Chicago

Kate makes an effort to avoid buying new things for her Chicago rental apartment, instead sourcing "items from thrift stores, antique shops, and second-hand marketplaces. About 80% of the things I buy come from these places, and I love incorporating historic designs into a very modern building."

After Shelby toured this 700-square-foot Chicago condo, she loved it so much she wrote the previous owner a handwritten letter. “I was like, ‘I’m ... begging you to let me live here.’” The letter worked. Now she and Collin reside in their small-but-mighty space, curating a sort of maximalist museum dedicated to the relationships that keep them afloat.

The incredible custom wallpaper in this colorful Chicago condo was designed before the owner ever moved in.

Abby and her husband, Christian, have been living in their Chicago home for two years, and they have one piece of advice for you: Treat your home like a museum. With rotating pieces of art, they never tire of their rental apartment.

You're going to want a waterproof backpack.

The kitchen used to have fluorescent lights, Formica countertops, and a wall separating it from the living room area, but Bridget and Sean took down the wall and put in six slabs of black quartz.

Ainsley's small rental apartment's size and atypical angles offered quite the design challenge: to fit in useful, cohesive items without feeling too cramped or cluttered. But she tackled the challenge beautifully and cleverly.

Along with incredible art, Alex uses "warm, neutral colors (off-white, ochre, amber, wood tones) as a foundation to play with shapes, textures, and patterns. Jute rugs, boucle, ornate frames, and varying wood tones help tie together the design and blend old and new."

Christy lives with her two cats in Chicago. Her walls are covered in art and objects that remind her of the people and places she loves. She's transformed a 750-square-foot apartment into a cozy home.

Jamie and Mike moved to Chicago for grad school and never left. Now their home has given them a place to make the most of their small space while adding in items that bring them happiness.

Becky Bloom's historic 1924 Chicago bungalow has a purple living room, orange fireplace, green kitchen, floral bedroom, and a lot more color and DIY pattern!

Johnny Coleman is an interior architecture BFA candidate at Columbia College Chicago and a bargain hunter. He was able to furnish and decorate this rental apartment with mostly upcycled and revamped furniture.

A love letter to the average walking path.

Tim and Ravi's condo is located on the top floor of a building built in 1897, so it needed a lot of work. The remodel lasted two months and was completed in January 2020.

It's a house style that's all over Chicago.

Coach and facilitator Erinne Brown has been renting this light-filled 451-square-foot studio apartment in Chicago's Printers Row neighborhood for two years now.

Sekile Nzinga is the Chief Equity Officer for the State of Illinois and the founder of The Nzinga Collective, and rents this 1200-square-foot condo in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.

Kevin Coleman shares this 642-square-foot, "Geometric Minimalism" style studio apartment with his dog, Langston.

...including an IKEA bookshelf built into a wall!

Have you heard of this spot in the Midwest?

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.

It's cheaper, too.

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

It also has loads of natural light, a custom-made bay window seat, and a private deck space transformed into a relaxing oasis.

Sara and Garrett own this house, but it serves as inspiration for renters, too; it's full of incredible colors against a backdrop of crisp white walls!

Vintage fashion and home decor seller Barbie Roadkill says her Chicago condo's style is: "Golden Girls' meets Lydia’s house in 'Beetlejuice' meets a box of crayons."

Gizelle was raised on PBS period dramas, but until she gets to live in a traditional English manor home, she's furnished her industrial modern Chicago loft with antiques to blend in British colonial design inspiration.

This Chicago home is eclectic '80s maximalism at its finest.

There are colorful and cool murals, 50+ house plants, cool secondhand furniture finds, and a plant hanging idea that'll make you want to grab a ladder today.

These podcasters and founders of an events company consider the dining room table as the anchor oftheir home... and it's now has become their podcast recording studio, too. "In many ways, this is the space where we can still bring people together and now instead of feeding their mouths, we are feeding their spirit with inspiration."

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.

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

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

Larayne's hobby and passion have been houseplants for 7+ years. "I find joy and happiness through caring for plants, and find it very meditative."

She spent less than $1000 to decorate the entire space over three or four months.

Angela Wator, owner/designer of BASH Party Goods, has decorated this 1896 Victorian house in Chicago with color, pattern, and fun.

The property is where Jordan hosted "The Breakfast Club", where teammates Scottie Pippin, Ron Harper, and Randy Brown met for early morning workouts and meals prepared by Jordan's chef.

Lori's building was constructed in the late 1920s, so she thought it would be fun to give her small studio apartment a disco-meets-deco flavor.

It includes an eclectic mix of modern, mid-century, traditional, and bohemian pieces that represent the couple and fits their needs perfectly.

It's not 24 hours with a watering can in hand, promise.

This small Chicago bungalow is quite literally bursting with life.

The previous owner had a very country/farmhouse aesthetic and the loft was decorated in varying tones of white. The new owner couldn’t wait to get in and inject some life and color... and she did!

This creative couple fell in love with this Chicago rental apartment because of its older design and closed concept.

This beautiful space also has tons of natural light, high ceilings, and built-in wood elements!

Each room has a beautiful, different vibe.

"Don't be afraid to use your space in non-conventional ways."

You can own architectural history.

You won't find any multicolored Christmas lights in this apartment — Revae's color scheme is strictly white and gold with roses all over.

This warm, industrial modern Chicago loft is beautiful any day of the year, but decorated for the holidays it's even lovelier.

Including what to buy from Trader Joe's and how to make those orange slice ornaments you see everywhere.

This apartment's decor will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to furniture.

This Starbucks, obviously, isn’t just any old Starbucks. It’s an experience in and of itself. Let me walk you through mine.

The first thing this couple did when they moved in was rip down all the country, floral wall paper and paint all the oak trim white!

Inspired by vintage tiki and western decor, Perry and Kenny love thrifting and hunting for one-of-a-kind pieces at flea markets.

This incredibly unique rental apartment is located in an old Victorian mansion that was reconstructed into individual live/work artist studios.

From the glossy and matted black print in the dining nook, to the wallpaper mural behind the bed, to the wallpapered bathroom, Blake has used pattern brilliantly in this apartment.

Along with sharing her beautiful home, Caroline Turner also reveals clever (and often affordable) expert tips on how to make a rental feel like a home and not look like a plain, boring rental.

Caroline made a small, affordable (only $20!) and gorgeous update that elevates her fireplace, complements the rest of her decor, and adds a touch of elegance to the entire home.

Graphic designer Jonathan Black's small Chicago studio is a lesson in how to make the most out of a teeny space.

This cold, blank canvas was utterly transformed into a playful home with color, paint, and pattern!