These 14 Homes Show Off How “Big” 1,000 Square Feet Can Really Be

Depending on the location, 1,000 square feet might seem like a lot of room to roam or like a smaller space. For example, as a former New York City studio apartment dweller, that size feels humongous. However, people who live in the suburbs might think that square footage is cramped. 

However, it’s important to shed any preconceptions about 1,000 square feet homes. Because — whether they’re apartments, houses, or huts — a space’s functionality, style, and airiness truly depends on smart design decisions.

That’s why we’re walking you through 14 fabulously designed 1,000-square-foot spaces. It was hard to narrow down this list, which proves that regardless of a home’s size — people are so clever when designing their rooms. 

Even though Shelby Vanhoy’s, the content creator behind Pretty in the Pines, 1,000-square-foot apartment is in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood, without knowing that, you might assume that you’re stepping back in time into a European home. Vanhoy cultivated a stunning space that feels large, inviting, and warm. 

Explore more of this space and the DIY hacks that made it super unique in the full house tour. 

Stepping into Danielle Moore and Bryan Wang’s 1,000-square-foot Craftsman-style home in Berkeley, California, is like shedding a heavy weight. Immediately, guests are met with an easy-going safe space because of the couple’s choice of soft-toned paint colors, open-plan layout, and big windows brimming with natural light. 

Visit the full house tour to feel at ease in this sunny California Craftsman home.

What was once a bare-bones, raw space has been DIY-transformed into a colorful, plant-filled sanctuary. Renters Ashley Taylor and Tymer Tilton completely reinvented their 1,000-square-foot loft in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood. And their updates have impacted their guests. Friends say that their home “has a soothing or healing energy, and they always joke they want us to design their next home,” the duo shared at the time of their house tour. 

Check out the full house tour to see how their DIY projects came to life.

Illustrator Cécile Gariépy’s minimal, modern 1,000-square-foot apartment in Montreal is an extension of her creative work. She’s adorned her space with pops of color, but not in the traditional sense. “I believe that handmade elements, such as illustrations, small sculptures, or even greeting cards, are the ones I value the most,” Gariépy said of her decorations at the time of her house tour. 

Explore the full house tour to see how her artistry is intertwined with her home decor.

When artist and designer Amelie Mancini and her husband, Rami Metal, graduated from a 400-square-foot apartment to their current, larger home in Crown Heights, Brooklyn — the move was beneficial for many reasons. For one, it had a private room for their daughter and space to display their collection of antiques. 

Visit the full house tour to see their apartment that’s drenched in rich colors. 

Kyla Magrath, who has a background in painting and decorating, makes her 1,000-square-foot Bristol family home feel bigger by skillfully combining various paint colors. “My style is an eclectic mix of Victorian drama and mid-century coolness with pops of color to lift and tantalize,” Kyla said at the time of the house tour. 

Wander through Magrath’s bohemian home in the full house tour. 

Multiple levels help accentuate a home’s overall square footage and that’s exactly the case in Bridgette Whitney and Blue Delgado’s Art Deco, maximalist loft in downtown San Diego. “My boyfriend, Blue, and I fell in LOVE with our loft immediately when we walked in,” Whitney said at the time of her house tour. 

Check out the full house tour to see how the couple’s two-storied beautiful space. 

When Ross and Marianna Popejoy first moved into their 1900 worker’s cottage in London, the couple knew they wanted to update the narrow layout. The changes included: moving a bathroom upstairs and removing a bedroom. Ultimately, their home feels much more spacious, and the floor plan provides ample room for their abundant plants to thrive. 

Explore more of their plant-filled, airy oasis in the full house tour. 

Even though Amina Camilleri and Antonio Paretas de Vega’s 1,000-square-foot apartment is in Barcelona, the couple looked to places outside the city for design inspiration. They wanted to combine aesthetics from different periods of their life, like their time in London, Camilleri’s Italian and Venezuelan roots, and the current vibe of San Antoni. 

To see more of their colorful, functional home, visit the full house tour. 

It’s hard to believe, but Rich O’Gorman’s colorful, two-bedroom home in Birmingham, United Kingdom, once had all beige walls. However, the lackluster walls didn’t deter him. Instead, he saw them as canvases for bright murals. The 1,000-square-foot space feels bright, airy, and whimsical thanks to O’Gorman’s vibrant color additions and style. 

Check out the various murals adorning the walls of this stunning home in the full house tour. 

Tiffany and Alan Goldstein’s favorite part about their 1,064-square-foot stylish bungalow in Austin, Texas, is the vast windows that flood the space with natural light. The warm, glimmering sunshine helps draw light to their stunning decor objects, inspired by their travels around the globe and the people in their lives. 

See how low furniture made their space feel bigger in the full house tour. 

One thousand one hundred square feet can come in several shapes and sizes. Take Haley Lertola’s Quonset hut in Detroit, Michigan, for example. The arched roof and walls make the space feel more open and airy, and the natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows brings warmth. It’s the perfect layout for her event-planning business, too. “I truly could not imagine a better live-work space to suit my lifestyle of entertaining and party hosting,” Lertola said at the time of the house tour. 

Explore the full house tour to learn how Lertola’s Quonset hut works for her lifestyle. 

After spending the COVID-19 pandemic in a one-bedroom apartment, Kit Williamson, John Halbach, and their cat, Albee, were looking for a bit more room to roam. They found their desired space in a three-bedroom, colorful, airy home in Yucca Valley, California. And if they want their interior of 1,000 square feet to feel bigger, all they have to do is look toward the window (every room has one!) for spanning views of the Joshua trees and mountains.  

Visit the full house tour to learn more about this stunning oasis. 

Some spaces can feel simultaneously spacious and cozy — just like Ryan and Maddie Kulig’s home in Galena, Maryland. Originally, only the location appealed to the couple about their 1,000-square-foot mid-century modern cottage when they first saw the space. But they decided that if their offer were accepted, they’d take on renovating the 1950s home. Luckily, they got the house and transformed it into a sun-drenched, warm home. 

To see more rooms in this cozy cottage, visit the full house tour.