The Latest: 2015

Name: Paul Location: East Village — New York, New York In a pink building nestled on the only quiet street in the East Village neighborhood of New York City, Paul lives in a 650 square foot, one bedroom apartment that blends modern, music, surf, street art and wanderlust in a way that is both inviting and aspirational. His style combines vintage design with different materials and imagery that lets him feel comfortable while providing a sense of excitement.

Name: Alison and Jay Carroll and dog Lefty Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Alison and Jay are a creative husband and wife team who find inspiration from around the globe. As recent Los Angeles transplants from San Francisco, the couple and their dog, Lefty, enjoy soaking up the Southern California sunshine in their cozy Franklin Hills apartment.

Name: Delila and Nexus, and their dog, Amanda Location: Hayes Valley; San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Nexus and Delila’s personal styles extend deep into their apartment’s aesthetic — he describes his style as relaxed, and she finds inspiration and comfort in wearing a white T-shirt with vintage jeans and high heels.

Name: Caryn Location: Santa Cruz, California In 2005, my husband and I bought a very small 1000 square foot house in Santa Cruz, California to raise our growing family. Proximity to the ocean and a great elementary school trumped our desire for square footage! Our little Santa Cruz bungalow had no unique architecture, so I viewed it as a blank canvas.

Name: Catherine Cachia and Lionel McDonald, their daughter, Winnie, and Griffey the dog Location: East Danforth — Toronto, Ontario Size: Approximately 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Instagram and mid-century modern couches brought Catherine and I together. Last summer, she left a comment on one of my pictures saying we had the exact same couch. I thought that was a big coincidence for a considerably vintage piece of furniture. Was she also in Ontario?

Name: Jessica, her dog, Bhalu, and her cats, Chutney, Norma, and Feynman Location: Atlanta, Georgia Size: 624 square feet Years lived in: 4 years In a small space, it’s important to surround yourself with things that serve a purpose but also have meaning. With a treasure trove of collected items, Jessica’s cozy quarters tell a story from every angle. On a rainy afternoon I meet up with Jessica, a talented local potter and blacksmith, to scope out her studio and home.

Name: Meg Location: Logan Square — Chicago, Illinois Last year my boyfriend and I scored a Memphis Design Group exhibit poster at a garage sale down the street for $7. I’d been wanting to do an ’80s apartment for ages, but never pulled the trigger (I was getting my design fix through my blog). Neal was on board and began to make a copy of our favorite Memphis pendant lamp, “The Santa Fe” by Matteo Thun, out of balsa wood and an IKEA lamp cord. Thanks, Meg!

Name: Cindy Location: Marrakesh, Morocco I am a Southern Girl Gone Global. I loved my home in Nashville; but when my children left the nest, I decided to fly away, too. And landed in Africa. I enjoy Marrakesh—a multicultural, mysterious mesh of Arab, Berber, and French influences in kaleidoscope colors. Here I teach English and write about my adventures on four continents. Living abroad means living light because one day I’ll go home toting the same four suitcases I brought.

Name: Nuria Montblanch and Ricardo Duque Location: Little Portugal — Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented After meeting in Europe and living in the UK for a several years, Nuria and Ricardo decided to move to Canada. They first landed in Nuria’s hometown of Montreal and stayed just long enough to begin collecting furniture from local estate sales and markets.

Name: Julie Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand I absolutely love my home. After traveling around the world with hubby and two small kids and living in Ireland and England we moved back to my hometown into this cute little 1920s art deco home. It’s little at only 140 square meters (1500 square feet), IT WORKS PERFECTLY for our growing family and everyone has their own space. It’s also a sun trap and cosy in winter with our wood burner.

Name: Jen Clark and Kirstie Innes-Will, George and Bob the dogs, and Ruby the cat Location: Preston; Victoria, Australia Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented When I first entered the home of graphic designer Jen and her partner, Kirstie, a senior editor at Black Inc. Books, I was greeted by their two dogs: the photogenic and well-behaved greyhound, George, and a small, white terrier called Bob.

Name: Sofia Location: Stockholm, Sweden We live in a white Art Nouveau house from 1907 in Stockholm. It’s drafty and high maintenance, but we adore it! In my profession as an Interior Decorator (Tretow Deco) this house provides me with all the creative challenge I need – I constantly move things around and create little vignettes, it’s my favorite thing! The style is very Scandinavian and classical with a bohemian/rustic touch.

Name: Annie Location: Brooklyn, New York I just moved to Brooklyn after 10 years in Los Angeles, a cabin in Colorado, and a few years of wandering. My belongings sat in storage for almost two years before moving here. When I finally did open up that locker, I purged so much. It has been so refreshing to only hold onto to the things I really love and start over. My space has three tiny bedrooms and one shared living space.

Name: Neryl Walker and Tim Haynes and daughter, Ivy Lee Location: Balaclava; Victoria, Australia Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Owned Neryl and Tim’s 1950s house is the perfect backdrop for their various collections of vintage nostalgia, magazines, packaging, furniture, flea market finds, and artwork created either by the couple or their friends. They have kept many of the original 1950s features plus some of those added in the 1970s.

Name: Kristy Location: Morningside — Edina, Minnesota We bought our 1928 Dutch Colonial home about five years ago. We were relocating back to the Twin Cities from Boston and I was five months pregnant with our son, Harrison. The moment that I stepped foot into the house and saw light pouring in through the living room windows, I knew this was our home. All the great built-ins further sealed the deal.

Name: Bryan Location: Gateway District — Cleveland, Ohio My partner and I recently moved to Downtown Cleveland from San Francisco—my partner had a job opportunity that we simply couldn’t turn down. All of our San Francisco friends thought we were crazy. We were just excited to experience seasons and to stop paying apartment rents that were verging on the criminal.

Name: Anna Location: Oak Park, Illinois For a few long months after I moved into my apartment last winter, I dreaded coming home each night. I’d just lost a spacious dream apartment in a devastating breakup. I’d lost the sunny windows and the working fireplace. And I’d lost the man I’d planned to come home to for the rest of my life. “I live here now,” I repeated aloud as I paced the short hallway between my new living room and bedroom.

Name: Luke and Sophie Doyle and their dog, Chester Location: Melville, Western Australia Size: 450 square meters (4,843 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Sophie is a marketing adviser for an agricultural company by day, but it is her role as Creative Director for her business, Design Horde, that is her true passion.