets with the wooden door handles, coffee table, and more.

Amazingly, Tim bought nothing new for his condo remodel, opting to visit local secondhand shops and estate sales as well as scouring Craigslist.

"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!"

These renters were given permission to renovate the interior of this apartment AND create a stunning outdoor terrace.

She replaced some furniture with smaller, more functional pieces and created a "cubby house bed" to turn this one-bedroom rental apartment into essentially a two-bedroom apartment.

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

Lincoln is Black and Queer, originally from a small town in Texas, and Amina is a Pakastani-American woman who grew up abroad in Saudi Arabia. Their small, intentional home is a direct representation of themselves.