The Latest: Jul 2014

Name: Kelly Millspaugh Thompson Location: Falls Church, Virginia (right outside of Washington DC) Our dutch colonial is located in Falls Church Virginia which is about 10 miles outside of Washington DC. We are located in a little area called Sleepy Hollow, an older mature neighborhood with big lots and lots of trees. When we bought our home it was the ugly duckling on the block but my husband and I saw the potential.

Name: John of Coil & Drift Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY My partner and I moved into this one bedroom with a separate den in the heart of Fort Greene, Brooklyn three years ago. We fell in love with Fort Greene because of the diversity and green spaces it offered and with our apartment because of it’s simple, clean layout and pre-war character and charm.

Name: Katie Hackworth, principal designer and owner of H2 Design + Build, her husband Paul, their two daughters & three rescue mutts Location: Bellevue, Washington (a stone’s throw away from Seattle) Size: Approximately 1600 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Rented Early last summer, Katie and her family decided to sell their modern farmhouse, which they built from 2010 to 2011. When the house sold, the new owners purchased about 75% of the furnishings.

Name: Graylin Location: Corydon, IN We are about to move out of this adorable 900 sq. ft bungalow and into our dream house which is right across the street! My dad, Steve Porter, is a professional woodworker and took this house on as a side project. He gutted it and put his touch on every inch. Craftsman style cabinets and built-ins throughout, which is perfect for our style. We consider our style to be an eclectic form of modern with craftsman influences.

Name: Scott Diorio and his dog, Scrappy Location: Silver Lake- Los Angeles, California Size: 595 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented As a native of Southern California, Scott grew up on a “steady diet” of skate and surf culture, with the beach, native elements and Latin culture in the mix. These are the aesthetics that play a huge role in the evolution of his apartment.

Name: Bridget and Robert Park Location: Ballpark District, Denver, Colorado Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Hailing from Seattle, these two newlyweds recently made the trek to Denver for a new adventure and grad school. After one year of living in the ballpark district of downtown Denver, a friend told them about an affordable housing program in the city that gave lower income households access to some of the city’s most beautiful historic lofts.

Name: Scott Jarrell and Kristan Cunningham, owners of Hammer + Spear Location: Downtown Arts District; Los Angeles, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Kristan and Scott’s showroom Hammer + Spear has been a fixture of the DTLA Artist District for the past year. Their store is perfectly edited and styled with unpretentious perfection, so it’s no surprise that their home is a wonderful mixture of smart DIY solutions and collected vintage charms.

Name: Lauren Diane Svenstrup Location: Andersonville, Chicago, Illinois This apartment is in a vintage courtyard building and is around 700 square feet. I have lived here almost two years. As an interior designer, my space is an ever-changing canvas. Just when I think I am done, I find another project. Deep down at the core, I have an affinity for vintage finds. I love the hunt, I love the history. Up until this past year, I would say about 90% of my furniture was either inherited or found.

Name: Rachel Rose Location: Downtown Prescott, Arizona Our tiny coolest home is a studio rental in the heart of historic downtown Prescott, Arizona. It is only 530 square feet yet feels just perfect for me and my husband. The property owners/management (who are friends of ours) took a year to completely renovate and restore this precious space.

Name: Darren Location: Castro/Dolores Park Heights, San Francisco My partner and I are Los Angeles natives who moved to San Francisco about a year ago. We found a beautiful, one-bedroom apartment with amazing views of downtown and even the Bay Bridge and Oakland on a clear day. Given the competitive renter’s market up here, we consider ourselves very fortunate to find such a great home.

Location: South End; Boston, Massachusetts Size: 1,975 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Abby Ruettgers has seen a lot of change in recent months. A year ago, she was simultaneously renovating her new home and creating a new business. But if you think that’s tough, just try wrangling her Bernese Mountain dogs, Cooper and Keegan. Abby’s store Farm & Fable, specializing in vintage cookbooks and cookwares, opened in November a mere 46 steps from her front door.