Name: Mae (10) and Marius (8)
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Room Size: 2 bedrooms, 250-300 square feet

When Marius goes to his friend's house, he's not allowed to eat strawberries near the kitchen counters for fear of staining. Marius' parents, Sophie and Michael, have a wildly different approach to homemaking and kid raising and fun is a big part of it. 

Name: Sophie and Michael
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York
Size: Full corner brownstone with rental unit
Years lived in: 3 years; Owned

Sophie and Michael live with their two kids in a sprawling Brooklyn brownstone. Rather than fill it with a lot of new stuff, they've scoured auctions and curbsides, bartered with artists, stumbled upon floor samples and discontinued items, adapted family heirlooms, and built their own furniture. 

Name: Frank Novak, Co-owner of Modernica
Location: Franklin Hills, Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,800 square feet
Years lived in: 18 years

You may have met Frank at his store, Modernica, or you may have seen him running around during the craziness of their factory sale downtown. Those who have had the pleasure of meeting him know that he is very knowledgable about collecting antiques, Mid-Century furniture, and California design. 

Name: Alexis Tompkins and Ian Mesey
Location: Inner Richmond, San Francisco, California
Size: 850 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year; Rented

As a designer, Alexis views her home as a platform for experimentation. It’s also an opportunity for her and Ian to let their inner funkiness shine. They are art collectors and creative spirits, and have embraced the idea of accumulating meaningful decor that they love to shape their home. We first saw their apartment in 2012's Small Cool contest, and now we're back for more!

Name: Pippi
Location: NSW Australia
Room Size: 172 sq. feet

When I came across the space that Emily had created for her daughter, Pippi, I was instantly smitten by the playful patterns and vibrant colors. Her goal was to create a fun and flamboyant space for her toddler, and I'd say she hit the nail on the head. The room exudes the playfulness and joy of childhood. Read on to learn more about this whimsical wonderland:

Name: Sarah and Brian Meeks      
Location: Homewood, Illinois
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned

Nearly everything in Sarah and Brian's house – from the credenza they found on the side of the road right down to their three cuddly shelter pets – has been rescued or re-purposed. In many ways, the house itself was a rescue story: Sarah grew up two houses away, and when the house went on the market, they snatched it up despite the fact that it was, to put it mildly, in less than peak condition. The first night in the house, they tore down a wall, and since then, they've poured countless hours and lots of love into fixing up their home.

Name: Edgar & Liliane
Location: Allegheny Mountains, Pennsylvania
Size: 2885 square feet, not including outside terraces
Years lived in: 20 years; owned

Name: Anne and Steve Truppe, Photographers and Visual Storytellers/owners of trü studio
Location: Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois
Size: about 900 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Rented

Great art reveals new elements of itself every time you look at it, which is exactly how I feel about my visits to trü studio. For the design-inclined, the space is the art, and Anne and Steve take great care with their creation. The couple believes in the potential of “good bones,” and saw huge promise in the architectural details and wide windows of this third floor apartment, which they found on Craigslist. Moving in together for the first time after getting engaged (they met as undergraduates at an architecture program), they balance patience and persistence to fill the ever-evolving canvas of their live/work space.

Name: Joan Hiller and Matt LeMay
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
Size: 550 square feet
Years lived in: 1 for Joan, 2 for Matt; Rented

We first met Joan when she was living in this stylish studio in Portland, so we already knew about her phenomenal sense of individuality and style. Knowing this, it's not surprising that upon moving to New York, she would meet and fall in love with someone whose creative energy parallels her own. Together Joan and Matt have put together a home filled with charm, personality and love.