Manhattan

Interior designer Nicole Arruda's whole rental studio apartment is proof of how much architectural interest and beauty you can add to a space with just a few details.

Thanks to light colors, smart storage ideas, and intentional dividing of "zones," Kristy Marhin has done an amazing job of creating a cozy home in just 230 square feet.

Though just 500 square feet, Jacqueline Clair's studio apartment is a bright corner unit with tons of windows, and features lots of ideas for maximizing a small space.

This apartment was a white-walled, blank canvas before Robb Wexler moved in. "This gave me the chance to completely transform the space into something very personal, which tells my story."

Bleached herringbone oak wood floors, white-washed wood detailing, high ceilings, and impeccably organized spaces all contribute to the serene atmosphere of this professional organizer's home.

Tynan wanted this small studio to feel like a "1950s honeymoon suite, a cocktail lounge, a powder room, the Playboy Mansion, a 1960s TSA terminal, and a little gay space station in the clouds."

The only thing that came in Julie Gordon's rental studio apartment was a small stove, fridge, and three cabinets. But after some major TLC, a few great peel and stick finds, and lots of patience, she's turned this shoebox-sized into a cozy, beautiful, and organized home.

Thanks to collaborating and facetiming with her bestfriend everyday, Christine was able to DIY furniture, create an enviable bed loft/home office setup, give an ugly kitchen a renter-friendly facelift, and create a stunning home that feels much bigger and more expensive than it actually is.

Brooklyn resident Lidey Heuck is a recipe developer, food writer, blogger, and the former assistant of Ina Garten — so it only makes sense that she designed the apartment she shares with her fiancé and their dog to reflect her love of cooking and entertaining. 

Celia runs a YouTube channel and founded the decor shop Sticki Icki, and shares this 760-square-foot apartment with her partner, Sean, and their baby son, Cassius.

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.

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.

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. 

Sure, the shower is in the kitchen, but there's also a sink on top of the toilet, a bed loft with walk-in closet below, and plenty of other smart small space ideas to steal from this ultra cozy and comfy tiny studio apartment.

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.

Geneve Lau may only live in 350 square feet, but it feels much larger and is very organized and comfortable.

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

Gina works in the arts and loves color and camp, so wanted something cozy but fun for her small studio.

Courtney and Jules rent this 248-square-foot studio apartment in New York's West Village... and they've done an amazing job creating a functional AND beautiful home.

Because Barbara has no couch and only her bed, she uses rolled-up blankets and a million pillows to transform her bed into a couch each day.

Logan West says he's a maximalist who values minimalism.

When Carley first moved into this small studio apartment, the "backyard" only had a picnic table and a chain link fence. After a trip to Lowe's and a few hundred bucks' worth of lumber, she built a fence and crafted the perfect outdoor living space.

Paul — better known as @plantmepaul on Instagram — shares this small rental apartment with a roommate, beautiful brick walls, natural light, and tons of plants!

This tiny 350-square-foot studio loft with laid-back vibes and tons of windows sits on the top of a tall building, glistening in the sky.

And it's positively PACKED with clever budget decorating DIY ideas!

The biggest challenge was mastering the layout of a studio apartment and figuring out my storage situation. Using underbed storage for cameras, photo supplies, and out-of-season clothing saved the day!

Former Small/Cool Contest winner Pamela Kaupinen's tiny apartment has had to turn into many different things during quarantine, including a home office and gym! See how she fit more functions in her small space with this updated look at her NYC rental apartment.

Actress, podcaster, and writer Julie Klausner's NYC rental apartment features a neon sign, stripes, and fake cakes and flowers in the entryway, wild paint colors in the living room, dessert-themed wallpaper in the kitchen, and more.

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.

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.

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.

KC Cibran's TINY 280-square-foot Manhattan studio apartment won the Tiny Bracket in 2020's Small/Cool competition, and really that's no surprise to anyone who's seen inside her "Tropical Boho and Cuban Abuela" style space.

Caitlin has been working from home during quarantine, and though she's only got 300 square feet to live and work in, she's come up with a creative way to transform her home when it's time to relax on the weekends.

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

This teeny studio apartment feels like a small indoor jungle where everything fits together well.

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.

A lot of what Sydney has in her home is from the streets of NYC. "There is this Instagram account called Stooping NYC, and I found a lot of amazing treasures on the street for free."

This tiny NYC studio has a piano instead of a couch, an expandable table that can seat up to six, and lots of vertical storage solutions for small spaces.

Every section of my apartment has a different removable wallpaper to accent the room and divide the space.

Every inch of this studio apartment has been intentionally designed and maximized with DIY ideas and clever storage hacks.

It's pretty amazing how clean, modern, and lovely this small Manhattan apartment is, especially for two adults and two teenagers.

Bold black and white stripes once dominated the kitchen's decor, and the living room used to have a faux-wood wallpaper vibe. You have to see what it looks like today!

This apartment started as a blank white box with no character to speak of. Lisa Lu not only added a ton of renter-friendly style, but she's also fit a TON of storage in this small home.

These thespians made a cozy home in Harlem dedicated to a love of theatre.

Rana Argenio is the founder of direct-to-consumer linens brand 10 Grove and lives in this industrial Tribeca apartment with her husband.

This product designer specializing in home goods (like furniture, lighting, home accessories) took the time to only add very loved pieces to this small studio apartment.

There may only be just one "room," but Katie has done an amazing job creating very distinct zones in her studio apartment.

This home's old kitchen was a sore thumb before its budget refresh: the backsplash was mismatched tile, the floors were dingy linoleum, and the entire space was dim.

The apartment is just 600 square feet, but the 13-foot ceilings and white wooden floors make it appear much larger. And there are exposed beams, soaking tub, and working fireplace in this remodeled space.

Robyn Blair Davidson's small NYC apartment has one of the cheeriest work-from-home spaces we've ever seen.

Katy shares this apartment with her tween daughter; her daughter gets the bedroom and Katy turned the living room into her own studio apartment (and home office).

See why this apartment was nicknamed the "The Lavender Palace."

Even though this studio apartment is an open space, thanks to good space planning, it feels like it has different nooks.

Tons of light pour in to the bedroom and living room of this small NYC apartment, and the two owners have filled those rooms with plants. But the bathroom had no window and they had to get creative!

A neutral color palette, multi-purpose furniture, and prioritizing how the space NEEDS to function are the design tools self-help author Karen Salmansohn used to make her 650-square-foot apartment work for her and her young son.

It's only 330 square feet big, but this New York City studio apartment is INCREDIBLE.

Sarah Paiji Yoo is the co-founder and CEO of green cleaning supply company, Blueland. Her Chelsea loft Is chic, clutter-Free, and full of good organizing ideas.

Hattie Kolp has lived in this rental apartment her whole life; when her parents retired and moved out of the city, the home became hers to redecorate!

This studio dweller chose pieces with ample storage space so her small home would never feel cluttered.

This small home also shows how to master a "French country meets mid-century modern" style.

From using the built-in hamper for bathroom storage to purchasing a storage sofa from IKEA, this studio dweller has found ways to be creative with her small home.

The reflective qualities make a small space feel much brighter and larger!

Describing their style as "cozy pink pistachio desert oasis," Zach and Libby have used IKEA shoe storage in unconventional ways to help make their tiny rental apartment work.

Designer Crystal Nielsen designed a beautiful home for her family four... despite the fact that the space is only 700 square feet!

Tyler chose items that fit in the space so as not to overcrowd it, but made sure the home functios in a comfortable manner.

Her home's style is: "Lightly haunted royalty."

Natasha and Rob somehow make it work in their East Village apartment, despite it being tiny!

This CEO mixes modern furniture with vintage finds, lots of colorful artwork, and statement mirrors to brighten the small space.

It's a super small home, but Melissa has filled it with plants and cute decor.

Nigerian-born restauranteur, entrepreneur, and digital collage artist Folasade Adeoso and her fiancé Noah Levine share this large, minimal Harlem apartment.

Actor Erich Bergen's NYC apartment is like what the inside of his brain looks like.

Each space has its own cool energy.