Black Voices

The outdoor space is what NYC dreams are made of.

Chandra Hampton's loft is small, so having sliding doors maximizes her space. But instead of just looking like regular doors, they look like art!

This luxury marketing professional turned this small and basic Jersey City rental studio apartment into an intentional, elevated retreat.

It wasn’t love at first sight when these sisters found this rental home. But after filling it with seriously cool secondhand-sourced vintage finds, they love the place as if they own it!

Creativity flows in this calming home.

“It’s my creative lab in the morning, a workspace in the afternoon, and a chill spot to unwind with friends at night,” writes designer and founder Tyler Correawhite of her sleek and small Brooklyn studio apartment.

In just 500 square feet, painter Josh Ayala created a warm, stylish space that’s part art studio, home, and place to show off personality.

Jennelle Mendes' 450-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment came with absolutely zero closets — so she had to get creative with storage solutions in her small space. And she created an incredibly cozy bed cocoon, too!

“When I first walked into this apartment, I felt like I was stepping into a version of myself I had only seen in my dreams,” Sofiyat says.

Elijah Banks’ 800-square-foot studio apartment in Los Angeles might be a rental, but it's packed with personality, plants, and a giant green shag rug.

“I believe it’s important to come home to a space that feels calming and like a little oasis just for yourself,” Lakesha Charles says.

Discover how this renter used an IKEA find, a common building material, and hand tools to make a brilliant and stylish DIY room divider in a studio.

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.”

Mixed materials (inspired by Kelly Wearstler) blend seamlessly with the couple’s lush greenery.

Gerald Posley flipped the script in his loft in a former appliance factory: He turned a tiny den into a bed nook.

Art and color anchor Curtis Taylor, Jr. and Danielle Taylor’s Chicago rental apartment.

Tour chef and TV host Will Coleman’s Brooklyn apartment that’s spread across two levels and showcases color and art.

Nadine Bacchus and partner, Juls, didn’t have a ton of money in the bank after buying this Victorian two-bedroom house, built in 1901. But, they saved money, then “completed a room, lived in chaos, saved a bit more, did another room. It was wild!”

Fashion consultant and merchandiser Jasmine Hart worked with interior designer and set decorator Kendra Cusic to decorate this Brooklyn rental apartment.

Designer Kim White has transformed her cozy Brooklyn rental apartment with smart DIY projects, like using banquette seating to build a custom sectional sofa, using mirrors to make the space feel larger, and more.

Dotun's Crown Heights apartment is filled with bright yellows and oranges that bring the space to life. Inspired by Early West African graphic design and pop art, Dotun believes in bringing in pieces from your travels to make a space your own.

When Jennelle moved into her place for the first time, she realized buying everything at once would be expensive. So instead, she slowly collected things from the curb, Facebook Marketplace, and places within her budget to create a beautiful New York apartment that nods to her parents who immigrated from Jamaica.

Kayla works in HR at Apartment Therapy and has turned her home into her sanctuary. Working with a small space and budget, she used the color palette of her neighborhood to bring to life her gorgeous bohemian home.

As a travel writer, Sarah wanted her home to feel like a sanctuary. She filled her home with color and a design that invites happiness in.

Crystal Wyatt owned a house in Philadelphia for more than 18 years before needing a change, going tiny in this 190-square-foot rental studio apartment in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood.

Originally from Kenya, Ash Appleton splits her time between London and this two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Nairobi’s vibrant Westlands’ neighborhood, which she has been renovating to reflect her “modern, bold, bright, blended, and whimsical” sense of style since purchasing in 2016.

"My favorite color is pink, which is also very evident in not just my apartment but anything I design at work too. If I can work the color pink into a project or my home, I will absolutely do it," says Briana Guin, who shares this 635-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with two roommates.

Astead W. Herndon thinks you should always invest in a good couch. His is a gorgeous pink one... a bold color suggestion made by a Hinge date!

TV writer, actress, author, and producer Franchesca Ramsey moved to Los Angeles fall of 2020, decorating this rental apartment with DIY murals, color, and more.

Rebekah Love, a professional organizer and the owner of company, Organize For Love, shares this Staten Island home with husband, Olushola Bashorun, a fine arts photographer with AQut Photography, and their daughter, Loren.

Interior designer Beth Diana Smith considers herself an eclectic maximalist. "I love several design styles so I love to combine them into an eclectic mix. And as a maximalist, I follow a more is more philosophy, however even in maximalism editing is still important."

Washington DC artist Erin Shirley has been growing her plant collection — and her enamel pin business, Aster & Tulips — from her bright and lush apartment just north of DC.

Emily Auffrey describes the rental apartment she shares with her family as a NYC dream space. “We truly feel like we moved into our dream NYC apartment. In addition to being the dream home; the area is just absolutely ideal for a family," she writes.

Content creator and small studio renter, Imani Keal, is on a mission to get people with small spaces to paint them black.

Content creator, blogger, style lover, YouTuber, and Instagram strategist Marikah shares this one-bedroom apartment with her husbae and their baby. The apartment has lots of clever organizing tip and renter-friendly decor ideas, including a very cute nursery nook in the bedroom.

Scarlett Langdon and Xandice Armah’s home, known as The Gal Palace, is full of their personalities. “When we moved into the flat it was our first time living together, and our first time living somewhere unfurnished where we could properly put our stamp on it,” Scarlett says.