apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Name: Sarah, Steve, and Otto (our greyhound)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Size: 2-bedroom rental, 1,000 sf (more or less)
Lived in: 4 months

As we come to the end of a month dedicated to “setting up home” on Apartment Therapy, I thought I’d offer a peek inside my new home that I share with my husband and our retired greyhound racer, Otto. We live in a renovated attic apartment on the fourth floor of a brick building. It's the third and best home we've had in three years...

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Name: Jason Weinbeck
Location: Richfield, Minnesota
Size: 1,280 square feet
Years lived in: 2

Jason Weinbeck fell in love with ranch style housing and after much searching, found one ready for some renovation in 2007. Since then he has transformed this fabulous piece of Mid Century architecture into an open, airy and modern space of his own. Plus, he did it all on a limited budget with hands on diy and is the man to beat, when it comes to finding a bargain...

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Name: Francesco Bilotto
Location: East Lakeview, Chicago
Size: 1,700 square feet
Years lived in: 7 months

When we first heard from Francesco, he said that his mission statement when it comes to designing his home (and his clients spaces) is "Curate ...don't decorate" - in other words, edit, edit, edit. He took his own advice, paring down the color story and focusing in on a few key big ideas to make his space unique.

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Name: Heidi & Kirk Demarais
Location: Siloam Springs, Arkansas
Size: 2500 square feet
Years lived in: 4

When we first heard from Hope (the wonderful photographer who took the shots of this tour) she said, "How about taking a look at my sister's place in Arkansas? It's cooler than it sounds!"

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Name: D. Denenge Akpem
Location: Chicago (Crossroads of Uptown, Little Vietnam, and Andersonville)
Size: 550 square feet (1 bedroom next to historic Charlie Chaplin Essanay Studio)
Years lived in: 11

Denenge's apartment/studio mirrors the crossroads of its diverse neighborhood; a space to reflect and rest, the "magical" home also serves as a work space for this artist/designer, making it a definitive crossroads of work/home and a constant for experimentation. With a dining room converted into a sewing area and a...

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Name: B, Joe & Rachael
What We're Into: B: Hold the Onions, Joe: Bookish Us, Rachael: Literature for All of Us
Location: Ukrainian Village, Chicago
Size/Type: Three bedroom, two bath apartment
Years lived in: B: two years. Joe: one year. Rachael: two months.

It's pretty incredible how B, Joe and Rachael (with the help of former roommates Dave and Matt) have transformed their rental apartment into a custom-made home. They constructed a "built-in" shelving system and space divider that's pressure-fitted, making it removable. The dining room's textile rack and table are also handmade by Dave and B. With very little money, they've crafted a space that's unique, functional, and beautiful...

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Name: Marie Antoinette
Location: Versailles, France
Size: A "small" chateau
Years lived in: 1774 - 1792

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Not your average Apartment Therapy house tour, but one we've been looking forward to sharing none the less - our photos of a peek inside one of the more remarkable residences we've ever visited; Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon. It may have been that our eyes had gotten used to the look of excess from touring Versailles all morning, but somehow this home, while certainly lavish, felt quite modern and almost subtle...

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Name: Jane and family
Location: St. Henri neighborhood of Montreal
Size: 3-bdrm home, painting studio, and gallery in a 19th century 3-story building
Years lived in: 8 years

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Jane, her husband, and three children moved into their St. Henri home eight years ago. At the time, the building was made up of three apartments that were cut into cramped little rooms. The family lived on the third floor while renovating it and the first floor. When the second floor tenant's lease was up, they took to the whole building, creating their live-work dream with a home on the upper two floors and a studio, workshop, and gallery on the first...

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Name: Colin, Terisa, and 6-year-old Lauren
Location: Oak Park, Illinois
Type: Bottom floor of Victorian House
Size: 1300 sf
Years lived in: 1

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Terisa and Colin's home is full of history. They've filled their first-floor Victorian apartment with antiques, hand-me-downs from family, and things that reflect the life they've built together. Modern pieces (like the Nelson bench in the bedroom) sit across the room from traditional ones (like an inlaid wooden night stand). It's an eclectic mix that mirrors their open and ever-evolving approach to decorating...

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Name: Melissa Agostino and Henry Tyminski of Sali Tabacchi
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Size: 600 sq. feet
Years lived in: 1.5

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We have a "thing" for small spaces here at Apartment Therapy - we love them and love featuring them. Melissa and Henry's place is no exception - in fact, it stands out as a great example of how to do it right - they not only are self-described "pack rats" who made room for their collections, but they also work and run their business out of the same space. That's some small space skills!

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Names: Gregory & Christine
Location: Chicago

Some classic Chicago style arrived in our inbox recently. Here is what Gregory had to say about the home he shares with Christine: Our two bedroom condo in Chicago, IL - full of antique furniture, painted wall murals, and custom built shelves. The inspiration for our home stems from the characteristics of the 100+ year old building mixed with our love for kitschy DIY aesthetics... with a sprinkling of modern mirrors, art, and sculptural objects that I have created as an interior designer for commercial properties. Custom shelves that I have built in the kitchen, bedroom, and living room along with the appropriately scaled furniture make the most out of this small space...

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Name: Kathleen & Chet
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Size: 1300 sq/ft
Years lived in: 4

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Kathleen is currently working in the fashion world. As a director of copy and music for a major brand so she is constantly surrounded by all sorts of varying styles and trends. Yet, she is solid and sure of her own sense of style when it comes to decor - she loves the patina of age and the history inherent in vintage pieces and makes room for them in her home (and the homes of her clients, as she recently has added "designer" to her resume)...

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Name: Nicole Ziegler
Profession: Graphic Designer/Art Director
Location: Wicker Park, Chicago
Type: 700 sq ft rented 1 bedroom brick townhouse
Years lived in: 9 months

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A lot of Nicole's finds come from family and near her Scranton, PA roots, creating what she calls her "vintage comfortable" apartment. We imagine the spotlight on great finds from past eras tends to rotate, similarly to how things rotate on Nicole's DIY living room clipboards which display whatever she feels like, whenever she feels like it...

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Name: Lindsay Segal
Profession: Wardrobe Stylist and Interior Decorator
Location: West Loop, Chicago, IL
Size/Type: 1250 sq ft 2 bedroom soft loft; Rented
Years lived in: Moved in Oct. 2008

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Lindsay is not only new to her West Loop loft, she's new to the business of interior decorating (www.lindsaysegal.com). At home, she practices what she preaches about the importance and fun that go hand-in-hand with decorating on a budget. The thrill of the hunt, the pride of DIY, and the ambition of quirky additions and colorful vintage collections are all at the core of Lindsay's work and design mantra: anyone can do budget-friendly in style.

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