New Jersey

Interior designer Gail Davis opens up her home.

“Our apartment is a vibrant reflection of our identity as African American gay men with a deep love for art, culture, travel, and food,” writes renter Brandon Lightfoot.

“Overall, regardless of style, my goal was always to make my home a place I can come back to and feel at peace. I work a relatively stressful job and wanted to ensure that I go home to a peaceful, warm, and welcoming environment where I can relax and de-stress,” this nurse practitioner writes.

Candice wanted her home to be a personal expression of her love of color, Parisian interiors, and cats; find small cat stickers sprinkled about and a DIY gallery wall filled with photos of cat poses.

This empty loft was brimming with so much potential, and photographer Averie Cole added bold colors and whimsical details. “Painting and designing this space was more than just decorating — it was therapy,” Averie explains.

Tour this eclectic and contemporary New Jersey apartment with lots of color and pattern.

Natalie, her wife, and their dog have moved eight times within the last 12 years, but I feel like this beautiful small studio might be their home for a while.

See inside this rental apartment with French doors, a large kitchen, and tons of natural light from 12 total windows.

Ericka Hart and Ebony Donnley bought a 97-year-old Victorian in New Jersey, renovating it for themselves and their child, East, and their dog, Baguette.

Sage Schwer is the owner of the vintage clothing store Porch Finds, and her rental loft is full of cool secondhand finds.

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

Tour this professionally designed bespoke Jersey City house that focuses on art, lots of layering, and cozy vibes.

See inside a modest ranch house in Cape May County that hadn't been updated since the 1970s — it was beige and brown before its colorful and cool reno.

Denise Rodriguez and her husband bought a run-down 1920s Sears Catalog bungalow 22 years ago, slowly turning it into a "year-round vacation destination," complete with lots of colorful, vintage, beachy collections — from bathroom mermaids to candy-colored pottery.

Robert F Samuels Jr. (AKA "Bobby Trendz") refers to his home as "The Trendz Gallery," and it features a black-and-white minimalist but luxurious aesthetic with architectural elements, patterns, contemporary art, and mid-century design.

"We wanted everything to feel super fun and happy to look at," Victoria Buckley says of the home she shares with her partner and dog. "We both try to be really positive and I think our home helps a lot with that! When we’re relaxing at home or even working during the day, the whole atmosphere feels very positive and motivating."

When Antoinette purchased this home, the interior needed a lot of work! The biggest challenges were creating functional living spaces in such a small space and finding solutions for the exposed, unattractive features.

Just a few of the incredible DIY projects writer Caroline Mullen has completed INSIDE her small rental apartment: kitchen shelves, the kitchen floor, a TV console, a bar cabinet, a tool and supply cabinet, and more!

When newlyweds Courtney and John bought their first home by the Jersey Shore, it was a fixer upper with exposed pipes and a family of raccoons living there. They were able to completely transform the space into a modern home that reflects them.

Cherisse, an interior designer and real estate agent, shares this 1200-square-foot rental house with her husband, Dean, and son, Beau.

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."

Jaclyn Isaac is the owner and principal designer at doni Douglas Design, and she took on remodeling this dated beach bungalow at the Jersey Shore, turning it into a mix of mid-century modern, vintage, and bungalow chic.

Sade and William's house was built in 1837 and had been well maintained when they bought it three years ago; they've added their personality through a little cosmetic work, including paint and refinishing the floors.

This loft conversion has character in spades, like beamed wooden ceilings, sliding barn doors, exposed brick walls, and excellent morning light.

Logan has been woodworking since childhood, and together with Maria's knack for plants and antiques, they've DIYed and designed a relatively small space while turning it into an incredibly cozy and comfortable home.

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.

A fully off-grid home sleeps six comfortably, has a full kitchen, a custom six-foot foldable dining table, an office space, a bathroom with a shower, and more.

A restored garage space is color therapy for your eyes, an aromatic journey for your senses, and a calm vibe for your soul.

"Aesthetic goals are cute but a home filled with good energy and things you genuinely love is even cuter."

Spoiler alert: There's some of the best wallpaper and fabric patterns in here ever! You'll be inspired to play with print in your own home.

Believe it or not, this couple bought this 1875 colonial house sight unseen four months ago.

This interior designer didn't have as big of a budget as her clients, so she had to get creative to decorate her home! She used a lot of paint to give it a fresh look (like a DIY striped bathroom or painting the kitchen cabinets).

It looks and feels so much larger!

This layered, lived-in, storied family home is full of creative ideas and cozy vibes.

This old colonial farmhouse has beautiful original architecture details, and has been filled with colorful, bohemian textiles and art.

Name: Julieta Alvarez, her husband Bart, and daughter Olivia Location: West New York, New Jersey Size: 1065 square feet Years lived in: Almost 3 years, renting Julieta, of Julieta Alvarez Interiors, lives with her husband and daughter in a two-bedroom apartment in West New York, New Jersey — one quick, peaceful ferry ride away from the Manhattan peninsula. Julieta says it’s like “Battery Park City but much quieter and less commercial.

Name: Neffi Walker and her children (Adonis 23, Kawhyii 22, Jhette 17, Nile 5) Location: Northern New Jersey Size: 5,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years Some know her as the proprietor of Jersey City interior design destination, Le Noir Home. Others know her for her uplifting and unapologetic attitude on her blog and its related Instagram page. But all who know Neffi Walker know that her family is the center of her being.

Name: Roger and Chris Stout-Hazard and dog Buck Location: Upper Montclair, New Jersey Size: 2,700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Nestled on one acre of land and stretched across four stories, this house in New Jersey is a mid-century modern lover’s dream. It’s also currently the rental home of the multi-talented furniture design duo Roger+Chris. You may know Roger from his popular show “Sell This House.

Name: Sarah, Will, baby Romilly and Ramsey the bulldog Location: Haddonfield, New Jersey Size: 3,795 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, owned Sarah and Will live in a beautiful 19th Century Haddonfield Manor House, designed and built by notable architect, Clement Remington. Remington was also involved in the construction of Philadelphia’s City Hall, the Curtis Building, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Name: Natalie Jacob and Ethan Urban Location: Jersey City, New Jersey Size: 1,000 square foot apartment in a row house Years lived in: 1 1/2 years, renting Natalie Jacob has great taste across the board. As the beverage consultant and blogger behind Arsenic Lace, she knows good cocktails. Her colorful, playful interior design aesthetic—think ombre stairs and flamingo print in the back of a china cabinet—reaches every corner of the New Jersey home she shares with Ethan Urban.

Name: Joey Meyers, Mark Baehser, and Bridget (Cat) Location: Lincoln Park Neighborhood of Jersey City Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned It comes as no surprise that the owners of this home, Joey Meyers and Mark Baehser of Ball & Claw Vintage fame, are part of Brooklyn’s chicest co-op, Dobbin St. While scouting for vintage finds for their stores in Bushwick and Williamsburg, the couple makes sure to keep the most precious items for their own home improvements.

"I realized that the time and emotional energy devoted to physical things could be better spent elsewhere. This was the spark that led me to my tiny home lifestyle."

Name: Hilary Padget and Anthony Harrington Location: The Heights — Jersey City, New Jersey Size: 1050 square feet interior (plus 230 square foot garage) Years lived in: 2 years, owned This isn’t the first time Hilary and Anthony’s home has appeared on Apartment Therapy. Way back in 2008, they were the winners of our fourth Small Cool Contest, with this 460 square foot Brooklyn studio featuring a very stylish and smart lofted bed.

Name: Bailey Li of Bailey Li Interiors Location: The Valley Arts District — Orange, New Jersey Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting I love the idea of residing in a restored firehouse that is now used as a live/work art gallery that houses a group of creatives from different mediums! It’s like living in a piece of history that is birthing a new story.

Name: Christine & Will Arcuri Location: Hoboken, New Jersey Size: 1,177 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Christine and Will didn’t know where to start when they purchased their Hoboken condo. Their pad boasted a mix of overstuffed bachelor furniture and other mis-matched items. In order to inject a dose of style and create a more grown-up home, they worked with Jessica Davis of Nest Studio (whom you might remember from Jessica & Scott’s East Coast Nest).