New York And Tours

Name: Megan Sekermestrovich and David Keller Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: Less than 1000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Megan and David have a little apartment with big windows. And the natural light that pours in from those big windows is one of their favorite elements of the apartment (although a personal elevator is a close second!). Most of all, they try to keep their apartment minimal, homey and colorful.

Name: Monica Dyer Location: West Village, New York Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, rented Monica and her husband have lived in this apartment in New York for about three years and have transformed it into a perfect compact and chic city home. It’s light-filled and lovely, designed with a fresh outlook and plenty of savvy.

Name: Courtney and Jeffrey Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, New York Size: About 700 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2 years Courtney and Jeffrey live in the charming Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn. Known for its Polish roots, Greenpoint is a destination for artists and families alike. The couple met at work — they both work at Kickstarter — whose offices are located “literally 30 seconds away.

Name: Alee Ruggieri Location: Greenwich Village — New York City Size: Roughly 200 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Alee Ruggieri is a film director, editor, writer and photographer living in New York City’s bustling Greenwich Village. The neighborhood is filled with things to see and do; coffee shops, restaurants, vintage clothing stores and more.

Name: Alexandra Sifferlin Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, New York Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: Renting 9 months Having lived in New York neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen and Crown Heights, Alexandra Sifferlin recently settled into her first studio apartment, this time in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Her small space is above an acupuncturist, and is close to Prospect Park. “It seems like every time I move, I’m in a calmer location,” Alexandra reflects.

Name: Christine Alcalay, her teenager daughter and two-year-old son Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 4,600 Square Feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned After emigrating from Vietnam with her family when she was just three years old, Christine Alcalay grew up in New York City. Her mother, who was a self-taught tailor and worked in factories in the Garment District, introduced her daughter to the art of sewing.

It’s often a good idea to trust the design instincts of a successful interior designer and Bethany’s Brooklyn apartment does not disappoint. If you’re looking for some colorful and easy-to-source inspiration, check out Bethany’s resource lists below to shop her style!

Name: Delia Kenza, Júlio Leitão, and their two daughters Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Having already renovated and/or designed 10+ homes together over the past 15 years, Delia and Júlio were already well on their way to capitalizing on their experience. They had lived in four of these homes together, all in Manhattan, ranging from trendy Soho to soulful Harlem.

Name: Michelle Lopez, her partner Erlend and their cat Penny Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, rented Michelle and her partner Erlend recently relocated from Portland, Oregon to this sunny Brooklyn apartment. The couple moved to New York for Erlend to attend grad school at Columbia University. Michelle is a food blogger, specializing in desserts.

Name: Sarah Steinberg Location: East Village, NYC Size: 425 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented After living in tiny apartments with more roommates than bedrooms, Sarah decided it was time to have a place of her own. It may not be big, but a studio apartment with a separate kitchen and space for her bed were successes in Sarah’s book.

Name: Coco Cohn Location: Upper West Side — New York, New York Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, rented Coco’s Upper West Side apartment in New York is an homage to her theatre career. Not only is the actor and drama teacher’s space filled with pieces highlighting her adventures, but the space itself is dramatic: The living room is dark gray, the bedroom walls are red, and the bathroom is primarily pink.

Name: Tom Chirico and Carolyn McMenemy-Chirico Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Renting 7 years The original architectural details of this apartment — located on the top floor of a 1912 row house in a quiet spot in Williamsburg — are to die for. We’re talking well-preserved marble fireplaces, stunning hardwood floors, and enviable crown moldings.

Name: Adam LaGreca Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Size: 475 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Adam’s apartment is located in a tall, all-glass high-rise building on a street that runs right through the heart of Brooklyn. His neighborhood is filled with tree-lined streets, long-time residents, college students from Pratt Institute and St. Joseph’s college, young professionals and aspiring every-things.

Name: Nicole and Dan Lucey Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 2800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Nicole, her husband Dan and their two kids moved into their Park Slope brownstone just over a year ago. After a dramatic (and much debated) paint job and face lift, this four-story home is now one everyone slows down to admire. Nicole and Dan chose architects Wendy Cronk and Erin Cowhey Design and contractors Versatile Renovations NYC to help with the renovations.

Location: Manhattan, New York Size: 830 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting These are not living spaces designed after a single period style. Instead, these are rooms full of variety, filled with delights in the surprise achieved by pairing disparate design elements. (For example, a family heirloom seascape painting in a heavy baroque frame mounted above a mid-century-inspired couch topped with African mud-cloth pillows.

Name: Abigail Hibbs and Henri Broyard Location: Crown Heights, Brooklyn Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Walking into Abigail and Henri‘s Crown Heights apartment, it’s apparent they’ve got great style. Abbie is a gallery manager in Manhattan and Henri is a painter — their creative abilities have influenced a design aesthetic that’s a mix of mid-century furniture and Henri’s contemporary art.

Name: Katie O’Connor Location: West Village, New York City Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Katie and her husband have lived in their West Village one-bedroom for the past two years. With an enviable corner unit, the living room is wall-to-wall windows, giving them incredible views of the city and sunsets. Situated right next to the southern entrance to the High Line, they also have a great people-watching spot.

Name: Eva Medoff, branded content editor at Well+Good, Delaney Rohan, and Scout (the cat) Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years, renting When Eva moved into her Brooklyn studio apartment seven years ago, the space suited her needs: It’s centrally located in the trendy Williamsburg neighborhood and she has a great landlord. Despite the pros, “It didn’t feel like a real home,” Eva said.

By visiting flea markets wherever they travel, the couple finds unusual objects to create a warm, romantic, and textural style throughout their home.

Name: Jessica Becker and Daniela Moebius Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: Rented — Jessica 13 years, Daniela 5 years Jessica and Daniela are the duo behind Konstruktive Studios, a design company. Additionally, Daniela provides architectural services through Moebius Architecture PLLC. And they created a workspace within their home that allows them to collaborate, but each with their distinct style.

Andrea her husband, Brian, live very cleanly and simply in a third floor apartment in Brooklyn.

The lower Manhattan studio she's inhabited for a decade with her partner Fred exudes freedom and fearlessness.

Name: Rachel Winard, and Stacey Flannery and their cat Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Rachel and her partner Stacey bought their Brooklyn apartment five years ago, they put in lots of work to create a clean and comfortable space that supports a healthy lifestyle.

Name: Phillip Picardi and Dr. Darien Sutton-Ramsey Location: Downtown Brooklyn — New York Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Phillip and his partner Darien live in a luxury high rise apartment building in Downtown Brooklyn. “I hate to admit this, but we could never go back,” Darien laughed when talking about the perks of living in this space. The airy apartment features high ceilings, modern finishes, and amazing views of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Name: Amy Ilias, Jim Denney (and kitties McCabe, Billie Pilgrim, and 3) Location: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 21 years, owned As the Executive Vice President of Art & Design for ABC Carpet & Home, you could definitely say Amy Ilias knows design. And the Carroll Gardens house she’s owned for over two decades is a beautiful display of her elegant and design-forward style.

Name: Aelfie Oudghiri, her husband, their daughter, and Shah the cat Location: Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Fans of textile, furniture, and accessories company Aelfie are familiar with the brand’s stylish offerings—quirky graphics, loud colors, patterns that complement (and sometimes even clash, in a good way).

Name: Mallory Fletchall and David Rhoads, and their two cats Michael and Kiki Location: Greenpoint, Brooklyn Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting If Mallory and David’s Brooklyn rental looks familiar, it may be that you’ve caught a drool-worthy snapshot of it on her Instagram account, which has over 71K followers. It’s no wonder.

Name: Christie Grotheim (and my husband, Niklas Andersson) Location: New York, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned My husband and I found this fixer upper in Harlem, sold “as is,” which in this case, was pretty atrocious. But we saw past the filth and peeling paint and realized the potential in the place right away. A corner unit on the third floor, it was flooded with light, and as a four-bedroom (converted to three) we would each have our own office.

Name: Andrew Cohen and family Location: Woodstock, New York Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned This four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a finished basement and two-car garage on 1.3 acres in New York belongs to Parts and Labor Design co-founder, Andrew Cohen. And it just might be the best mix of modern meet cabin vibes that you’ll ever see.

Name: Carly Fuller and her boyfriend Martin Location: Hell’s Kitchen — Manhattan, NY Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting There wasn’t much of an opportunity for Carly Fuller to add her own style to this small Hell’s Kitchen rental when she moved in with a roommate, who had already been living there. But when the roommate moved out a year ago, Carly’s boyfriend Martin moved in, and the blank space was ready to be refreshed and filled.

Name: Ashley Taylor and Tymer Tilton and their dog Moseby Location: Red Hook, Brooklyn Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Golden accents around this Red Hook loft shimmer in the warm sunlight beaming through a large south-facing window. Healthy green plants cheerfully spread their leaves from corners, tabletops, and even the ceiling. A deep, soothing teal grounds the space.

Name: Olivia Muenter, her boyfriend Jake, and their dog Winnie Location: Upper East Side, NYC Size: Not sure Years lived in: 1.

Name: Habiba Koroma Location: Central Harlem, NYC Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting A ball pit is not necessarily something you expect in an NYC apartment, but in Habiba’s home, it’s an integral feature of her son’s play area. The ingenious, whimsical kid-friendly space that Habiba, an interior designer, has created for Miles also includes a library, a whiteboard, a hanging yarn installation, and a giant rasterized mural of him.

This couple from Charleston settled into a 550-square-foot NYC apartment with lots of light but little storage... until they implemented their smart ideas.

Name: Heather Alexander Location: Washington Heights, New York City Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, renting After divorcing a “design-curmudgeon,” Heather says she really went for it when she moved into this place six years ago. Filled with so many colors, fun finds, and treasures she dubbed her home the “Jewel Box.

Name: Ashley Miles and Sam Miles and their two daughters Location: West Village, New York Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Ashley’s 1800s carriage house in the West Village is as steeped in history as it is style; photographer Diane Arbus and her two daughters were once residents. Now, Ashley—the Executive Vice President of Sales & Brand Partnerships at Refinery29—and her husband Sam (college sweethearts from Ole Miss!

Name: Grace Flynn and her boyfriend, Tyler Tronson Location: Astoria, New York Size: 425 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Grace’s studio is located in Astoria where longtime residents hang flower pots on their patios and wine bars host signs that kindly ask for smokers to stand by the tree, out of consideration for their neighbors.

Name: Adam LaGreca and Gabriela Gallegos Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NY Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Adam was coming from a minimalist studio already in the neighborhood. Gabriela was coming from the East Village, where she could walk to her office in Astor Place. They both were tired of packing overnight bags, and after five years of dating, knew it may be time to combine forces.

Name: Sunny Shokrae, Ryan Eugene Kelley and Leo Arya Kelley Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,183 square feet Years lived in: Less than 1 year, owned Sunny and her husband Ryan became homeowners just shy of a year ago. The longtime Williamsburg, Brooklyn, residents needed a change in anticipation of birth of their son Leo. And moving a few miles south to Bedford Stuyvesant offered the growing family more space and freedom in how they style their home.

"If nothing goes together, everything goes together."

Name: Aurélie Desmas and her husband Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Originally from France, decorator and photographer Aurélie Desmas has lived in Paris, London, and now New York, where she’s currently the founder and lead decorator of Maison KoduZen. Though versed in plenty of styles, her focus is on what kind of energy you can create in a home through decor.

Name: Brittaney Elise Minton Location: Manhattan, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Almost 1 year, renting The celebrity interior designer and lifestyle expert who launched BE by Brittaney Elise Minton knows how to design a space that wows. She’s designed several of the new Bellami Beauty Bars and the Calabasas residence of Bellami Hair’s founder, Nikki Eslami (a house which was once owned by Kylie Jenner!

Interior designer and stylist Elaine Burns has taken a small studio apartment and turned it into a cozy, functional home.

Name: Barrett Wilbert Weed Location: Hell’s Kitchen — NYC Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Much of the gossip surrounding this year’s Tonys centers around the Mean Girls musical, inspired of course by the movie of the same name (a movie that was written by Tina Fey and has a devoted and quote-reciting cult following).

Name: Brett L. Leemkuil Location: Sunnyside, NY Size: 530 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting “One would assume, by all appearances, that I’m a maximalist,” writes interior designer Brett Leemkuil. His 500-square-foot Queens rental apartment features a floor-to-ceiling red living room, a curtained-off leopard-print bed closet, and hand-painted emerald green malachite wall finishes in the entryway… among much more. Maximalist seems like a very accurate descriptor.

Name: Victoria Bartlett, designer and stylist Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year When I first spotted Victoria Bartlett‘s Brooklyn loft in a posting on Dezeen, I knew that it was a very beautiful space—and that I wanted to photograph it for Apartment Therapy. But I still wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I arrived.

Name: Jory Sutton and Alex Simon Location: Washington Heights, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Jory and Alex’s 650-square-foot NYC apartment is a feast for the eyes. So much so, the small sneak peek we shared with their house call last year just wasn’t a long enough look. With hand-me-downs from family members, vintage pieces purchased at thrift shops, DIY artwork, and different periods and styles of decor, every room has a conversation starter.

Name: Emily Zirimis and Jesus Antoshka Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: Honestly unsure! Years lived in: Almost 2 years, renting Emily and her boyfriend Jesus must have felt like they won the lottery when they landed their Bushwick apartment. Their place has a lot going for it: It’s in an increasingly hip area, features original architectural details, and boasts a dressing room for Emily and a pottery room for Jesus. Oh, and the rent is reasonable.

Name: Rachael Bennett and cute puppy, Kuma Location: Crown Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Architect Rachael Bennett doesn’t think you should be scared of designing without color. “I find many people think that ‘neutrals’ or ‘black and white’ is either going to be boring (beige on beige on beige, or worse, sterile and cold),” she writes.

Name: Donna Henes Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn Size: 3,150 square feet Years lived in: 29 years, owned Donna Henes is an internationally-renowned urban shaman, contemporary ceremonialist, spiritual teacher, eco-artist, author, speaker, and workshop leader.

Name: Kate Pearce, husband, and kids, Eva and Jo Location: Long Island, New York Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, owned Having studied Art History, Kate Pearce spent many years immersed in the art world, interning at places like the Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, and more. But it wasn’t just art that fascinated her; she also fell in love with antiques.

Architect Talia Braude went all out with her home's color scheme.

Name: Peggy Wang Location: Ridgewood, Queens Size: 1100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned A few years ago, I kinda just woke up one day and decided that I didn’t want to live in a tiny apartment anymore. It was like a weird sudden existential outburst in my usual lazy put-everything-off-forever mindset. My boyfriend’s friend happened to be looking to buy a two-family house, which is what planted the idea in my head.

Name: Kate Reynolds with her husband Rem and their two sons Bobby and Oscar Location: Windsor Terrace — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 3,150 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Kate Reynolds really loves textiles. As one of the founding partners of Studio Four NYC, she—along with the rest of the company—”shine a light on the stories behind textile, wallpaper and rug design.

Name: Tavi Gevinson Location: 300 Ashland — Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Almost everything in Tavi Gevinson’s one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment has a story. “That’s really special,” the 21-year-old repeats often as I point something out or pick it up. I ask, for instance, about the fleece blanket splayed across her bed. Here’s how its story goes: she printed a customizable blanket from Walmart.

Name: Adam J. Kurtz and Mitchell Kuga Location: South Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: Literally not sure I think around 650 square feet ????

Name: Elizabeth Sutton and her kids Miro and Nora Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 1,370 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting For New York-based artist Elizabeth Sutton, leaving the first home she ever owned was the most difficult part of her divorce. “My ex and I purchased it together a year after we got married and we lived there for five years. It was the first home to both my children.

Project by: Lilian Weinreich of Lilian H Weinreich Architects Location: New York, New York The scramble for space is never ending in New York City and occasionally you have to get creative. Lilian Weinreich did exactly that when she combined two small studios to create one open and modern apartment. From the Lilian Weinreich Team: In New York, where real estate it at a premium, flexible space planning can help make minimal living a reality in a small space.

Felicity’s Brooklyn Heights home went through a complete shift in identity: from a dark, 1960s-style apartment with a sleeping loft to a modern-yet-historically-respectful and bright two-level studio. Felicity was particularly inspired by the work of Carlo Scarpa, an Italian architect. Just prior to closing on the apartment, a trip to Italy with her aunt provided many in-person experiences of Scarpa’s projects, including Castelvecchio and the Brion Sanctuary.

Home. It’s the supposed harbor of our hearts, and yours is probably affecting your overall well-being more than you think. Gary and Chelsey’s home gave us that good, old fashioned “happy home” feeling, and we were determined to figure out why. If you’re feeling stuck in your pursuit of a happy home, we’ve compiled a simple list of practices most of the happiest homes on Apartment Therapy—such as this one—share.

Name: Adam and Rachel Jones and their dog, Fraiser Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Rachel is a designer and Adam specializes in photography and video production, and new inspirations and ideas are always emerging in both their work and home life. Since they moved into this space a few years ago, the process of settling in has been one of constant evolution and change.

Name: Sarah Ashley Schiear Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: 635 square feet Years Lived In: since May 2015; Rented Though the physical size of her apartment may be small, Sarah has created a multi-functional space where she lives, works and entertains. Sarah is a chef as well as the founder of Salt House, a New York-based lifestyle and events studio. Her experience in the food industry has heavily influenced her desire to entertain and bring people together around food.

Name: Robbie and Dan Location: Brooklyn, NY Size: 635 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Robbie and Dan have lived in their apartment for a little over two years. Since this is their first home together, they wanted to find a place that matched both of their lifestyles and tastes. After persevering through the rat-race of apartment hunting in New York, the couple finally landed this fantastic place in Brooklyn.

Name: Amandine Isnard & Mihalis Gripiotis and Aristos Location: Williamsburg; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented Amandine is the Head of Product Development for Eve Lom, a European niche luxury beauty brand, and Mihalis is a journalist and the founder of the art-house film production company IFFI Productions. Their Brooklyn house was decorated to look like a film set, and as a result, has been used as a studio for various film projects.

Name: Jen Patryn Location: Nolita; New York City Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented When she’s not working on fashion shoots, creating visual stories, and advising major labels, Jen Patryn, a New York-based fashion editor, is traveling the world and wandering the mountains of Central America.

Name: Ann Mack Designer: Christina Love Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 7 — rented Call it the six-ish year itch. After as many years in one place, Ann wanted a clean slate, to banish the shadows and let in the light.

Name: Mark and Emily (and Kally the cat) Location: East Village; New York, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Emily and Mark’s East Village apartment may be small, but it’s bursting with light and color. They make small space living look easy — somehow they’ve managed to squeeze all the things that two people need to live (and work!) into 330 square feet, and still create a cozy, beautiful home.

Two sisters, native New Yorkers and close in age, share this apartment.

Name: Cristina, General, Najal & Rafia Judd Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rental Cristina and General Judd are a husband and wife interior design duo based in Brooklyn and co-founders of Me and General Design. This dynamic couple’s apartment rental is a testament to what happens when two creatives join forces at home.

Name: Kip & Saadia McConville Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 sq ft Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rent Saadia and her husband Kip (not pictured) love to travel, whether it’s within the United States or internationally. They have a love of adventure and trying new things that is infectious. A look through their apartment demonstrates this through decor picked up along the way.

Name: Tamar Levine Location: Chelsea, New York City Size: 270 square feet Years lived in: 4 While Tamar’s address has stayed the same, the decor has changed a few times. The challenge of keeping a one room apartment clean and functional, yet still uniquely styled is one she loves to tackle. But adding a fresh set of eyes to the process was a perfect formula with the most rewarding results.

Name: Amanda Gluck Location: Flatiron, New York Size: 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It might be easy to feel a tinge of jealousy entering a 3-bedroom apartment overlooking 5th Avenue in Manhattan, but Amanda’s personality will squash that immediately. As someone who makes her living by being hospitable as a Fashionable Hostess, visitors are comfortable and well taken care of in her beautiful abode.