Dirt-cheap rent in Fort Lauderdale? Artists morph empty Las Olas storefronts into funky studios

At their one-bedroom Fort Lauderdale apartment, artists Khadine and Robert Spruce constantly jockeyed for studio space. The bedroom? Off-limits (except to store paintings, of course). The garage? Way too cramped. So the couple often traded off in the dining room, with Khadine painting mermaids on the table while Robert, a 12-year Air Force veteran, painted American flags on the floor.