Studio Apartments

"Everything I changed in the apartment is renter-friendly and can be un-done," explains Zoe Wetherall, an architectural and landscape photographer. "The biggest challenge was working with such a small space — making sure I could fit everything in and have enough storage."

Nicolas Lecoeur's rental apartment is a Haussmann-type space with moldings and parquet flooring, located in the historic district of Montmartre.

Lifestyle and food blogger Camilla Hughes lives alone in this small London rental studio apartment, so she has the "freedom to make my home exactly how I like it."

While architect Keaton Cizek would love to own and renovate his own home one day when he has the means, as a renter he finds "so much joy in making an apartment feel like an extension of myself as much as I can."

The kitchen in Courtney's SF studio apartment is no wider than her arms can spread out, but it is "character rich, with wood shelving painted pale blue."

Damini grew up in India and moved to the U.S. in 2016. "After four years of art school and three years into my graphic design career, this is the first place I've stayed at where I've run wild decorating and watched it transform into a space that feels like home (and part art studio)."

Thanks to the studio apartment's high ceilings and huge windows, as well as Leecy's brilliant small-space styling and organizing skills, her home feels much larger than it actually is.

Rachael Harvey, Assistant Membership Director for a synagogue in Manhattan, moved to this 275-square-foot, $1,800-per-month Upper East Side studio apartment eight months ago.

Bianca Tueretsky wrote a series of YA books called "The Time-Traveling Fashionista" about a girl who travels back in time through an enchanted vintage dress. Her small Prospect Heights apartment reflects her love of books, history, vintage pieces, and travel.

Since this is Mindy’s first time owning a home, she was as involved as possible in the renovation, like knocking out the old kitchen and taking off the bathroom tiles, all to build the minimal and modern small home of her dreams.

"I'm Italian American, lived in Rome for 10 years, and studied Humanities and Classics at university; these attributes reflect everywhere in my world," explains LeAnne Smith. "I love stone sculpture, architecture, pencil sketches, and gardens."

"Living in a studio means that I see everything all the time, so I really need to like everything that's there," explains Upper East Side studio apartment dweller Jamie Mandel.

Lisa’s rental home might only be 350 square feet, but the location is unbeatable and an “outdoor” space makes it feels much less smaller.

Erik works from home, and needed a bright, airy space that "inspired me while keeping me in a good mood (happy colors) but relaxed."

It was small, the kitchen was basically nonexistent, and the bathroom wasn't pretty, but Irene Shamas saw the potential in this studio unit. She worked with Luki Anderson of Studio Officina and EDR Construction to transform this small one-room apartment into a space that can be a living room, dining room, bedroom, office, and more.

Ana shares this tiny studio apartment with her boyfriend, and while there's technically only one actual room for the entire home, her simple but successful room-dividing solution helps make the space much more usable.

Even though Laura Mullaney’s rental apartment is small, she knew the layout had a ton of potential when she first moved in. “I was also super impressed with the amount of storage for such a small space.”

Aaron's favorite "room" is the entire apartment, "because it is a studio that has been designed with intention to give each area a specific use and vibe. Although it is one open space, each section serves a different purpose."

When Carissa and her husband moved to NYC from Florida, they had to downsize from a 1,500-square-foot home, so they "had to really process not only the functionality of objects, but also their significance."

Travel YouTuber and author Damon Dominique rents this small studio/loft apartment in Paris that he describes as "Sex and the City cocktail hour meets Parisian museum."

Tiffany and her cat, Jinju, have turned their small New York studio into a gorgeous home by mixing styles and creating a layout that gives her space for all of life's necessities.

Because Jung Hi Han's rental is just a large rectangle, she had to figure out how to arrange the furniture to make different areas. "I used an IKEA bookcase to separate my 'bedroom' from the entry, along with wallpaper to visually create a bedroom. I used the gallery wall in my 'living room' to separate that space, and the two Tara McPherson prints to section off my 'dining room,'" Jung Hi explains.

When Olivia moved into her Virginia studio apartment, it was her first time living on her own. Since moving in, she's hosted many Friendsgivings, dinner parties, and brunches, bringing her friends together in a small, cozy space.

The dark, unpainted wood and the compact size of this little studio apartment gives the space the cozy, homey feel that Paige is striving for in their space. "I couldn't be happier."

Chandler and Lucy were living in California when they decided to move to NYC for the first time. Though they initially were looking for one-bedrooms, when their friend saw a great studio on the Upper West Side, they submitted their application and trusted that it would work!

Interior designer Pierrick wanted to find a rental apartment where he could make some significant improvements, and he did so in this small Montreal studio, transforming it into a minimal, restful, neutral space.

Kayla works in HR at Apartment Therapy and has turned her home into her sanctuary. Working with a small space and budget, she used the color palette of her neighborhood to bring to life her gorgeous bohemian home.

Lucy was about to sign the lease on a Brooklyn apartment when she found her dream home in Manhattan. She switched gears and moved into this small studio during the pandemic, getting a big discount. She has thrifted and stooped many of her apartment treasures to create a stunning New York City home.

After working with designer Natalie Dubrovska from Dubrovska Studios, Bogdan and Mariia were able to hone in on what they love about design. Natural materials add small touches of peace and fulfillment to a home that blends industrial with coziness.

When Calvin moved into his Manhattan apartment, he recruited the help of his friend Colton Ackerman to bring his home to life. Calvin's home now is covered in fun murals that make every inch of the place a work of art.

Ryan was downsizing from a large one-bedroom as part of his move from Denver to New York City, and found the challenge of organizing and maximizing this studio space fun and creative.

At first, designer Linda Cava only meant to replace her 10-year-old bedframe. But then she swapped out a bedside table to fit the new bed's style, next decided to trade the old sofa for a larger sectional... and then a mix of paint updates, vintage furniture elements, and more made her small home feel completely refreshed.

The walls of Marty's Lower East Side Apartment are covered in photos and notes from friends throughout the years.

Michal Kolaczkowski and Trevor Kuhn have been renting this 300-square-foot studio apartment on New York City's Upper West Side for about seven months.

Ainsley's small rental apartment's size and atypical angles offered quite the design challenge: to fit in useful, cohesive items without feeling too cramped or cluttered. But she tackled the challenge beautifully and cleverly.

The entire home is full of historic architectural details, from original herringbone wood floors, original dog-bone tiles in the bathroom, mirrored cabinet in the kitchen, gorgeous crown moldings on the walls, and the high ceilings, which Jessica says make the studio feel spacious.

Alexandra Charitan is a travel writer and the features editor at "Roadtrippers Magazine." She's been renting this 450-square-foot studio apartment in D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood for two years.

Inspiration comes in all shapes in sizes, but at Apartment Therapy we have a special place in our hearts for the smallest of spaces and an extra special place for the impressive small spaces where all the living happens in one room! This year our community offered no shortage of inspiration in the form of creative studio apartments.

Hannah Herman actually worked on the design of her apartment building before she decided to move in, so she was already ahead on the creative challenge of furnishing such a small space.

Mariangeles has lived in her studio apartment for the past five years. Her home is filled with creams, whites, blacks, and grays to create a clean and minimal aesthetic.

As a fashion accessory designer, Courtney is used to taking on creative projects and making art. With her studio apartment in Manhattan, she uses thrifted furniture and brings it back to life with a fresh coat of paint to add a finishing touch to her home.

Sarah Jackson, her husband Greg, and their dog Rex live in a well-curated apartment on Roosevelt Island, best-known for the tram that connects it to Manhattan over the East River.

After living in New York City for 10 years, Maria has found a place where she feels at home with great neighbors. Through the help of second-hands furniture and paint, she has created a gorgeous studio apartment.

During the pandemic, Brian left his apartment with a rotating cast of roommates and gave himself time to find his perfect home. When this loft in the West Village went up, he knew he had to have it. He has since converted the small space into a plant filled oasis.