Maryland

Designer and author Nasozi Kakembo completed a renter- and budget-friendly DIY in nearly every room of this “white and beige box” townhouse to transform it into a cozy and beautiful home.

Ericka Mills set out to make each room a different take on bohemian: The guest room “leans towards Afro-centric, tribal influences” and her office is “slightly more maximalist.”

Kea calls their rental townhouse's private patio an "urban oasis. It's tucked away and looks like its apart of a tropical resort. I can relax there, read there, sleep there. Makes me feel like I’m in a completely different part of the world," they write.

Carolyn's style is inspired by color pop, Memphis design, '80s new wave, "Saved by the Bell," punk rock, and Goodwill thrift finds from the ‘60s to ‘90s.

"I grew up in Hong Kong where my mother and grandmother raised me with a strong foundation in Old Chinese Feng Shui," writes Clara Leung, who designed her townhouse around Feng Shui principles... and lots of houseplants!

Anna decorated her family's large rental house on a budget, thrifting almost everything but plants. One of the biggest splurges was actually an IKEA rug, which proves how affordably the whole house was furnished!

Maddie Kulig, owner of Philadelphia-based lingerie brand Madalynne Intimates, purchased this cute cottage less than a year ago in Galena, Maryland with her husband, Ryan Kulig.

Jakia, the CEO and founder of SoleOrganizer, has done a beautiful job of creating an uncluttered, organized home that holds just what she needs.

Ph.D. candidate and creative entrepreneur Taylor Evans and her partner have incorporated color and pattern into their small rental apartment. "It feels playful, yet sophisticated, and I think it reflects our personalities," she writes.  

Nasozi Kakembo’s home features a collection of traditional crafts, decor accents from Uganda, modern art, Danish furniture design, and a blend of her East African heritage with her American upbringing.

Built-in bookshelves, smart custom storage, and every inch used, this custom-built tiny house is defined by beautiful and fine workmanship.

Clever, retro-industrial style mixes with the picturesque Gothic style of this late 19th century row house that was converted into apartments.

Name: Anne-Claire, John (not pictured), and daughter, Anna Location: Rockville, Maryland Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned We were first introduced to Anne-Claire in a house call; when I tracked her down after seeing it, she was delighted to share the full tour. Anne-Claire is from France, her husband, John, from South Africa, and they had their now 3-year-old daughter, Anna, in Dallas, where they lived before moving to the Washington suburbs last year.

Plant stylist, interior designer, artist, filmmaker, and author Hilton Carter shows us around his plant-filled industrial jungle loft home in Baltimore.

This home matches Annie and Rush perfectly: artful, clever, and gracious. Their style is evolving, with nods to Swedish minimalism, MCM, and Norman Rockwell.

Name: Anna Saffer and Clementine the cat Location: Mt. Vernon — Baltimore, Maryland Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting At only 450 square feet, it takes some flexibility to make this small space (an apartment carved from a historical Mt. Vernon townhouse) work. Somehow, Anna has managed to do that, despite several space challenges — like the kitchen being too small for the refrigerator.

Name: Caitlyn Cartlidge Location: Frederick, Maryland Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned This house was a dump when I bought it. Stained wall-to-wall carpet and garish high-gloss paint, zero appliances in the kitchen, missing most of its doorknobs, and with a barely usable bathroom whose walls matched the color of the anti-freeze in the pipes pretty well.

Name: McKenzie Elizabeth Ditter and Matt Muirhead Location: Just outside Baltimore, Maryland Size: 1150 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting It’s clear what the focus is in this Maryland rental home: creativity. Here, two spaces downstairs that might typically be used as a living room and dining room have instead been transformed into two art studios. McKenzie is a painter and wedding photographer, and Matt is a painter and builds his own musical instruments.

Name: Emilie Schiller, David Kramer, dogs Gus and Scarlet Location: Hampden — Baltimore, Maryland Size: 1,300 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, owned Our home was somewhat of an impulse purchase, which is not usually how home purchases go, but it’s how ours went. My now-husband Dave and I were living together in a different neighborhood in Baltimore in a house that he purchased before we got together.

Name: Francina and Joe Baldi Location: Frederick, Maryland Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 34 years; Owned Built around 1900, Francina and Joe Baldi’s townhouse has no doubt been through many transformations over the years. The couple have been through a few renovations themselves, but they have been careful to preserve as many of the original features of the house as they could, from the second stair in the kitchen to the thoughtfully embellished door hardware.

Name: Eric Location: Butcher’s Hill; Baltimore, Maryland Size: 702 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, rented Eric’s home became an instant favorite when we shared his House Call submission with readers. Viewers swooned over the whimsical pops of color, the high tin ceilings and the overall quality of the historically preserved elements of the home.

Name: Brian and Dara Packer and their kids, Daphne, Maddox, and Amelia Jane Location: Ellicott City, outside of Baltimore, Maryland Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Brian and Dara have had plenty of time to perfect their personal style. The couple met in high school and married after college graduation, having attended different schools in the same area. The first home they shared was a condo in the historic Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.

Name: Nicole and Dave and dog Remy Location: Baltimore, Maryland Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 year Inspiring artists with an equally inspiring nest, Nicole and Dave have designed their apartment with true artistic vision. They’ve built their quietly brilliant, thoughtfully executed home in an old box factory in Baltimore, where it doubles as both a living space and a studio.

Look no further than Nicole and Dave’s Baltimore loft if you’ve been searching for a modern and minimal, yet budget-friendly look. They have perfected using easy to find and easy on the pocketbook IKEA staples along with DIY and intriguing decor to create a cohesive, modern, and stylish live/work space. Check out their resource lists to shop their style!

You'll get tons of inspiration from this colorful, creative, and clever home!

Name: Krystal Mack Location: Washington Hill — Baltimore, Maryland Size: 250 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Krystal’s studio is peaceful, inviting, and full of inspiration. Cozy maximalism is the vibe. Everything holds meaning, and her belongings are arranged into what Krystal calls “moments”—be it a pair of pom-pom heels she wore on a special day in her career, or beer bottles she enjoyed with friends that now live on as bud vases.