Oakland

Denise Bayron's tiny home is like a secret oasis... a personal paradise that's both a home and a creative workspace.

Kirsten and Geoff have been renting this house in Oakland for two years, and originally fell in love with the hardwood floors, unique cabinetry, and awesome location.

Designer Sandy Yen loves the original, narrow plank wood floors and the exaggerated moldings. "New homes just don't have the same character."

See inside the comfy, eclectic house of this family of three, located in North Oakland's intentional community, Radish.

See inside this couple’s 750-square-foot apartment that’s located in Radish, an intentional community in Oakland.

See inside the home of Danielle Bezalel, the founder of feminist podcast “Sex Ed with DB,” who lives in a one-bedroom rental apartment on the Radish commune in Oakland, California.

Tour the community spaces of the 19 adults and 4 babies that make up the intentional community Radish in North Oakland.

Irmhild Liang's son is an architect and built this tiny house in the backyard of her daughter's house.

Veda Banerjee combined touches of her Indian background with her love of Paris apartments with some lucky mid-century modern scores on Facebook Marketplace, all to create this colorful and cozy home.

Where are all my natural-wood enthusiasts? Aleksandra Zee and Antrom Kury, artists and woodworkers, live in this rental house that showcases the beauty of warm wood tones and terrific natural textures.

When interior designer and artist Sophia E. Aguiñaga realized she'd be moving out of her Oakland rental apartment, she took the opportunity to pare down and refresh the home's style. She re-homed almost everything and used minimalism, ease, and traveling light as a style guide.

Alyssa Fetini works in HR but has a passion for interior design that she was able to express when she and her partner renovated this large house in Oakland's Lake Merritt neighborhood.

Vincent's Halloween-ready house is like an "Edwardian-era vampire meets a 1960s ghost hunter meets a modern day maximalist."

When it came to decorating this Oakland apartment, interior designer and artist Sophia E. Aguiñaga painted the entire space, and surrounded herself with pieces that inspire and start conversations: like art by Black artists and artists of color, queer artists, and pieces purchased from Black- and woman-owned shops.

Battling beige wall-to-wall carpeting and plain wall paint colors isn't easy when you're renting, but Dominique Fluker played around with intentional use of shapes and colors to create a fresh look that matches her and her partner's style.

Ella Khan found this apartment listing on Craigslist for a 800-square-foot space: a spacious unit in a former elementary school that was built in 1915.

The apartment is also inspired by "extravagantly rich white women."

Name: Caitlin Hackett and Dave McHale Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Caitlin and Dave shared photos of their home in a House Call post earlier this year, Apartment Therapy readers wanted to see more of their wonder-filled Oakland home. Stepping into their spacious two-bedroom apartment, it’s obvious that their tastes and experiences have influenced their home’s décor.

Name: Clara of Banner Day & Sam (and their dog Morgan) Location: Rockridge; Oakland, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned Clara and Sam live in a 1930s cottage just a short walk from Oakland’s charming Rockridge neighborhood. After leaving a career in corporate law to start her interior design business Banner Day Consulting, Clara has been constantly pursuing her passion for design in their home, as well as for her numerous clients.

Name: Annie Oxenhandler Location: Adams Point; Oakland, California Size: 624 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Though a challenge at first, Annie managed to create a harmonious space with the illusion of having separate rooms in what would otherwise be an open studio.

Name: Olivia Smartt Location: Adam’s Point; Oakland, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented As a Bay Area photographer, Olivia likes her walls to remain mostly clear so that she can relax in her home after a long day, as her professional life is very busy and visual. Though bare in some areas, it’s clear that she has put much thought into which art, furniture and decor pieces takes up space in her elegant and minimal Oakland apartment.

James and Lauren are two artists living in Oakland, and their apartment is perfect for work and play.

Name: Thoey and Sutty Location: Jingletown—Oakland, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Thoey and Sutty’s spacious loft is filled with colorful, vintage items that create a happy home they and their friends love to spend time in.

Name: Joe Cafuir and Keith DeNatale Location: Grand Lake—Oakland, California Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented It’s easy for a tiny apartment full of plants and tchotchkes to feel cluttered. But when done the right way—as Joe and Keith have with their tiny 300-square-foot studio—the space can be warm and inviting without feeling crammed or excessive.

Name: Tirsh Hunter and Minky Lew and their dog, Arnie Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Minky and Tirsh cite their family’s resourcefulness as their biggest inspiration, and their North Oakland loft is filled with vignettes demonstrating just that. Minky takes after her grandmother, who instilled such traits in her.

Name: Hannah Ruskin and her dog, Stella Location: McClymonds — Oakland, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Having previously used her Oakland live-work space for her now thriving business, Hannah is happy she can now claim the space as her own. Although her small studio continues to allow her to work on creative projects, most of her work from home is personal in nature, whether crafting at her desk or caring for more than 40 flourishing plants.

Name: Su Pang Location: Highland Terrace; Oakland, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned After spending some time in Sweden, Su fell in love not just with Swedish culture, but with the architecture. “I fell in love with the red wooden Swedish country homes,” she said. “Being a designer, I always wanted to design my own home.” So when she had an opportunity to build in her very own backyard, she jumped on it.

When Maggie and Jose could no longer justify paying such high rent in San Francisco, they decided to pack up and cross the bridge to Oakland.

Name: Michelle, James, and their son Triston Location: Santa Fe — Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years When a family of creatives lives in one open space, creating nooks where each person can work and relax is challenging. But Michelle, James and their son Triston have successfully completed the difficult task of creating a functional live-work space utilizing pieces that are well-designed and beautiful.

Name: Bridget Schwartz Location: Adams Point — Oakland, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 7 years Bridget describes her apartment as “luxe bohemian, fairytale discotheque, and hippie princess”—all labels that are hard to define. But after touring Bridget’s bright and eccentric Oakland apartment, the descriptions start to make sense. Her apartment has so many distinct styles, and she is perfectly fine with that.

Name: Jamee Jones (and his six housemates) Location: Oak Tree — Oakland, California Size: 1,691 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years When Jamee greeted me at his doorstep before his Apartment Therapy photoshoot, he had just finished his daily commute from San Francisco, where he works at Urban Outfitters as a social media manager.

Bridget’s best advice is to buy vintage whenever possible so that the stuff in your home is unique. Because of that, it’s hard to find the original sources for many of the items in her eccentric, vibrant Oakland apartment. However, it’s easy to find a modern take on some of these vintage pieces using the shopping sources below.

Name: Bob and Heather Location: Melrose — Oakland, California Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years Bob and Heather define their style as “eclectic weirdo”—something the couple takes pride in. It’s a space filled with odd decor, including a plush, faux-fur-covered chair in the living room, and stair handrails covered in LED lights—and there are plenty of other unconventional decor elements (this is their current living room projection).

Name: Erika Brulé Location: Jingletown — Oakland, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years When Erika saw photos of the Oakland loft she now calls home, she immediately signed the lease without even looking at the space in person. She knew it would provide her with all she needed: a spacious area where she could indulge in crafts and DIY projects, expansive walls where she could hang art she loves, and industrial elements like exposed pipes and brick.

Name: Meghan Bogden Shimek Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Meghan’s live-work Oakland loft is very personal and full of inspiration, found in her beautiful fiber weavings, work by her creative friends, or vintage furniture that brings her joy. Though she’s lived in the space for less than a year, Meghan is already enamored with the amount of space the loft provides her, both to create and share with her 5-year-old son.

Meghan Shimek’s Oakland live-work studio is full of inspiration, whether it’s her own inspiration that translates to beautiful weaving, or art created by her friends. Check out the links below to get some of these unique items or something similar in your home.

Name: Mollie Gilbert Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,325 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, owned It isn’t difficult to find Mollie’s house on her quiet street: Just look for the home with the jack-o-lantern on the porch year-round. If the pumpkin or the “Haunted Mansion” sign at the doorway aren’t an indication of what’s inside, then you’re in for a spooky treat.

Mollie goes all out in her Halloween-ready home in Oakland, and she displays things that most people would find creepy or just plain odd, such as two vampire busts in her living room or ’80s horror films posters. If you’re preparing for a Halloween bash, or if you are inspired by vampires, horror films and all things dark as Mollie is, check out the sources below to add a little bit of spookiness to your home.

Name: Jennifer Carolina Tredinnick Location: Piedmont Avenue — Oakland, California Size: 788 square feet Years lived in: Rented 7 years Jen loves all of the natural elements of her home: the plants, the original built-ins, the exposed wood, and the permanent golden hour the stained-glass window creates in the living room. She also lives just a couple of blocks from Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue, a commercial neighborhood where some of her favorite boutiques are located.

Jen says her Oakland home’s style is like a modern cabin with strong ’70’s vibe. If you love bold patterns, vintage furniture, and lots of plants, you might find the links below useful to incorporate a similar style in your home.

Name: Cheyenne Cannon Location: West Oakland — Oakland, California Size: ~250 square feet (part of a 2-story, 4-bedroom house) Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Though Cheyenne doesn’t get to claim an entire apartment to herself, her small workspace and bedroom provide the bright light, privacy and inspiration she needs. She lucked out when the private second floor bedroom opened up.

Name: Elle Ruhstaller and Alex Ristevski Location: Piedmont Avenue — Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Elle can’t really pinpoint a specific style for the Oakland apartment she shares with her partner Alex. “It’s a mash-up of what I like most from many different eras,” she said of her apartment’s decor.

Name: Estefania and Chris Palomarez Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, rented Estefania says she had a plain looking apartment a few months before their house tour. But she and her partner Chris pushed themselves to work their way down each room, painting the walls and building pieces that suit their style (and are functional).

Name: Meg Woodcheke and Conor Acomb Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 8 years by Conor (Meg moved in 2 years ago) Meg doesn’t find much fun in buying furniture sets for her apartment, which she shares with her boyfriend Conor. “I think the real joy is in finding pieces from here and there and making them work together,” she says.

Name: Jimmy Brower, Damien Merino, and their dog Joey Location: Gaskill — Oakland, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Jimmy and Damien instantly fell in love with their Oakland apartment. The bond was so strong that they signed the lease before they even looked inside. Risky — yes — but they don’t regret a thing about the decision, as they find themselves drawn to the natural energy of the space more and more each day.

Name: Natasha Harden Location: Bella Vista — Oakland, California Size: 725 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Natasha—a Virgo—credits her Zodiac sign for her heightened sense of detail. “I can spend hours thrifting, and trust me, I always find something cute,” she proudly says. “I usually just walk around in a thrift store and I let patterns and textures speak to me.

Name: Eduardo Valadez Arenas Location: Fruitvale — Oakland, California Size: 400 square feet (plus adjacent work studio) Years lived in: 4 years, renting After coming to the U.S. from Mexico city, Eduardo settled in Thousand Palms, California, a small desert town just east of Palm Springs. This upbringing in small desert towns throughout California continues to influence his personal style, art aesthetic and home design.

Alex and Sean refuse to leave any walls bare in their Oakland apartment and share a love for mid-century furniture, classic TV, and cheesy movies.

Name: Kristin Peters and Corey McLaughlin, cats Gracie and Zoey Location: Redwood Heights — Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Kristin and Corey first looked at their Oakland home when it was on the market, they walked away from it. Kristin fell in love with the living room views, but Corey couldn’t get past the ugly facade and outdated design.

Name: Tam-Anh and Ricky Location: Jack London Square — Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting At the end of 2016, Tam-Anh and Ricky decided to move in together, so they scoured Craigslist for apartments and began their search for a new home — an arduous task in the Bay Area’s competitive rental market. A few listings in, a description caught their attention: original loft, exposed brick, floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closet, fireplace.

Name: Alex Steele and Peter Wallner Location: Piedmont Avenue — Oakland, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, rented For being in such a busy Oakland neighborhood, Alex and Peter’s apartment feels really calm, serene, and secluded. “We fell in love with its private tree house charm, and how seemingly hidden it was for being so centrally located on a main drag in Oakland,” Alex says.

Name: Rachel Kaplan Location: Adams Point — Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Rachel’s friends know her as the person always wearing the outrageous, colorful, and sometimes stylishly clashing outfits. So clearly, she reflects that boldness of color, pattern, and texture all over her home.

Name: Michelle Morrison and her brother Michael Morrison, and two greyhound dogs, Fern and Pintxo Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,330 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Design plays a central role in Michelle Morrison‘s life and career. Currently a Design Producer at Dropbox, she’s also worked for companies like Facebook, Square, IDEO, and more.

Do you have unusual inspirations like Pee Wee Herman, Banksy and Lady Gaga? Do you take pride in that? If so, check our Bob and Heather’s Oakland loft and shop similar items that will fill your space with color, rainbows and overall weirdness (that’s a good thing).

Name: Ayah Wilson Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented To most of us, the process of moving to a new home is a daunting task. Aspects of it are filled with excitement (especially the decorating part!) as well as the unknown (moving rates!).

Name: Megan and Leif Location: Longfellow — Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Hailing from Wisconsin via Chicago and Portland, Megan and Leif now find themselves in Oakland with a home that pays homage to their past interlaced with the sunny muse of their present. With Leif working from home as a writer and Megan an aspiring creative director, the couple have created a space that strikes a balance between practical and inspirational.

Name: Joyce Chen and her fiancé Location: West Oakland—Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Joyce moved into her now-fiancé’s West Oakland loft a couple of years ago, she knew it would be a challenge to have the space embrace both their styles. The loft previously had a personal gym and bar area in the living room and didn’t quite give off the warm and homey vibe Joyce wanted in their home.

Name: Laura Hyman Location: Santa Fe; Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Laura’s sister described her Oakland loft’s style as “feminine industrial,” Laura thought it was spot on. The bright and spacious live-work loft utilizes cool and tranquil colors that add an overall warmth to a huge space that can easily feel cold and sterile.

Brett and Brandon made renovation decisions with the idea that things should be sentimental, functional and comfortable; three things that result in a beautiful home.

Name: Christine Martin, David Marino Location: Rockridge area — Oakland, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: Renting 3 years Christine and David love their home in the heart of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood for a lot of reasons. They’re within walking distance of great shops, restaurants and bars.