Finnish-born, French-educated, LA living, Karina Oldemans combines the practicality of the first, the sophistication of the second and the imagination of the third for timeless, classic interiors with a modern sensibility.  

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Name:

Diane

Location:

Queensbury, NY

Square Feet:

960

Division:

Small

What I Love About My Small Home:

Everything! It is the perfect home: old, charming, cozy, and small. It is our sanctuary. We live, cook great meals, make music, read, write, and rest here. Many new homes being built around us are well over 2,000 sq. ft. and some are double that size. I would feel funny in a space that large.

When I first saw the ad for our home in the paper eleven years ago, it was everything we told the realtor we didn't want. But, after seeing it during an open house I fell in love, and my husband soon followed suit.

Soon after moving in, we installed a beautiful wood stove which increases the cozy factor during long fall/winter seasons. The previous owners also installed giant windows in the kitchen addition at the back of the house. I've seen deer, fox, turkeys, and all kinds of other wildlife in the back yard over the years.

It may be Monday but I'm already thinking about the weekend. With Memorial Day coming up in a few days, my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of summer grilling and weekend parties. That means it's time to shop for new summer entertaining essentials, starting with a fun modern grill.

Christy Lai and Michael John like the term “multidisciplinary.” We can see why; together, they have a lot going on. First there’s Colorcubic, their interactive studio specializing in UX/UI, 3D modeling, animation, and motion graphics. For this week’s Playlist, they share a few tracks that inspire their multidisciplinary activities while working together.

As are many of you, I'll wager, I am passionate for names. I have been slowly collecting my favorite children's name displays from Apartment Therapy Family and across the web.  Parents with a knack for picking great monikers also tend to get creative with their kids' rooms.  Click through for inspiration beyond the traditional cookie-cutter mold.  

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Name:

Callie

Location:

Dallas, TX

Square Feet:

591

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

The moment I saw Tom Hank's New York place in the movie "Big", I've wanted to live in an urban loft. 20 years later, I got my wish. My tiny box is not big enough for a trampoline, but it does have high ceilings, concrete floors, and just the right amount of exposed brick. I love that I was able to mix soft fabric and furniture with the hard fixtures to create a really cozy home.

My second favorite thing is my downtown view! The building across the street was built in the 1920's and has a Deco façade, so all my windows frame interesting peeks into Texas' own Gotham.

My third favorite thing is the built-in washer and dryer.

My fourth favorite thing(s) are the deep shelves under my windows and above my kitchen cabinets. They are the perfect place for displaying my favorite photos of family and friends.

I've been sharing my spring dinner party on The Kitchn, a party I hosted in my one-bedroom apartment. Feeling inspired? Great! Still feeling anxious about throwing a shindig in your own little apartment? That's what I'll be talking about today. 

• 5 Tips for a Dinner Party
  The Kitchn

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Name:

Xsusha

Location:

New York City, NY

Square Feet:

300

Division:

Teeny-Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

Location and the challenge of fitting two adults and a large dog into a small space without going crazy. The challenging parts of our small space living force us to think creatively about everything we want and need.

We've seen vertical gardening, rooftop plants, and balcony containers as clever solutions for small spaces. But are there others? I went looking for other tiny spots to add a little green — in other words, where to garden when you don't have a garden.

Nautical mirror from Grain Design.