The Latest

Name: Bob and Courtney NovogratzLocation: West VillageSize: 6000 square feetYears lived in: 1 Bob and Cortney were lay architects and interior designers for years out of necessity. They kept buying abandoned lots in marginal neighborhoods and turning them into incredible homes. And in order to keep costs down, they figured out how to do nearly every aspect of the project themselves. It was DIY on a massive scale.

Name: Brian H. AndriolaLocation: San Francisco, CASize: 800 s.f.Years lived in: 1 year Upon first glance, it isn’t hard to understand how Brian Andriola has made quite a successful career for himself as a prop stylist. Brian’s home is a culmination of beautiful furniture, art, and accessories accumulated over many years. The provenance and character of each piece is more important than whether it “goes” with the decor, and the result is a whimsical and welcoming home.

Location: West VillageSize: 300 square feet studioYears lived in: 3 He knew he wanted sleek lines, a floor with character, a few white walls for his art, and as much open space as a 300 square foot floor plan could provide. Lastly, the owner likes to cook but was non-negotiable on a kitchen that encroached on his living space — at all!So, the architects and the contractor worked very hard to make use of every square inch that wasn’t active floor area.

Name: Rene & JerryLocation: Jamaica Plain, MassachusettsSize: 3200 square feetYears lived in: Almost 4 If a house can have good karma, this Victorian Mansard’s got it. Before the current owners, Rene and Jerry, bought this beautiful Jamaica Plain home, the previous owners made a bold and rare move. They skillfully returned this glorious single family home, which had been chopped into three units over years, back into the cohesive single family home that it longed to be.

Name: Aaron TullerLocation: Portland, ORSize: 1100 sq ft.Years lived in: almost 2 Aaron is co-owner of one of our favorite online sources of independent and handmade goods, buyolympia.com. When they relocated to Portland a couple of years ago he took the opportunity to pare down his belongings to the essentials and move into this minimal loft.

Name: Nick, Bryan & Otto, aka Blend StudiosLocation: Milwaukee, WisconsinSize: 1,350 square feetYears lived in: 1 When you consider how much time we spend at work – it makes sense that we want to love our work space. If you’re lucky enough to be entrepreneur and in charge of your own studio, that’s exactly what you can do.

Name: Sebastian & SarahLocation: Noordhoek — Cape Town, South AfricaSize: 2,360 square feet homeYears lived in: 2 (unrenovated) and 1 (as you see it) Meeting Sarah and Sebastian in their wonderfully colorful home was a breath of fresh air — a home where you instantly fall in love with the building and its inhabitants. It’s inviting and interesting without overwhelming your senses — casual chic at its best!

Name: Tiffany and Jaan OrvetLocation: San Francisco, CASize: 800 square feetYears lived in: 2 years Tiffany met her Swedish husband Jaan while working abroad in the UK. While they now call San Francisco home, they’ve brought a bit of Jaan’s home country into their flat (Tiffany also runs From Sthlm so that you can as well).

Name: Ivonne CasasLocation: Williamsburg, BrooklynSize: 1,800 square feet — now, 450 square feetYears lived in: 13 years Rent or Own: Rent Ivonne’s South Williamsburg loft lives in infamy. In 2008 the building was suddenly evacuated by the fire department citing “imminent danger” due to broken standpipes and a basement full of matzo wheat which could combust at any moment.

Name: Dana HughesLocation: Sydney, AustraliaSize: 100 square meters [1075 square feet]Years lived in: 8 months After discovering Dana’s beautiful blog Yellowtrace a few months back, we have been addicted to the impressive interviews, features and photography. Through her interior design work, it was clear Dana had an amazing eye — it’s thrilling to see how her style is reflected in her own Sydney apartment that she shares with her husband.

Name: Joe LocherLocation: MilwaukeeSize: Two spaces, 3,000 sq ft eachYears lived/worked in: 1 year What do you get when you take three creative artists, an old cream city brick hardware company building, abandoned industrial hardware, redwood forest scrap wood and passion for design? You get an amazing work-live space that inspires more of the creativity that built it.

Name: Annie RocchioLocation: Echo ParkSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 10 months We were thrilled to find out that Annie lived in our backyard of Echo Park (making this House Tour right around the corner). As we strolled up to her complex, we instantly felt like we were in Palm Springs, 1962. Thanks to the management company that owns Annie’s building, they overhauled it, taking it back in time (but in the best way possible).

Name: Joni and Eric (with daughters Elsa, 7 and Ava, 4)Location: Bellevue, WashingtonSize: 2,800 square feetYears lived in: 3 years As a professional stylist Joni effortlessly blends her love of vintage pieces with her other cherished objects: her family. Homeowners Joni and Eric designed a home where family comes first. It is a place where creativity and style naturally share space to create a warm and welcoming environment.

Name: Juhi, Jayant and Aksh PrabhuLocation: Bangalore, IndiaSize: 1,400 square feetYears Lived In: 5 months When Juhi sent us photos of her family’s recently renovated home in Bangalore, asking us if we wanted to feature it as a house tour, we jumped on it! We’ve found the homes we’ve featured from India to be especially beautiful in their use of vivid colour and this one is no exception.

Name: Philip Leeming & Leong Ong of FallsLocation: East VillageSize: under 600 square feetYears lived in: 9 years — rented The apartment that Philip and Leong call home during the week is in the heart of the East Village — just east of Astor Place on Saint Marks. In addition to being their weekday home, the apartment functions as hub of the couple’s fashion line Falls — it functions as their design studio but also hosts meetings, photo shoots and model castings.

Name: Trish Grantham (along with Pablo the dog and Georgia & Arlo the cats)Location: Portland, OregonSize: 900 Sq FtYears lived in: One Month (yep, ONE MONTH!) Portland artist, Trish Grantham lives on the ground floor of a pretty amazing house in North Portland. Inside her living space, collections abound. Outside is a large fenced backyard that makes the house feel removed from the tightly packed neighborhood it is set in.

Name: Lauren Location: Upper West Side, Manhattan Size: 800 square feet studio rental converted to a temporary one-bedroom Years lived in: Less than a year After a couple of years of ‘roommating’ in New York City, Lauren leaped out on her own and rented a studio apartment. Fortunately, it was large enough to put up some temporary walls and create a generous looking one-bedroom. Within a couple of months, it looked like it had been lived in for years! Lauren is a talented designer.

Name: Jay & MelissaLocation: Manchester, New HampshireSize: 1,250 square feetYears lived in: Owned – 6 yearsWho else lives there: Dogs Brady and Cali and Cats Mama, Tony, and Pepper Jay and Melissa made an offer on this two family on Manchester’s South side six years ago only to find out through Melissa’s mom that the home had been built by her grandfather in 1950.

Name: Johnny & Stacie SlocumLocation: St. Paul, MinnesotaSize: 1300 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 You may remember Johnny and Stacie’s loft from a house call that we published in January. We were thrilled when they agreed to share some more photos of their converted warehouse space with us. It simply is a home that makes us happy – cheerful, sunny and special – we’re glad to take a longer look.

Name: Jenika and RobertLocation: Westchester, CaliforniaSize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: 2 months Jenika and her boyfriend, Robert, had been living in Los Angeles for 4 years and desperately wanted to have a house of their own. Knowing how expensive real estate is in Los Angeles, they knew that they would have to find a great fixer. Jenika and Robert, with the help of her parents, purchased a small home in Westchester that needed a lot of work.

Name: Hollister Hovey & Porter HoveyLocation: Williamsburg, BrooklynSize: 1,400 square feetYears lived in: rented, 4½: years A few misconceptions about the Hoveys. They are not big-game hunters from the 1930’s. They are sisters from Kansas City with the given names Hollister and Porter. They are not taxidermists. Hollister works in PR and Porter for a management consulting firm. They are not hoarders. They are collectors of awesomeness.

Name: Emily Baker & Meeko MendezLocation: North Beach, San FranciscoSize: 850 square feetYears lived in: almost 1 year Emily and Meeko, just married last October, moved into their first apartment together in North Beach about a year ago. As exciting as that was, combining lives, stuff and styles into a small apartment proved to be challenging as both were moving from much larger spaces they shared with roommates.

Name: Julie Simonson & Wilbur (6-month-old chocolate cockapoo puppy)Location: Old City — Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSize: 1,223 square feetYears lived in: 2½ Julie is a Philadelphia Native. She moved to Los Angeles for several years and has vacationed in Vermont for much of her life. She eventually returned back to the city of brotherly love, bringing with her treasures from around the country that help make this loft Julie’s Jubilant Loft.

Name: Alison & Jeff AllenLocation: Minneapolis, MinnesotaSize: Rental House, 1,200 Square FeetYears lived in: 1 year, 4 months We’ve seen a great number of homes over the years. Some big, some small, some round and some without walls. This home nestled in the northern nook of the Midwest is one that instantly feels like home and oozes family and comfort while still feeling fresh in their retro, Mid-Century stylings.

Name: Stefanie & Luke (Mr. & Mrs. Limestone)Location: Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn Size: 1,800 square feetYears lived in: 3 years You may be familiar with Brooklyn Limestone, the blog penned by Stefanie documenting her adventures in renovation and decoration. She has incredible picture tutorials of the crafty projects she does herself, and thorough photographic evidence of the complete transformation her home has made from beginning to end.

Name: Emily & NateLocation: Jamaica Plain, MassachusettsSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: 1½ years – rented As an avid fan, Emily (a graphic designer) knows her Apartment Therapy stuff. Within minutes of walking through her door, Emily tells me that she’s pretty sure that the layout of her place is exactly the same as another house tour I recently posted. And funny enough, this other tour was also home to a Nate.

(Welcome to Ann & Dabney from St. Louis, a tag team of bloggers trying out for a place as Apartment Therapy House Tour Contributors. Enjoy their work!)Name: Ann & Dabney Location: St. Louis, MissouriSize: 3700 square feet (including home & workspace)Years lived in: 6 months When we were looking to move to Saint Louis, we looked at a lot of houses in the city, but it was in an old butcher shop turned hardware store turned office that we found our perfect renovation project.

Name: Stefan of ArchitectDesignLocation: Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington DCSize: studio 475 square foot studio, ownedYears lived in: 2½ years Most people may think that being a collector of beautiful things is incompatible with dwelling in a studio apartment, but Stefan shows that big style can exist in small spaces.

Name: Vanessa JeschkeLocation: Lake Merritt, Oakland, CASize: 1,000 square feet, 2 bedroomYears lived in: 3.5 months We discovered the home of Apartment Therapy reader Vanessa on flickr, and approached her about doing a house tour. Her clean aesthetic with careful attention to detail and cheerful vignettes throughout her home called out to us immediately. She was in the process of moving when we spoke to her in November, and promised to let us in once she was settled.

Name: Stephen Ellwood and Todd CarrLocation: Cornwallville, New YorkSize: 1,600 square feetYears lived in: 1½ To Stephen and Todd this 1900 fieldstone farmhouse is not a labor of love — it’s just pure love. Sure they have doors that lead to nowhere, but they also have a wood burning stove, an outdoor tub and a barn for a pottery studio. Not to mention an incredibly cute Brussels Griffon named Vernon.

(Welcome to Elizabeth from Milwaukee, one of the bloggers trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work!)Name: Michael & DanijelaLocation: Milwaukee, WisconsinSize: 1300 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 Newlyweds Michael and Danijela still seem a little surprised by their home and location. Young, design-loving, tech-savvy, Eurocentric professionals, they might seem more at home in a hip, downtown warehouse convert.

(Welcome to Smith from Chicago, one of the bloggers trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work – comments welcome!

Name: Stephen and Katie Sloan (plus Peter, Anna, and Evi) Location: Bainbridge Island, WAProperty Type: Converted Dairy Barn Size: 2400 square feet (3 bedrooms, 2 bath)Years lived in: 5 Resting on half an acre of pastoral countryside on beautiful Bainbridge Island is a distinctively charming home that was once a dairy barn. Originally constructed in 1905 and converted in 1980, this home beautifully integrates original rustic elements with comfortable modern touches.

Name: Hunter TerritoLocation: Baton Rouge, LouisianaSize: 1,100 Square FeetYears lived in: 5 Months Hunter purchased his first home in September of 2009. For two months, he spent nights and weekends scraping, painting, sanding, refinishing and more. Featured as a House Call — Hunter’s Dramatic DIY — in November, we were so impressed we asked if he would be interested in a full House Tour— and Hunter threw a party.

Name: Christine & Vijay ChitnisLocation: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,684 square feet, 3 bedroomsYears lived in: 1 The home of Providence writer, blogger, crafter and Fall Colors finalist, Christine Chitnis and her husband, Vijay, does resemble a typical New England farmhouse: it’s over 100 years old and their fridge is filled with eggs freshly laid by the chickens that roam their backyard — the only thing missing is the rural setting.

Name: James NestorLocation: Bernal Heights, San Francisco, CASize: 930 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 years, owned We were elated that James Nestor agreed to do a house tour of his amazing home. Initially, he seemed surprised that we’d want to showcase his diminutive, but unique Bernal Heights digs, but we were able to detect the deserved pride he has for his place, a house that he transformed from an unlivable dump into an inviting, visually-appealing, and space-efficient home.

(Welcome to Abby from Toronto, one of the bloggers trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as a House Tour Contributor. Enjoy her work – comments welcome!

Name: MaryLocation: Louisville, Kentucky I am a Freshman in college. My parents announced this fall that they were selling the home that my siblings and I had grown up in. I took the news very hard. I had a very special room that was built for me when I was little. As a little kid, I never stayed in my bed.

Name: Lori DennisLocation: Los Angeles, California   Size: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: Recently renovated We’re taking a bit of a de-tour today from our usual type of house tour we present.

Name: Chris & HeatherLocation: Acton, MassachusettsSize: 2,700 square feetYears lived in: 4 I first met Heather and Chris when they contacted me for a fresh eye to help them pull together their playful family room. The moment I entered their house I had two thoughts: This is absolutely a future Apartment Therapy House Tour, AND this woman is so talented at design, I can’t imagine how I’m going to be a value added here.

Name: Jenny Rinzler and Cristina EspinosaLocation: Mission Dolores, San FranciscoSize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: Cristina for 8 1/2 years, Jenny for 5 years (they had roommates until 3 years ago) It’s one thing to make a home out of your rental. It’s another to make a home out of your 100+ year old rental with poor wiring and insulation. Now that the years of roommates are over, Jenny and Cristina finally have their charming abode to themselves and have made it their own.