The Latest: Oct 2015

Name: Amandine Isnard & Mihalis Gripiotis and Aristos Location: Williamsburg; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented Amandine is the Head of Product Development for Eve Lom, a European niche luxury beauty brand, and Mihalis is a journalist and the founder of the art-house film production company IFFI Productions. Their Brooklyn house was decorated to look like a film set, and as a result, has been used as a studio for various film projects.

Name: Emily and Zack Location: Fishtown —Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Back in June, my husband Zack and I made an unexpected decision: we left our two-bedroom apartment in the posh Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of downtown Philadelphia to call a one-bedroom Fishtown flat home. We weren’t planning on moving when our previous landlord approached us about renewing our lease for a third year. But as it goes, one conversation led to another, and we began itching for a new experience.

Name: Pierce Atkinson Location: St. Henri; Montréal, Canada Size: Approximately 900 square feet Years lived in: Almost 2 years; Rented Pierce is someone who is not afraid to take risks in life, especially when it comes to style and design. Following the best design advice he’s ever received—decorate for “You Do You”—Pierce has filled his apartment with what he is attracted to the most: color, patterns, and quirk.

Name: Kersten & Kim McFarland and their children, Christian and Grace Location: Maylands, Western Australia Size: 170 square meters (1,830 square feet) Years lived in: Two years; Owned When Kim and Kersten first stumbled upon their 1950s cottage, they could see its potential right away. The location was enviable, boasting both a nearby river and views of the city, and they knew with some careful planning, they could turn the small, dark house into the light, bright family home that it is today.

Name: Allie & Travis Hackett-Camacho and their dog, Brody Location: Lynn-Highland Park; Oakland, CA Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; Rented Allie may look familiar to Apartment Therapy readers, as her twin sister Caitlin’s home—Caitlin & Dave’s Oakland Apartment of Wonder & Oddities—was recently featured.

Name: Shena Troia & George Peake Location: Marigny; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Just three years ago, Shena and George’s New Orleans home was the embodiment of urban blight. The house, built in 1850 as guest quarters for the Masonic Lodge next door, was on the city’s list of neglected properties slated for demolition. Graffiti covered the exterior walls, weeds were growing out of the roof, and all but two sets of doors were missing.

Name: Miranda Lake Location: Uptown — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 2,400 square feet including the studio Years lived in: 15 years; owned Stepping onto the grounds of Miranda Lake’s New Orleans home feels like being transported into the whimsical world she depicts in her artwork.

Name: Savannah, Mike, Finn the cat and Nori the 3-legged Pit bull Location: Verdun, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Our apartment is on the ground floor of a triplex in the ever-evolving neighbourhood of Verdun. We probably visited about 30 apartments in the area before falling in love with this one. We were looking for a place that was pretty spacious because we both work from home and would be spending the majority of our time in the space.

Name: Jen & Dave Figueroa and their two rescue greyhounds, Ike and Louise Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned A little over a year ago, Jen and Dave bought a house that was in desperate need of some love. The house sits on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood in South Austin, and when they bought it, it had old carpet, beige walls, and all the hallmarks of a fixer-upper.

Name: Alexandra and Aaron, Hank the dog and Ben the cat Location: Slidell, Louisiana When I got a job as a meteorologist at a New Orleans television station, I was thrilled to move home to the vibrant and unique city where I grew up. Shortly after, my soon-to-be husband joined me from his hometown in Texas. He’s more of a small-town person and preferred to live a little removed from the city.

Name: Rebecca and Gareth Smith and their dog, Penny, and cat, Bobby Location: Etobicoke; Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Rebecca and Gareth were a classic case of opposites attracting, but over the years they have learned to adapt to each other’s lifestyles and tastes—and it actually turns out that they have a lot more in common than they realized at first glance.

Name: Erika and Charl Location: Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia The space is very similar to both our offices, which personally makes me feel so comfortable in my day-to-day. We moved in with Charl’s dining table – a refurbished monastery window which my dad broke immediately trying to get it inside – we since restored it with a huge glass shower window, which I personally think has made it look even better; and his black leather couches, my cow hide, plus our various bits.

Name: Katie Vie & Loren Wooten and their dog, Mathy Location: Asheville, NC Size: 1,400 square feet, including an unheated garage Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Though Katie designed this house and Loren crafted many of its details, they maintain a fluid relationship with it, saying, “This home is not our ‘baby’ — it’s not precious to us in that way. Instead, it’s our creative project where it’s okay if things aren’t perfect.

Name: Emma and Cody and their dog, Chuck Location: Herne Hill — Geelong, Australia Size: Three-bedroom house Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned As soon as Emma and Cody bought their home in Geelong, they immediately painted the walls white, and tore down the wall between the kitchen and living space, opening it right up. What they were left with was a perfect blank canvas.

Name: Randi and Joe Location: Wyoming, Michigan Size: 770 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Randi and Joe live in a sprawling, 430-unit complex in Wyoming, Michigan a suburb of Grand Rapids. The rental units have the usual beige carpet, white walls, and wall-mounted air conditioners, but those items aren’t noticeable in Randi and Joe’s home.

Name: Kory DeClark and Lindsey Cordova Location: New Haven, Connecticut Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Kory and Lindsey moved to New Haven from Los Angeles, they had a tight budget and only a few items with which to furnish their new apartment. Even with those constraints, they were able to create a refreshing, inviting space. Their home is simple and spartan, but there is always an abundance of good company and delicious food.

Name: Jen Patryn Location: Nolita; New York City Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented When she’s not working on fashion shoots, creating visual stories, and advising major labels, Jen Patryn, a New York-based fashion editor, is traveling the world and wandering the mountains of Central America.

Name: Josie and Jules Location: South East London, UK Size: 677 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned The phrase “that rug really tied the room together” is bandied about a lot these days, and with all due respect to The Dude, it’s become a bit of a cliche. Having said that, can we talk about that rug for a second? Beautiful!

Name: Laura Evans and Blaine Perry and their cat, Honey Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Historic divided-light windows, crystal door knobs, a brick fireplace, and picture rail molding are just some of the architectural details in Laura and Blaine’s all-white, all-natural 1920s-era home. Their edited decorating style leaves few layers to hide behind, imparting a meaningful weight to each element.

Name: Emmy and Andreas Location: Providence, RI Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Andreas, a financial coaching fellow, and Emmy relocated from the windy city of Chicago to the creative capital of Providence three years ago when Emmy began her studies as an art history PhD candidate at Brown University.

Name: Kristen Tola Hettich Location: Burbank, CA Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented When my friend Kristen decided to redecorate her bedroom last year, she enlisted a professional interior designer to help her out. That project lit a fire under her to tackle the remainder of the entire home on her own. Kristen is a food, fashion, and interior prop stylist who is very good at mixing patterns and is not afraid of color!

Name: Alex Location: Hell’s Kitchen – New York, New York My studio is a big, modern space in Hell’s Kitchen. My friend recommended that I decorate my place like a boutique hotel room. That became the blueprint the my whole style. I created a bedroom area with a Gus Modern wingback bed and a great print of an Airstream. A half rectangle, grey bookshelf separates the living room area without blocking the sight lines to the window.

Name: René Mitchell, daughters Adeline (7) and Ruby (6), and puppy Lola Location: Bend, Oregon Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 12 years; Owned Bend is an idyllic town in Central Oregon, about a three-hour drive from Portland. The area is known for sunny weather, beautiful high desert scenery, active outdoor lifestyles, and craft brewing.

Name: Lianna Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin This condo building is in the Brewer’s Hill Neighborhood of Downtown Milwaukee. I fell in love with the condo from the moment I saw it. Packed with rich history, it used to be a shoe factory and was abandoned for years before it was re-purposed into condos. I love the cream city brick detail that is characteristic of this area and hard to find.