Cambridge

“I got creative with fun ways to add color and personality to blank walls — DIY fabric wallpaper, gallery walls, vintage plates, pennants, and book pages have been some of my favorite paint alternatives,” explains Marissa Zingg.

See inside this architect’s Cambridge rental apartment that she’s designed to be minimal, contemporary, eclectic, and cozy.

Alley and Ty's communal spaces "lean Scandinavian and minimalist, with the intent of fostering a calm space to recharge and connect."

Name: Charlie and Jill Bent and their two children Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Jill and Charlie Bent live with their two teenaged children in an 1899 Victorian house on a sleepy street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their home is a labor of love, thanks to high-impact renovations paired with carefully collected furnishings—from family heirlooms to found pieces and vintage textiles that have been transformed by Jill.

Name: Stone Dow, Julia Goldstein, and their cat, Kiki Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Stone and Julia happened upon their 1960s duplex via Craigslist — it’s an unbelievable find that would make anyone want to start looking around in the off-season of the Boston rental market.

Name: Caitlin Snyder Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Caitlin was lucky to score her apartment the old-fashioned way: by word of mouth. Three years later, she’s transformed the cozy two-bedroom into her first “adult” apartment.

Name: Hank Scollard and his two cats Location: Inman Square — Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 16 years; Rented When Hank Scollard was a child growing up in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, his mom would take him to open houses. The family wasn’t looking to move, but Hank’s mom loved to glimpse how others lived in and decorated their homes.

Name: Steve and Robin Anderson and their two sons Location: Cambridgeport — Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Robin and Steve’s condo in a former elementary school is a playful convergence of colors and textures. It’s an ode to surf, sand and sun. But it wasn’t always that way. They purchased the condo pre-construction almost a decade ago, when the developer was still in the process of converting the school into residences.

When Jill and Charlie Bent bought their Cambridge home, the kitchen hadn’t been updated since 1920. Cosmetic changes made the space function aesthetically for the family, but the space had its fair share of structural issues, leaking ceilings, and ant infestations every spring. After compromising their comfort for half a decade, the couple decided to hire a contractor, Monarch Carpentry, to renovate it.

Name: Samara Vise Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Hello, my name is Samara Vise and I’m a recent contributor to Apartment Therapy. After sharing a few homes in the Boston area with you, I decided I would open up my own apartment to a House Tour. My home speaks a lot to who I am, where I’m from, and the people and places that have been in my life.