Heather Keeling

The listing ad described the house as "needs a lot of TLC," but Erin and Ryan saw the property's potential.

A fiber artist and a suit designer downsized from a three-bedroom house to a one-bedroom condo in a downtown Portland high-rise.

This couple loved the original charm of the 1923 home, but knew they would need to be intentional to make the space work for their family of four.

There's a tiki bar in the basement!

Just across the river from Portland, Rebekah and Larry found a warm and woodsy mid-century modern gem they now call home.

These self-proclaimed "crazy cat people" joke that their biggest home challenge is "remembering that we don't actually own it." Click for the DIY kitty porch.

Sara Dahlquist is the real deal. She is warm, funny, creative, stylish, gorgeous, and she is a native Oregonian—born and raised in Portland. For the past decade, she has been working as a personal stylist, connecting with clients through her company, Dahl Style, and her column in The Oregonian.

Name: Dave and Kelly Marie Thompson, and cats Bootleg and Tippie Location: Kilbourn Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Kelly is the owner of Fleur, one of Chicago’s hippest flower shops, and Dave is a manager at the incomparable Chicago Athletic Association. Each of them are passionate about their work, and are dedicated to making their home a personal sanctuary where they can relax after their long days in the city.

Name: Ana Nelson Location: Tacoma, Washington Size: 925 square feet Years lived in: Owned, 1 year Ana grew up working for her family’s event company, and has always loved vintage items, so when she set out to buy her first house, she knew she would be happiest living in a home from another era. At just 25, Ana purchased a small 1920s bungalow, and has spent the past year converting the home from a dark, run-down space into the bright, cheery cottage that it is today.

Name: Angela and Wubbi the Bulldog Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Angela purchased her turn-of-the-century home, the kitchen was literally falling off the back of the house. “After moving in, I learned the original 1906 kitchen was moved from the center of the house onto the BACK PORCH! That little tidbit explained the slope of the kitchen floor! I had myself a genuine indoor/outdoor kitchen.

Name: Lisa Zigarmi and Paul Del Vecchio, and French Bulldogs Luna and Boom Location: Hollywood District — Portland, Oregon Size: 3,290 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Lisa and Paul met and fell in love in New York City, and when they made the decision to relocate to Portland three years ago, their biggest challenge was starting from scratch. The couple brought hardly more than their bed and a sofa from their previous home to their new Portland digs.

Name: Kami Gray, her husband Bryant and dogs Ben and George Location: Mt. Tabor Neighborhood — Southeast Portland, Oregon Size: 2,968 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Kami and Bryant started dating when they both lived on different floors of the same condo building. After falling in love, they decided to buy a house to live in together. They purchased a home on Mt.

Name: Deepali and Naveen Kalia, Annika, 8 and Akhil, 2 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned Deepali and Naveen began their life together in a traditionally Indian way — through an arranged marriage. She had just finished studying fashion design in India at NIFT, and moved to Oregon to join Naveen who works at Intel.

Name: Jessica Pezalla and Hazel the dog Location: Alphabet District — Portland, Oregon Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Jessica Pezalla, an artist and designer who founded the creative studio Bramble Workshop, was looking for a new apartment last year, she wanted to live in an urban location and in a vintage building.

Name: Alice Kendall Location: Wonderland Tattoo, SE Portland, Oregon Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Alice Kendall is one of the most sought-after tattoo artists in Portland. She opened her shop Wonderland in 2013, and quickly established her ranking as a top artist in one of the nation’s most inked cities.

Name: Jen Lorentzen and Eric Thompson and their dogs, Sage and Bruiser Location: University Park; Portland, Oregon Size: 968 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned Along with lots of color, Jen and Eric have filled their mid-century home in Portland’s University Park neighborhood with furniture and decor they’ve found at vintage stores, scored at estate sales, and inherited from family.

Name: Megan and Jason Clark and their 7-month-old son, Ever Clark Location: West Seattle, Washington Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Though they each hail from other places in the Northwest, Jason and Megan have made a beautiful home together near Alki Beach in Seattle. She is a VP at the non-profit LifeCenter Northwest, and he works for Groupon and writes the blog THE BLACK CANOE.

Name: Jill and Dan and their 2-year-old, Branson Location: Hillsdale; Portland, Oregon Size: 4,100 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years; Owned When Jill and Dan moved from a small condo in Portland’s Pearl District to their brand-new home in the Hillsdale neighborhood, they weren’t in a hurry to fill the house up with furniture and things that didn’t have meaning for them.

Name: Branson Location: Portland, Oregon Room Size: 130 square feet When Branson’s mom, Jill, started thinking about what kind of nursery to create for her baby-to-be, she immediately knew that she wanted to use the 2013 Pantone Color Of The Year, emerald green, for her 2013 baby. She was also excited to create a fun room full of adventure—and thus, the nautical-travel theme was born.

Name: Sara Dahlquist and Shawn Dimke, sons August-Jack and Hudson, dogs London and Tallulah, and cat Maddog Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Owned Sara, Shawn and their brood just moved into their North Portland home a few months ago, but you’d never know that by how inviting and put-together the space feels.

Name: Robert and Jocelyn Rahm and their children, Odessa and Wyeth Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Robert and Jocelyn are the proprietors of one of Portland’s most beautiful home stores, Beam & Anchor, so it’s no surprise that their own space is filled with lovingly crafted furniture, gorgeous textiles, interesting vintage pieces, and thoughtful modern accents.

Name: Kristen Shenk Location: Northwest Portland, Oregon Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned Kristen moved from Ohio to Portland to work as a graphic designer for Nike and has loved the process of setting up her first home. Her space is a direct reflection of her career, her personal style, and her love of a modern, graphic aesthetic.

Name: Whitney Menefee and Ian Bailey Location: Northwest Portland, Oregon Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Whitney and Ian have nicely settled into life after university. They live in a gorgeous vintage apartment complex right in the heart of Portland, so they can walk to some of the city’s best shops and restaurants, and they both have great jobs close to where they love to live.

Name: Penelope and Nathan Miller and their daughter, Bell Location: Alberta Arts District — Portland, Oregon Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years; Owned Penelope and Nathan have created a home for their family that is truly a reflection of themselves, where they’ve been, and what makes them feel good.

Name: Irina and Daniel Schaffer, and kids Lily (7) and Milo (4) Location: Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood; Portland, Oregon Size: 1520 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned Irina and Daniel, their two young children Lily and Milo, and their rambunctious dog Oscar, live in a whimsically decorated old home in Northeast Portland.

Name: Michele, Jeff and daughters Marlowe and Macie, 19 months Location: Northwest Portland, Oregon Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Jeff and Michele are both native Portlanders who met at a wedding in 2002. Five years after meeting, the couple bought their first home together, and just days after becoming homeowners, they started their first major renovation project.

Name: Sherri and Daniel, and their kids Bella, Vincent and Drake Location: Overlook Neighborhood — Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; owned Sherri and Daniel both make beautiful things for a living, and their home is no exception. Though each brings their own aesthetic to the partnership, their family home feels cohesive, stylish and comfortable.

Name: Kristen Siefkin and Ken “Zig” Naffziger, and their two Havanese, Zane and Ollie Location: Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, North Portland, Oregon Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 2+ years, owned After years in a successful PR career, Kristen decided it was time to follow her dream of becoming an interior stylist.

Name: Trish Grantham and Rentz Leinbach, and Pablo the dog Location: Northeast Portland, Oregon Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Renting 9 months From the moment you step into the foyer of Trish and Rentz’s home and find yourself surrounded by dark walls adorned with hand-painted gold tropical foliage, you know you’ve entered a unique space. Trish is an artist and interior designer, Rentz is a musician, and their home is colorful, fun, quirky and interesting, just like them.

Name: Emily Kurzweil and Grady Jurrens, and Eva (6), Sam (3), Edie (3) and Juni the Boston Terrier Location: Laurelhurst Neighborhood — Portland, Oregon Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5.5 years Emily and Grady moved from Chicago to Portland when their eldest child was just an infant. They wanted to be close to family, and bought their home in Portland’s historic Laurelhurst neighborhood with children in mind.

Name: Betsy Cross and Will Cervarich, with dogs Maurice and Gingham Location: St. John’s — Portland, Oregon Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Owned, 1.5 years Betsy and Will live at the end of a quiet street in Portland’s St. John’s neighborhood. From the outside, their 1965 home looks modest and unassuming, but step inside, and you will find an interior that is modern, open and welcoming.

Name: Pamela Hill and Michael Castellon, their son Max, age 17, and dogs Bentley and Rosie Location: The Alphabet District — NW Portland, Oregon Size: 3,790 square feet Years lived in: Owned, 4 years When Pam and Michael purchased their 1906 historic home in one of Portland’s most desired neighborhoods, they knew they were signing up to tackle a huge project.

Name: Judith Bigham and her daughter Idabelle, 18 Location: Madrona — Seattle, Washington Size: 1,650 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 2 years Judith Bigham‘s home in Seattle is layered with furniture, art, and treasures that she has spent decades lovingly collecting and creating. Judy is a painter, an interior designer, and a fun, fascinating person to talk with.

Name: Rachael Donaldson Location: St. John’s — Portland, Oregon Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned Rachael makes jewelry that transcends time and place. Her delicate pieces look like they could be worn by Cleopatra or a modern woman, and her home is equally inspiring. She is an avid collector of vintage furniture and objects — and has bought and sold both as a pastime and a profession.

Name: Audrey and Kevin McGill, sons Aidan (12) and Evan (10), and Charlotte the Yellow Lab Location: Lake Forest Park — Seattle, Washington Size: 2,240 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Audrey and Kevin moved their family across the country two years ago, they knew they wanted to live in a mid-century home. They found what they were looking for in a quiet, forested neighborhood just north of Seattle.

Name: Tim and Kelly Fischer Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 1,650 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years After making offers on six other houses in Portland’s competitive real estate market, Tim and Kelly and their nine-year-old twin daughters Isabelle and Olivia were thrilled to finally have a home to call their own.