If you've never lived in a studio before, you're both fortunate and unlucky. Studio living's tough but sometimes overcoming the room-less challenge is good for the design soul. Regardless of how many rooms your home is rocking right now, we noticed five traits successful studios seem to possess that you could copy for your home of any size.

Name: Ashley Gillespie, Kyle Gupton, Fleetwood and Kate (pups) and Dot (inside cat) and John-Paul (outside cat, not pictured)
Location: Ridgelea Neighborhood — Austin, Texas
Size: 1800 square feet
Years lived in: 8 months — owned

Forget good-looking modern furniture or quirky accessories; the best thing to fill your house with is a great personality, and adorable married couple Ashley Gillespie and Kyle Gupton have packed their modern Austin house with tons of it (with generous help from their friendly pets and their impeccable tastes).

What's better than one gorgeous pendant making a dynamic impact in one of your favorite rooms of your house? Why, several gorgeous pendants, all working together to create a unique-to-you lighting arrangement sure to brighten up any space.

Confession: the tool "area" (which consists of the bottom half of a too-tall shelf in the cabinet of my kitchen) is a terrifying jumble of loose nails, hammers (yes, multiple), wrenches (though never the size needed) and more all tangled together without even the slightest hint of organization.

Specialty: Rugs, pillows, furniture and accessories thoughtfully curated and artfully arranged.
Price Range: ($$) Mid-Range

When you need traditional with a pinch of something else. Or you like organic designs and you really want something sophisticated, too. When you're just looking for a big showroom to browse for ideas and happen to live in or around Austin. Decorum Home + Design is full of inspiration and fun furniture and accessories for the home.

For awhile it's been birds and owls. In the past it's been other woodland creatures. Could 2012 be the year of the fox? Not only are they adorable, creative folks the world over love to adorn their handmade wares with fox images, making incorporating this possible animal trend quite easy!

Is it too early to be dreaming of summer? Or at the very least, daydreaming about all the fun colors and patterns we'll be incorporating into our home when the warmer weather gets here? Though they might be ill-advised for wearing on one's person, substantial stripes can be a dynamic addition to the home.

Name: Heather Chontos, Kodie (12) and Zana (3), and dog Marvin
Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1000 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years — rent

If this post title seems to have a lot of adjectives to describe the home, we felt it only fitting consider the creative woman renting this space happens to wear a lot of hats herself. Heather Chontos is an artist, furniture designer, stylist, illustrator, mom, business owner and more, and she filled the Brooklyn loft she shares with her two daughters full of fun creations, thoughtful finds and an eclectic mix of styles.

Rustic farmhouse is such a charming aesthetic. It hints to a simpler lifestyle we all yearn for, and goes surprising well with other styles, even modern. Gaining momentum in recent years as a favorite design style to emulate, 2012 just might be the year to start your home off in a fresh, rustic, farmhouse way.

Feeling a little directionless in your life (or decor)? We all do, from time to time. Perhaps you need a little visual push in the right direction? Some nice-looking graphics to help point the way? Arrows, those clever little informational things, might just do the trick.