The Latest: 2019

Name: Jess, Evan, and Auggie Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; owned When Jess and Evan were on the market to buy a home, they knew they wanted a change from the Portland bungalows they’d spent the last few years in. They knew they wanted something mid-century, but with the market becoming so competitive, it felt more and more difficult to find a place.

Name: Michele, Jeff and daughters Marlowe and Macie, 19 months Location: Northwest Portland, Oregon Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Jeff and Michele are both native Portlanders who met at a wedding in 2002. Five years after meeting, the couple bought their first home together, and just days after becoming homeowners, they started their first major renovation project.

Name: Sherri and Daniel, and their kids Bella, Vincent and Drake Location: Overlook Neighborhood — Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; owned Sherri and Daniel both make beautiful things for a living, and their home is no exception. Though each brings their own aesthetic to the partnership, their family home feels cohesive, stylish and comfortable.

Name: Meg Gustafson Location: Uptown — Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 months; rented For a short few months, Meg has lived in this familiar space—a high rise in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, on Lake Shore Drive. The building was built in 1959 and Meg’s grandma lived in this exact unit for years. In 1978, Meg’s parents took over and began renting it out.

Name: Isabel, her husband and her two children Location: Mexico City, Mexico Size: 1830 square feet Years lived in: 4 years This is the bold, globally inspired Mexico City home of Isabel and family. Over the years she’s lived in Tunisia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Washington, DC while serving as a Foreign Service Officer, and has traveled to even more places.

Name: Christina and Thejas; Cats: Oliver and Teddie Location: DUMBO; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,080 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented When Christina and Thejas were looking for a new apartment last summer, they searched for a place that had luxury amenities, but still had character and charm. What they found was a modern apartment in an old factory building in DUMBO. And with Christina’s flair for accessorizing and adding color, they brought the space to life.

Name: Matt Austin, of Matt Austin Studio Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Artist and designer Matt Austin’s Brooklyn apartment and studio is maximalist in the best possible way: There’s so much to see, look at and explore, but somehow everything comes together so perfectly and seemingly effortlessly, as if all these fascinating little bits and bobs wanted to be together, in this place, exactly where they are.

Name: Jennifer & family Location: San Francisco, California Years lived in: 11 The kitchen is the heart of interior designer Jennifer’s home and the place where her family catches up between work and school. It’s also where we’re eating Burmese takeout for lunch because when you cook for five, like Jennifer, you’re allowed to do that. Spacious, beautiful, and generally filled with good food and good people, it’s not a bad place to spend an afternoon. Or a morning.

Name: Kendall Location: Bellingham, Washington Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 12 years “Maybe I’ll move in next door to you,” I kidded when I found out the tenant in the space next to my sister Kendall’s light-filled, one-bedroom apartment would be moving out in the fall. She laughed,”Oh, there’s a waiting list.” People have been lining up for years to get into this small complex.

Name: Ryan and Amber Flynn Location: Downtown — Fashion District; Los Angeles, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented When Ryan and Amber Flynn first moved to Los Angeles in 2011, they spent a month crashing on the floor of their friends’ downtown loft. The space was impressive: a former munitions factory, the loft boasted 20-foot ceilings spanning two industrial stories.

Name: Emmanuelle Messean and Jean Baptiste Mariou Location: Saint-Denis — Paris, France Size: 85 square meters (915 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Traveling to the North of Paris is filled with architectural delights (like the first medieval basilica), and this trip to the suburban community of Saint Denis to visit Emmanuelle and Jean Baptiste’s home (that’s been converted from a former taxi garage) does not disappoint.

Name: Rosie Acosta and Torry Pendergrass Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; owned Rosie and Torry found their 1946 Cape Cod style home during a very arduous search for a home to buy. Everything in Portland was getting snagged right from under them and they’d already put in at least two offers on other homes before they found this one.

Name: Andy Koch and Danielle Boachie, and cats Zeus and Miss Fluffy Location: Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois Size: 325 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; rented For such a small space, Andy and Danielle have their limited square footage very well divided into areas with different purposes.

Name: Laura Castelló Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 215 square feet (20 m2) Years lived in: Rented 3 months Laura is the kind of person that loves simple things and enjoys the little pleasures. She’s an extraordinary artist who draws sweet portraits and makes art with soft colors. The workspace she uses for creating amazing illustrations is a beautiful room filled with art, neutral colors and the most incredible tiles in the world.

Name: Ruben Sales Bellmunt Location: El Carmen — Valencia, Spain Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Ruben is an interior designer from Valencia, creating incredible spaces through ephemeral architecture. He decided to buy a house with a lot of light; he found this incredible apartment in the center of the city. He has no doubt it was made for him. He renovated it, but respected the structure.

Name: Kathryn Baugher of Up to Date Interiors Location: Okinawa, Japan Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year It takes creativity, guts and energy to turn a plain space into something spectacular, and Kathryn’s done it. The home in Okinawa that she shares with her family exudes both serenity and excitement—and those floral covered kitchen cabinets are amazing!

It’s no secret Katy Goodman and Todd Wisenbaker of the band La Sera have style. Just like their guitar-filled Silver Lake home, their fashion choices are fueled by carefree living and an insatiable love of music. They share one small bedroom closet and a modest-sized dresser, and while neither storage device is bursting at the seams, the couple’s daily fashion choices are anything but lackluster.

Name: Kristen Ley and pups Willow Scarlet Ley (photographed) and Henry Albert Ley, and cat Norman Location: Jackson, Mississipi Size: 2300 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1.5 years Kristen Ley is the creative mastermind and founder of Thimblepress, a letterpress, stationery and celebration company out of Jackson, Mississippi (perhaps most recognized for their incredibly cheery and colorful Push-Pop Confetti).

Name: Teresa Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1022 square feet (95 m2) Years lived in: Owned 3 years With a big smile and friendly attitude, Teresa is the kind of person you connect with immediately. The second she opened that door, I could see a reflection of who she is in every corner of this beautiful home. This creative and colorful place was created with a lot of care. Almost all the furniture pieces are inheritances from family, but she know’s how to mix everything in an original way.

Name: Sarah Montgomery Location: Chicago, Ilinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year rented Sarah is proud of her entire 800 square feet, tucked away in a Ukrainian Village coach house, and rightfully so. She has brought art and whimsy into each of her rooms with a true DIY and frugal spirit, all while leaning on her past experience as a window display designer at Anthropologie and her current gig as a product designer at Eastern Accents.

Name: Shannon and Mike Parry, Asha (5) and Bodan (1) Location: Mar Vista — Los Angeles, California Size: 990 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years Walking into Shannon and Mike’s Mar Vista home is a unique experience of high design coupled with sustainable functionality; a rare combo that Shannon pulls off effortlessly. Shannon runs the Sustainable City Program for the city of Santa Monica and Mike is a cinematographer/filmmaker.

Name: Mekiel Nuñez and Saadiq Vaughan Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year The stereotypical New Yorker’s wardrobe consists unapologetically of black, greys, neutrals, and denims. Perhaps the overabundance of visual stimulation in our surroundings is why we prefer our clothes understated.

Name: Maria, Boris, and a dog named Fish Location: Fashion District, Downtown Los Angeles Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: Rent for 1 year Maria and her boyfriend Boris share a sunny, industrial loft in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles. A large and open space, the couple had to create rooms in a floor plan without many existing walls or distinct areas. They combined styles to craft cozy hangout spots all over the beautiful apartment.

Name: Jessica Davis and family Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 4200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Full of fresh white walls, warm materials and bold splashes of color and pattern, it’s not surprising that the home of Jessica Davis, principal Interior Designer at JL Design Nashville, is lovely to look at. But it’s the way she has incorporated smart design choices—and fun—that has made this home so warm, welcoming and family friendly.

Name: Katherine Harris Location: Highland Park; St. Paul, Minnesota Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 9 months rented As a professional photographer, Katie has a keen eye for design, finding inspiration in vintage kitchens and old farmhouses. Most of all, Katie leans heavily on the philosophy that decor need not be expensive. To Katie, meaningfulness trumps all else, with the majority of her furniture being gifts, hand-me-downs, and local purchases.

Name: Kerry Clarkson, and daughter Azure Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year, 8 months It’s been well over a year now since Kerry left Lima, Peru, deciding to stay in Santa Barbara after a visit. That meant leaving a lot behind and starting over with very little in the way of material items and furniture.

Name: Kelly Lamb Location: Los Feliz—Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1.5 years Kelly is an artist, ceramicist and designer living in the Hollywood Hills end of Los Feliz. While she remodels the main house, Kelly has been living in the property’s guest cabin. What I loved most about this guest house is how it encompasses the quintessential Los Angeles vibe: bohemian, warm, welcoming and completely drenched in natural light.

Name: Amanda Holstein and dog Auggie Location: San Francisco, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Amanda is the voice behind the blog Advice from a 20 Something. And seeing what a smart job she did designing her San Francisco studio apartment, it would seem she’s got great advice to give! The small space she shares with her dog Auggie is full of interesting furnishings, yet feels bright and airy.

Name: Leslie Lewis Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented The big windows are Leslie’s favorite thing about her apartment. A corner unit with a great view of downtown Indianapolis, the light streams in, illuminating a cozy home full of unique (and mostly vintage) decor.

Name: Mike, Amanda, and Declan (5 years old) Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: Owned 9 years Amanda, an elementary school teacher, is a master of planning. She pulled off a modern remodel of this Mar Vista house thanks to lots of dream boards and spreadsheets. And she created a sophisticated home that’s also fun and functional for five-year-old Declan.

Name: Seth and Ali Rongkawit Location: Ballard — Seattle, Washington Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2+ years When Seth and Ali moved into this Seattle space, they faced the same design dilemma that many renters come across: How to create distinct areas when your apartment is wide open. After two years of living here, they’ve found a layout that functions well. And they’ve added their personality to create a bright and sweet home.

Name: The Lemon Bowl (Founders: Kate Zaremba, Linny Giffin and Holley Simmons) Location: Park View, Washington, D.C. Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Visiting The Lemon Bowl—a retail space, shared workspace and workshop studio in Washington D.C.—is like being inside a gumball machine where all the treats are handmade.

Name: Paty Martínez Location: L’eixample — Valencia, Spain Size: 2152 square feet Years lived in: Owned 35 years The ocher color is the star of this house, defining edges and warming rooms. Paty is a painter and loves art so much, you can feel that passion the second you meet her. Her strong personality shows through in her home and in her beautiful art studio, where you can see all the amazing paintings she creates.

Name: Ana, Ximo and Blas Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 936 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years Anna is a social educator and Ximo works at a shipping company, and together they share this charming historic home in Valencia’s shopping district. They fell in love at first sight with this home, but some work was needed. It was dark and had no sense space, with lots of tiny rooms and a really low ceiling.

Name: Mina, Sumit, Alec, Louis & Léonie Location: Bromma, a suburb to Stockholm, Sweden Size: 168 square metros square feet Years lived in: 1 month In the suburban neighborhood of Bromma, outside the city of Stockholm, Mina and Sumit have created a beautiful space for their young family in their newly built home. Mina loves this home’s large windows and open concept floor plan, and her minimal, casual approach to design maximizes the airy feeling of this home.

Name: Drew Location: Platinum Corridor — Addison, Texas Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1.5 years Though Drew works in the medical device industry, he has a deep love for interior design, and his loft studio in Addison, Texas (north of Dallas) showcases that love.

Name: Travis Location: Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented Travis grew up in Louisiana and Texas, but has been living in Chicago for a medical residency for the last couple years. He made sure to bring his southern roots with him in the form of decor. Travis’s apartment has a sort of dark & gothic feel to it. He attributes this to all the “dead things” around the apartment. He has taxidermy, bones and shells in every room.

Name: Kristen Siefkin and Ken “Zig” Naffziger, and their two Havanese, Zane and Ollie Location: Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, North Portland, Oregon Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 2+ years, owned After years in a successful PR career, Kristen decided it was time to follow her dream of becoming an interior stylist.

Name: Margaux Rust, Drew Daniels, Juniper and Gypsy Location: Echo Park; Los Angeles, California Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year We first got a peek at Margaux and Drew’s home during their House Call last fall, but since then they’ve already rearranged and refreshed their space (as they often do). The house was built around 1910, when the neighborhood was filling up with large Arts and Crafts or Victorian homes.

Walking into Rory's house is like walking into an adult Disneyland...if your version is a wonderland of wild colors, impeccable attention to detail and over-the-top accents.

Name: Clare, Jakob and baby Nikolai Location: West Berlin, Germany Size: 122 square meters (1313 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years Jakob and Clare moved into this West Berlin home a couple of years ago, and have since added little Nikolai to the family! Light-filled rooms and tall ceilings are balanced with a contemporary mix of furnishings and stunning architectural detail.

Name: Brian Mitchell and Ericka James Location: NoPa— San Francisco, California Size: 1,450 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year When Brian bought this house in the NoPa neighborhood of San Francisco, there wasn’t much left of the two-story structure. Some might have passed up the opportunity, but he saw healthy architectural bones and potential. Within a year, the house transformed into a beautiful, modern California mid-century home.

With or without a house built in the 1950s, it’s possible to achieve a mid-century style mixed with your own personal flare. Astral’s home seamlessly joins elements from mid-century design with both modern and vintage elements—and some contemporary chic. Find out how you can achieve Astral’s style with the shopping resources below!

Name: Trish Grantham and Rentz Leinbach, and Pablo the dog Location: Northeast Portland, Oregon Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Renting 9 months From the moment you step into the foyer of Trish and Rentz’s home and find yourself surrounded by dark walls adorned with hand-painted gold tropical foliage, you know you’ve entered a unique space. Trish is an artist and interior designer, Rentz is a musician, and their home is colorful, fun, quirky and interesting, just like them.

Name: Sheeva Sairafi Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 3 bedroom/2 bathroom Years lived in: Owned 1 year Sheeva Sairafi’s bright and colorful Spanish Colonial style home reflects her inspiring vision for making a global impact. In 2014 Sheeva left a coveted corporate retail position to start her own socially conscious global home decor company, Local + Lejos.

Name: Evan and Gavin Gregory Location: Parkwood — Shoreline (Seattle), Washington Size: 920 square feet Years lived in: 7.5 years, owned On an unassuming residential street in a suburb just north of Seattle, you’ll find a house down a hill, surrounded by bushes and hidden by a fence. One step into Evan and Gavin’s front yard and it feels as though you’ve been transported to a relaxing sanctuary far from the bustle of the city.

Name: Dave and Mollie Code Location: West Loop — Chicago, Illinois Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 years Tall ceilings, brick walls, sleek surfaces—this raw, industrial-style space is the home of Dave and Mollie Code. They run Studio Code together, a development firm based in Chicago with the goal of restoring the historic elements of homes while also creating functioning spaces.

Name: Andre Hueston Mack and Phoebe Damrosch Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years Andre Mack has a lot on his plate these days—sommelier, winemaker, author, graphic designer, and father to three charming boys. He and his wife Phoebe have created a beautiful family home in Brooklyn, where styles merge and creativity abounds. Our Style: Belongings with a soul and a story.