The Latest: Apr 2019

Name: Kenyatta Forbes Location: Bronzeville — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,450 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Kenyatta is inspired by patterns in nature, textures, and bold and bright colors, all of which can be found in her Chicago apartment. “I think the thing I love most about my home is the elements of history, memories, and design,” Kenyatta says. “I love how they all come together and couldn’t exist without each other.

Name: Hayley Francis Location: Roosevelt — Seattle, Washington Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned When Hayley Francis set out in search of her dream home in Seattle during the summer of 2015, she did so toting a wishlist of charming must-haves: checkerboard black and white tile floors in the kitchen, hardwoods throughout, and a classic Craftsman style.

Name: Ute and Steven Faure and their two daughters Location: Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town Size: 150 square meters (not including the central courtyard) Years lived in: 3 years, rented At the foot of Signal Hill you’ll find Schotsche Kloof, a vibrant neighborhood that Ute, Steven and their two young daughters call home. Their Victorian-­era home was given an update by the well-known and award-winning Chilean architect, Antonio Zaninovic, who is based in Cape Town.

Name: Krysta Jabczenski and Joel Leshefka Location: Barrio Libre — Tucson, AZ Years lived in: 3 years, owned Tucked away in the historic Barrio Libre neighborhood of Tucson is a little strip of lovingly restored adobes. The airy structures are full of desert charm, and they owe their new lives to a couple that split their time between arid Tucson and soggy Seattle.

Name: Sarah Scott and her pugs, Lulu and Ozzy Location: Sea Point East, Cape Town Size: 1615 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned The beautiful house you see today is a far cry from how it looked when Sarah, a designer, purchased it two and a half years ago. She had chanced upon the property when it was totally derelict and still in the very beginning stages of a renovation.

Name: Caroline Z Hurley Location: West Village, NYC Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 13 years Caroline Z Hurley has lived in her apartment for 13 years, but has known the space even longer. Both of her sisters each lived in the apartment before her, and at one point, Caroline shared the 420-square-foot studio with one of them! Originally, the apartment was just an open studio with a half-wall separating the bedroom area.

Name: Emily DeRosa and Matthew Pugliese Location: Upper West Side, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Emily and Matt’s pre-war apartment building (built in 1925) is located on a quiet block on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The couple has resided in their 800-square-foot apartment for two-and-a-half years, and during this time, have filled it with treasures from their travels and art made by dear friends. Emily works in an art gallery and Matt is a physical therapist.

Name: Julie Morel Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Julie’s apartment love story all started with a radiator. No one moves to Shanghai — or spends even a night there — without hearing grave warnings from residents about the damp, drafty homes that skimp on central heating. Tenants in century-old flats depend on space heaters and electric blankets, or take solace in trips a little farther south.

Name: Darcy Young & Mike Putizger with dog Moose Location: West Town — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Darcy and Mike arrived at a building in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago for a condo showing two years ago, another unit owner in the building happened to be moving out at the same time. The door was open and they popped their heads in.

Name: Kalyn and Todd Chandler Location: Tribeca — New York, NY Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned When Kalyn moved into her now-husband Todd’s apartment, the two were practicing lawyers. Kalyn was unhappy with her busy career, so Todd encouraged her to pursue her passion for design. With that extra push, Kalyn’s brand Effie’s Paper—a fun and feminine stationery and gift company — was born.

Name: Mery Garriga Location: Barcelona, Spain. Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting “Less is more” was the phrase Mies Van Der Rohe used to define a design ideal. It’s also the philosophy Mery, a Barcelona-based interior designer, focuses on in both her design business and her life at home. Soft colors, simple furniture and small details mark her style, and her home is the perfect showcase of her skills at elegant simplicity.

Name: Kate, her husband and their dog, Millie, Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,830 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Kate Goethe, like most military spouses, didn’t picture herself living in an Italian villa five years ago when she was living in a small suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. But like all military members and their families, you go where duty calls — and well, sometimes that comes with perks that include a jasmine-filled veranda and a villa.

Alex and Sean refuse to leave any walls bare in their Oakland apartment and share a love for mid-century furniture, classic TV, and cheesy movies.

Name: Thomas Dobrowolski and Ben Ezrick Location: West Village, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When you only have 400 square feet to work with, every inch of your home has to be considered during a remodel. Not just for aesthetics, but for also for function. Which is precisely what Thomas and Ben did with their West Village home when they set about renovating the small space: There are sleek, smart, built-in storage solutions in every room of the apartment.

Name: Deanna Leone, Jessie Mademann (and Thurston & Shermie the cats) Location: Fishtown, Philadelphia Size: Large Loft Studio (don’t know the square foot) Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Fishtown is one of Philadelphia’s many booming neighborhoods, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique (and affordable!) home in the area. When you’re as creative as Jessie and Deanna, settling for a typical white-wall one-bedroom isn’t the ideal.

Name: Huberdine Verhoeven, Bertie, and their daughter Evy Location: Drunen, the Netherlands Size: 1,647 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, owned Huberdine was born and raised in Drunen, a small town in the southern Netherlands. Today, she still calls it home, along with her husband Bertie and their daughter Evy. Eleven years ago, they bought the house when it was newly-built and modernly design.

Name: Jenny Mountford, owner of Attic and Fable Location: Bridgetown, Western Australia Size: 1894 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Jenny has always been drawn to color, the avant garde and items that have a history. To hold something in her hands that’s been held by many hands before her gives her such pleasure, allowing herself to wonder about the life both it, and its owner, may have led.

Name: Milicent Armstrong, Brian, and Gerry Location: South End — Boston, Massachusettes Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Walking into Milicent’s South End home is like being invited into a small oasis. Upon entering, guests step into a hallway with soaring ceilings and beautiful wallpaper.

He's a programmer; she's a designer. And they both live and work in this big and bright LA loft.

Name: Dee Campling, her husband, three children and cockapoo Ted Location: Cheltenham — Gloucestershire, UK Years lived in: 18 years, owned Cheltenham-based interior and event stylist Dee Campling has recently risen to Instagram fame with her fresh, eclectic, and highly accessible approach to interiors and her often wry and funny take on family life.

Name: Eva Goicochea and Ian Goicochea Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, renting What happens when two creatives — one from California/New Mexico and the other from Arizona/Oregon — come to New York together with four animals? They make some serious West Coast meets Southwest minimalist magic. Ian and Eva met nine years ago through a mutual friend.

Name: Kerry Lockwood, her husband Justin, kids Alfie and Jersey, and Chester the dog. Location: Northumberland, UK Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting While some renters might shy away from making any dramatic changes to their home, interior stylist and lifestyle blogger Kerry Lockwood jumped right in. The rental home she shares with her family is in the center of town, walking distance from schools, shops, cafes and a local park.

Name: Anissa and Brian Zajac Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Size: 2800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned A year ago Anissa and Brian were living in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis, in a traditional home, in a traditional subdivision. Though perfectly fine, the home just didn’t feel like their family’s style. So, they listened to their hearts and relocated to their dream neighborhood, where the couple has remodeled and redecorated to better match their personalities.

Name: Danielle, Michael, Enzo, and Ziggy Gutelli Location: Plymouth — Michigan Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Danielle and Michael were both born and raised in the Midwest (Metro Detroit and St. Louis, respectively) and met in Chicago, where they resided together for 10 years. After their first born, Enzo, came into the world, they decided to make the move to Michigan to be closer to family.

Name: Grace Location: Washington, DC Size: 495 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned After a marvelous tour with Irwin, fate brought us Grace in the comments thread; she’s a resident of the same, beautiful Art Deco-style apartment building with precisely the same floor plan. Whereas Irwin’s studio was brimming with rich earthy colors, I was delighted to see Grace’s interpretation of the space—in top to bottom pink.

Name: Corine Deshaies and her partner Max Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Corine found her first McCoy planter under a table in a garage sale at only four years old; she’s always had an eye for spotting great deals and rare original goods. Because of her gift for thrift, nearly every furniture piece in the duplex she owns with her partner Max is vintage. She’s found it all at various garage sales and in second-hand shops.

Name: Angela and Wubbi the Bulldog Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Angela purchased her turn-of-the-century home, the kitchen was literally falling off the back of the house. “After moving in, I learned the original 1906 kitchen was moved from the center of the house onto the BACK PORCH! That little tidbit explained the slope of the kitchen floor! I had myself a genuine indoor/outdoor kitchen.

Name: Olivia Mae Romano and her cats Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Sonia Sotomayor Location: Pilsen — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Inspired by her mother’s eye for design and skill at finding home decor gems in back alleys, Olivia has made her Pilsen loft an inspiring space. As a little girl, Olivia remembers being driven to school by her mother who would constantly pull off the road to pick up furniture she spotted.

Name: Lourdes Hernandez and Zach Leigh Location: Highland Park, Los Angeles Size: 1900 square feet Years lived in: 18 months, owned Creative duo Zach and Lourdes started their relationship as musicians — they met one night at The Largo while playing a show. But recently their creative energies have gone in another direction: Refurbishing an old church in Los Angeles’ Highland Park.

Name: Starry Xiao Location: Guozijian — Beijing, China Size: 320 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, renting Starry Xiao’s hutong home is nestled among the throngs of mom and pop stores selling incense for visitors to Beijing’s famous Lama Temple. Within its blue walls, however, it radiates a completely different kind of aroma. A local chef, Starry is known to make use of every corner of his tiny kitchen to whip up elaborate brunches for his girlfriend.

Name: Stephanie Betant and Chace Vanderwolk Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 2,150 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Beijing and Shanghai dwellers often engage in friendly spats over which city is the better one. Stephanie Betant and her husband Chace Vanderwolk recently found themselves in the unique position of getting to know both.

Name: Gaby Suhr Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 1,163 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Several years ago Gaby spent a couple of months traveling around the world. Living from just a suitcase, she became conscious of just how little one actually needs on a day-to-day basis. Some time later, a friend told Gaby that he felt she had a distinct ability to see the essence of a situation. To focus on the bare necessities.

Name: Martha, her husband Daniel and son Nicolas Location: Gracia – Barcelona, Spain Size: 754 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, renting Though Martha loves the Barcelona neighborhood she lives in — she describes it as a small town with artists living in it — it’s her apartment that she considers an extension of herself. It’s the place where she goes when she needs to relax. But Martha almost missed out on renting this apartment!

Name: Jim Manning Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 15 years, owned Some homes just have a story. In this case, Jim’s two-bedroom East Nashville home has quite a few of them! He is one of just three owners and has lived here for 15 years, which is very unusual for Nashville these days.

Name: Michelle Paul Toney and James Toney III Location: Chinatown — Downtown Los Angeles Size: 1,115 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Michelle and James’ lives seem to revolve around downtown LA. After meeting in the Arts District one fated Tuesday night, the couple have since been married, started the Los Angeles-based company Morrow Soft Goods with two friends, and moved into the beautiful and brightly lit Chinatown apartment where they currently reside.

Name: Linda Hsiao, Kagan Taylor and Scallion the Cat Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Years lived in: 2 years, renting Linda and Kagan’s Highland Park home is a perfect reflection of their combined creative collaborations and organic aesthetics. The space is filled with handmade treasures, meaningful art, and friend’s crafts to create a truly cozy and original style.

Ceramicist Kenesha Sneed of Tactile Matter shares this cabin-like home with furniture maker Ben Tetro. It's minimalist meets comfort with bold pops of color.

Name: Jillian Gould Allstadt and John Allstadt, kids Mia and Bodhi, and dogs Bella and Milo Location: Mission Canyon — Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,650 square feet on a 10,000 square foot lot Years lived in: 8 months (bought gutted and designed from NYC); owned Jill and her husband John are New Yorkers who left Brooklyn behind for a West Coast dream.

Name: Mary Kate Fitzpatrick Location: St. Louis Hills — St. Louis, Missouri Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Mary Kate Fitzpatrick’s St. Louis shotgun apartment boasts many delightful characteristics, but perhaps most tantalizing is the bedroom view: just feet away is Ted Drewes, serving the city’s famous frozen custard. But temptation begins to melt away as you make your way to the opposite end to a living room bathed in sunlight.

Name: Ashley Chu and Alex Acker Location: Beixinqiao — Beijing, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Beijing is famous for its centuries-old hutongs — the winding alleyways that once made up the main arteries of the city. They were filled with traditional courtyard homes until the spaces were divided or destroyed to make room for a swelling population.

Name: Christine and Gabe Bridger, Emelia and Jenson Location: Evanston, Illinois Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned During long summer walks, the Bridger family would peer into the windows of this 1920s cottage. When it finally became available, they purchased it without even stepping foot inside. The home was not period correct, nor was the space very functional, so they opened up every wall possible without losing the historic charm.

Name: Tracy Young Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Pennsylvania native Tracy Young remembers helping her parents garden, ferment, and cook from a young age. Her Brooklyn apartment is an eclectic nod to her idyllic childhood, but also to the decade she spent as a chef cooking aboard yachts that sailed the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and Caribbean. Today, she co-owns the restaurant Kings Co Imperial in Williamsburg.

Name: Erin Cullerton of Design Agency Co and Melanie McGraw of Monk Provisions Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Erin and Mel felt it was time to look for a home together, they never dreamed they would be able to find something affordable in the Silver Lake area.

Name: Fernando and Maximiliano Location: La Boca — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 1,130 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned When Maximiliano and Fernando were looking for a place to live, they realized they could afford a bigger home if they were willing to give it some TLC before moving in. They found a house in this building of La Boca, a neighborhood known by its bright-colored dwellings, the first home of many immigrants, and the story of tango.

Name: Maria and her two children Location: Sant Gervasi — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Maria came to live in this apartment when she moved from Madrid with her two children two years ago. The apartment once belonged to her grandmother, so Maria remembers fondly coming to play here with her cousins when she was a toddler. The space looks quite different these days, though. When her grandmother lived here, it was heavy on dark wood.