Emily's style is eclectic collector with carnival chic/plant lady vibes.

It's now both lovely and livable.

Name: Kirsten Thoft and Ted Nadeau Location: Princeton, NJ Size: 3200 square feet (including lower level apartment / family room) Years lived in: 2 years; owned So many words are needed to describe Kirsten and Ted’s multi-faceted home: beautiful, sustainable, functional, light, airy, warm, homey, and even industrial! Kirsten, an architect, purchased the site and originally planned to build a spec home.

Name: Ryan and Amber Flynn Location: Downtown — Fashion District; Los Angeles, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented When Ryan and Amber Flynn first moved to Los Angeles in 2011, they spent a month crashing on the floor of their friends’ downtown loft. The space was impressive: a former munitions factory, the loft boasted 20-foot ceilings spanning two industrial stories.

Name: Alana Range, CEO of Radish Lab Location: Greenpoint; Brooklyn Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented After an exhaustive apartment search, Alana landed a rare, sun-drenched railroad style apartment in Brooklyn with an impressive nine windows! As any New Yorker can attest, railroad apartments can either be a total flop or, as in Alana’s case, a huge success.

Samara's dad gutted this building in the '70s, and now she calls it home. She's filled it with MCM servingware from her Gran's entertaining heyday and DIY sewing projects.

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.

While remodeling their apartment, this couple discovered a little bit of history hiding in the walls: huge, rustic beams from their Brooklyn building's past as a pencil factory.

This home was an entry in the 2023 Small/Cool Contest!

This basement apartment in the city feels more like a handcrafted cottage, neatly nestled in a hidden forest somewhere in the mountains.

Decorating her home is an outlet for her creative energy and most of the brightly colored paintings scattered throughout the space are her own.

Marita has been painting (and re-painting!) walls, appliances, and furniture in her home (also known as "The Rainbow House") for the better part of a year.

"If nothing goes together, everything goes together."

Name: Christi Finley and her pup Lilly and a roommate (not pictured) Location: Bouldin Creek, Austin, TexasSize: 675 square feetYears lived in: Rented, 1.5 years Living in a small space doesn’t mean it has to be boring, as evidenced by the home of creative and crafty apartment dweller Christi. The South Austin home she shares with her roommate and her incredibly photogenic pup Lilly is packed with color, pattern, texture and style.

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.

Name: Allison Pierce and husband Benjamin Mathes, and our little six pound blonde scraggly ball of fire pup, Goldie. Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 2250 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned When my (now) husband and I were ready to move in together, neither of us were excited by the idea of moving into the other’s apartment.

Marita has been painting (and re-painting!) walls, appliances, and furniture in her home (also known as "The Rainbow House") for the better part of a year.

Marita has been painting (and re-painting!) walls, appliances, and furniture in her home (also known as "The Rainbow House") for the better part of a year.

Every room is gorgeous in ceramicist Laetitia Rouget’s home.

Adriana's San Juan apartment brings the outdoor in, showcasing thriving plants, natural wood elements, and even a parrot with bright and colorful plumage.

Cookbook author, holistic nutritionist, and food stylist Kirsten Buck's 700-square-foot apartment is full of inspiring renter's solutions and ideas.

Name: Justin and Meg Location: Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Justin and Meg walked into this house—after visiting about 60 houses and doing six months of research—they knew immediately it was the one. A lot of people wanted this place, and they had to basically beg the landlord daily until he finally gave in and let them have it.

Name: Karis Danish. And my plant, Kevin. Location: Greenwich Village — New York City, New YorkSize: 280 square feetYears lived in: 3 years. Wait, people own apartments in the West Village? I rent. Karis Danish’s 280-square-foot studio apartment might only be slightly larger than a camper, but before the pandemic (and hopefully again soon), she still entertained quite often. “I like to cook and feed people,” she admits.

There are no doors or walls separating the living room, dining room, playroom, and kid's room, but each area of this one-bedroom feels like a separate zone.

The houses of well-traveled old ladies inspired this house filled with color, pattern, and meat dolls. It's cluttered in a good way, you know?

Maggie has made her small apartment look and feel like a fantastic home without a huge price tag.

"I can say with confidence almost every item or piece in our apartment made me feel happy at first sight."

Bridget Watson Payne's tips on small-space living — with big personality.

The most challenging thing about this home was making it functional with so little space, but this couple was able to fit two desks, a ton of shelving, and smart under-bed storage.

Molly isn't afraid of color and texture in her home.

Emily's south Minneapolis space may be teeny, but it packs a one-of-a-kind punch.

We're sharing tips for starting a 30-day decluttering challenge. Whether you love Kondo, the Minimalists, or Josh Becker, time to get started.

Painting was a budget-friendly way for Angie Eng to elevate her studio apartment, helping to keep the "rooms" aesthetically separate, but still fluid.

See how these renters swapped the dining and living room and “IKEA-ed” storage solutions in their Richmond apartment.

It's definitely maximalist, but not chaotic.

This senior editor at "Garden & Gun" magazine lives in a STUNNING studio apartment with no less than NINE stained glass windows (plus a whole lot of charm).

Emily fit a full-sized bed, a comfy living room, plenty of storage, and even a full-sized dining table into her 400-square-foot studio apartment in Brooklyn.

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.

Kevin Boyle and Mac Francis' townhome is filled with a collection of secondhand gems, and they needed the storage to display it all!

Name: Lisa Vanin Location: Parkdale; Toronto, Canada Size: 390 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, Rented Take away the laptop and tattoos and it would be easy to mistake twenty-something illustrator Lisa Vanin’s tiny, old-fashioned apartment for a knitting granny’s cozy den. Her homey digs are reminiscent of a previous generation’s warmth and slow pace, thanks to her nostalgic collection of old-soul treasures.