Name: Sophia Kramer & Nico (her 17 year old cat)
Location: New York, NY
Size: 450 sq ft
Years lived in: 5 years; Rented

Sophia Kramer is a book conservator and binder. Her work requires an immense amount of talent and is a profession that is rare and special, just like Sophia's home. The eclectic mix of modern, vintage, and auction finds all seem to fit into place here, as if all the pieces agreed to rendezvous at her apartment.

Name: Maxwell & Ursula
Type of Project: Light renovation of a rental apt
Location: Soho, NYC
Type of building: Two bedroom apartment

When I used to work with clients, I always struggled to get them to cover their windows with shades or curtains. "We don't want to lose any light!" they would say, or "I want my home to be modern!", or "Curtains are fussy!". Hmmmmm. Ok, here's my pitch. Windows by themselves are practical but ugly unfiltered openings in the side of your home. By adding what I consider the two essential elements to them, shades and curtains, you soften the hard frame of the window and allow for infinite variation in the light that comes into your home. I'm on a mission. 

I can never get enough of color, so of course I fell in love with this apartment in Madrid. It's full of beautiful modern pieces, with just enough color to keep things interesting (very interesting) but not overwhelming. 

A friend of mine was recently burglarized. Their place was completely ransacked in the process and several valuables were stolen. Fortunately, a few of the most precious items were left unscathed because they were hidden away in a small storage safe disguised as book, hidden in a pile of other hardbound copies.

Josh found this dresser, solid and in good condition, but not quite his style, at a Dallas thrift shop. With a few basic updates, he turned lots of laminate into a mid-century style showpiece:

My favorite part of Jacey & Grant's Modern Eclectic House (besides their adorable bulldogs, of course!) is their effortlessly chill bedroom. Pops of graphic color mixed with clean, classic design make this a perfect space for leisurely enjoying breakfast in bed on a sunny LA morning.

I recently moved across the country and, let me tell you, squeezing my roomy Los Angeles sofa into my tiny New York City apartment was nothing short of a miracle. And while my sofa may not be perfectly sized, yours can be if you do your homework and ask yourself these four questions.  

Name: Robert Siegel Handmade Ceramics
Location: Downtown Los Angeles, California
Size: 2,000 square feet
Years in business: almost 3 years

Ceramic artist Robert Siegel's name kept coming up on blogs, with everyone raving about his handmade designs. I was curious to take a peek inside his studio and see his work process, and then I found out that he actually lives in the studio as well! 

Jessica & Chris on their wedding day...

Wedding registries can be a source of confusion and stress for engaged couples. In this new series, One Year Later, we ask newlyweds what they've loved and what they'd pass on if they got a registry do-over. First up are Jessica and Chris, who were married on New Year's Eve 2011. They live in Braintree, Massachusetts with their dogs Sampson and Tao (named after the Vegas club where they first met), plus brand new baby boy Mason. 

Q: My husband and I will be moving into our first home together in 3 weeks. The unit is a 1 bedroom 1 bath with an upstairs loft. The condo is everything we have been looking for except all the walls are beige! To add to that, there's a ton of brown wood accents.