New York And Tours

Name: Alanna Okun Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Alanna’s cheery apartment in Brooklyn is the first space she can truly call her own. She grew up surrounded by siblings, next lived in college dorms, and then moved in with roommates. As a writer, she needed a quiet place for herself. As a crafter, she needed a creative space to inspire her.

Name: Maggie and Lucas Vocos Location: Alphabet City, Manhattan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting Maggie and Lucas Vocos met and fell in love in Chicago, moved to Los Angeles for work, and then moved to Brooklyn for work again. After living in relatively peaceful neighborhoods in the aforementioned cities, they decided it was time to try out the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

Name: Julie Horowitz Location: East Village — New York, NY Size: 190 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting As Julie admits in her video tour, 190 square feet isn’t a ton of space for someone to live in. But she’s made tiny living look easy in her East Village rental, particularly when you learn she also uses her small rental to flex her creative baking muscles, as well!

Name: Christine Stucker Veal and James Veal Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 2100 square feet Years Lived In: 3 1/2 years, owned Original wood beams and brick walls mix with modern designs in this Brooklyn townhouse, built in 1890. It’s the home of husband and wife Christine Stucker Veal and James Veal, the founders of Stewart-Schafer.

Small isn't an excuse; it's an opportunity.

Name: Elizabeth and Rac Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Having lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, Elizabeth and Rac decided to buy a place of their own after getting married two and a half years ago. They purchased a home in the historic Bedford- Stuyvesant neighborhood and immediately set to renovating it to match their personalities. The couple spent eight months renovating their home before they moved in.

Name: Caroline Z Hurley Location: West Village, NYC Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 13 years Caroline Z Hurley has lived in her apartment for 13 years, but has known the space even longer. Both of her sisters each lived in the apartment before her, and at one point, Caroline shared the 420-square-foot studio with one of them! Originally, the apartment was just an open studio with a half-wall separating the bedroom area.

Name: Emily DeRosa and Matthew Pugliese Location: Upper West Side, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Emily and Matt’s pre-war apartment building (built in 1925) is located on a quiet block on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The couple has resided in their 800-square-foot apartment for two-and-a-half years, and during this time, have filled it with treasures from their travels and art made by dear friends. Emily works in an art gallery and Matt is a physical therapist.

Name: Kalyn and Todd Chandler Location: Tribeca — New York, NY Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned When Kalyn moved into her now-husband Todd’s apartment, the two were practicing lawyers. Kalyn was unhappy with her busy career, so Todd encouraged her to pursue her passion for design. With that extra push, Kalyn’s brand Effie’s Paper—a fun and feminine stationery and gift company — was born.

Name: Thomas Dobrowolski and Ben Ezrick Location: West Village, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When you only have 400 square feet to work with, every inch of your home has to be considered during a remodel. Not just for aesthetics, but for also for function. Which is precisely what Thomas and Ben did with their West Village home when they set about renovating the small space: There are sleek, smart, built-in storage solutions in every room of the apartment.

Name: Eva Goicochea and Ian Goicochea Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, renting What happens when two creatives — one from California/New Mexico and the other from Arizona/Oregon — come to New York together with four animals? They make some serious West Coast meets Southwest minimalist magic. Ian and Eva met nine years ago through a mutual friend.

Name: Tracy Young Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Pennsylvania native Tracy Young remembers helping her parents garden, ferment, and cook from a young age. Her Brooklyn apartment is an eclectic nod to her idyllic childhood, but also to the decade she spent as a chef cooking aboard yachts that sailed the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and Caribbean. Today, she co-owns the restaurant Kings Co Imperial in Williamsburg.

Name: Alex Fitzgerald Location: West Village — New York, NY Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned The trick to studios is how to make the most of the space you’re given. For Alex, a studio apartment previously owned by an architect obsessed with built-ins has proved both a boon and a challenge.

Name: John Sorensen-Jolink and Fabien Dubuet Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 900 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, renting He once performed with contemporary choreographers like Twyla Tharp. Today, modern-dancer-turned furniture designer John Sorensen-Jolink is the founder and owner of Coil + Drift, a Brooklyn-based design studio that creates elegant, contemporary furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Name: Jenny, Konstantin & Simone Peysin (plus their dog Murray) Location: Windsor Terrace — Brooklyn, NY Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Jenny and Konstantin were married in 2015, moved into their beautiful Brooklyn apartment in 2016, and recently welcomed baby Simone into their lives and the home they share with their quirky pup, Murray.

Name: Andrew Chappelle and his dog, Patti LuBone Location: Washington Heights — New York, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Andrew Chappelle is part of the amazingly talented cast of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton, but aside from his performance skills, he has a great eye for design. This is quickly apparent when walking into his Washington Heights apartment, which he shares with his pup, Patti LuBone.

Name: Ali and Chip McEnhill Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 478 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Ali and Chip McEnhill moved into their apartment in Cobble Hill Towers — a Brooklyn landmark built in 1879 — they were inspired to reintroduce and recover some of its original character.

Name: Nicole Martinez and Ian Phipps Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting The word “loft” gets thrown about a bit these days, but Nicole and Ian’s apartment in Williamsburg is the real thing—an old factory building with soaring ceilings, exposed concrete floors, and genuine industrial character.

Name: Arnold Baumheiser Location: New York City Size: 1,328 square feet Earlier this year we got to see an in-depth look at Dev Shah’s New York apartment — he’s the main character of Netflix’s hit show Master of None. What a unique, comfortable, accessible space the apartment’s set design portrays. It doesn’t really matter if the apartment is “real” or not; Dev’s home is filled with inspiration anyone could use.

Name: Thomas Finney Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, NY Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting When Thomas moved into his studio three years ago, functionality and style were his primary concerns. “This is the first place I’ve actually invested in. Before, I just had IKEA everything.

Doilies, murals, fake cake and Victorian vibes...Cole Escola (Matthew on Hulu's Difficult People) lives in a 425-square-foot candy-colored Brooklyn apartment.

Name: Jason and Colleen Wachob, of mindbodygreen Location: Dumbo — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,751 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, owned After back injuries left him in excruciating pain in 2009, Jason Wachob began his yoga practice…and was encouraged by the positive, powerful, life-improving effects. This change sparked an interest in living a more balanced, holistic lifestyle. “It was a real awakening for me,” he confesses.

Name: Mecca Williams and Ashley Isokpehi Location: Bed-Stuy — Brooklyn, New York Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Longtime friends Mecca and Ashley planned on living together well before Ashley moved to New York. After a long and tedious search, they found a perfect sun-filled spot in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The two creatives worked hard to develop an aesthetic that blends their tastes.

Name: Melina Peterson Location: West Village — New York, NY Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Melina found her tiny West Village studio, she knew she’d have to get creative. Even though small apartments are fairly standard in the Manhattan real estate game, Melina’s space is particularly narrow. And up four flights of stairs.

Name: Allie Epstein Location: East Williamsburg/Bushwick — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 4 and a half years, renting Allie recently acquired a modern mobile, which hangs above the dining area in her studio apartment. In a residual state of post-mobile-procurement bliss, she realized the space she has called home for four years was finally complete.

Name: Steph Waterman Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 600 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting Kaz and Steph are the “design obsessed duo” behind The Stylephiles. “We are oceans apart in Sydney and New York.

Name: Whitney and Jordon Giancoli Location: Chelsea — New York City, New York Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Whitney Giancoli — native Texan, new mom and interior designer based in Chelsea — didn’t always work in design. But after transforming her fifth floor walk-up (hence her social media handle @5thfloorwalkup) on the Lower East Side, she unexpectedly kick-started her own design career.

Name: Irmak Karayal and Spencer Ramsey Location: East Harlem — New York, New York Size: 550 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting “Everyone who steps into our apartment says something along the lines of, ‘This is the perfect little apartment for you guys!’ We hear the words ‘perfect little’ all the time,” says Irmak — one half of the couple that lives in this East Harlem apartment. This description couldn’t be more true.

Name: Amanda Jaffe, Kate McCann, Carina Romano Location: Fleischmanns, New York Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned Sometimes friends get together and profess their love of the same tall mountains and winding roads. For Amanda, Kate and Carina (me!), these confessions and conversations resulted in buying a dream getaway together in the ever-inspiring Catskill Mountains.

Name: Alana and Kristopher Location: Upper West Side — New York City, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Successfully pulling together a space that is a minimalist sanctuary, but also interesting (and one that still feels decorated), is surprisingly hard to do. Which is what makes this New York City couple’s Upper West Side apartment so impressive.

Name: Jeanie Engelbach and pup Tater Tot Location: East Village — New York, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 24 years, renting “I’ve been collecting since I was five years old,” admits Jeanie Engelbach, “and coupled with a design aesthetic based on my nine-year-old self — candy, comics and cartoons — the apartment feels like a tightly curated mini pop culture museum.

Name: Siobhán Gallagher & John F. Malta Location: Ridgewood, New York Size: 520 square foot Years Lived In: Siobhan: 3 years, John: 1 year, renting Imagine: world’s cutest couple of professional illustrators living together in a gallery-like home filled with their friends’ magnificent art! Siobhán Gallagher, senior designer at Abrams Books and author of IN A DAZE WORK, and John F.

Name: Leela, Chris and Violet Location: Bedford Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Leela describes her family’s Brooklyn home as a constant work in progress. When the she and Chris purchased the whole building about four years ago, lots of work needed to be done. Their full gut renovations left them with a “Brooklyn industrial recycled Scandinavian” duplex, though.

Name: Wendy Goodman Location: Greenwich Village — New York, New York Years lived in: 1997-present Wendy Goodman’s New York apartment feels particularly storied, and not just because it’s full of books. A born and raised New Yorker, she’s called this Greenwich Village apartment home for 20 years, and it shows — her place has that layered, easy feel that homes that have been lived in, and loved, for many years begin to take on.

A designer's colorful vision springs to life.

Name: Amy Chan Location: Chelsea — New York, New York Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: Renting Amy Chan, the founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp and a relationship columnist, has a philosophy when it comes to designing spaces. “Spaces have energy. Your body can feel the energy of the space once you walk in — listen to that. I saw over 20 apartments before I found this one, and when I stepped inside, I just knew it had to be mine.

Name: Sara Blake Location: Greenwich Village — New York City, New York Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Sara’s Greenwich Village apartment exudes cool — prints by her friends and artists she admires fill her space. The illustrator, designer, and creative director moved in about five years ago, and her renovations (plus investing in custom furnishings) have created a beautiful, functioning home in only one room.

Name: Amelie Mancini, Rami Metal, and their daughter Babette Location: Crown Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 2 years Before getting pregnant with their daughter, artist and designer Amelie Mancini and her husband Rami Metal called Greenpoint, Brooklyn home. They loved where they lived, but knew that their tiny apartment (less than 400 square feet total) wouldn’t accommodate a growing family.

Name: Suzanne and Oliver Jeffers, and their son Harland Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Originally from Northern Ireland, Suzanne and Oliver Jeffers have called Brooklyn home for ten years. Before moving to their current rental, they were living in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn Heights. The apartment fit their needs just fine…until they found out their family would be expanding.

Name: Aster Thomas Location: Harlem, NY Years lived in: Less than 1 year, renting Aster found her studio apartment less than a year ago. The biggest selling point? “The enormous bathroom/luxurious glam room,” which comes with a clawfoot tub and high ceilings. For the design of the rest of the studio apartment, Aster drew inspiration from European studio apartments on Pinterest.

Name: Raelyn Woltz and her fiancé Jon Location: Buffalo, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, owned The house had been vacant for two years when Jon and Raelyn bought it…and it needed a lot of work. Not just to make it look better, but also to make it more livable. “We spent a little over a year planning and working on it ourselves (and a ton of help from family!).

Name: Sarah Jacobson Location: Lower East Side — New York, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “Above all, I believe in comfort—in a home that makes you feel more relaxed the second you step through its doors,” describes Sarah of her style. You can feel and see that sense of comfort in features like the two-person breakfast nook or the living room area, at least once you get over the stunning style of the apartment (specifically the kitchen!).

Name: Rachel Tepper Paley and her husband, Jon Paley Location: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Rachel and Jon moved into their Prospect Heights, Brooklyn condo after years of renting in NYC. During their search, they were able to find a lovely and spacious 1,050-square-foot place with one tiny catch: It had NO closets. Like none.

Name: Bev Wilson Location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Size: 975 square feet Years Lived In: 2.5 years, owned Bev is a lawyer, but has always been interested in interior design and photography. So when it came time to start searching for an apartment to buy, she wanted a space she could really design and customize. She wanted a renovation project. “When I bought my place, it had been used as a rental for over ten years and was not in good shape,” Bev shares.

Name: Lauren Rubcic Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting When Lauren found out that she would be relocating to New York City for work, she only had three weeks to find the right apartment. To her surprise she found an affordable studio apartment on the Upper East Side, an area of NYC that she associated with Carrie Bradshaw and a heavy price tag. Another great selling point: the layout of the 325-square-foot apartment.

Name: Danielle and Ely Franko Location: Tannersville, New York Size: 1,529 square feet Years Lived In: Every weekend for the past two years, owned “We purchased our home two years ago, somewhat on a whim,” begins Ely Franko. He and his wife Danielle love living and working in New York City, but after five years of a hectic urban life, they had started to yearn for “greener pastures.” The couple weren’t very familar with Tannersville, or the Hunter Mountain area.

Name: William Watson (and Lola!) Location: Bowery — New York, New York Size: Approximately 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Will was involved in the art world for several years before starting his own creative agency, Watson and Company. And he moved into his Soho apartment nearly a year ago. He uses his space not only as a place to live, but to paint and spend time with his adorable baby girl Lola when she stays with him.

Name: Siria Alvarez and Emmanuel Perez Location: West Harlem — New York, NY Years lived in: 3 years, renting Siria and Emmanuel were lucky to score a Harlem apartment with great bones: High ceilings makes the space feel spacious, a heavy but glorious fireplace is a bold focal point, and a dark-wood hallway is a striking statement. But it’s how Siria and Emmanuel have furnished the space that makes it so inspiring.

Name: Jack Schmitz, Christopher Thompson, and their Frenchie, Edie. Location: Hell’s Kitchen — New York, NY Size: 675 square feet, plus terrace Years lived in: Almost a year, renting For creative couple Jack Schmitz and Christopher Thompson, the search for their first apartment together ended up working out far beyond their expectations.

Name: Alea Lovely Location: Greenpoint — New York, NY Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting The apartment of Alea Lovely more than lives up to her name. A creative whose expressions vary from photography to painting and beyond, Alea infuses her space with a sense of what motivates and inspires her. This includes plenty of art, lush colors and textures, and details influenced by places, people, and things she adores.

Name: Nisha Mirani and Brendan Kramer Location: Upper West Side — New York, NY Size: 500 square feet Years Lived In: 9 months, renting We recently moved to New York from Los Angeles to be closer to family and to live a car-free lifestyle. I work full time on Sunday/Monday from home and Brendan helps on nights and weekends, so our apartment search was as much of a studio search as an apartment hunt.

Eclectic, functional and DIY'ed to the max.

Name: Laura Lane, Nic Rad and Samo the dog Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn Size: 1972 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Laura’s a comedy writer, author and the co-creator of This Is Why You’re Single (a comedy sketch show, podcast and book). Nic is an artist and podcaster (Victori + Mo gallery represents his work). Are you thinking that the home of two incredible creatives must be an incredibly attractive, one-of-a-kind space? You’re right.

Name: Stella Rose Saint Clair and cats Inch, Filbert, and Beeboo Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: One bedroom Years lived in: 2 years, rented Pink covers nearly all the walls of this Brooklyn rental, the home and fashion studio of designer, stylist, model, and cat-mom Stella Rose Saint Clair (yes, that’s her real name).

Name: Rachel Hornaday Location: East Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, renting The colorful jungle space that is Rachel Hornaday‘s third-floor Brooklyn apartment is actually a museum filled up with all of her beloved collaborations, collections and curiosities. The photo stylist by day/artist all the time has decorated her three-bedroom home in a comfortable way that tells the story of a creative always willing to be inspired.

Name: Katherine Steinberg Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned “Sleep on any major changes before committing,” is Katherine Steinberg’s sage advice. And after taking on a full-blown renovation when she moved into her Brooklyn apartment over two years ago, she’s had a lot of experience with making big updates in her home, everything from moving the location of a staircase to picking out wallpaper.

Name: Alina Fassakhova, Artem Churikov and cat Usha Location: Upper West Side — New York City Size: About 400 square feet Years Lived In: 14 months, renting Working and living in a small space is already a challenge. Add to that a messy (artistic) profession requiring oil paints and large canvases, and it becomes truly challenging to balance work and personal life in one space.

Co-host of the podcast and HBO special "2 Dope Queens" just added another impressive line to her resume: homeowner. And in New York City, no less.

Name: Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton and Adam Fulton and dog Rocky Location: West Village — New York, NY Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton knows about self-care and spaces where you can relax. She’s the founder and CEO of Chillhouse, a nail salon/spa/cafe that’s “a destination for modern self-care” on the Lower East Side.

Name: Chris McGovern Location: NoMad — Manhattan, New York Size: 925 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned In a city full of high-rises often with floors of identical apartments, Chris was keen to find a space that was both architecturally unique and required some renovation to put his own touch on it. He gravitated towards loft spaces throughout his search. In 2017, he purchased a loft in Manhattan on the border between Chelsea and NoMad.

Name: Arielle Assouline-Lichten Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Architect and designer Arielle Assouline-Lichten has a badass, burgeoning design career. After studying at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, she founded the multidisciplinary design firm Slash Projects in 2013, which specializes in both physical and digital spaces.

Name: Sophie Demenge and Michael Ryan Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,240 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned Sophie lives in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn with her husband Michael, two kids Mae and Marius, and three cats. The neighborhood is best known for rows of brownstone homes, one of the nation’s first food co-ops, and access to Prospect Park (what I like to call the Central Park of Brooklyn).

Name: Bliss Lau Location: Lower East Side —New York, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned Jewelry designer Bliss Lau’s wearable creations are minimal—simple forms that are elegant and architectural—but they aren’t plain. Her necklaces, bracelets, body chains, and rings feature luxurious details. It’s a style combination seen in the minimal and modern home she shares with her husband Evan and their new baby Soa.

Name: Emily Kellerman Location: Ditmas Park — Brooklyn, NY Size: 450 square feet| Years Lived In: 3 years, renting Prop stylist Emily Kellerman’s small studio apartment is proof you don’t need a ton of space—or separate rooms—to live beautifully and well. We first saw a sneak peek of her small 450-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment in a house call, but I wanted to see more.

Name: Ainsley Gardner, Brandon Stewart, and Betty Cat Location: Chelsea — New York City Size: 737 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting “One of the challenges of living in a newer rental is trying to bring character to the space without making permanent changes,” explained Ainsley Gardner, who’s been sharing this rental apartment in Chelsea with her partner Brandon and their cat, Betty.

Name: Molly Bernard, girlfriend Hannah, and Henry (her eight-pound rescue mutt!) Location: Brooklyn, NYC Years lived in: Just a few months! Proud and terrified first time home-owner!

Name: George Mendes and Siamese cats, Roscoe and Daisy Location: Downtown Brooklyn, New York, New York Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years George Mendes knows good food. He’s the chef behind Aldea, the Michelin-starred New York restaurant whose offerings reflect the cuisine of his parents’ native Portugal. He’s also the inhabitant of a beautiful Brooklyn apartment that seems an embodiment of the mantra “less is more.

The Apartment Botanist, Alessia Resta, shares a peek into her small home filled with hip decor and TONS of plants.

Name: Stevie Van Horn Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 months, renting Stevie Van Horn recently began renting this apartment in Brooklyn’s Fort Green neighborhood—employing “zero-waste” philosophies when decorating the interior.

Lorenzo's studio apartment may only be 320 square feet, but it's fill with his collection of art by black artists.

Lifestyle blogger Tanika's home is super cozy with added hints of boho charm.

It took six months and less than $10,000.