The Latest: 2010

Many rooms just mandate a bed on an angle. Placing it against the walls makes the space feel stale and sticking it straight out into the room might take up all of the available floor space. So when we ran across Jonas’ bedroom from yesterday’s Hollywood Regency Homestead tour, we wanted to make sure to highlight that it can be done and the end result is fabulous!

Name: Jonas Location: Brookside, Kansas City, MissouriStyle: 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.

Name: Emily Location: Ukrainian Village, ChicagoSize: 1,000 sfYears lived in: Just over one year When I wrote the post about Emily’s welcoming guest room earlier this month, I knew I had to see the rest of her apartment. Luckily, Emily was willing to have us all over for a House Tour! And just as I expected, the rest of her home is decorated with her cute, light, bright, and mostly DIY shabby chic style.

Welcome to Kate from the Pacific Northwest; a blogger trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!Name: JenniferLocation: Rio Dell, CaliforniaSize: 1850 square feetYears lived in: 28 Fondly referred to as Masion Un (which means House One in French), this home seems almost hidden among the lush, overgrown plants, orchard, pond and alluring views all vying for attention over the five acre sprawl.

Name: Susan Castor Collection “Beach House”Location: Port Aransas, TexasSize:3980 square feet — 6 bedrooms and 5½ bathrooms The Gulf Coast is all over the news these days, but it’s rarely linked with design and decor. Today we’re bringing you news from the Texas Gulf Coast of a lighter, fresher sort. On a recent trip to Port Aransas, we unexpectedly discovered a beautiful custom-built (and eco-friendly) vacation home open for tours at Cinnamon Shore.

Welcome to Beth from New York; a blogger trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!Names: Eli and JenniferLocation: Clinton Hill / Bedford Stuyvesant border —Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 16 feet wide by 45 feet deep, 5 floorsYears lived in: 1 year lived in (and still no couch) It is hard to imagine that Eli and Jennifer’s Brooklyn brownstone was on its way to disrepair when Eli acquired it a couple of years ago.

Name: Randal DawkinsLocation: North Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New YorkSize: 700 square feet (approximately 490 square feet pictured)Years lived in: 6 We first featured the apartment that Randal coined his “miniature country house” during our Small Cool Contest. Though situated in Brooklyn, Randal is spot-on with his description.

Welcome to Beth from San Francisco; a blogger trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!Name: Katie KuhnLocation: San Francisco, CaliforniaSize: 500 square feetYears lived in: 2 years — rented After graduating from University of Virginia in 2003, Katie moved from Charlottesville to San Francisco where she’s had several positions as a buyer for retailers like Banana Republic, Pottery Barn and GAP brand.

Name: Mike & Maddie WitterLocation: Upper West Side, NYCSize: under 500 square feetYears lived in: 2 This couple of acclaimed public school educators have learned a thing or two themselves during the process of decorating their small bi-level apartment. Because of their high marks in our Small Cool Contest, we decided to get a closer look at this charming home.There is a great mix of antiques and new pieces happening here.

Welcome to Brandon & Leah from Portland; a blogging duo trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as House Tour Contributors. Enjoy their work!Name: Heather, Douglas, Gabrielle and ZoeLocation: Portland, OregonSize: 3500 square feetYears lived in: 6Heather’s cozy family ranch was custom built in 1960, in the historic Argay Terrace neighborhood of Portland.

Name: Alicia PeatLocation: San Francisco, California (Inner Richmond District)Size: 1,000 square feet (2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms)Years lived in: 3 years Alicia tells us the story of her colorful San Francisco home in her own words: “My house. Even after 3 years, it is still pretty awesome to say ‘my house;’ as in I own it. I knew the moment I walked in that this was the place.

Name: Amanda RamsdenLocation: Sterling, VirginaSize: 1,600 square feet — 2 bedroom, 2 ½ bathYears lived in: 5½ Amanda lives nestled away outside of the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC. She gets the simplicity and calm vibes of the DC suburbs, but for her interiors, she embraced the loud, colorful, artistic mashup that encompasses the District.

Name: LJ, Elena and Teo Location: Downtown Brooklyn Size: 550 square feet studio Years lived in: 5 years Long-time Apartment Therapy fans may recall LJ’s impressive work in progress! Well, LJ finally finished and it looks incredible! This home is a labor of love and sweat. LJ, an architect, built almost everything you see! Major elements that he didn’t build with his own two hands were often salvaged from other people’s architectural projects.

Name: Marc Gomes, actor & directorLocation: Hollywood, CaliforniaSize: 2,000 square feetYears lived in: 5 Originally built in 1896 in Glendale, Marc’s home was moved to Hollywood in 1937. The house still has many of the original architectural details and Marc has added another level of depth to the architectural character with his choices in design and decor.

Name: Dale & Adam — Dale’s firm is DRD Studio (website underway)Location: Chelsea — NYCSize: 1,070 square feet — 2 bedroom duplex Years lived in: 7 years Five years ago, I had the pleasure of documenting Dale and Adam’s home for a pioneering Apartment Therapy House Tour! Since then, they’ve had a few changes: a new kitchen, new half-bath, and twins! Dale is an architect so all the designs for the renovations over the years were home made.

Name: Ed and Ellie GroverLocation: Roseville (near Sacramento), CaliforniaSize: 1,872 square feetYears lived in: 1 year Ellie and Ed bought their first house about a year ago. While they would have rather purchased a good ol’ fixer upper, market conditions meant a brand new house made more sense. Fearing that her home would fall into the tract home rut, Ellie quickly set out to “make the new look old and add a little character to the cookie cutter-ness.

Name: Nathan & Hannah (Foxy, our long-haired Chihuahua)Location: St. Louis, MissouriSize: 1362 square feetYears lived in: 5 Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch is the tip of the mid-century iceburg in the Saint Louis area. Case in point: Tucked in among more expected suburban homes, is the gem of Ridgewood, a time capsule of a subdivision, peppered with modern ranch homes built as affordable and efficient homes in the the 50s.

Name: Violeta Konieczna & D.P. KellyLocation: County Limerick, IrelandSize: 1,500 square feetYears lived in: 2 Violeta lives in a village in Ireland that looks like it’s straight out of a movie. Her home is just as picture perfect as the surrounding land. Each and every item has its very own place and purpose. Sure, there are a lot of strictly decorative elements, but the home doesn’t feel over done.

Name: WillLocation: Cabbagetown, Toronto, OntarioSize: 1,300 sq. feetYears lived in: owned for three years Six years ago, Will arrived in Canada from the U.K. with a few suitcases of clothing. Since then, Will has built up his ideal home with personal objects and furniture that combine elements of his homeland and adopted city. His self-described style: “landed gentry with a North American twist.

Name: Natalie MooreLocation: Lower Nob Hill, San FranciscoSize: 285 square feetYears lived in: 1 Natalie has managed to create a glamorous, put-together space, despite only having 285 square feet with which to work. This is why she was an Apartment Therapy favorite during our recent Small Cool contest. She has now given us a full tour, even though it’s still fairly small, of her home. Take a look!

Name: Ken and Lynn-Anne Bruns (plus our 4 kids, 2 dogs & 2 bunnies)Location: Charlotte, North CarolinaSize: 4500 square feetYears lived in: 4 Lynn-Ann Bruns runs a successful design business and has the home of my dreams. It feels lived in, comfortable and is well designed through and through. The Bruns travel a great deal and have lived all over the world – their home reflects a combination of their adventures and great sense of style.

Name: WendyLocation: Hell’s Kitchen — NYC My apartment is a 350 square feet studio apartment located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. I recently moved in back in February of 2010, so I’ve been living here about 4 months. I think it would make an great Apartment Therapy House tour because of the limited space as a studio.

Name: Beth of Small Cool 2010 fameLocation: Sausalito, CaliforniaSize: 365 square feetYears lived in: 3 years There is no doubt that everyone remembers Beth’s Teeny Tiny Peek-a-boo from this year’s Small Cool Contest. As winner of the Teeny Tiny division, we were all impressed by how much Beth was able to do in such a small footprint. Still, five images were not enough and left us all wanting to see more.

Names: Jen, Michael, Eva & Esme Location: Lexington, MassachusettsSize: 3,000 square feetYears lived in: 2 Remember the story of the city mouse and the country mouse? The country mouse envies her sister’s riches, but eventually chooses a life of safety and ease in the country over the wealth and danger of the city. The fable aptly describes artist Jen’s search for the ideal home.

Name: A Very Modest Cottage Location: Elkhorn, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Tereasa and David’s summer camp Size: 10 x 10 square feet Type: Half-sawn log cabin from a prohibition-era motor cabin court Years lived in: Guest cottage on our summer camp for 3 years Tereasa Surratt advises people to “look for the abandoned souls,” and once you know the story of this cottage, you’ll understand exactly what she means.

Name: Krista Peel and Zak Starer of Philadelphia Art HotelLocation: East Kenzington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Size: 1,700 square feet — 3 story brick rowhouse Years lived in: 9 months If there’s one thing we know right off the bat — Krista and Zak are not afraid of color! In fact, they embrace it and use it in every square inch of their home.

Name: Violet KathleneAge: 2 Weeks, 2 DaysLocation: Central PennsylvaniaRoom size: 12′ x 7′ How to create a cohesive, beautiful nursery in a small room with sloped ceilings? Planning. Violet’s mom, Lauren, gathered inspiration, made a plan and recruited family to pull off some terrific DIY projects. The result is this fresh, dreamy space filled with light and soft touches. It melds modern and classic pieces into a contemporary space that feels timeless at the same time.

Name: Lanz Brooks with roommates Michael and BrentLocation: Hayes Valley, San FranciscoSize: 4,000 square feetYears lived in: Lanz for 4½ years (Michael since 1994) Last Thursday, we had a glimpse into half of Lanz, Michael and Brent’s amazing Hayes Valley home with Part 1 of their House Tour. The first part focused on the first floor of their two story Hayes Valley apartment and many of the common areas.

Name: Cameron Saless & Matthew AllardLocation: West Hollywood, CaliforniaSize: 1,600 square feetYears lived in: One year We vividly remember the day when we were forwarded pics of Matt and Cameron’s home. We were in the midst of a frenzied loop of Facebook, GoFugYourself and Dlisted, when we immediately stopped what we were doing. Our eyes were drawn to the blend of beautiful modern pieces mixed with playful colors and a cozy touch that can’t be beat.

Name: Debbie MillmanLocation: ChelseaSize: 1,600 square feet — 2 bedroom with backyardYears lived in: 16 Debbie was in the mood for a change but wasn’t sure how to go about it. As Debbie recalls, Susan replied, “Well, if we are going to get new furniture, maybe we should get new floors, and if we get new floors maybe we should get…an entire new everything!” When Debbie asked what she should do with all her old furniture, Susan replied, “Curbside!

Name: Randal DawkinsLocation: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC This is my small apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I am an antiques buyer for a Manhattan firm and an interior designer. My aesthetic is a layered look — filled with antiques and art of many periods and styles. I like to consider my apartment my miniature English country house.Thanks Randal!• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy?

Name: Tina, Matthew & Pablo Location: Port Douglas, QLD, Australia Size: 98 square meters [1060 square feet]Years lived in: 3 years, owned Artist Tina and her chef husband Matthew live in a beachside cottage in Port Douglas with their toddler Pablo. Living half the year in one of Australia’s most beautiful holiday destinations and the other half in Berlin, they make good use of their home by renting it out as a holiday rental when they’re not there.

Name: Lanz Brooks with roommates Michael and BrentLocation: Hayes Valley, San FranciscoSize: 4,000 square feetYears lived in: Lanz for 4½ years (Michael since 1994) The home of roommates Lanz, Michael and Brent is one of those rare San Francisco apartments that actually predates the earthquake and fire of 1906 that nearly destroyed the entire city.

Name: Matthew MauProfession: Graphic Designer by day and DJ by nightLocation: Downtown Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 845 Square FeetType: Studio Loft Years lived in: 2 Years I met Matthew through school and was visiting him at his downtown loft talking about websites. As he was talking to me, I was looking around and couldn’t help but be distracted by his designer’s eye for decor. His personal space is a close replica of his interests and personality.

Name: Jenn SkiLocation: Bedford, New HampshireSize: 2,400 square feetYears lived in: 2½ years — ownedWho else lives there: My husband Al and cat FloydThe mid-century modern aesthetic gets lots of air play here on Apartment Therapy and seems to be the coveted style among hipsters. This interior design style which often includes sparse furnishings and straight lines is often austere.

Name: Julie, James, and Possum (dog)Location: Bernal Heights, San Francisco Size: 1,275 square feet; 2 bedroom, one bathYears lived in: Eight Julie and James don’t consider themselves “hard-core DIYers.” And yet—wait for it… they demolished the kitchen all by themselves. That little tidbit alone should give you some idea of these two: their rare blend of enviable talent and genuine humility.