The Latest: May 2019

Name: Megan and Todd Walsh, one cat, and three dogs Location: West Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Applying a fresh coat of white paint on the walls in each room was the first thing Todd and Megan, owners of Atomic Furnishing, did to their new rental—a simple and inexpensive change that created the perfect backdrop to highlight the couple’s colorful collection of mid-century furnishings, rugs and art.

Name: Joe Cafuir and Keith DeNatale Location: Grand Lake—Oakland, California Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented It’s easy for a tiny apartment full of plants and tchotchkes to feel cluttered. But when done the right way—as Joe and Keith have with their tiny 300-square-foot studio—the space can be warm and inviting without feeling crammed or excessive.

Name: Tirsh Hunter and Minky Lew and their dog, Arnie Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Minky and Tirsh cite their family’s resourcefulness as their biggest inspiration, and their North Oakland loft is filled with vignettes demonstrating just that. Minky takes after her grandmother, who instilled such traits in her.

Name: Kelly Ransom and her dog Omelet Location: Faubourg Marigny; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned Kelly’s 1830s cottage, located on a quiet residential street in the Marigny, has the kind of charm for which New Orleans homes are known. Light blue shutters open to reveal four sets of French doors and classic wrought ironwork.

Name: Ineke Hutter and sons Leo and Arlo Location: Collingwood; Melbourne; Victoria, Australia Size: 139 square meters (1,496 square feet) Years lived in: 10 years; Owned For interior stylist and set decorator Ineke Hutter, living in a 100-year-old wool mill is something she still gets a kick out of, 10 years after she first moved in. She and her two sons share the space where many moons ago factory workers sorted the wool that came in from farms outside the city.

Name: Melinda Josie and Wesley Doerksen and their cat, Malkmus Location: The Junction; Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1 ¼ years; Rented Upon entering this home you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to a cabin in the woods. On a quiet street in Toronto just west of downtown, the couple have managed to cultivate a quaint and cozy environment inspired by their love for the outdoors.

Name: Girolamo and Alex Location: Dogpatch — San Francisco, California Size: 871 square feet (1,200 square feet including the coffee shop) Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Very few people can roll out of bed and be at work in just a few steps. For Girolamo and Alex, getting to their coffee shop—La Stazione Coffee and Wine Bar—is just a quick commute down a spiral staircase.

Name: Mel and Ryan Tonkin and their daughters, Millie and Olivia Location: Bedfordale, Western Australia Size: 95 square meters (1,023 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned To begin this House Tour, I must tell you that this house is actually a shed — a standard shed you’d find in the backyard of many Australian homes. What Mel and Ryan have done to their shed though, is something entirely different from any shed you have ever seen. It is extraordinary.

Name: Gary Marshall Location: Poplar Dock Marina, London Size: 92 square meters (or just under 1000 square feet) Years lived in: 3 Months Have you ever dreamed of living on a boat? I know I have. But while it sounds romantic, I’ve always been worried about having to live in a too-cramped space or a home filled with too many “nautical” themes. Gary’s houseboat blows any preconceived notions about a houseboat right out of the water! (Pun very intended.

Name: Ascher, Dylan & Hudson (13 months old) Lindsay with their two dogs Spencer and Alfie Location: Scarborough, Western Australia Size: 230 square metres (2475 square feet) Years lived in: 7 Years, Owned Set on a very busy road, just a short drive from Scarborough Beach—a popular tourist location—sits Ascher and Dylan’s home. Once you walk through their portico and step inside, the hectic outdoor world just falls away and you are left with a sense of peace and calm.

Name: Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann have lived in their Silver Lake apartment for two years, but at first it’s hard to tell. The couple has taken their time making the space their own, filling it with only the most essential and desired pieces.

Name: Felicity Graham Sargent; educator and interior designer/owner’s representative at Felicity Sargent Design Location: Brooklyn Heights; Brooklyn, NY Size: 800 square feet (studio with mezzanine) Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned A visit to Felicity’s magnificent two-story studio in Brooklyn Heights is a study in the wonders of architecture and design, past and present.

Name: Laurence and Alexandre Location: Petite-Patrie; Montreal Size: 940 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Alex and Laurence were looking for an unusual place. A merge of the functional “Batcave” and the artistic grandiloquence of the Mysore Palace in India. They found this apartment, with enough wall space to hang all of Alexandre’s artworks (from past exhibitions) and Laurence’s numerous travel souvenirs. The apartment is full of architecturally strange surprises.

Name: Natalie Jarvis, husband Scott and children Matilda (3) and Stella (8mo) Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 90 square metres (969 square feet) Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Natalie, her husband Scott and their two small children live in a leafy bayside pocket of Melbourne in a ground floor, three-bedroom apartment. Both are originally from New Zealand and they made the move to Australia just over nine years ago.

Name: Kirsty and Noel Shorten Location: Hilton, Western Australia Size: 150 square meters (1614 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years Fremantle is well known for being a little quirky. People from all over Perth flock there, especially on the weekends, attracted to its laid back vibe and inviting atmosphere. Kirsty and Noel’s little home perched just above all the action, in the neighboring suburb of Hilton, fits right in.

Name: Alice and Lucy Oehr & Otto the cat Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 75 square metres (807 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years When sisters Alice and Lucy Oehr first took possession of their single-fronted brick cottage in the inner north of Melbourne it was an absolute “renovator’s delight.” Bought in 2011, Alice and Lucy set to work on a three-month summer holiday building project.

Name: Amanda, Brandon, and Gatsby Location: Los Feliz; Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; rented This is one of those apartments that never gets advertised, because it gets handed down from friend to friend. Architectural designers Amanda and Brandon knew they had to have this sunny, large unit with vintage tile and hardware and outdoor space for their first apartment together as soon as a mutual friend talked about moving out.

Name: Lynn Pike Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 937 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned With her signature red lips and red glasses, Lynn is charismatic and has a strong sense of style. Lynn is the owner of a clothing boutique, Tallulah’s, and has been for almost 40 years. Her keen eye for design and understanding of color has flourished with many years of buying for her boutique. Both her boutique and her home reflect her vibrant personality and her eclectic style.

Name: Saskia Ericson, Tony Ericson, and their sons Louis and Sidney Location: Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia Size: 145 square meters (1560 square feet) Years lived in: 14 years, owned Saskia and Tony are graphic designers and run Hatch Creative in St Kilda in Melbourne. Saskia is also a food fanatic in the kitchen and online—she somehow finds the time to run her food blog 1=2. Tony loves to paint. They have two young boys, Louis and Sidney.

Name: Ashley Drost, pups Lazer + Leroy Location: Silver Lake; Los Angeles, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Enter Ashley’s sunny and revamped 1914 Craftsman home and it’s immediately clear that the saying is true, home is what you make of it. After years of renting on the West side and an exhaustive real estate search, she stumbled on this home in Silver Lake.

Name: Hannah Ruskin and her dog, Stella Location: McClymonds — Oakland, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Having previously used her Oakland live-work space for her now thriving business, Hannah is happy she can now claim the space as her own. Although her small studio continues to allow her to work on creative projects, most of her work from home is personal in nature, whether crafting at her desk or caring for more than 40 flourishing plants.

Name: Su Pang Location: Highland Terrace; Oakland, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned After spending some time in Sweden, Su fell in love not just with Swedish culture, but with the architecture. “I fell in love with the red wooden Swedish country homes,” she said. “Being a designer, I always wanted to design my own home.” So when she had an opportunity to build in her very own backyard, she jumped on it.

Name: Paige Bennett-Primke & Thorben Primke Location: Mission District; San Francisco, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Paige and Thorben’s Mission District apartment shows what good teamwork can create. When they were tired of looking at the white-walls in the living room, they brainstormed and decided to change it up, covering it with reclaimed wood they found in a near-by neighborhood.

Name: Morgane Location: Villeray; Montreal Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; rented Working in an art gallery and having a natural talent for decorating, Morgane’s apartment is a true reflection of herself and her love for art. The space is airy, well balanced, delicate, monochromatic, with a touch of natural tones, unique pieces and personal touches. For her, everything resides in the small details. She puts great care on choosing each piece that she brings into her home.

Name: Sonia Sabnani Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1076 square feet (100m2) Years lived in: Rented 3 months Sonia is a fashion photographer who creates bright, modern scenes. Images of style and a touch of rebelliousness inspire her work, as well as how she decorated her beautiful loft. Bright white walls are punctuated by accents of pink and green colors. Everything is in its place. All the incredible photographs in this loft? Taken by her.

Name: Butterfly House Location: Silver Triangle — Venice, California Size: 3400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Nestled close to the famed Venice Canals lies the Butterfly House, a net-zero home constructed by architect David Hertz. The home was built to fully utilize its sunny south facing position, with a dark exterior, photo-voltaic panels, and evacuated glass tubes that provide hot water for heating the home and pool.

Name: Nacho and Lorena Location: Alicante, Spain Size: 2152 square feet (200 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 9 months Husband and wife Nacho and Lorena not only have a beautiful home, they also have a big heart. They’re both founders of Aprenent, a center that helps kids with autism, where they create training courses and use psychology as a resource to improve relationships.

Name: Lei and Dijon and their children, Lola and Harrison Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: +- 500 square meters (property size: 700 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 1 year Lei and Dijon had been house hunting for awhile when they came across this place; they knew it was the one at first sight. Lei is an interior designer and retail consultant and instantly saw the potential. They signed the deal within 24 hours!

Name: Mery and Mili, sisters and owners of Hinojo Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 220 square meters (2368 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Mery and Mili are two sisters who love food and spend time together cooking healthy and creative meals. They are owners of Hinojo, a food blog they started a few years ago. They share a lot of recipes you can enjoy with family and friends (or just make and enjoy yourself.) They are from Argentina but came to Valencia looking for a change.

Name: Michael Fiset with pets Dog: Josephine; Cat: Leopold (orange one); Cat: Ouski (grey one) Location: Parc Extension; Montréal, Canada Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 1/2 years Mike’s home is filled with stories and intent; virtually every item he owns has significance, purpose or is connected to an adventure or inspiration.

Name: Irene Grishin Selzer and Peter Selzer Location: Victoria, Australia Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Irene, Peter and their two young children live in a bay-side suburb near Melbourne in an amazing Art Deco house, which they have restored and renovated into a spacious family home. Irene and Peter are the duo behind Iggy and Lou Lou—creating beautiful ceramic jewelry and homewares from their home studio.

Name: Sasha Darling, owner of BellJar Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1300 square feet You may remember Sasha’s Silver Lake bohemian home tour from a few years ago. For the past year, Sasha has been working hard on closing her San Francisco boutique, BellJar, and re-opening it in Los Angeles. It was a bittersweet goodbye in San Francisco, but Sasha sees her Los Feliz boutique as a fresh start and a cool new hangout for her dogs, Violet and Piglet.

Name: Stone Dow, Julia Goldstein, and their cat, Kiki Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Stone and Julia happened upon their 1960s duplex via Craigslist — it’s an unbelievable find that would make anyone want to start looking around in the off-season of the Boston rental market.

Name: Ashley, Dara, and their two daughters, Sage and Sophie; dog, Dylan, and cat, Luna. Location: Topanga Canyon, California Size: 3500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Nestled in the hills of Topanga Canyon, Ashley and Dara have created a home that honors their creative spirit and inspires their collaborative jewelry line, Alkemie Jewelry.

Name: Ashley, Dara, and their two daughters, Sage and Sophie; dog, Dylan, and cat, Luna. Location: Topanga Canyon, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years You may remember Dara and Ashley’s bohemian Topanga home tour, and if that wasn’t inspiring enough, check out their Moroccan-inspired guest home dubbed The Topanga Gypsy Hideaway. The guest home is freestanding with peaceful views of the Topanga mountains.

Name: Esther, Álvaro and Aníbal Location: Ruzafa — Valencia, Spain Size: 840 square feet (78 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 3 years Esther and Álvaro met seven years ago in London when Esther was working as a journalist. Soon after, they opened Gnomo, a hip retail store in the fashionable neighborhood of Ruzafa.

Name: Kirsten Perry Location: Preston — Melbourne, Victoria Size: 140 square metres Years lived in: Owned 4 years Ceramic artist and educational designer Kirsten lives in a one floor apartment in a suburb of Melbourne. Built in 1979, the brick apartment is filled with quirky ceramic artwork, decorative objects and totems, as well as planters to house her amazing collection of indoor plants.

Name: Florence and Julien Location: Plateau Mt-Royal — Montreal Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Florence is the founder of Me Myself & Montreal, a blog that provides the best spots in Montreal to visit. She also organizes “discovery” events for its readers. The Montreal apartment she shares with Julien is bright and radiant and the large windows provide the best views of the city, like the Mount-Royal, the city center and the Olympic Stadium.

Name: Edmund Lam, Heidi Donnelly and Arthur (2 years old) Location: Montreal-West; Canada Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Sometimes it can be difficult to make the transition from downtown living to the suburbs, but when you luck out on a space to call home that screams your name (and meets your budget) you leave running! This is essentially what happened to Edmund and Heidi a little over two years ago.

Name: Abi James Location: Bo Kaap — Cape Town, South Africa Size: 130 square meters (1399 square feet) Years lived in: Owned 2 years Abi’s home is a treasure trove of unique finds collected on travels abroad and sourced lovingly over time. As soon as you step inside, you’re welcomed into a charming haven full of warmth and personality. Abi is an interior designer who works mainly with safari lodges and travels regularly for her work.

Name: Deborah J Stein, painter, designer and owner of Bonbon Oiseau Workshop and James Knudsen, lighting director, production lighting designer and owner of Quazar Productions. (With Maxine and Icky the cats and Pablo the pup) Location: Long Island City, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4.5 years Like us, our homes have moods. On a sunny day, they’re cheerful and bright; at night, they can be quiet and contemplative.

Name: Alejandra Bennett and Oliver Katz Location: Beacon Hill — Boston, MA Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; rented Alejandra Bennett and Oliver Katz’s s light-filled Beacon Hill apartment in Boston is a convergence of new and old, near and far. The couple has filled the apartment with hand-me-downs and inherited family pieces, budget solutions and quality staples purchased for their first place together.

Name: Chris and Neil Bellamy Location: Bayside Melbourne — Victoria, Australia Years lived in: Owned 15 years Chris and Neil Bellamy with their two children Denie and Rhys live in a quiet bayside suburb of Melbourne. Chris is a full time artist who also dabbles in interior design and styling. Neil works in building and finance. They designed and built this house together—living in the home while they renovated, with small children in tow. A challenge in itself!

Name: Hopie Stockman and David Branson Smith and Otto the pup Location: Venice Beach — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting These California transplants have had to get resourceful in decorating their apartment in a 1920s Venice Beach house. Rose Bowl Flea finds, hand-me-downs and tons of books blend into an eclectic, East Coast-meets-California beach cottage vibe.

Name: Ruth Steadman Location: Crystal Palace, London Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, rented This high-ceilinged apartment in a large early-Victorian house is home to writer and psychotherapist Ruth Steadman and her cat Tallulah. Although it’s rented, in the nine years Ruth has lived here she’s managed to create a home that feels truly her own.

Name: Lulu Brud Zsebe and Justin Zsebe Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 2 Bedroom and 2 Bath Years lived in: 2.5 years – rent Lulu and her husband Justin are lucky to have found an apartment that suits their lifestyle—it’s a space that has been passed on though the hands of friends for the past 13 years. They love the coziness, and have created a dwelling that invites their guests to feel at home.

Name: Meghna Davé and Jake Williams and Lemmy (our pup!) Location: East Atlanta, Georgia Size: 1000 sq ft Years lived in: Owned 1 year Dive into a world of brilliant colors displayed through the ancient form of block printing by Maelu Designs, a sustainable textile company by local Atlanta entrepreneur, Meghna Davé. The bold patterns in the home she shares with Jake are highlighted by a minimal and natural aesthetic, making this space modern with a sense of familiarity.