The Latest: 2019

Name: Claire Swindale Location: Blackheath — Southeast London Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 15 years, owned Claire Swindale is fearless. She spent eight years seeing the world (with a prolonged stint in Nepal) where she trekked around Mount Everest and explored the countryside from the back of a truck.

Rachel and Jon made it their mission to DIY as much storage as they could.

Name: Bev Wilson Location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Size: 975 square feet Years Lived In: 2.5 years, owned Bev is a lawyer, but has always been interested in interior design and photography. So when it came time to start searching for an apartment to buy, she wanted a space she could really design and customize. She wanted a renovation project. “When I bought my place, it had been used as a rental for over ten years and was not in good shape,” Bev shares.

Name: Pippa Small Location: North Kensington, London Size: 1076 square feet Years Lived In: 7 years, owned As a successful jewelry designer and business owner, Pippa Small travels a lot. To exotic places like India, Bolivia, Nairobi, and in fact, was just about to dash to New York with her four-year-old twins the day after our shoot. So travel definitely plays a big part in her home, with lots of colors and items that were picked up from all over the world.

Name: Bonnie Berridge Faxén and Per Faxén Location: San Francisco, California Size: 650 Square Feet Years Lived In: 3.5 years, renting Designer and interiors consultant Bonnie Faxén says she has a passion for “art, design, architecture, colors, fonts, materials, textiles, paint, wallpaper. If it has to do with design I’m thinking about it!” This healthy obsession for visual elements has spilled over into the small apartment she shares with her husband Per.

Name: Christina and Tor Location: Stockholm, Sweden Size: 376 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, owned Moving the kitchen and opening up a wall in this small apartment are the key design decisions that turned what was originally a studio into a one-bedroom apartment. They’re also the secret to how this tiny, under 400-square-foot space can feel so much bigger. “Best decision ever,” confesses Christina.

Name: Anastasia Antoinette and Jamon Johnson Location: Columbia Heights — Washington, DC Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, rented It’s not every day that you’re in the market for a new apartment and stumble upon an architectural masterpiece — which also happens to align perfectly with your profession — but that’s exactly what happened to Anastasia and Jamon when they were looking for their first home together.

Name: Lauren Rubcic Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting When Lauren found out that she would be relocating to New York City for work, she only had three weeks to find the right apartment. To her surprise she found an affordable studio apartment on the Upper East Side, an area of NYC that she associated with Carrie Bradshaw and a heavy price tag. Another great selling point: the layout of the 325-square-foot apartment.

Name: Jeff and Sara Jones and their two dogs Location: Waco, Texas Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned You may recognize this couple from season three of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. After living in their Fixer Upper home for over a year, Sara decided to go back to school for nutrition…and it forced the couple to get creative with their finances.

Roommates Noël and Giselle have created a home that celebrates creativity.

Name: Suzannah Hamlin Stanley and Jason Stanley Location: Beaverton — Portland, Oregon Size: 1,683 square feet Years lived in: Owned You may remember Suzannah Hamlin Stanley and Jason Stanley’s first home just outside Portland, where they created a soft, light-filled space with color and gold pops. The dynamic do-it-yourself duo has struck again with their second home renovation project!

Name: Donna Wilson, husband Jon and two young kids Location: Leytonstone, East London Size: 1200 square feet Years Lived In: 4 years, owned Designer Donna Wilson is known for her colorful homewares and textile designs, and her husband Jon is a furniture designer who makes bespoke furniture for shops and galleries.

Name: Danielle and Ely Franko Location: Tannersville, New York Size: 1,529 square feet Years Lived In: Every weekend for the past two years, owned “We purchased our home two years ago, somewhat on a whim,” begins Ely Franko. He and his wife Danielle love living and working in New York City, but after five years of a hectic urban life, they had started to yearn for “greener pastures.” The couple weren’t very familar with Tannersville, or the Hunter Mountain area.

Name: Yvonne Kusters, husband Steven, daughter Faye and their dog Tess Location: The Hague, the Netherlands Size: 3,444 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands and holds the seat of the Dutch government. Originating in the 13th century, it’s rich in history and filled with numerous monumental buildings. Walking past these stately old homes, you would never expect one of them to house a little bit of tropical paradise.

Name: Ares, her husband and their baby Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,292 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Ares was on the hunt for a larger apartment for her growing family, the search was initially a bust. Nothing seemed to be what she was looking for, that is until this unit came across her radar. Which is kind of surprising considering the state of the space when she found it.

Name: Flavia and her family Location: Newport Beach, California Size: 3,600 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned It took looking at nearly 200 houses, but Flavia and her family found the perfect home in this house when they moved from North Carolina to Orange County in 2008. Well, almost perfect. While it was a very nice space when they bought it, it never quite reflected the family’s style and taste.

Name: Maddie Flanigan Location: Old City, Philadelphia Size: 500 square feet (approximately – slightly less) Years Lived In: 4 years, owned What’s old is new—that’s a theme that plays throughout every facet of Maddie Flanigan’s life. She is the founder of Madalynne Intimates, a Philadelphia-based lingerie brand (featuring bras, bralettes, undies and bodysuits that are made in the USA!

Name: William Watson (and Lola!) Location: Bowery — New York, New York Size: Approximately 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Will was involved in the art world for several years before starting his own creative agency, Watson and Company. And he moved into his Soho apartment nearly a year ago. He uses his space not only as a place to live, but to paint and spend time with his adorable baby girl Lola when she stays with him.

Name: Brandon and Ashley Trebitowski and kids Location: Corrales, New Mexico Size: 240 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, owned Our converted school bus has been our home for about a year in a half now and we love it. It has completely transformed our lives. We went from living in a 2100 square foot house to 240 square feet. Our bus is minimally decorated and everything was self built. We spent six months converting the bus into our home and now it’s our favorite place to be.

Located in an old printing house building, massive original windows overlook the city.

Name: Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson, the co-founders of Too Faced Cosmetics, and their chihuahua, Clover Location: Beverly Hills Size: 2,121 square feet Years Lived In: 2.5 years, owned Too Faced Cosmetics—the cruelty-free global beauty and cosmetics brand started in 1998 and sold in over 30 countries—is known for its ability to not take makeup too seriously. Their “Better Than Sex” mascara is iconic with a cult-like following.

Name: Anna Rafferty and her husband Location: Irving Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: Approx. 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, rented I am not exaggerating when I say that Anna Rafferty’s home is the most colorful apartment I’ve ever seen. Every room is so thoughtfully curated with pinks, purples, and the ubiquitous green of plants throughout. And not just these colors, but the neon versions of these colors.

Name: Dolores and Marco Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Dolores refuses to follow trends. As an art director, set decorator and interior designer, she’s able to see her home as a blank canvas. And it’s a bright, light-filled space she’s intentionally filled with elements that feature character and history.

Name: Ellen and Jace Krause Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Ellen and Jace’s sweeping mid-century ranch home in Southeast Portland is vintage in the most authentic way it can be—it’s filled with actual hand-me-down pieces that have been saved from a bunch of different family members!

Name: Melissa Sonico, husband Johnny, and son Harrison Location: Redlands, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Writer and jewelry designer Melissa Sonico and her husband Johnny moved in to their two-bedroom home just before their son Harrison (now two years old) was born.

An environment that makes you feel comfortable is beneficial for your overall health.

This couple built this entire house themselves, BY HAND. Also there's a pony in this tour!

Name: Liam and Emma Paton, with children: Finn (4) Violet (1) Location: Stoke Newington, London Size: 1700 square feet Years Lived In: 5 years, owned Emma Paton, a fashion buyer-turned-blogger (her blog is called Finlay Fox), and her musician husband Liam live in Stoke Newington in London with their two children Finn and Violet. It took them over two years to find and secure this double-fronted Victorian house; they completely gutted and renovated it with an architect friend.

Name: Trudy Crane Location: Old Montreal Size: 1250 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting After working as an executive in the fashion industry for many years, Trudy decided to pursue her dream and switched to a career as a ceramicist. Inspired by nature and the many shades of white, she creates beautiful and organic ceramics under the name of Looks Like White.

Name: Molly Crist Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Molly knows a thing or two about small space living; she’s been renting this lovely studio apartment since her arrival in Los Angeles five years ago. And though it’s a challenge, it’s a challenge she enjoys tackling: she’s used all the square feet in her home, from corner to corner and top to bottom.

Name: Mohammad and Rachael Gorjestani Location: Western Addition — San Francisco, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, rented Mohammad and Rachel’s San Francisco apartment is so cozy and serene, it’s easy to forget that it’s right next to a busy intersection at the center of the city. The original hardwood floors add warmth to the space, and the view of greenery in their spacious backyard (a true luxury in San Francisco) is beautiful.

Name: Jordana and Trent Nicholson Location: Nashville, Tenneesee Size: Roughly 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Jordana and Trent’s Nashville home is a space of tranquil comfort with an abundance of natural light that they’ve worked to make a personal sanctuary…even if their living situation is only temporary. The couple is currently renting the ’60s style ranch house from friends who are traveling through South America.

Name: Mel and Mario, baby daughter, Mia and two dogs, Coco and Marni Location: Alicante, Spain Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years, owned Mel is a designer and her husband Mario is a filmmaker, and when they decided to purchase a home, there was one thing that was most important. “We knew we wanted a renovation project where we could design everything ourselves.

"Being immersed in interior design day-to-day for clients definitely helped me define my own personal style."

Name: Sunny Ravanbach Location: Dana Point, California Size: 1,899 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, owned Sunny Ravanbach is the founder of the VIP event planning company White Lilac. Known for transforming spaces into “dreamlands for one night,” Sunny and her team have recently waded into more “permanent” spaces, launching ShopWhiteLilac.

Name: Carly Kuhn Location: Larchmont — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,303 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting “I moved into this space about year and a half ago. I was drawn to this space because of the great location. As a New Yorker, I love this Larchmont area that’s really walkable.

Name: Cassandra Hope, Ryan and Penelope Location: Leslieville — Toronto, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Cassandra grew up loving furniture and design, a passion sparked by her mom who always had one-of-a-kind pieces that were warm, cozy and felt like they were from another era.

Name: Klaas Hogeweg Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Gray, beige, white, black. Generally, these colors don’t evoke feelings of warmth and coziness. But if you visit Klaas Hogeweg’s home those are the exact words that come to mind, together with stylish and elegant.

Name: Roxanne Arsenault and Pascal Desjardins and Colette, 7 years old Location: Rosemont, Montreal Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: Owned, Roxanne: 13 years / Pascal: 2 years Roxanne and Pascal are both art lovers with very unique taste in home decor, and they live in an eccentric and colorful home in Montreal. Their space is a mix of rich patterns, textures, and comfy elements of the ’70s, along with vivid colors, styles and shapes of the ’80s.

Name: Curry Hackett Location: Howard University/Shaw — Washington, D.C. Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Renting, 1.5 years The apartment that Curry has lived in for one and a half years couldn’t be anymore perfect for his diverse pursuits, which include graphic design, vintage furniture collecting, and playing the trombone. He’s also the founder of Hackreative, a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in placemaking, visual design, and creative direction.