When campbellpearson decided to renovate her rental, where she’s lived since 2018, she set herself up for a challenge. In NYC, money leaves your hand quickly—but Catherine is crafty and she’s not afraid to roll up her sleeves. For work, she acts as a set designer and art director for luxury and design clients, including Balmain, Vanity Fair, and L’Officiel. And while Catherine’s worked with modest budgets before, her renovation fund was especially tight: She gave herself $1,000 cash to cover all costs. She was also starting with a pretty blank canvas: Her 475-square-foot apartment was spacious enough, but she’d never really invested in making it her own. When she first moved in, she cordoned off one room as a studio, and she left it modestly decorated after she moved her practice off-site. Some people might find it surprising that a prop stylist lived in such a pared-down apartment, but Catherine’s collection of design pieces sometimes felt more professional than personal. “The challen...