The Latest: Feb 2019

Name: Tanika and Brian Hochhauser (plus George the turtle and Tansy the dog) Location: Long Island City, New York, New York Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months You might recognize Tanika and Brian from the Love Videos, where they shared the charming story of how they met (and of their spur-of-the-moment wedding). The home they share is just as charming as they are, a beautiful Long Island City aerie with breathtaking views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the East River.

Name: Ana Kamin, freelance photographer, writer and blogger and Patrick Kamin, software engineer Location: Haight Ashbury — San Francisco, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years rented When Patrick and I moved from Germany to San Francisco in 2012, we were lucky to find this little gem—an apartment on a rooftop of an old Victorian in Haight Ashbury—just next to Golden Gate Park.

Name: Irina and Daniel Schaffer, and kids Lily (7) and Milo (4) Location: Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood; Portland, Oregon Size: 1520 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned Irina and Daniel, their two young children Lily and Milo, and their rambunctious dog Oscar, live in a whimsically decorated old home in Northeast Portland.

Name & Location: Sara in The village Skærbæk outside Fredericia, Denmark My Favorite Room: Living/Dining Room Specs: 431 Square Feet What I love most about our living room is the way that the sun falls in through the large window-doors, creating figures on the floor. I also like that it can hold the whole family with friends over. Typically my husband and son sit in the sofa, while my daughter dances or jumps around on the floor, and I sit with my laptop at the dining table.

Name: Carly and James Petersmeyer Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 2 years owned Carly and James, both creative artists, couldn’t wait to finally own their own home to be able to do whatever they wanted with it. Two years ago, they got their chance when they snatched up this West LA home that had plenty of space to play with.

Name: Jessica Sirls Location: NoLita, New York, New York Size: 200 square feet Years lived in: less than 1 year 200 square feet isn’t a lot to work with — but one New Yorker has managed to squeeze in a full-sized bed, an 88-key keyboard, and a table that can seat up to six people, all while maintaining the spacious, relaxing feel you would expect from a much larger apartment. Here’s how she does it.

Name: Laura and Carlos Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 160 square meters (1722 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years Like the lovely, hand-made macrame that Laura makes for her company Nuga Laura describes her home as a”typical home from a neighborhood called “El ensanche” in Valencia, Spain,” but her home is anything but typical for design lovers.

Name: Ryan (a landscape designer) and Joanna Herm, and dog, Dori Location: Minnetonka, Minnesota Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Immediately after purchasing your first home it is temping to jump feet first into a project or two. It is fairly common for a new homeowner to walk in the door for the first time and rip up all of the old dingy carpet to expose the natural wood underneath. But not Ryan and Joanna.

Name: Matthew Hodgman and his dog, Brinkley Location: Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Have you ever walked into a rummage sale, antique shop, or flea market and spent hours admiring every little piece that evokes a bit of nostalgia? Have you ever wondered what it might be like to live inside an antique shop? Wonder no longer—Matt’s historic loft is your answer.

Name: Séverine Piller and Gianfranco Location: Milan, Italy Size: 1400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months If you believe that home should be a retreat from the hectic outside world, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this home shared by a couple in Milan. Séverine is an interior designer and co-founder of atelier BOEMIA, “an online retail store selling decor made by artisans… .

Name: Chaya B&B Location: El Centro — Mexico City, Mexico Type: Two suites and nine rooms Perched high on the top floor of the trendy and newly renovated Barrio Alameda, Chaya B&B, stands out among a fantastic new crop of boutique hotels that are part of Mexico City’s unparalleled design scene. Travel to this part of Mexico City without leaving your home or find inspiration and ideas to add to your own home.

Name: Katy Goodman and Todd Wisenbaker Location: Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented So having 15 guitars may not sound minimal, but I’m convinced indie rockers Katy Goodman and Todd Wisenbaker of the band La Sera are nailing efficient living.

Name: Mikola Accuardi and her almost 3 year old son, Valentino Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1700 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years; owned You may remember Mikola Accuardi and her adorable son, Valentino from their previous house tour with us. Since we last spoke with them over two years ago, they have purchased a gorgeous Tudor home in the shire-like Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland.

Name: Kristen Basilo and Robby the cat Location: River West, Chicago, Illinois Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; owned Kristen Basilo is the owner of Gather Home + Lifestyle and she says that she’s guilty of bringing her favorite items home with her. Most people’s homes would be hopelessly cluttered if they had access to so many beautiful things, but not Kristen. She’s mastered the art of living minimally.

Project by: Casey Location: Chicago, Illinois My husband and I purchased a condo in Chicago nine months ago, and we’ve slowly been working to transform every inch of the 1,200 square foot space. Determined to broaden my DIY skills and try out some new power tools. I vowed to makeover our guest room all by myself. I started by DIY’ing a wood wall treatment to create an accent behind the bed.

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.

Name: Anna Curtis Location: Chicago, Illinois Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; rented Small space living isn’t for everyone, but when Anna returned from a trip to Berlin, she was ready to come back to a familiar well-loved Chicago neighborhood. She jumped on this tiny 350 square foot studio. Immediately after setting foot inside, Anna agreed to take on the previous renter’s lease along with all of his much-too-large-for-a-studio furniture.

Name: Heather and Daniel Mount Location: Denton, Texas Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned When Heather and Daniel started looking for their first home, they had been nervously watching the intense Denton market for a year. The first few houses they saw were supposed to give them an idea of what they could get in their budget, but when they walked into the first house of the day, they felt a connection.

Name: Jess, Evan, and Auggie Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; owned When Jess and Evan were on the market to buy a home, they knew they wanted a change from the Portland bungalows they’d spent the last few years in. They knew they wanted something mid-century, but with the market becoming so competitive, it felt more and more difficult to find a place.

Name: Michele, Jeff and daughters Marlowe and Macie, 19 months Location: Northwest Portland, Oregon Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Jeff and Michele are both native Portlanders who met at a wedding in 2002. Five years after meeting, the couple bought their first home together, and just days after becoming homeowners, they started their first major renovation project.

Name: Sherri and Daniel, and their kids Bella, Vincent and Drake Location: Overlook Neighborhood — Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; owned Sherri and Daniel both make beautiful things for a living, and their home is no exception. Though each brings their own aesthetic to the partnership, their family home feels cohesive, stylish and comfortable.

Name: Meg Gustafson Location: Uptown — Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 months; rented For a short few months, Meg has lived in this familiar space—a high rise in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, on Lake Shore Drive. The building was built in 1959 and Meg’s grandma lived in this exact unit for years. In 1978, Meg’s parents took over and began renting it out.

Name: Isabel, her husband and her two children Location: Mexico City, Mexico Size: 1830 square feet Years lived in: 4 years This is the bold, globally inspired Mexico City home of Isabel and family. Over the years she’s lived in Tunisia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Washington, DC while serving as a Foreign Service Officer, and has traveled to even more places.

Name: Christina and Thejas; Cats: Oliver and Teddie Location: DUMBO; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,080 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented When Christina and Thejas were looking for a new apartment last summer, they searched for a place that had luxury amenities, but still had character and charm. What they found was a modern apartment in an old factory building in DUMBO. And with Christina’s flair for accessorizing and adding color, they brought the space to life.

Name: Matt Austin, of Matt Austin Studio Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Artist and designer Matt Austin’s Brooklyn apartment and studio is maximalist in the best possible way: There’s so much to see, look at and explore, but somehow everything comes together so perfectly and seemingly effortlessly, as if all these fascinating little bits and bobs wanted to be together, in this place, exactly where they are.

Name: Jennifer & family Location: San Francisco, California Years lived in: 11 The kitchen is the heart of interior designer Jennifer’s home and the place where her family catches up between work and school. It’s also where we’re eating Burmese takeout for lunch because when you cook for five, like Jennifer, you’re allowed to do that. Spacious, beautiful, and generally filled with good food and good people, it’s not a bad place to spend an afternoon. Or a morning.

Name: Kendall Location: Bellingham, Washington Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 12 years “Maybe I’ll move in next door to you,” I kidded when I found out the tenant in the space next to my sister Kendall’s light-filled, one-bedroom apartment would be moving out in the fall. She laughed,”Oh, there’s a waiting list.” People have been lining up for years to get into this small complex.

Name: Ryan and Amber Flynn Location: Downtown — Fashion District; Los Angeles, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented When Ryan and Amber Flynn first moved to Los Angeles in 2011, they spent a month crashing on the floor of their friends’ downtown loft. The space was impressive: a former munitions factory, the loft boasted 20-foot ceilings spanning two industrial stories.

Name: Emmanuelle Messean and Jean Baptiste Mariou Location: Saint-Denis — Paris, France Size: 85 square meters (915 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Traveling to the North of Paris is filled with architectural delights (like the first medieval basilica), and this trip to the suburban community of Saint Denis to visit Emmanuelle and Jean Baptiste’s home (that’s been converted from a former taxi garage) does not disappoint.

Name: Rosie Acosta and Torry Pendergrass Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; owned Rosie and Torry found their 1946 Cape Cod style home during a very arduous search for a home to buy. Everything in Portland was getting snagged right from under them and they’d already put in at least two offers on other homes before they found this one.

Name: Andy Koch and Danielle Boachie, and cats Zeus and Miss Fluffy Location: Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; rented For such a small space, Andy and Danielle have their limited square footage very well divided into areas with different purposes.

Name: Laura Castelló Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 215 square feet (20 m2) Years lived in: Rented 3 months Laura is the kind of person that loves simple things and enjoys the little pleasures. She’s an extraordinary artist who draws sweet portraits and makes art with soft colors. The workspace she uses for creating amazing illustrations is a beautiful room filled with art, neutral colors and the most incredible tiles in the world.

Name: Ruben Sales Bellmunt Location: El Carmen — Valencia, Spain Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Ruben is an interior designer from Valencia, creating incredible spaces through ephemeral architecture. He decided to buy a house with a lot of light; he found this incredible apartment in the center of the city. He has no doubt it was made for him. He renovated it, but respected the structure.

Name: Kathryn Baugher of Up to Date Interiors Location: Okinawa, Japan Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year It takes creativity, guts and energy to turn a plain space into something spectacular, and Kathryn’s done it. The home in Okinawa that she shares with her family exudes both serenity and excitement—and those floral covered kitchen cabinets are amazing!

It’s no secret Katy Goodman and Todd Wisenbaker of the band La Sera have style. Just like their guitar-filled Silver Lake home, their fashion choices are fueled by carefree living and an insatiable love of music. They share one small bedroom closet and a modest-sized dresser, and while neither storage device is bursting at the seams, the couple’s daily fashion choices are anything but lackluster.

Name: Kristen Ley and pups Willow Scarlet Ley (photographed) and Henry Albert Ley, and cat Norman Location: Jackson, Mississipi Size: 2300 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1.5 years Kristen Ley is the creative mastermind and founder of Thimblepress, a letterpress, stationery and celebration company out of Jackson, Mississippi (perhaps most recognized for their incredibly cheery and colorful Push-Pop Confetti).

Name: Teresa Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1022 square feet (95 m2) Years lived in: Owned 3 years With a big smile and friendly attitude, Teresa is the kind of person you connect with immediately. The second she opened that door, I could see a reflection of who she is in every corner of this beautiful home. This creative and colorful place was created with a lot of care. Almost all the furniture pieces are inheritances from family, but she know’s how to mix everything in an original way.

Name: Sarah Montgomery Location: Chicago, Ilinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year rented Sarah is proud of her entire 800 square feet, tucked away in a Ukrainian Village coach house, and rightfully so. She has brought art and whimsy into each of her rooms with a true DIY and frugal spirit, all while leaning on her past experience as a window display designer at Anthropologie and her current gig as a product designer at Eastern Accents.

Name: Shannon and Mike Parry, Asha (5) and Bodan (1) Location: Mar Vista — Los Angeles, California Size: 990 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years Walking into Shannon and Mike’s Mar Vista home is a unique experience of high design coupled with sustainable functionality; a rare combo that Shannon pulls off effortlessly. Shannon runs the Sustainable City Program for the city of Santa Monica and Mike is a cinematographer/filmmaker.

Name: Mekiel Nuñez and Saadiq Vaughan Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year The stereotypical New Yorker’s wardrobe consists unapologetically of black, greys, neutrals, and denims. Perhaps the overabundance of visual stimulation in our surroundings is why we prefer our clothes understated.

Name: Maria, Boris, and a dog named Fish Location: Fashion District, Downtown Los Angeles Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: Rent for 1 year Maria and her boyfriend Boris share a sunny, industrial loft in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles. A large and open space, the couple had to create rooms in a floor plan without many existing walls or distinct areas. They combined styles to craft cozy hangout spots all over the beautiful apartment.

Name: Jessica Davis and family Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 4200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Full of fresh white walls, warm materials and bold splashes of color and pattern, it’s not surprising that the home of Jessica Davis, principal Interior Designer at JL Design Nashville, is lovely to look at. But it’s the way she has incorporated smart design choices—and fun—that has made this home so warm, welcoming and family friendly.

Name: Katherine Harris Location: Highland Park; St. Paul, Minnesota Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 9 months rented As a professional photographer, Katie has a keen eye for design, finding inspiration in vintage kitchens and old farmhouses. Most of all, Katie leans heavily on the philosophy that decor need not be expensive. To Katie, meaningfulness trumps all else, with the majority of her furniture being gifts, hand-me-downs, and local purchases.

Name: Kerry Clarkson, and daughter Azure Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year, 8 months It’s been well over a year now since Kerry left Lima, Peru, deciding to stay in Santa Barbara after a visit. That meant leaving a lot behind and starting over with very little in the way of material items and furniture.

Name: Kelly Lamb Location: Los Feliz—Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1.5 years Kelly is an artist, ceramicist and designer living in the Hollywood Hills end of Los Feliz. While she remodels the main house, Kelly has been living in the property’s guest cabin. What I loved most about this guest house is how it encompasses the quintessential Los Angeles vibe: bohemian, warm, welcoming and completely drenched in natural light.

Name: Amanda Holstein and dog Auggie Location: San Francisco, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Amanda is the voice behind the blog Advice from a 20 Something. And seeing what a smart job she did designing her San Francisco studio apartment, it would seem she’s got great advice to give! The small space she shares with her dog Auggie is full of interesting furnishings, yet feels bright and airy.

Name: Leslie Lewis Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented The big windows are Leslie’s favorite thing about her apartment. A corner unit with a great view of downtown Indianapolis, the light streams in, illuminating a cozy home full of unique (and mostly vintage) decor.

Name: Mike, Amanda, and Declan (5 years old) Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: Owned 9 years Amanda, an elementary school teacher, is a master of planning. She pulled off a modern remodel of this Mar Vista house thanks to lots of dream boards and spreadsheets. And she created a sophisticated home that’s also fun and functional for five-year-old Declan.