Apartment

This second-floor apartment in a grand Victorian has gorgeous bay windows, and that’s where Ashley placed her bed. “I love waking up in my bed nuzzled between all the windows,” she writes. “It’s heaven.”

Check out AT’s first-ever House Tour Cover Story! See how DIY expert Imani Keal transformed her 850-square-foot rental with a bold red IKEA kitchen, custom built-ins, and self-designed wallpaper.

“The living room walls, cloaked in black, evoke a sense of a speakeasy from another age — rich, intimate, as though time itself has slowed,” describes renter Javier Riostello.

It was also a pepper factory!

The main feature of this 700-square-foot apartment is a "huge brick wall with a hand-painted advertisement for an old market that used to be in our neighborhood," writes renter Brandon Corcione.

“I have been working hard in finding my style. My home is intentional in showcasing who I am as a Black Latina immigrant from the Dominican Republic,” Anne Hernandez begins. “I collect original art, and it is primarily the art of BIPOC artists. I want to pay homage to my African roots at every corner of my home.”Anne says that when she first moved in, the place needed a total renovation. “It is a place I was fortunate to purchase after renting the apartment below.

The fountain also serves as a water bowl for the cats!

Plus, 90% of the furniture is secondhand.

Jillian Elliott is an artist and florist. She transformed her 650-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment with cozy vintage finds, storied objects, and lots and lots of pretty floral patterns.

Katherine repainted all of the downstairs rooms, added peel-and-stick wallpaper, installed peel-and-stick tiles in the kitchen (to cover up a beige backsplash,) and used fabric on unfinished walls to create a style she describes as "moody, exuberant, colorful, often messy."

Cylia had only known white walls in previous rental apartments, so this unique unit's stunning exposed brick walls were one of the first things she noticed about this small-but-stylish space.

This rental was sad when Jillian moved in. “It was dark, cold, many things were broken, the vibe was off … ” Jillian put a lot of TLC, love, and effort to turn this dingy rental into an oasis.

"The apartment was rented as-is, meaning it needed a really good scrub, a lick of paint, and an updated kitchen and bathroom," explains artist and native New Yorker Kellie Rogers.

This Victorian turned rental apartment has classic traditional London townhome elements like a cornice, wainscoting, tall baseboards, and reclaimed wood flooring, but also has been “blessed with a modern kitchen and bathroom."

When Jim was ready to buy, he found this character-packed space in the Hague. “I love the high ceilings and also the natural light which floods the space in the mornings and afternoons.” And he fell in love with the stained glass windows immediately.

Abby didn’t realize quite how bad this Brooklyn apartment was when she first moved in: “ There were broken tiles, missing pipes, and it was filthy.” But after a huge transformation, Abby’s rental is now cheerful, colorful, and fun.

Some people live in New York City for a while, and then, when they start a family or grow tired of the hustle and bustle, they retreat to the suburbs or smaller cities. While it might not be the most common storyline for a family of four to trade their spacious home in Texas for a small apartment in New York City, that’s exactly what Tim and Liz Everett (and their children Ethan and Harper) did.

This home stuns with crimson details like a red marble kitchen countertop, terrazzo floor with red hues, and tall ceilings with visible red air conditioning tubes.

Alexa Priego is a full-time content creator and mom of three, and for the past 10 years has rented this 525-square-foot, one-bedroom NYC apartment.

This Chicago apartment went from “dusty humid roly-poly graveyard” to “dreamy plant-filled bohemian artist’s sanctuary.”

As soon as Camille walked into this Pasadena rental apartment in a building built in 1929, it was love. “The stained glass bay window, large bedrooms, in-unit laundry room, and, of course, the original tile bathroom are what sealed the deal for me."

One hundred-plus years of history was erased by cheap paint and $10 boob lights, but now this rental apartment feels like being transported to the South of France.

Living downtown in a high-rise has always been a dream of designer Lauren Ashley. Before she moved in, this apartment was dated and dull — but now it’s inviting and full of color and personality, and tells a story.

See inside a Brooklyn apartment that’s industrial, but joyful and relatable — and where every piece of furniture was deliberately and carefully designed to meet a specific function.

But after a complete renovation and redesign, there’s gorgeous parquet wood floors, a custom-built storage wall, and a whole lot of classic, contemporary style.

When Anna moved in, her apartment had no oven, fridge, or washing machine; the sink wasn’t usable; and the kitchen cabinets were totally broken. “But the ceilings, French doors, and floors were so beautiful — I knew it had potential!”

Minetta Archer has been renting this 725-square-foot Harlem apartment for 15 years, adding tons of color, pattern, and glam to each room.

Johnny LaZebnik painted each room of his North Hollywood home, as well as refinished a dresser, nightstands, and kitchen table. He built shelving, cleaned things found off the street, and repaired vintage furniture. “Several of the old lamps I've rewired myself, and I taught myself how to gild things with metal leaf.”

Jessica and Jason have enjoyed adding "texture, vibrant pops of color, and warmth" to this cool rental house they share with their three sons.

Lauren Crawford said she broke the design rule about not changing too much in a rental apartment.

Once lacking warmth or personality, after 17 years this West Village apartment now has both — plus lots of color and pattern.

After the passing of Troy's father last summer, she "needed a change of scenery and a fresh start in a place that would foster an environment of creativity, newness, and exploration as I navigated my grief."

Zach and Taylor have filled their rental apartment with quite the collection, turning it into a “pop art paradise” with “eclectic energy.”

Professional skateboarder Nicole Hause and her girlfriend have made a gorgeous home in their 1950-era rental apartment.

See inside an Amsterdam rental apartment with Scandinavian-inspired decor and incredible views of the Rijksmuseum.

The original apartment was also described as “cramped” and as having a “musty odor lingering in the air.”

Kalin Stovall “could talk about curtains all day,” and each room of the three-bedroom apartment she shares with her family “has a different combination of curtain length, fabric, and header.”

Writer Elisabeth Edelman bought this 750-square-foot condo in Richmond, Virginia five years ago, and she shaped the space to “highlight the century-old charm while creating a luxe feel.”

“I am often torn between maximalism and minimalism, and my apartment definitely straddles the two,” writes Lake Buckley, who describes her home’s style as “California New Wave or Brooklyn Beach House.”

This 675-square-foot Barcelona apartment is filled with secondhand gems and a great IKEA hacked coffee table.

Hannah Deau’s rental apartment has envy-inducing architectural features like a brick wall, high ceilings, French doors, Spanish tiles, and around 20 plants.