Houston

Zach and Taylor have filled their rental apartment with quite the collection, turning it into a “pop art paradise” with “eclectic energy.”

“Nothing brings me more joy than getting to create in this house. My pets have even been thriving since moving here,” renter Kalianna Carpenter says.

Julia Arceri says she has a gilt mirror or a crystal chandelier in every room in her house — sometimes both. “They just add such an elegance and grandeur, and they are timeless,” she writes.

Name: Judy and Don, plus two little ones (and a dog) Location: Braeswood; Houston, Texas Size: 3,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Judy and Don’s architect, Gary Tran, made an unconventional design choice that transformed their entire home. Most Houston homes have the kitchen and living room on the first floor and the bedrooms on the second floor, but in this house everything is inverted; the public spaces occupy the top floor, with a view over the treetops beyond.

ER doctor Pam is a NYC native and when she moved to Houston, Texas, she found this spacious, modern townhouse and turned it into a welcoming, personal space.

Name: Des Ellis Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,440 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented and owned Some people have an effortless style, amazing taste and the gift of knowing how to put all the pieces of their life together perfectly. Des is one of those people. She’s the buyer and general manager at Manready Mercantile, a “one-stop shop” that sells American-made goods for the home and closet.

Name: Todd Location: Montrose — Houston, Texas Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 1/2 years, renting As someone who works at an architecture firm, it makes complete sense that Todd would choose to live in the lively and hip Montrose area in Houston, Texas. Living in a neighborhood that has access to art, culture, amazing food and nightlife was more important to Todd than space.

Name: Caroline Harper Knapp, her husband, and their sons, Knox and Andrew Location: Briargrove — Houston, Texas Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Caroline Harper Knapp moved back to her home state of Texas a few years ago from New York, she knew she would have more space to design a home for her and her family.

Name: Keely Mann Location: The Woodlands — just outside of Houston, Texas Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Keely Mann, her husband, and small children moved to Houston from California over a decade ago. After adding two more kids to the mix (for a total of four!), The Manns were in need of a larger home. They settled in The Woodlands, Texas, a large suburb outside of the Houston City Limits, which gets its name from its sprawling forests.

Name: Maria Branco, Bruno Sabino, and their puppy Kilo Location: Lindale Park — Houston, Texas Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Maria Branco is an interior designer, jewelry maker, and artist living in Houston, Texas with her husband Bruno. After moving to the U.S. from their native home of Lisbon, Portugal, they are renting an 800-square-foot garage apartment in an up-and-coming neighborhood just miles north of downtown Houston.

Name: Nikou and Travis McCarra, their sons, Kian and Zayn, and WIFI the Dog Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Nikou and Travis met in architecture school at the University of Houston many years ago—first came love of design, then came marriage. Now they co-own McCarra Creative, a “multi-disciplinary design studio focused on branding, web, print, and 3D.

Name: David Jameson (with Treasure Hance) Location: Downtown — Houston, Texas Size: 817 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Working with 817 square feet of space can be a challenge, especially if you are a collector. David, however, manages to pull off the seemingly impossible by arranging years worth of procurements in an ingenious way, making every inch of his apartment interesting and beautiful.

Name: Michelle and Stephen Taussig Location: Garden Oaks; Houston, Texas Size: 2,632 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Michelle’s home is big, warm, and very beautiful, but it also tells a story — or rather, several. With its mixture of heirlooms, thrifted items, impressive art, and smart design, Michelle’s home is elegant, cozy, and endlessly interesting.

This 100-year-old Craftsman-style home and opened up the living room, dining room, and kitchen to create one comfortable, communal space.