Tours

"Walking into our current house was like walking into a dream," admits designer Nadia Ramadan. The tall ceilings, woodwork, and built-ins work beautifully with all of the bold design choices and DIY projects that she and husband, Tariq, have incorporated over the past five years.

"My personal home style inspiration has a wide range, from traditional maximalist to English cottage home to Scandinavian clean lines to farmhouse to Rajasthani folk with its warm colors and block-prints, even a bit of New York loft-style with art-filled walls and plants," begins singer/songwriter Abhilasha Sinha.

"This process can be an emotional one, but also brings clarity and perspective through our attachment to certain objects, memories, and spaces," says photographer Lauren Kolyn.

Julie Finn has done tons of things to make her small space work, from a hand-me-down daybed to couch transformation, an easy TV-hiding hack, and creating as much smart storage space as possible.

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.

Fashion consultant and merchandiser Jasmine Hart worked with interior designer and set decorator Kendra Cusic to decorate this Brooklyn rental apartment.

"We were inspired by Australia and the American Southwest when designing and decorating. The area feels like a mix of Byron Bay and Tucson, so we wanted the home to reflect that.," explains designer Travis Wayne.

Photographer and interior designer Natalie Bird shares this 1000-square-foot, open-plan rental apartment in New York City's TriBeCa neighborhood with her husband.

Evelyne Klerx and her husband, Matthijs, have converted and renovated this old 969-square-foot barn into a home for themselves, their twin 20-year-old boys, two cats, and two pigs (that live outside in their own barn).

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.

Interior designer and E-designer Carissa Henderson is the founder and owner of A Bold New Hue, LLC., and has covered every inch of her home with her signature style of bold, patterned, maximalist style.

Alex Bass is more than just an art collector, she's the founder of Salon 21, an art advisory and design firm. And the small home she shares with her boyfriend not only shows off her art curating skills, but also plenty of renter-friendly ideas.

Emily Gershen and Dion Harris have owned this Detroit house — built in 1928 and featuring intricate plasterwork and original stained glass windows — for a year and a half. They share their home with their young son, Milo, and another baby on the way! (Along with two fur babies, Goose and Birdie.)

This envy-inducing modern house remodel showcases indoor-outdoor living at its finest.

Lily’s favorite thing about her apartment is all “the sunlight that comes in through the windows. The entire front wall is curved in a semicircle shape, so strong sun comes in from all sides. The plants have all really flourished, and I love watching them grow over.”

Musician Mathew V has moved five times in the last six years in “search of a home that felt like just that: home.” He’s found it here in this polished condo he shares with his partner, Justin.

"The space had a modern aesthetic and we used the green kitchen as a jumping-off point for leaning into color and modern details," writes Mark Goldwell, the founding partner and executive creative director of Zero Studios.

Nayeli Crossdale, a visual designer, and her husband, Nate, have transformed this dated Austin house into a colorful, eclectic, and lived-in home full of inspiration.

Artist John Neary worked with design firm Parini Design to restore this house, built in 1960 and designed by Michigan-based architect Paul Moffett. The structure was stabilized and the interior was fully modernized with a nod to its mid-century past.

Lifestyle blogger Jessica Kirby and her partner, Craig Mackay, did all the renovations themselves on this house in Rhode Island, and they had a very small budget. But they maximized their efforts "by spending on materials instead of labor. Our house is small and it’s an open layout, but we managed to make it feel spacious and still cozy."

"As soon as my husband and I got the keys, we began the hard work," begins Justine Guillermou, the founder of Rainbow Shaker, who specializes in "playful, offbeat," and "anti-gloom" designs. "We did everything ourselves from A to Z, except for the plumbing and electricity."

Designer Kim White has transformed her cozy Brooklyn rental apartment with smart DIY projects, like using banquette seating to build a custom sectional sofa, using mirrors to make the space feel larger, and more.

Heather Davis is the Design Director of Concept, Print & Color at Urban Outfitters, and her home is a mish-mashed, cluttercore mix of textiles, cool chairs, and thrifted finds.

Ashley Martin’s inspiration comes from vintage aesthetics, from Hollywood Regency to charmingly kitsch honeymoon motels. ”I love incorporating modern art, eclectic furniture, and plenty of sparkly disco balls for a funky twist!” Ashley says. “It’s like if Barbie’s grandma had her own dream house.”

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.

Amy and Jason sacrificed space so they could afford to buy something close to surfing and hiking trails. They did a gut reno on this 600-square-foot cottage, cladding it in warm wood from the ceiling to the walls and adding storage everywhere they could — under the couch, wall-to-wall cabinets in the tiny bedroom, and even vertical surfboard racks along the retaining wall outside." 

After Shelby toured this 700-square-foot Chicago condo, she loved it so much she wrote the previous owner a handwritten letter. “I was like, ‘I’m ... begging you to let me live here.’” The letter worked. Now she and Collin reside in their small-but-mighty space, curating a sort of maximalist museum dedicated to the relationships that keep them afloat.

Hilary Crawford's favorite thing about her four-bedroom semi-detached home she shares with her husband and three daughters is the open plan living space and "how it opens out to the garden particularly in the summer months!"

Because this mid-century modern house hadn't been looked after, Samantha and her husband Dave had the opportunity to update areas for their own needs and "not feel bad about tearing down a recently renovated kitchen or bathroom. It was truly a blank canvas."

Shelby Vanhoy of Pretty in the Pines and her husband made their small Manhattan rental apartment a peaceful family haven by bringing in nature-inspired colors and timeless prints and patterns while highlighting 1930s architectural details.

Model and body-positive influencer Kelvin Davis has over 50 plants in this 789-square-foot rental apartment.

Christina Goldschmidt, Head of Product Design at Etsy, lives in an 859-square-foot condo in New York’s Battery Park City.

The colorful, retro tiles in Sidney and Brandon's rental apartment's bathroom were taken from a train station in Philadelphia during the '80s... and the vibrant tiles were even used for the baseboards around the main space, too!

Carrissa Leary is the founder of the Instagram-based vintage furniture company, Hendrix and Willow. She shares this large rental house with her two kids, her two dogs, and a ton of stunning vintage furniture and decor pieces.

Carolyn's style is inspired by color pop, Memphis design, '80s new wave, "Saved by the Bell," punk rock, and Goodwill thrift finds from the ‘60s to ‘90s.

Inspired by the fashion of the '80s and '90s, mid-century designs, and cool movies, interior designer Serafima Gavrilenko took this two-bedroom apartment with no bathroom and turned it into a stylish two-level studio with an incredible walk-in closet.

New York Times bestselling author Sarah Knight’s husband, musician Judd Harris, used to say that she wants to live in an opium den and that he wants to live in a spaceship. “Eventually we settled on what we call ‘funky mid-century modern,’ which gives him a lot of clean lines and me the ability to accessorize with color and texture.”

Lou, who runs the IG account @notaperioddrama, loves to respect and enhance the period style of their home but also likes to add a “sprinkle of something a little bit bold and unique.”

Emily and Sean worked with designer Shelby Adamson at Little Black Fox to refresh their Georgia house that, at purchase, was clean and freshly painted but lacking in character. After a refresh, one room is now a deep monochromatic blue from floor to ceiling, and the rest of the house is full of personality.

Caity Birmingham, a production designer for movies and TV and a prop stylist for commercials and photoshoots, loves color and fits a TON of it into her 680-square-foot Brooklyn rental apartment.

Laura Hartstein is the co-founder of Tola Home and a first-time homeowner DIYing her way through *wildly* decorating this new-build house. ”No major renovations are needed, so I've been able to go right into mural-ing walls, replacing light fixtures, wallpapering, hanging disco balls from the ceiling, and so on.”

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.

Julia Arceri says she has a gilt mirror or a crystal chandelier in every room in her house — sometimes both. “They just add such an elegance and grandeur, and they are timeless,” she writes.

"As a first-time homeowner I was excited to make my mark in a way that I was never able to do when renting. I love the simplicity and brightness of Scandinavian design, but also bright colors and pop art," writes Jen.

The incredible custom wallpaper in this colorful Chicago condo was designed before the owner ever moved in.

Danielle and her family searched Facebook Marketplace for almost all of the furniture for their small cabin, including a full dining set for only $100! "We also upcycled all of our lighting. We kept most of the lighting original to the cottage and just painted and rewired it," she explains.

Brigette Muller, known as @hummusbirrd on IG and TikTok, may only rent her 560-square-foot NYC apartment, but she’s invested in her own happiness by designing and renovating it to fit her style.

Kate and her husband loved this small unit's natural light, original details (like molding and inlaid hardwood floors), and location, despite not having been updated in many years. "We knew we wanted to keep as much of the original charm as we could, while also updating it to bring in natural elements and modernize the space."

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.

When Antoinette purchased this home, the interior needed a lot of work! The biggest challenges were creating functional living spaces in such a small space and finding solutions for the exposed, unattractive features.

As a designer, collector, and artist, Darien Stokes was captivated by the unique architectural characteristics of this one-bedroom loft nestled off the bustling streets of West Hollywood, California.

Interior designer Alvin Wayne has lived in this gorgeous 800-square-foot rental apartment for three years.

"The natural woods, clean minimalism, and considered styling reflect Scandi themes, while the Feng Shui calls to my Chinese heritage," owner Emilie writes. "The neutral palette keeps the focus on the glorious nature vistas from every window and calms the mind."

This tiny one-bedroom apartment was quite outdated. Agathe and her partner did the entire renovation themselves while working full-time, which meant they had to sleep in the kitchen for nearly two months!

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.

Most of the art in Julia's apartment is either of Black women or created by Black women. "I grew up surrounded by Black art so all of my art makes me feel at home," she writes.

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."

Photographer Breeana Dunbar has shaped this 560-square-foot one-bedroom apartment into the perfect home, including turning part of the living room into a bedroom for her son.

Taylor Jordan says the key with rentals is "to work with and around the things you can't change." In his San Francisco apartment he worked around the original yellow toilet and tub, and in the kitchen he "changed out the cabinet hardware and backsplash for an updated, modern look."

Just a few of the incredible DIY projects writer Caroline Mullen has completed INSIDE her small rental apartment: kitchen shelves, the kitchen floor, a TV console, a bar cabinet, a tool and supply cabinet, and more!

"I filled my home with objects I made, and furniture I gave a second life to (i.e., with paint)," writes Kira. "I worked hard to create a curated environment with a lot of personality on a budget."

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."

"Being a natural light photographer I have this strong appreciation for the conversation the sun has in a space," writes Taylor Baldwin of her 800-square-foot Philadelphia rental apartment.

"We live in a mid-century home that was a bit of a blank slate when we moved in," begins Julie Mak. "It has been a wonderful palette for adding the lively fabrics, patterns, colors, and lines that I love."

Designed by Rosario Candela in the 1930s, Isabel’s apartment building has a rooftop terrace with 360 views of midtown and the East River. But that’s not what sold her on the apartment. “I fell in love with the classic black and white foyer tile marble the instant I walked in the apartment,” she writes.

When Arianna and her husband bought this house, it was "like a big sauna room — it had dark wood paneling walls, worn and stained carpet with musty smells, old-fashioned lighting fixtures, and dirty curtains." But look at it now!

David and Mitzi spend their summers on Shuswap Lake. "We are foodies, book lovers, and travelers, and we enjoy hosting family and friends. We are active and outgoing; we love nature, and so a summer home on the lake is a dream come true," Mitzi writes.

Xiomara (with her husband, Frank, and dog, Scooter) is on a quest to tour all the states in North America (including Alaska) while working as a professional organizer helping clients "go from chaos to calm in their homes."

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."

Jenny and her partner are New Yorkers that moved to the South of France with their 12-year-old daughter and bought a neglected stone house to renovate; it features exposed stone walls, wood ceiling beams, antique brick walls, and more.