The Latest: 2019

Name: Mike and Lea of The Casa Pino Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting Creative husband and wife duo Mike and Lea Pino met in New York several years ago, and have been working together and designing up beautiful modern textiles with their business The Casa Pino ever since. So it comes as no surprise the same fun aesthetic they put into their collection is reflected in their equally stylish home.

Name: Nikki Witherspoon-Whited, owner of East West Vintage Rentals (with husband Steve and children Atlas and Rosie) Location: West Asheville; Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Artfully styled scenes of found objects can be discovered at every turn in Nikki’s delightful 1920s bungalow. The vintage treasures, once covered in dust, shine again as they join a new family of modern furnishings and accessories.

Name: Kristoffer Keul and Carrie Bloomston Location: Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,750 square feet Years lived in: 14 years; Owned Kristoffer Keul and Carrie Bloomston are on a mission to enable creativity, and their home is the center of operations. Carrie has a book that helps people find their creative spark.

Name: Chris Corrado and Jenny Kaplan Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: Chris 7 years / Jenny 10 months It’s not often that I walk into someone’s home and feel instantly inspired. To begin, the combination of their two separate styles merge effortlessly. Their home is filled with bold and unique pieces that are beautiful yet practical for everyday use.

Name: Dena Fields and Punkin the English Bulldog Location: East Nashville; Nashville, TN Size: 570 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Dena’s home is her retreat, her sanctuary. It is filled with items that nourish her mind and spirit. From her vibrant paintings to her collected items, everything has a story. A story of family, travel, and friendship. The duplex Dena lives in has beautiful hardwood floors and thick plaster walls.

Name: Katie and Matt with their cats, Fritz & Pepper Location: Washington Heights, New York City Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Katie 2.5 years, Matt 6 years; Rented When Katie moved into her two bedroom home in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, she had her work cut out for her. At the time it was occupied by her fiancé and two roommates—the living room doing double duty as common space and as a bedroom.

Name: Tanya Lacourse Location: New Hampshire Size: First floor of a two-family home; Tanya’s part is 1100 square feet, and there’s also a large yard. Years lived in: 5 years When Tanya purchased this little house in New Hampshire five years ago, she had no idea of the time, elbow grease, and persistence it would take to make it into a home. But persist she did. And after all the hard work, Tanya has a ton of renovating experience — and a beautiful place to call home.

Name: Robyn and Drew Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 5 months Robyn and Drew’s vintage graystone apartment is filled with more than just cool-looking pieces, it’s filled with original vintage finds and soul for days. They choose their belongings thoughtfully and they take their time; they scour Craigslist and local vintage stores—they celebrate secondhand furniture for its craftsmanship and unique style.

Name: Marie-Lyne and Karlo Location: Villeray; Montreal, Canada Size: 575 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned We settled in an up-and-coming neighborhood where young families and first-time buyers choose to live for its affordability and convenience. Our condo is near Jean-Talon market and is surrounded by trendy coffee shops, fashionable restaurants and local boutiques.

Name: Lauren & Mikko Location: Punavuori; Helsinki, Finland Size: 473 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned When Lauren and Mikko bought their 473 square foot apartment two years ago, they completely renovated the entire space to create the most efficient layout possible. So despite the small footprint, this bright Helsinki apartment feels spacious, and is chock-full of personal touches.

Name: Darlene Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 23 years; owned Darlene lives in a ranch on the north side of Grand Rapids, within walking distance of Riverside Park. The neighborhood’s wide, winding streets are lined with unique houses – and Darlene’s home, with her collection of original art, is no exception.

Name: Becky and Jordan Location: Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned Becky and Jordan live in a 1986 tri-level in northeast Grand Rapids. Nestled in a quiet neighborhood about five miles from downtown, the location is a happy medium for a couple from the country who wanted to be close to downtown, but not in the middle of downtown. Becky, an interior designer, is always thinking of renovation projects.

Name: Holley, Dining Editor for the Washington Post Express, and Audrey Location: Mt. Pleasant, Washington DC Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; renting One can only imagine the stream of fun ideas and shared secrets that two cool, creative women who are equally inspired by the Anthropologie-meets-Kinfolk aesthetic must dream up.

Name: Beth-Anne Thomas & Arron Thomas Location: Parkdale; Toronto, Canada Size: 2100 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 1 year This gregarious couple is as well-known for their masterful ability to get the party started as they are for their frequent participation in charitable events.

Name: Saara Helkala Location: Helsinki, Finland Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rented Just beyond the small, shadowy entryway to Saara’s loft-style apartment, daylight beckons through two grand windows on the main wall of the living space. While the natural light in Saara’s apartment—during the months that the sun actually shines in Helsinki—is really remarkable, it’s just one of the many inviting things about her space.

Location: Austin, Texas Size: 960 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Candice is an amazing Austin-based stylist and sells a collection of her vintage finds on her online shop, Oh Fox Creative. Everything she salvages has a story and her home is filled with them, too! Her classic taste is showcased through her vintage hints and globe trotting finds. Keep an eye out for her one of a kind must-haves and take a peek at her ‘found’ rugs. They’re all works of art.

Name: Nyakinyua Gill, Ivan Iricanin, and Baby Vuk Location: Howard University-Shaw; Washington DC Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Nyakinya Gill (affectionately known as Nya) and her husband Ivan Iricanin are no strangers to the interior design industry. Ivan is an international restaurateur, with award-winning venues in Washington, DC, New York City, and Serbia, and Nya has played lead interior designer to some of these establishments.

Name: Lauren Svenstrup of Studio Sven Location: Andersonville; Chicago, Illinois Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2 years When Lauren’s House Call was featured this summer, readers were intrigued by her wonderful mix of vintage and modern, so I was thrilled when Lauren gave an enthusiastic “yes” for a full tour. On my recent visit to Lauren’s home, I was inspired by the distinct yet harmonious moods and tones she’s achieved in one relatively small space.

Name: MICHI Atelier Location: Liberty Village, Toronto Size: 825 square feet Years occupied: 1 year Cutting-edge fashion designer Michelle Watson’s MICHI athletic wear is probably the most fashionable fitness apparel you’ve ever laid eyes on.

Name: Erin and Chris Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Erin and Chris like to keep things simple and neat. Upon entering their home, I was impressed by the lack of clutter. No piles of mail, no stacks of books, no leaning towers of magazines. That’s because the couple is wise about storage. They purchased iconic IKEA furniture pieces with clean, simple lines and lots of storage.

Name: Elise Becker Location: Franklin, North Carolina Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; owned An old house with lots of original charm is now a groovy and colorful dreamboat filled with vintage objects and funky heirlooms. If you thought the days of orange, green, and yellow were long gone, a tour of this sweet sixties throwback will show you that they still live on, and are as fantastic as ever. Elise is a sunny and funny gal, and her spirit shines through in her whimsical home.

Name: Kim Laidlaw Location: Paris, France Size: 40 square meters (approx. 430 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Kim, a freelance writer and the author of Unlock Paris, an insider’s guide to the City of Light, may be an import from London, but her home feels quintessentially Parisian. It’s small by American standards — only 430 square feet — but blessed with floor-to-ceiling french doors that open onto a balcony which overlooks the city.

Name: Kaisa and Otto Location: Käpylä; Helsinki, Finland Size: 441 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned There are a few things that one expects when stepping into a Finnish apartment—a row of shoes by the door, labeled towels racks in the bathroom, and at least a few Finnish design staples. Kaisa and Otto’s home certainly ticks all of those boxes, but when it comes to showcasing Finnish design staples, they have gone above and beyond.

Name: Nick and Lizzie Johnson Location: Meatpacking District / Chelsea, New York City Size: 1 Bedroom Years lived in: 18 months Nick and Lizzie relocated from London to New York during a rough week; Hurricane Sandy had just hit and they were about to face some apartment-seeking challenges. Narrowing their search to areas unaffected by the storm, they fell in love with Chelsea and the West Village.

Name: Emily Moore, founder of Moore Design Works, and Xia, Loyal Yellow Lab Location: Museum District, Houston, Texas Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented The first thing you’ll notice about Emily’s Houston apartment is probably the boldly painted blue walls in the living room.

Location: Paris, France Size: 452 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned. Amaury and Amandine’s Paris apartment is proof that it’s possible to have it all, even in a tiny footprint. Their 452 square foot space has a cozy bedroom, a beautiful kitchen, and plenty of space for eating and lounging. And, thanks to tall ceilings and generous windows, it still feels incredibly spacious.

Name: Yana Puaca of NoMad Luxuries and Petar Location: Lakeview; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,385 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned The name of Yana’s lifestyle blog, NoMad Luxuries, also accurately describes the style of the home that she and her husband Petar share.

Name: Lisa Vanin Location: Parkdale; Toronto, Canada Size: 390 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, Rented Take away the laptop and tattoos and it would be easy to mistake twenty-something illustrator Lisa Vanin’s tiny, old-fashioned apartment for a knitting granny’s cozy den. Her homey digs are reminiscent of a previous generation’s warmth and slow pace, thanks to her nostalgic collection of old-soul treasures.

Name: Dee and Paul Location: Northville, Michigan Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Dee and Paul live in Northville, a western suburb of Detroit. Their traditional home is open, airy and layered with trinkets. Dee is drawn toward turquoise, sparkles, shiny surfaces, beach imagery, and a mix of old and new. Paul likes mementos from the couple’s travels (especially out west) and vintage clocks (which he restores).

Name: Dani and Will Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years for Will, 1 month for Dani; Rented Dani and Will live on the third floor of an old Victorian house in Heritage Hill, the historic neighborhood just east of Downtown Grand Rapids. Will grew up in Michigan while girlfriend Dani moved to Grand Rapids from London, England one year ago.

Location: Little Italy; Toronto, Canada Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 months When these two idea-makers were preparing to move in together, their main mission was to find a space that could accommodate two home offices in an atmosphere that would inspire their work. Countless viewings of windowless basement dens & crowded corner set-ups helped this gorgeous loft-style apartment stand out among the misfits. My Style: Modern bones, vintage touches, and a lot of breathing room.

Name: Mark and Mariana of m2matiz, Josh [20], Madeleine [18], Charley [dog], Friday [cat] and six very generous chickens. Location: Thornbury, Victoria, Australia Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 10 years owned I’ve admired Mariana’s work since around 2007 when her creative images started to appear in my “flickr” stream (the choice of pre-Instagram hep-cats in the olden days).

Name: Kai Avent-deLeon and Dan Solomito Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Kai Avent-deLeon (pronounced Kai-E) is no stranger to the homes that have put her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on the historical record of architecture and design. She was born and raised here, and the brownstone that her apartment is in, which she shares with her boyfriend Dan, has been in her family for nearly half a century.

Name: Esther Hahn, Brendan Cooney, and Timothy Hahn Location: Pacifica, California Size: 1,610 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; Owned The home that Esther and Brendan share (along with her brother Timothy) is colorful, vibrant and full of energy. Esther works as an editor for Racked, is an avid surfer and rides horses, and she and husband Brendan are often out together with their two (adorable) cattle dogs.

Name: Erin Kelsey Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year With a career as a textile designer, you would expect no less than beautiful fabrics and finishes of all sorts—and Erin’s loft does not disappoint. From buttery leather and perfectly worn wood, to an abundance of richly patterned rugs and blankets the loft is a test lab for layered, textured perfection.

Name: Diana, Mik and baby Harper (15 months) Art director, Musician/lighting designer, Captain of playtime respectively Location: Thornbury; Melbourne, Australia Size: 2 bedroom, one study, living and dining Years lived in: 16 months Di is an art director in the advertising world, so it should come as no surprise that the home she’s made with musician/lighting designer Mik and their baby Harper is ornamented with treasures from the most whimsical of places.

Name: Darren Elms and Preston Ames Location: Castro; San Francisco, CA Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Los Angeles natives Darren and Preston consider themselves fortunate to have found a beautiful apartment with breathtaking views in the Bay Area’s competitive rental market.

Name: Ben Erickson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Renovated and Rented Homes like this one are what neighborhood legends are made of. Tourists walk by them and ponder their historical significance. School children imagine what fairytale or superhero character might be living inside. And adults dream the wildest dreams of ever calling a place like this home.

Name: Jynne Dilling Martin & Louie Saletan Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: 500 square foot split-level duplex + 400 square foot backyard Years lived in: 2 years; Rent Jynne Dilling Martin is the Associate Publisher of Riverhead Books (and author of We Mammals in Hospitable Times, a book of poetry). A Texas transplant, Louie Saletan taught Russian language to the first crew of NASA astronauts to fly on a joint Space Shuttle flight with their Russian cosmonaut counterparts.

Name: Christ Robart and Kate Bracksieck Location: Houston, Texas Size: 2,650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Own Kate and Chris recently traveled to Copenhagen where they picked out a full shipping container’s worth of mid century furniture, having recently begun importing amazing pieces for the launch of their online shop, Indre by Design. Last time I was in Houston, I stopped by and saw her beautiful pieces being unpacked in her downtown Houston warehouse.

Name: Oscar Beisert Location: Grant Circle (Petworth); Washington, DC Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Own When I first entered the home of Oscar Beisert, I thought for sure he had inherited it from an 90-year-old retired art historian who redecorated as a side hobby. Each wall in his sprawling two-story, three-bedroom home was chock full of carefully placed framed paintings, filled with portraits of historical characters both related and non-related to Oscar.

Name: Lenora Elizabeth Curbo Location: Northeast Los Angeles, California Size: 1,150 square feet; 2 bedroom/2 bath Years lived in: 2 years; Rented It’s hard to imagine a spot as serene as Elizabeth’s rustic bungalow existing mere minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. Her sweet 1920s home is nestled in the hills of El Sereno, an up-and-coming suburb of Los Angeles, and feels like a secret mountain retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Name: Felicity (interior designer) and Paul (architect), Jade (6) and Ella and Mia (twinnies, 18m) Location: Torrens Park, Adelaide, South Australia Size: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Years lived in: 2 years; Owned What an impact! Walking into Felicity & Pauls’ 1975 architect designed wundervault*, I am immediately reminded of a trip to Paris and being overwhelmed by the beauty of the Arts et Métiers station on the Paris Métro, a station clad in shining curved copper.

Name: Valentina and Alessandro Location: Princeton, New Jersey Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When walking into Valentina and Alessandro’s bright and inviting space, you immediately feel like sitting down for a glass of wine. Their home is both modern and comfortable, and full of treasures from their travels around the world. Valentina and Alessandro are originally from Italy, but have lived in Princeton for several years.

Name: Natalie Bowen Brookshire & Seth Brookshire Location: SOMA; San Francisco, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years in Business: Natalie 10 years, Seth 15 years, Studio has been open for one year The combined studios of Natalie Bowen Designs and Seth’s architecture firm Porro are just as you would expect from the creative duo.

Name: David, Guitarist of Vancouver band We Are the City; Bethany, co-creator of Treasures and Travels and personal blogger at this ones for you; with baby Poppy Darling (10 Months) and pup Sid Location: White Rock, British Columbia, Canada Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; Owned David and Bethany have spent the past few years making a home in a house that she longed to live in as a child.

Name: Rachel Shipp Location: Cow Hollow; San Francisco, California Size: 1,009 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned After turning 30 last year, Rachel decided to pull the trigger and buy her first place—a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood, just minutes away from the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Name: Bobbie Ann Tilkens-Fisher, Owner of At Home Modern, and Matthew Fisher, Owner of Night Kitchen Interactive; Cats: Lucha and Lincoln Location: Wallingford, Pennsylvania Size: 2,600 square feet with 600-square-foot annex Years lived in: 4.5 years; Owned You can’t help but be inspired by Bobbie and Matthew’s beautiful home. Each room exudes both style and comfort.