Name: Wendy Kidd and Oscar (the Boston Terrier)
Location: East Village, Manhattan, New York
Size: 600 square feet
Years lived in: 15 years — rented
Designer: Jim Fairfax, Fairfax Studios

Wendy is a self-proclaimed master juggler, wielding the tools of two trades … drumsticks and barber scissors. She's a "single mom" to Oscar the Boston Terrier, skittering like a black and white gazelle up and down the long hallway of her top-floor railroad in the throbbing heart of the East Village. With the help of a designer-friend with a knack for paring away the excess, this is her living and working home, the quiet hub of a buzzing and busy creative life.

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Last year a few children's bedrooms with paint by number murals made their rounds around the web with a mixed reception. Some people appreciated the kitsch factor while others screamed "tacky!" Here's a nursery that used this painting style on a smaller scale for comparison. More

Name: Leslie Landis + her dog Raincheck
Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California
Size: 300 square feet
Years lived in: 4 — Rent

Interior designer Leslie Landis has converted this 300 square foot studio into a decorative Silver Lake charmer. She and her cute puppy, Raincheck, enjoy a cozy stylish space along with an amazing outdoor dining room. Perfect for entertaining or a quiet night in, her little apartment offers the best of both.

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I know that deer-themed decorative items have been hot for a while, but recently I've noticed that there are several pieces of furniture inspired, not just by any old deer, but by the famous Bambi. Now, don't get me wrong, this is not furniture for children's rooms, it's Bambi revisited for adults. Some of these designs are very simple and minimalist, some very modern, and others quite strange and kitschy! Check them out. More

Name: Joan Hiller
Location: North East, Portland, Oregon
Size: 432 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; rented

Joan is a music publicist, painter and all–around creative, energetic lady. Her apartment functions as her office and her painting studio; she shares the space with her companion of almost thirty years, her turtle Sheldon.

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Anyone who's ever wished that ombré and color blocking would fall in love and procreate will be very excited about the advent of a new trend in color-dipped furniture.

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Picking just the right paint color is a tricky business, and even professional stylists the likes of Emily Henderson can have misgivings and make mistakes. Emily's dining-room-to-home-office makeover shows that going with your gut, functionally and color-wise, is the best way to create a space that meets your needs while reflecting your personal style. More

Thrift store paintings are pretty predictable — religious icons, weird clowns, and lots of very boring landscapes. Not many of us would think to include them in our home decor, unless we found a particularly rare gem or were going for a kitschy tongue-in-cheek theme. But we feature projects of upcycled and hacked thrift store finds all the time. Why not embellish a painting? And if you are going to go through the effort, you might as well make it worthwhile, and not bother adding a tree or quaint woodland cottage. Add a monster. A big one.
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Name: Kitty Bubs Kennedy and her two cats Zeuxlander and Ms. Fluffy
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 750 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented

Tucked away in the middle of Hollywood lies Kitty's delightful little retreat amid the hustle and bustle of Sunset Boulevard. One of the things I loved about living in Los Angeles for 10 years was finding these little hidden pockets you stumble upon that stand on their own in the midst of the masses. This is exactly the kind of place Kitty has found herself in.

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Name: Peaches Freund — Creative Slushpot, Graphic Designer, Blog Proprietor
Location: Old Town, Chicago, Illinois
Size: 400 square feet, 2 bedroom "Rabbit Hutch Bungalow" circa 1890
Years lived in: 2 years; rented

When we got a tiny glimpse of Peaches' home last year in a house call, we knew that we needed to see more. Her home has an undeniable sense of happiness and fun. She has a knack for making beautiful objects out of unusual materials, and those who read Peaches' blog have long known the kind of whimsy and charm her many DIY projects possess. Now we get to see how they all fit together to make a wonderfully charming home.

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