apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Name: Nick, Mikale, Colin and Snake Lady the cat
Location: On the edge of Humboldt Park and Garfield Park, Chicago, Illinois
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, rented
Profession: Musicians, Nick and Mikale are in Lazer Crystal

As this tour show us, a home does not necessarily have to be Martha Stewart-tidy to be interesting or even inspiring. Nick and his roommates Mikale and Colin have mastered what they playfully refer to as “dirtbag chic”, making their home useful and artful on the smallest of budgets.

Read more ...

Name: Hiherson
Location: South End, Boston, Massachusetts

We live in a 1095 square foot loft in the Piano Craft Guild located in the South End neighborhood of Boston. It's a wide open space and our biggest hurdle is sectioning off our bedroom without actually breaking the openness.

Read more ...

Name: Harriet Zaretsky
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 1112 Square Feet (2 Beds 2 Baths)
Years lived in: 1 year

The first time I walked into Harriet's home, I knew she was a designer. We live in the same apartment complex and I have to admit I was comparing her fabulous space to my own apartment. We have the exact same floor plan, so it was very interesting to see how someone else envisions the space and implements their personal design. Harriet proves that just because you live in an apartment, it doesn't mean that you have to accept their status quo designs.

Read more ...

Name: Alisha, Graham & Finley Irwin
Location: Fairfax, CA
Size: 320 square foot studio cottage with loft
Years lived in: newly built guest cottage behind our home
Rented or Owned: owned

When Alisha and her husband were ready to renovate their tiny guest house they decided on two things: to keep it as low impact and green as possible and to infuse it with their happy, bright, vintage style. Even though it's small by most people's standards, the high ceilings allow space for a sleeping loft and tons of vertical storage, leaving the cottage open and inviting.

Read more ...

Name: Pam, Kristi, the pups Tysie & Sydni, and their cats Cleo, Harley, & Carmel
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Size: 1200 square feet
Years lived in: 6

You might remember Kristi and Pam's deck and garden from last year. They were nice enough to share it with us during last years' Great Outdoors month. This year, they've welcomed us back by sharing their charming home with us.

Read more ...

Name: Melissa & Phil
Location: Brooklyn Heights — Brooklyn, New York

Our apartment is a 1,000 square foot pre-war in Brooklyn Heights. We share it with an anti-social Pomeranian named Munchie — as you can see, he is one of the best design elements in the space. Our home is full of mementos and informed by our past, our travels, and our walks through the streets of New York.

Read more ...

Name: Todd
Location: Overland Park — Kansas City, Kansas

I found a corner infill lot in an already established neighborhood on the edge of a 40' ravine. People thought the lot was pretty much unbuildable so it sat for years. I came across the lot and decided I could build up and make it work. I ended up building a 3 story modern home with a rooftop deck overlooking the ravine with downtown views.

Read more ...

Name: Gitesh and Thomas
Location: Murray Hill (or "NoMad": North of Madison Square Park)
Size: 1150 square feet one-bedroom
Years lived in: 6 months

"Whenever I move, I'm always rushing around trying to make it feel like home," explains Thomas. To do this, Thomas, who has been collecting art for the past 20 years, puts up as much as he can, as soon as possible.

Read more ...

Name: Sarah and Josh
Location: Somerville, Massachusetts
Size: 1800 square feet
Years lived in: Only six months!

I tend to be a bit Jamaica Plain-centric for my Apartment Therapy house tours. But I finally crossed the river to check out Josh and Sarah's retro-inspired condo in Somerville. It was worth the trek! I knew it was going to be a fun afternoon when Josh greeted me on the front porch, offering me two delicious cherry tomatoes he'd just picked.

Read more ...

Name: Brad Trost, Elisabeth Charman & Meade
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 1,685 Square Feet
Years lived in: 6

The traditional Portland bungalow is a dark, cozy habitat that many in the area are familiar with. Not the case with this delightful home. It's got all the charming elements required of a bungalow, dark wood molding, nice built-ins, heaps of character... and it happens to have lots of windows to brighten up the mix. A perfect environment for this creative family.

Read more ...

Name: Aga
Location: Warsaw, Poland

It has always been my biggest dream to haqve a modern interior in an old building. I grew up in one of these places back in Lodz and after few years in Sweden, I moved back to Poland, straight to Warsaw. At first I had just 35 square meters in a very boring apartment building from 1970s.

Read more ...

Welcome to Virginia, a blogger in Baltimore who is trying out for place on the editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!

Names: Paul, Krystal and their dog, Johnny Cash
Location: Charles Village — Baltimore, Maryland
Size: 1200 square feet
Years lived in: 1

My first memory of visiting Paul and Krystal's Charles Village apartment had to do with a white gumball machine in a corner next to their sofa. Almost hidden against the room's off-white walls, I was immediately charmed by the playful and clever placement of the antique. It didn't take long for me to discover similar nooks and arrangements throughout their spacious apartment, each telling a story more delightful than the last.

Read more ...

Name: Jonas
Location: Brookside, Kansas City, Missouri
Style: Dutch Colonial
Years lived in: 4

On the drive to photograph Jonas' home, I had geared myself up for the "nice but non-creative" that is usually found in neighborhoods of this age. His home resides just south of Kansas City in an area that's trying to make a shift from old money to new young blood. Thankfully, my assumption couldn't have been more wrong as I found myself face to face with a fabulous mix of Hollywood Regency and Mid Century style with a side of modern art. It's not often I'm in this predicament but I was really, well — jealous!

Read more ...

Name: Jason Hanasik
Location: Tenderloin — San Francisco, California

After an unfortunate and sudden breakup, I found myself in need of a relatively inexpensive apartment in San Francisco. I put out an open call on my Facebook profile for neighborhood recommendations and most people said, "Anywhere but the Tenderloin!" Against their better judgement I stumbled into the beauty of a studio apartment (about 415 square feet) one day after work and fell in love — the light, the fire escape right outside of the main room (which totally reminded me of West Side Story), and the saturated hard wood floors.

Read more ...