Name: Molly and John
Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; Owned

When Molly and John moved into this apartment five years ago, they were the first buyers in the building. The property had a few issues at the time, but Molly and John took the leap and were glad they did. The building has since filled up with young families, who have created a very tight-knit community. 

Name: Kyle Ewing
Location: San Francisco, California
Size: 1,330 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Owned

We caught a sneak peak of Kyle’s apartment in her Before and After Kitchen Remodel, and now we’re back for the full tour! Entering this light-filled oasis in the middle of San Francisco, you’re transported from bustling city life to a soothing environment that’s warm, welcoming and feels more like a quaint country cottage than a city apartment. The sound of birds chirping and lawn mowers mowing makes it hard to believe that Kyle's place is just a couple short blocks from the happening city life of Castro Street. 

Name: Lizzie and Phil Ford
Location: West-end, Glasgow, Scotland
Size: 1,400 square feet
Years lived in: 7 years; Owned

When Lizzie joined her husband Phil in his Victorian tenement flat three years ago, it was a little lacking in personality. Since then, it is fair to say that the space has been completely transformed. Utterly offended by the huge expanse of magnolia, she attacked it with gusto, desperate to breathe some life and color into the walls and make the flat an expression and extension of their style, a place that really felt like home. 

Name: Meg Zandi, Andy Green, and Lucille Austero
Location: Logan Square; Chicago, IL
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; rented

If there's a principle that has been proven time and time again, it's the idea that with constraint comes creativity. Whether it's a small space, a tight budget, or the limits of a rental, restrictions can lead to the most innovative, personal solutions. Meg and Andy, working under all three of those limitations, offer yet more proof of this principle, and by keeping a positive attitude and seeing the radical possibilities of their space, they've managed to build an imaginative, resourceful, and intimate home.

Name: Anne, a writer (most recently of the novel Love Like A Dog) and professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Leo, a creative director 
Location: South Loop, Prairie District; Chicago, Illinois
Size: 3,000 square feet
Years lived in: 10 months; Owned

When my former professor and dear friend Anne and her husband Leo decided to move their family, including their teenage son and two dogs, from a 1950s-style home on Chicago's Far North side (complete with basement rumpus room featuring built-in back-lit framed woodland scenes and a wet bar) to an industrial loft in a former South Loop engraving factory, I wondered how their style would translate across such drastically different spots. The alluring effect is a testament to Anne and Leo’s taste and years of careful collecting, as well as their spirit of taking chances on places and objects that truly captivate them.

Name: Justice Darragh, voice-over actress/receptionist/photographer, and Ronan Gibney, tattoo artist
Location: Toronto, Canada
Size: 1,600 square feet
Years lived in: 15 (Ronan), 6 months (Justice); Rented

Justice and Ronan share this cozy apartment in Toronto, Canada. Together they have created a warm and inspiring space to live and work in. Ronan’s 16-year tattoo career has led him to a love of religious imagery, and Justice’s bohemian style compliments his, bringing in elements of the lively and unexpected. Both are visual artists and musicians with a love of anatomy and color, cooking and entertaining. 

Name: Stephen Siersema & Robert Quinones
Location: Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York
Size: 510 square ft
Years lived in: 4 years; rented

Upon entering Stephen & Robert’s home, one can’t help but instantly marvel at the natural light and bright pops of red throughout the apartment. The contrast of their blue-gray sectional against the red accents makes the room vibrant and inviting. Every wall is white, providing a blank canvas for the colorful and perfectly framed art, most of it created by artist friends. 

Name: Daniela, Damon and Sidonie Burton (17 months)
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: 4 years; owned

While a young Czech girl spent her summers at a family cottage built by her great-grandfather in the country outside of Prague, playing hide and seek with her great-grand mum and eating cherries right off the tree, halfway around the globe a young Florida boy, immersed in the world of NASA, was developing a lifelong love of space travel. Three decades later, Daniela and Damon’s disparate pasts come together in a home filled with collections of sentimental objects that keep their individual histories very much a part of their everyday lives.

Name: Aimee, Rene and Max
Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York
Size: 1100 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented

Aimee and her husband, Rene, recently readjusted their Park Slope home to accommodate baby Max, the newest addition to the family. Rene's a chef and Aimee works as an Account Analyst in Apparel Production, so putting together a beautiful, warm home with plenty of style came naturally to this creative couple.

Name: Neeza and Pierre
Location: Helmersbuurt; Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Size: 1,400 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Owned

Neeza is from Malaysia, and Pierre hails from France — two wildly different backgrounds that tastefully meet halfway to create this unique space. Splashes of color to balance out the white floor and walls, placement of beautiful furniture, and special handcrafted accents are just a part of the unique beauty of this home.