New York And Tours

Name: Deborah J Stein, painter, designer and owner of Bonbon Oiseau Workshop and James Knudsen, lighting director, production lighting designer and owner of Quazar Productions. (With Maxine and Icky the cats and Pablo the pup) Location: Long Island City, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4.5 years Like us, our homes have moods. On a sunny day, they’re cheerful and bright; at night, they can be quiet and contemplative.

Name: Joan and Matt LeMay Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2.5 months We cannot get enough of Joan, Matt, and their consistently awesome style. We first met Joan in her Portland studio, and Matt later in New York once their lives merged. Now in their first new apartment together, this creative force has been gracious enough to let us chronicle their style evolution—and after living there for only two and a half months!

Name: Summer Rayne Oakes Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years When you walk into Summer’s top-floor Williamsburg apartment, the thing you’ll notice first is the plants. And then: the plants. Seriously, there are plants everywhere. Summer’s home exists in a kind of liminal state: neither outdoor nor indoor, it has all the lush richness of a jungle, with all the insouciant style of the most stylish Brooklyn apartment.

Dan and Yves’ Chelsea home is modern and artistic, with farmhouse accents, crafty DIYs, and unique art pieces in every room. Some may call it “eclectic” but we call it “farmhouse chic.” Find some of the beautiful pieces featured in their home (or something similar) using the links below.

Name: Helen Levi Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: Less than 1000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2.5 years Editor’s note: We’re re-running this tour because Helen Levi is launching a new dinnerware line on June 14th and we’re excited! Her work is beautiful, earthy and a favorite of mine, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for 2018.

Name: Paul Giordano and Simon Mathis Location: New York, New York Size: 625 square feet Years lived in: 15 months, rented This extremely welcoming home in Manhattan is full of vibrant colors, natural textures, and personalized treasures. Though on the small-ish side, big windows let in a lot of light, and charming architectural features like a brick wall add tons of charm. But it’s Paul and Simon’s ability to mesh styles and colors that has created such a warm, eclectic home.

Our Style: Jonathan Adler goes dumpster diving at the Golden Girls' estate sale.

Name: Sarah and Dan Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4.5 years Sarah and Dan live in a beautifully preserved brownstone apartment in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. The pre-war space features an abundance of architectural charm, like high ceilings, a floral ceiling medallion, and a gorgeous fireplace. The couple describes their style as modern and minimal, but above all, they value comfort.

Name: Tomoko and Michael Yates and cat Mochi Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: About 400 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Tomoko and Michael met in Austin (in fact, you might remember the Austin house tour we did of his old apartment), but moved into their Clinton Hill apartment about three and a half years ago. The couple, respectively from Japan and Texas, describe their home’s style as simple and cozy.

Name: Nathan Lump and Charles Runnette Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet plus terrace Years lived in: 1 year, 2 months, owned Where does Travel + Leisure magazine’s editor-in-chief Nathan Lump live when he’s not combing the world to find fabulous far-flung locales? In an airy, comfy Park Slope apartment he recently renovated with his husband Charles Runnette, a fellow killer content creator who works at the Mustache Agency (and a traveler, too).

Name: Kota Kobayashi Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 575 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2.5 years Kota’s grandfather’s life hobby was Bonsai, the Japanese art of growing trees in containers. From him, Kota’s mother got a passion for gardening. Not surprisingly, Kota has a love of plants, as well. “The fondness for the green is in my blood. I could not help myself but to be surrounded by plants.

Name: Kari Lopez and Vien Do Location: East Village, Manhattan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Kari and Vien moved up a few floors recently. First, the couple lived in a studio apartment on the third floor of this building for about a year and half. But now they occupy a light-filled one-bedroom unit on the 12th floor (with a balcony!).

Name: Carly Berlin Location: West Village, NYC Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Part home, part professional art studio, Carly’s long and narrow West Village apartment is outfitted minimally but filled with warmth and personality. Carly has a gift for seeing the beauty in the smallest of details, and her ability to set up her home from that perspective means she’s made a million small but successful decisions.

When Ruthie and her husband initially bought this home, they thought they MIGHT do a little painting. Then they discovered they were expecting twins!

Name: Devin VanderMaas, her boyfriend Ranga and Chelsea the cat Location: Murray Hill — New York City Size: 775 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, own When Devin first saw this apartment, it reminded her of The Great Gatsby. Full of charming Art Deco architectural details, this isn’t the dark and dramatic kind of Art Deco style you might be imagining, though. Big windows and Devin’s mastery of a soft, neutral color palette make the small space seem bigger than it is.

Name: Angie Teater Location: Midtown East — New York, NY Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, renting Have you ever seen a dining room, living room, and bedroom fit so elegantly into 350 square feet? Long-time New Yorker and avid traveler Angie Teater made it happen. She’s the owner and principal designer of Angela Leland Interiors and she knows how to make good use of small spaces. She’s also a master at styling a room.

Name: Chelsey Brown and roommate Location: Manhattan Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Chelsey is a fiery go-getter who lives in a small Manhattan apartment with a roommate. No bunk beds are needed here, though; Chelsey transformed this one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom home by having temporary faux walls built! An editor by day (for the Dr. Oz Show) and an interior designer by night, this New Yorker does it all.

Name: Marcus, Alicia and Phoenix Brandon Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens — Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting First of all, this beautiful apartment has a private elevator. Call in, beam up, doors open and you’re there. It’s a wildly easier ride than a fifth-floor brownstone walk-up and definitely one of Marcus and Alicia’s favorite aspects of their home.

Name: Judy Ross Location: Union Square — New York City, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 18 years, renting It’s no wonder Judy’s apartment is flawless; the accomplished textile designer’s space is a stage for her art. Located in the buzzing Union Square area in Manhattan, Judy manages to keep a cool, chic and totally under-control apartment that works for her busy family.

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: 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.

Andrew Chappelle is part of the amazingly talented cast of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton, but he also has a great eye for design.

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.

Over 25 collections, 14 different paint-colored walls, a big sparkly pink chandelier and a dog named Tater Tot. You've never seen a home like this!

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.

Custom furniture and built-in shelving are the secrets to this stylish small space.

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!).

Rachel and Jon made it their mission to DIY as much storage as they could.

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: 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.