The Latest: 2019

Name: Timothy Kolstad Location: San Jose, California Size: 1,888 square feet Years lived in: 27 years (on and off); Owned for 2 years Timothy never expected he’d end up back in San Jose living in his childhood home. He inherited the house two years ago, and since then, he’s worked hard to remodel the space and make it his own, which he says hasn’t been an easy task on a limited budget.

Name: Adam Wihlborg Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting When Adam Wihlborg tells the story, it’s hard to believe that six flights of dark and dusty stairs once nearly deterred him from signing a lease on his spacious, light-filled flat looking out over the trees in Shanghai’s French Concession.

Name: Björn Holmenäs Location: El Poble-sec — Barcelona, Spain Size: 506 square feet (plus a 430 square foot terrace) Years lived in: 6 years, owned Björn’s apartment is located in the Barcelona neighborhood of El Poble-sec, a neighborhood with a history that can be traced back to ancient Rome. The streets in the neighborhood are small and narrow, yet filled with creativity and inspiration.

Name: Shari Pelkmans, Mike and Olle Location: Heeze, the Netherlands Size: 1,087 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Three years ago Shari and Mike bought a newly-built house in Heeze, a tiny town in the south of the Netherlands (and Mike’s hometown). The location is great: a short walk from the town center, but also lots of pretty nature just around the corner.

Name: Alexander Åhnebrink Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Alexander moved to China with his wife four years ago, he dreamed of a traditional courtyard home. He was met with reality: finding one that didn’t need serious renovations was next to impossible and they would be settling for a more modern serviced apartment in the city center.

Name: Jenny McCown Location: Brisbane, Australia Years lived in: 20 Months Some years ago I first met artist Jenny McCown when I photographed her home in East Brisbane — a five-bedroom Queenslander with a bright pink door. She has since moved into a more modern (and smaller) two-bedroom apartment on Brisbane River. It is in an enviable location, with a view off her balcony across Jacaranda trees with the river just beyond.

Name: Christopher Gyzemyter Location: Brisbane, Australia Size: 1345 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Christopher — a talented interior designer — was destined to have a beautiful home, whatever space he ended up in. But what’s so lovely about this place is that it’s a reflection of his style, and also a reaction to the bones of the home he bought five years ago.

Name: Andrea, Fernando and their children Delfina, Juan Cruz, Bautista and Benito Location: Villa Adelina — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 20 years, owned When Andrea got pregnant with their first child, they moved to this house that belonged to her husband’s family. It was supposed to be for the meantime, while they’d keep looking for their “forever” house.

Name: Stefano Giacomello Location: Outremont, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Stefano is a 3D artist and designer with a great eye for home decor and spatial planning. And his style is influenced considerably by the ’80s and a love for graphic lines and vibrant colors. Although Stefano’s apartment is on the small side, every item has its own place.

Name: Lexie Comstock Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting For someone whose cookie baking skills have gained her countless fans in Shanghai, Lexie Comstock is very chill about not having a kitchen in her apartment.

Name: Claire Plummer Location: Brunswick — Melbourne, Australia Size: 2,034 square feet Years lived in: 15 years, owned It might be surprising to learn that Claire Plummer — a telecommunications analyst by day, mosaic artist by night — is a self-confessed minimalist when it comes to decorating her home. But it’s precisely this conscious decision to keep it simple with furnishings that’s allowed the amazing, one-of-kind mosaic art she creates to shine.

Name: Mireia Location: Gracia — Barcelona, Spain Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned As a pattern designer, Mireia has an eye for mixing different textures and styles, and the beautiful Barcelona apartment she’s owned for over a decade has proven to be the perfect canvas for her to show off her styling skills.

Name: Gretchen and Kevin Location: Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After spending four years in 800 square feet in New York City, Kevin and Gretchen were able to design their dream loft back in their home state of Michigan. They found a space in an old, industrial building in a mixed-use neighborhood that’s lively and vibrant.

Name: Andrew Chappelle and his dog, Patti LuBone Location: Washington Heights — New York, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Andrew Chappelle is part of the amazingly talented cast of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton, but aside from his performance skills, he has a great eye for design. This is quickly apparent when walking into his Washington Heights apartment, which he shares with his pup, Patti LuBone.

Name: Anh Tg Location: Petite Patrie, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Plants. Plants. Plants. White walls. Art and Design. This minimalist Montreal apartment is tastefully styled by the talented exhibition designer of the Canadian Centre of Architecture. Designer and co-founder of bureau sacha von der potter in Geneva, Anh definitely knows about the delicate balance between negative and positive space.

Name: Meghan Lorenz Location: Ukrainian Village — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, rented Meghan Lorenz is a jewelry maker and occasional prop stylist and her creative eye is on display all over her Chicago apartment. Her space is filled with pieces from her artist friends (and her artist boyfriend). She loves to go thrifting and antiquing, a skill she got from her mom. In fact, many of her awesome pieces were thrifted by her mother.

Name: Susanne ter Heerdt and Henri van Veen Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, owned It’s fascinating how one thing can lead to another. In Susanne’s case she took an upholstery course, resulting in a striking dining chair set. But what’s more: the pretty rose fabric inspired her to create a huge cross-stitch wall hanging. This new passion was born one and a half years ago, and since then Susanne has grown in her craft and style.

Name: Lake Sharp, husband Alex, and two-year-old Nevada Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,406 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Lake Sharp is a skilled maker whose hand-thrown pottery, micro-batch textile goods, and exterior and interior design services comprise her business Array. In addition to being a kick-ass artist, she recently co-founded the “friendly, radically inclusive neighborhood gym and wellness center” EVERYBODY.

Name: Meg, Glenn, Maddie and Isabelle Hoburg, and dog, Piper Location: Capitol Hill — Washington, DC Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 14 years, owned Meg Hoburg is an interior designer with Southern roots, a true sense of Southern hospitality, and a fantastic eye for wallpaper. She and her family have been living in their Capitol Hill row house in Washington, DC for 14 years. Customizing the house throughout these years has been a steady work in progress.

Name: Darren Sandras Location: Tamboerskloof — Cape Town, South Africa Size: aprox. 1550 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Tucked away in the heart of Tamboerskloof is a row of semi-detached Victorian houses, each with a different colored door. And if you enter the blue door, a surprise awaits you: A beautiful and relaxed home that has come together over time. The fabulous location is what initially drew Darren to his home.

Name: Rachel and Ryan Location: Oak Hill — Nashville, Tennessee Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned Umbrellas hang from the ceiling and there’s an entire wall of speakers in the front sitting room. The moment you enter Rachel and Ryan’s house, you’re swept up into their colorful and eclectic world.

Name: Patricia Lopez Location: San Isidro — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Patricia got divorced she did it her way: She left him the house and went looking for a new place where she could unleash her extravagant taste and decorate free from compromises. You see, Patricia’s personality has always been strong. Born into a family of artists, she tried rebelling against her parents by attending college to become an attorney.

Name: Anne Yvonne Stoltze and her Ragdoll cats Teddy (who sadly passed away this summer) and Nigel Location: Treme — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Anne’s romance with New Orleans began three years ago during a visit for Jazz Fest, a familiar story here in the Crescent City. The unique architecture, lush landscape, and celebratory way-of-life felt just right for this Iowa-born bon vivant.

Name: Julie and Matt Stephenson Location: Culver City, California Size: 2900 square feet Years Lived In: 6 months, owned It’s no secret that sticking to a minimal color palette can help create a sense of order and cohesiveness in design. Inspired by the stark and minimal styles found in Brutalist architecture and Icelandic design, homeowners Matt and Julie fully committed to a strict black-and-white color scheme and it definitely paid off.

Name: Gloria, her husband and two children Location: Sabadell — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,615 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Being a fashion designer gave Gloria the opportunity to travel and find trends and styles from all over the world. A lover of color and texture — her passion is mixing them with the minimal and white design sensibilities of Scandinavia. A feeling of “This is it!” washed over Gloria when she found this 1930s apartment in Barcelona.

Name: Kami Gray, her husband Bryant and dogs Ben and George Location: Mt. Tabor Neighborhood — Southeast Portland, Oregon Size: 2,968 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Kami and Bryant started dating when they both lived on different floors of the same condo building. After falling in love, they decided to buy a house to live in together. They purchased a home on Mt.

Name: Juan Velasquez Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 460 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, rented About five years ago, the house Juan shared with two friends in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood was sold, forcing him to move out. That’s when he stumbled upon this current apartment in Highland Park.

Name: Ali and Chip McEnhill Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 478 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Ali and Chip McEnhill moved into their apartment in Cobble Hill Towers — a Brooklyn landmark built in 1879 — they were inspired to reintroduce and recover some of its original character.

Name: Melinda McSpadden Location: Garden District — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 11 months; the apartment is one of the perks of being a live-in innkeeper The setting for Melinda McSpadden’s life is dripping with Southern charm — lush greenery and a canopy of century-old oaks surround a Queen Anne-style mansion built in 1890 in the heart of New Orleans’ picturesque Garden District.

Name: Jaimee Dormer + Adam Lodynsky Location: Pasadena, California Size: 672 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Jaimee Dormer and her husband, Adam, moved to LA three years ago in search of new opportunities (and better weather) and have since created not just a home — but a truly unique space to work and relax. Jaimee, the founder of Coast to Coast Vintage, allows her love for color and patterns to run free throughout the space.

Name: Samantha Santana and James Lively Location: Jefferson Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 619 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, 2 months, owned When Samantha and James first moved into their historic, 93-year-old Spanish bungalow, they knew they would be doing most of the renovations and remodeling themselves. It was a long haul, especially since their home was inhabited by squatters before they moved in.

Name: Sylvia Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 1722 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting After practicing as a lawyer for fifteen years, Sylvia found her true calling at the age of forty and became a stylist. She likes to call it “wardrobe art” because her job is not only following trends but also looking for special pieces with a story to tell. She loves Africa, especially Marrakesh, where she wants to live one day.

Name: Nicole Martinez and Ian Phipps Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting The word “loft” gets thrown about a bit these days, but Nicole and Ian’s apartment in Williamsburg is the real thing—an old factory building with soaring ceilings, exposed concrete floors, and genuine industrial character.

Name: Katie Day, her partner and three adorable cats Location: Dayboro — Queensland, Australia Years lived in: 7 months, owned Katie has only recently moved into her cute Queenslander-style home in the country town of Dayboro, a 50-minute drive from Brisbane, Australia. The home was lovingly restored by a local building firm, and Katie’s added her “modern country” style to the space…along with filling the house with three cats and colorful sofas.

Name: Moorea Seal, her husband, and pup Lemon Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When I reached out to Seattle boutique owner, social media extraordinaire, and author Moorea Seal about doing a home tour, she was in the middle of writing her third book, Make Yourself at Home. (The 52 Lists Project was her first hit journal, and 52 Lists for Happiness has been featured by the likes of Oprah.com.

Name: Arnold Baumheiser Location: New York City Size: 1,328 square feet Earlier this year we got to see an in-depth look at Dev Shah’s New York apartment — he’s the main character of Netflix’s hit show Master of None. What a unique, comfortable, accessible space the apartment’s set design portrays. It doesn’t really matter if the apartment is “real” or not; Dev’s home is filled with inspiration anyone could use.

Name: Stephanie Whedbee Location: Raleigh, NC Size: 750 square feet Years Lived In: Less than 1 year, renting “I’ve lived in Raleigh for four years and this is the first place that truly feels 100% me,” confesses graphic designer Stephanie Whedbee. “Since moving in last fall, I have obsessed over styling and decorating my duplex.

Name: Amy Stewart and Scott Brown Location: Eureka, California Size: 2800 square feet Years Lived In: 17 years; own (well, we used to own it. We just sold the house and we’re moving to Portland.) How do you say goodbye to a house you’ve lived in and loved for 17 years?

Name: Julien Marit, husband Mike, daughters Kibale, Glacier and Salem. And pup Madden Location: Milton — Ontario Canada Size: 2,100 square feet Years Lived In: 12 years, owned “I believe that a home is not just a playground for living but also a composition of all who live there. I love walking into a space that has a story in the design; preferably a personal story,” wrote landscape designer and artist (@c’estjulien) Julien Marit.

Name: Stacey Lipstein Location: Leslieville — Toronto, Canada Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Stacey knew that sizing up a 950-square-foot house for a growing family was going to be a challenge, but from the beginning she saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward a few years and the home is nearly complete (until Stacey’s next design vision), and it couldn’t be more charming!

Name: Pamelyn Rocco, her husband Chris and their daughters Moorea and Harlow Location: Playa Vista, California Size: 3,600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Pamelyn and her husband were actually familiar with this house before they ever moved in — they used to live next door! Though it wasn’t exactly their style, she saw the potential and knew with a little design direction it could be amazing. Even more incredible?

Name: Matt, The Stewart House Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 730 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned The story behind Matt’s mid-century modern bungalow is as beautiful as the home itself. “This place was built (and named) in memory of my late grandmother. I share my middle name with her (Stewart). She was the most amazing hostess and the money she left me when she passed was the seed money to get the design going on this little haven.

Name: Katie, Anthony, Isabelle and Freya Miller, with dogs Oliver and Tulip Location: Belmont, North Carolina Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Katie’s friends are right, walking into her lovely duplex in Belmont, North Carolina is an immensely welcoming experience. Maybe it is the two insistent yet extremely friendly dachshunds that greet you upon arrival, or maybe it’s the comforting furnishings and thoughtful art that permeate her abode.

Name: Kristin Peters and Corey McLaughlin, cats Gracie and Zoey Location: Redwood Heights — Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Kristin and Corey first looked at their Oakland home when it was on the market, they walked away from it. Kristin fell in love with the living room views, but Corey couldn’t get past the ugly facade and outdated design.