New York And Tours

When it was time for Dana and Dan to renovate, they had a secret weapon: Dana's mother is a wizard when it comes to maximizing space and storage.

Name: Niki Azevedo Fairchild and Bennett Harrell Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 22 feet long Years lived in: 1 year, owned Most of the year Niki and her partner Bennett share a fearlessly decorated Brooklyn apartment with “Jonathan Adler Goes Dumpster Diving at the Golden Girls Estate Sale” vibes. And while that creative space is their permanent residence, every now and then the couple calls this incredibly colorful bus home.

Betsy and Manny went from a tiny New York City studio to a spacious bungalow in Savannah. The new layout allows them to fill the space with functional antique furniture and family heirlooms, as well as modern Scandinavian accents and decor. If you’re into the Scandinavian-meets-craftsman style, check out the sources below to get a similar look in your home.

Name: Rachana Pathak Location: Gowanus, Brooklyn Size: 960 square feet Years Lived In: 8 years, owned Rachana (@plantistan on Instagram) calls herself a “Brooklyn-based plant junkie,” and her large loft-like space in Brooklyn sports over 300 plants in under 1000 square feet. In the eight years she’s owned this large apartment, she’s filled it with not just greenery, but also warm colors and rich textures.

Name: Monique Vatine Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn NY Years Lived in: 1.5 years, renting Freelance fashion stylist Monique Vatine likes visual and tactile moments in fashion and decor. Her one-bedroom Williamsburg rental apartment has a distinct boho chic aesthetic, punctuated by a great use of prints, patterns, and color. And lots of plants.

Name: Emma Gray Location: Prospect Heights — Brooklyn, New York Size: 430 square feet including the entryway Years lived in: Owned! I’m a brand new homeowner (eek!). Just 2 months, but it feels like much longer! After living in her last apartment with a roommate for about six years, Emma decided she was ready to purchase her first home. “I kind of thought I’d rent forever,” she says.

Name: Emma Orlow, roommates Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Emma Orlow doesn’t just write about food, she makes art with it.

Jessica Yatrofsky is an artist, photographer, minimalist, and a certified tidying consultant specializing in the KonMari Method™.

Name: Rachel Waters Location: Sunnyside — Queens, New York Size: 850 square feet, one bedroom Years Lived In: 1 year, renting Rachel has lived in NYC for seven years, previously in Kensington, Brooklyn.

Name: Freddie Chavda and pups Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: Somewhere between 850 – 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting Freddie’s Bushwick loft is a perfect example of taking a raw, industrial space and turning it into a home. But rather than just filling it with newly purchased furniture, he both thrifted and found elements to add warmth to his home… as well as custom built many of the elements in the home.

Name: Julian Thomas Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years Lived In: Less than a year, renting “Who needs TV when you have Bushwick? This is live entertainment at its finest,” remarks 28-year-old self-proclaimed bachelor Julian Thomas as he looks out of a window of his Brooklyn loft in this video tour he posted on YouTube. His 1,000-square-foot home might be right next to a train—but that’s part of the city-life charm the space has.

Name: Laura Serventi, husband Filippo Del Vita, and their 5-year-old son Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years Lived In: 10 years, renting Artist and photographer Laura Serventi grew up in Argentina, spent some time studying photography in Italy, and in 2007 moved to New York, where she’s been since.

Name: Paige Hansen Location: Union Square — New York, NY Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “My apartment is more than just a place I live; it has become a source of happiness, comfort, and connectedness to this city, my friends, and myself.

Name: Emily Schildt, Co-Founder of Thing of Wonder Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Emily’s apartment is all the proof you need that living in a small space doesn’t have to mean going short on style, and that with a little ingenuity a smaller space can live just as well as a much larger one.

Name: Lisa and Adam Location: Cobble Hill; Brooklyn, New York Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Rented Everyone who knows Lisa knows she likes an organized and clean space! So she’s extra challenged in a small pre-war apartment with a husband and a new baby, but she makes it work, and with a very nice feel. There is something about this apartment that all people who visit this charming home love.

Name: Michelle Lin Greenip Location: West Village, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Out the window, there’s a tumble of rooftops and a church steeple or two. Inside, a palette plucked from Ladurée, lavender fields, Hermés boxes and champagne labels, with a bit of gilding for good measure. While it’s one part atelier, including an artist’s garret of sorts, it’s the West Village, not the Left Bank.

Name: Andy Isaacson Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Walking into Andy’s open and bright apartment, you immediately feel transported to another world. Somewhere relaxing. And the more time you spend in Andy’s home, the richer the details. You’ll find an old chair from Yankee Stadium, stamps from Soviet Russia, public health posters from Laos. His unique collections fit harmoniously in a modern, comfortable space.

Name: Natasha R. Johnson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented With no extra space to spare, Natasha was both deliberate and maximal in organizing the decorative and essential elements of her studio apartment. In the 35+ countries that she has lived and/or worked in as a college professor and international human rights attorney, she has assembled her fair share of global keepsakes.

Name: Jessica Bowers – founder of West Village Life Location: West Village, NYC Size: 1 Bedroom/1 Bath Years lived in: Under 1 year; Rent Nestled on a charming street in the West Village, lives Jessica, founder and author of the popular Instagram @WestVillageLife, an account that shares the many charms of this historic neighborhood with its nearly 30K followers. It’s no surprise that her eye for detail and style extends into her personal space as well as her photography.

Name: Michelle & Jeffrey Alves de Lima-Miller (plus Amélie & Lester, our cats) Location: New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; owned. In a beautiful old building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side live Michelle, Jeffrey, and their two cats. Soon they’ll be adding a new little one to the mix, and moving to a larger and more family-friendly apartment in Brooklyn. But just a few days before their move, they welcomed me to their lovely home.

Name: Jessica, Milo, and the world’s floppiest cat Location: Carroll Gardens; Brooklyn, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Two people and a cat in a 325 square feet might seem like a bit of a squeeze to some people.

Name: Danny and Joni Location: Williamsburg —Brooklyn, New York Size: 690 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years How do you make 690 square feet feel absolutely enormous? Add tall ceilings, lots and lots of windows, and some clever DIY storage solutions. Danny and Joni have come up with plenty of creative solutions for living in an apartment that is essentially just a single room — and that only has one closet, which also houses the water heater.

Name: Jennifer Pade Location: West Village, New York, New York Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 17 years You may know Jennifer’s apartment from her Renovation Diary, where we chronicled the transformation of her tiny kitchen from a crumbling disaster to a sleek, modern space. After all the dust settled, Jennifer graciously invited us back to get a look at the rest of her space.

Name: Ashley Clauss, of CLAUSS & CO., a communications consultancy specializing in brand strategy, public relations and event production. Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Diligent editing and an honest desire to be surrounded in her apartment only by things she loves has served Ashley Clauss very well.

"My inspiration is based on my constant search for peculiar elements in objects I find from places everywhere."

Name: Kate McKeon Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Welcome to Kate’s light-filled, colorful home in New York’s West Village. This small-ish apartment is home to Kate and her Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Lady, and also serves as her office (she works from home).

Name: Giverny Petitmermet and Mara Gannon (plus Eloise the cat) Location: Carroll Gardens/Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years (as of house tour photo shoot)/1.5 years (at time of A-Line video shoot); rented In Brooklyn, on the top floor of a charming little building located just across the street from the elevated subway tracks, is Giverny and Mara’s apartment.

Name: Allison + Matt Location: East Village (Alphabet City); New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 9 months Allison and Matt moved into this one-bedroom apartment, their first as a couple, nine months ago. Together they’ve created a space that’s a perfect reflection of their roots (he’s from Tennessee, and she’s from Seattle), their mutual love of travel, and their new life together.

Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years This Brooklyn brownstone is pretty much perfect: tall ceilings, ten-foot doors, all those glorious moldings, and floors to die for. But it wasn’t always this way. Working through endless rounds of renovations—and living in the house while it was updated—was a real labor of love for the owner.

Name: Esteban Montes & Carolina Cabal Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years What happens when two designers move in together, and discover unexpected bits of history in their lovely, modern Brooklyn condo? As Esteban and Carolina’s stylish Brooklyn home proves: something very special.

Name: Alexandra Hanson & Jesse Location: Jackson Heights; Queens, New York Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 9 months; Owned Despite having only moved into their co-op in November, Alex and Jesse have already made their new space feel like home, and it’s amazing how similar the aesthetic in this place is to that of their previous apartments.

Name: Brett & Betsy Leonhardt (and Suze and Lola the bulldogs) Location: West Village; New York, New York Size: 515 square feet Years lived in: 2 We’re continually impressed by the ingenuity of apartment dwellers who manage to fit a huge variety of functions into a very small space. Case in point: Brett and Betsy’s West Village apartment, whose main room multitasks as a living room, dining room, workspace, and kitchen, all without sacrificing style.

Name: Theodore Venable Location: Hell’s Kitchen — New York, NY Size: 380 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Theo recently relocated to New York City from Chicago with all of his belongings, and like any transplant coming to NYC, he was faced with the difficult task of downsizing. Theo had to make the adjustment from a 680-square-foot one-bedroom apartment to a 380-square-foot two-bedroom apartment!

Name: Ross Garner and Pat Hicks Location: Upper East Side — New York City, NY Size: 700 Square Feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented This carefully curated home reflects the love of a traditional, nautical style that Ross and Pat share. Making an effort to co-design their apartment helped them find a balance that resulted in a lovely and inviting home. Ross: We are always at the water and I think that it’s really apparent in our style.

Name: Sam Location: West Village; New York City Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 Year; Rented Keeping her home clear of clutter and displaying only the things she loves gives Sam’s 300-square-foot home in the West Village a spacious feel. Meanwhile, light from the many windows, pops of color, and the warm, neutral tones of her decor go a long way towards making it feel welcoming, comfortable, and soothing.

Name: Christeleny Berner Location: Upper East Side; NYC, NY Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Christeleny’s love for design and style has resulted in a seriously gorgeous apartment. The home did not come together without hard work, though; the apartment went through significant renovations which took years to finish. Once renovations were complete, Christeleny set to furnishing her home using her strong eye for design and her patience, which was challenging at times.

Name: Amhalise Morgan and her children, Harmony Cree and Rebel Spirit Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned The home of Amhalise and her two teen-aged children is the definition of a labor of love. She bought the home after traveling and living overseas for many years and essentially had a clean slate to work with upon purchasing her 19th-century Brooklyn brownstone.

Name: Joshua Kissi Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When you’re one half of the creative agency Street Etiquette—tagline: “Telling Stories Through Style”—home styling is second nature to you. The home of Joshua Kissi is also more than a home—it is a meeting place, photography studio, and informal art gallery all at once.

Name: Gary and Chelsey Knight and their cats, Scout, Boo, Atticus, and Ella Fitzgerald Location: Astoria, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Musicians Gary and Chelsey Knight’s open and airy Astoria flat boasts two features that many big city apartments lack: natural light and space.

Name: James and Kelsea Gaynor and their roommate, Bridget Murphy Location: Harlem — New York City, NY Size: 2 bedroom, 2 bath Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It’s hard to believe that newlyweds Kelsea—owner of East Olivia Creative Company—and James only recently moved into their Harlem apartment after relocating from Los Angeles. Their gorgeous fifth floor, two-story flat (complete with a rooftop patio!) feels just lived-in enough to be cozy and inviting.

Name: Emily and Colin and their dog, Scruffy Location: Greenwood Heights/South Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1000 square feet Years Lived In: Colin for 4, Emily for 2; Rented One day, a little over four years ago, after always being attracted to a particular building’s rugged facade, Colin took a chance and rang the superintendent’s doorbell. As fate would have it, one of the lofts was vacant and Colin immediately took it!

Name & Location: Maya in Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York My Favorite Room: Master Bedroom Suite Specs: 700 square feet The master bedroom floor of our 1903 Brooklyn townhouse was really choppy and awkward with lots of unusable space. There was a very small bathroom, a tiny bedroom (which I basically used as a closet) and a master bedroom with a series of weirdly laid out closets and a random bathroom vanity thrown in the middle.

Name: Lauren Rogoff Location: Union Square/Flatiron/Chelsea; New York City, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Just beyond the bustling Union Square Farmer’s Market, the Flatiron’s shadow, and Chelsea’s world famous 5th Avenue shopping attractions, an attorney by day and fine artist by night strikes the perfect blend between urban and rustic.

Name: Taylor Fimbrez and Wesley Moon (plus pups Squid & Marbles) Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Do you remember when you were little, and you’d go to a friend’s house, and just want to spend hours looking at all their toys and their delightful stuff?

Name: Jeanine Hays and Bryan Mason, founders of Aphrochic Location: Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When Jeanine and Bryan moved to New York from Philadelphia 18 months ago, they were drawn to this apartment in Crown Heights because “it just felt like Brooklyn”.

Name & Location: Steven in Brooklyn My Favorite Room: Bedroom Specs: 50 Square Feet What would you do if faced with a tiny (like, 50-square-feet tiny) bedroom space that was nearly all-white and felt like the inside of an empty closet? If you’re Steven, you pick a dramatic paint color, do a little hunting and gathering for interesting items and you create a room that—despite the size—would be a nice place to cozy up in, day or night.

Name: Margaret Meehan and Tim Monaghan Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Margaret and Tim’s Brooklyn loft is a dream of an apartment: Although it’s only 650 square feet, its high ceilings and ample light make it seem much bigger. Their building, which in a past life was a pencil factory, has plenty of interesting details: exposed brick, concrete floors, richly texture wood ceilings.

Name: Jungwon Kim, Senior Editorial Manager at Rainforest Alliance, and kids Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Born and raised a stone’s throw from the beach in Southern California, the home of Jungwon and her family is a true reflection of their tidal roots. But having lived in Brooklyn for two decades, she’s infused her home with the creativity, eclecticism and free spirit that is iconic of its Brooklyn habitat.

Name: Tanika and Brian Hochhauser (plus George the turtle and Tansy the dog) Location: Long Island City, New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months You might recognize Tanika and Brian from the Love Videos, where they shared the charming story of how they met (and of their spur-of-the-moment wedding). The home they share is just as charming as they are, a beautiful Long Island City aerie with breathtaking views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the East River.

Name: Jessica Sirls Location: NoLita, New York, New York Size: 200 square feet Years lived in: less than 1 year 200 square feet isn’t a lot to work with — but one New Yorker has managed to squeeze in a full-sized bed, an 88-key keyboard, and a table that can seat up to six people, all while maintaining the spacious, relaxing feel you would expect from a much larger apartment. Here’s how she does it.

Name: Christina and Thejas; Cats: Oliver and Teddie Location: DUMBO; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,080 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented When Christina and Thejas were looking for a new apartment last summer, they searched for a place that had luxury amenities, but still had character and charm. What they found was a modern apartment in an old factory building in DUMBO. And with Christina’s flair for accessorizing and adding color, they brought the space to life.

Name: Matt Austin, of Matt Austin Studio Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Artist and designer Matt Austin’s Brooklyn apartment and studio is maximalist in the best possible way: There’s so much to see, look at and explore, but somehow everything comes together so perfectly and seemingly effortlessly, as if all these fascinating little bits and bobs wanted to be together, in this place, exactly where they are.

Name: Mekiel Nuñez and Saadiq Vaughan Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year The stereotypical New Yorker’s wardrobe consists unapologetically of black, greys, neutrals, and denims. Perhaps the overabundance of visual stimulation in our surroundings is why we prefer our clothes understated.

Name: Andre Hueston Mack and Phoebe Damrosch Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Andre Mack has a lot on his plate these days—sommelier, winemaker, author, graphic designer, and father to three charming boys. He and his wife Phoebe have created a beautiful family home in Brooklyn, where styles merge and creativity abounds. Our Style: Belongings with a soul and a story.

Name: Leigh Baumann (with renter Eli Barrett) Location: Beacon, NY Size: 960 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Leigh is the owner of this lovely home in Beacon, New York. But it wasn’t always so lovely—Leigh gutted the house, completely renovating it. The result is a wonderful mix of architectural elements, an earthy color palette and vintage finds. My Style: Farmhouse-industrial with a mid-century modern touch Inspiration: So much inspiration!

You may not have your own 100-year-old inn in the Catskill Mountains to fill with treasures, but that shouldn’t stop you from sourcing inspiration from Eliza and Tim. Their vintage inn is bursting with textures, moody colors, an array of textiles, and bohemian charm.

For airy and simple vintage bohemian inspiration for your bedroom, look no further than Eliza and Tim’s 100-year-old historic inn deep in the heart of New York’s Catskill Mountains. From floor to ceiling they have every inch covered and you won’t be disappointed!

Name: Stephanie Michaan Location: West Village NYC Size: 1,495 square feet Years lived in: Owned 6 years Though Stephanie has owned this apartment in New York’s West Village for six years, she says it feels brand new thanks to a recent redesign she gave the home. White walls maximize the beautiful bright natural light that pours in from big windows. Sparse furnishings are kept interesting by choosing good designs in rich materials.

Name: Stephanie Michaan Location: Bridgehampton, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years Stephanie gave a peek at some of the details of her current modern house in a house call not too long ago, but we wanted an extended look. Striking just the right balance of minimal and modern, it’s a simple and sparse space, but still exudes a lot of warmth.

Name: Simone Tobias, designer/owner SIMONE TOBIAS swimwear Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Simone’s apartment, on the 29th floor of a tower that overlooks the East River and the Williamsburg Bridge, has some pretty impressive views, but if you visit you might be so taken with the things in her apartment that you hardly even notice the ones outside.

Name: Peti Lau Location: New York, NY Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Full of unique art collected from around the world, this apartment has a relaxing and inviting atmosphere. From the moment you step inside this stunning apartment with bedroom loft, you are greeted with warm colors and a smiling host.

Name: Gretchen Maull of GG Maull Location: Tribeca / City Hall — New York, NY Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years I absolutely love seeing cleanly designed spaces that aren’t afraid to work with bold graphic patterns and colors. This beautifully designed home in the heart of Manhattan has everything that you’d want to see in a modern luxe New York apartment.

Name: Jarret Yoshida Location: Gramercy Park — New York City Size: 600 square feet Jarret had lived in Hong Kong for years when he relocated to a studio apartment near Gramercy Park in Manhattan. An interior designer by trade, he’s inspired by his travels and “the serene essence of contemporary Asian design.” His studio’s color palette is lilac, brown and gray, with metallic accents and a modern sensibility.

Simone’s Brooklyn apartment is decorated almost exclusively in gray, black, red, and clear, and the effect is unified, uncluttered, and luxurious. Whether or not you’re able to stick to such a strict palette, you can definitely shop the style!

Name: Gabriela Goff and Jeffrey Goff Jr. Location: Rochester, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years This unique apartment is the home of Gabriella Goff and her brother Jeffrey Goff Jr. It’s located in the basement of the sculpture studio of Paul and Christine Knoblauch, who designed and refurbished the space five years ago. It’s a home full of original art — from the sofa to the tables to the walls.

Name: Dan Koday, Yves Yakoubyan Location: Chelsea — Manhattan, New York City Size: Approx 750 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 Years This modern and artistic apartment is full of farmhouse accents, crafty DIY, and unique art pieces collected during travels. Renters Dan and Yves have created a magical home that is both inviting and artful with lively green plants that conjure notions of secret gardens and relaxing lush metropolitan parks.

Name: Emily Graff Location: Greenwich Village, New York Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 3 years This home in Greenwich Village is full of energy thanks to bold and colorful patterns. But it also feels quite larger than its small size. The owner Emily has done an amazing job with maximizing space by utilizing a Murphy bed, smart furniture layout planning and wallpaper as a means of visually dividing the space. And her eclectic decor makes for a cozy, comfy home.

Name: Bethany Chase Location: Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 5.5 years Bethany Chase is a woman of many talents. Besides being an interior designer, she’s also the author of two novels, including Results May Vary, which was just published this fall. Her Brooklyn apartment reflects her love for both literature and design, and her understanding of the deep importance of the places we call home.

Name: Jennie Cohen Location: Greenwich Village Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5.5 years This bright and airy Manhattan studio is full of mid-century charm while at the same time feeling comfortable and modern. The minimal use of vibrant color creates a startling contrast in this clean white space.

Name: Emily Loughlin Location: Crown Heights, Brooklyn Size: 280 square feet Years lived in: Renting, less than one year Emily lives in the tiniest, sweetest apartment. Guests immediately fall in love with the artwork (her grandfather’s) and the mid-century bar stools. Emily, herself, is calm and inviting amidst the hustle and bustle of New York. She works for an architectural firm, called Sage and Coombe.

Name: Elizabeth Andersen Location: Brooklyn Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting Liz lives in a beautiful, fourth floor apartment in Brooklyn Heights, just a few blocks from the water. The apartment is a fourth floor walkup but that natural light is a worth payoff. In fact that natural light is so nice, she felt confident adding some dark, dramatic paint colors to her living room — and the space still feels bathed in light.

Name: Carlos João Parreira and Greg James Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 1500 square feet (with a whole lot of stairs) Years lived in: 2 years, owned Carlos and Greg are an incredibly talented and kind couple in Brooklyn, New York. Travel lovers, their style has been inspired by all the places they’ve been. Their loft is in a building that used to be a cheesecake factory, so the architecture is as big a part of the design as their own style.