10 Favorite Chicago Small Spaces

From bungalows to brownstones, new builds to rehabs, modern and vintage — Chicago is full of a great mix of housing. No matter how dark and cold it seems to get, our readers manage to transform even the tiniest of spaces into bright, light retreats. From 250 to 900 square feet, here's a quick dose of inspiration from some of our favorite Windy City House Tours and Small Cool entries.

1. Shelby's Lots of Character (house tour here ); 375 sq ft. Small Space Highlight. The lofted bedroom, built-ins, fireplace and high ceiling give it a lot of character and make the home feel much bigger than it is.

2. Kim & Scott's Yellow Brick Home ; 675 sq ft Small Space Highlight: Storage in unlikely spaces — bikes on the ceiling and hallway storage above doors.

3. Heidi's Every Inch Counts ; 523 sq ft Small Space Highlight: A great tiny office tucked into a corner nook.

4. Liz's Light Off Lake Michigan ; 360 sq ft Small Space Highlight: The conversion of two enormous closets into a dressing/vanity area and a home office/storage space.

5. Diana's Studio Style Setup ; 850 sq ft Small Space Highlight: The living room is used as the bedroom and the bedrooms have been converted to studio and office spaces.

6. Melissa and Matt's Design Lab ; 550 sq ft. Small Space Highlight: Lots of color! Also, a lack of clutter and smart use of attractive, open storage pieces make their necessary belongings part of the decor in a very successful way.

7. Alexandra's Petite First Place ; 250 sq ft. Small Space Highlight: The mirrored doors open up to the Murphy bed in the walk-in closet!

8. Edgar & Larry's "New Parisian" in Rogers Park ; 900 sq ft. Small Space Highlight: An abundance of well-curated and unique art.

9. Todd's Handmade Home ; 470 sq ft. Small Space Highlight: The apartment, cabinets and much of the furniture was handmade to suit Todd's needs.

10. Beth's Lofted Studio ; 500 sq ft. Small Space Highlight: A lofted bedroom, eating area, living area, and work space all carved out of one room.

MORE SMALL STYLE ON APARTMENT THERAPY:

• Small Cool Chicago: 10 Tours Under 1000 Square Feet

• Living Small: Los Angeles Style

• Pint-Sized Southern Style: Small Spaces Roundup

(Images: As Linked)