“Like a great dinner party you want a varied guest list…someone is larger than life, another is quiet but fascinating, another brings beauty, or brilliant conversation, or humor,” artist Judith Bigham says, describing her philosophy of decorating. “If a piece of furniture or art doesn’t work because it’s too big or too exaggerated for a room I often say ‘oh she’s the loudest girl in the room!

Beyond satiating curiosity, getting to see how different people tackle the layout of homes with the same floor plan is also illuminating. Do the same people have the same design challenges? Do they use space in the same way? Does architecture have a strong affect on the furniture and accessories selected? Tirsh and Minky share a lovely North Oakland loft with their dog Arnie. As the owners of Hunter & Lew, a design studio, having a home that fosters creativity is clearly important to them.

One of the biggest downsides to studio living is feeling like you live — and entertain — in your bedroom. But even though that might physically/technically be true, it doesn’t mean you can’t use design to make it feel like it’s more than just a studio. These smart and stylish studios — all under 500 square feet — employ three of the most successful ways to make a studio apartment feel bigger than it is.

Anastassia Nelson may still be in her twenties, but she owns her own stylish house and is excellent at navigating the intricacies of estate sales. Because estate sales aren’t like yard and garage sales, they can be a bit intimidating to those not in the know. That’s why I asked Ana to share some insider tips and unspoken rules to help guide someone who’s never been to an estate sale before. Estate sales can be kind of weird to a newcomer.

My current apartment is housed in a building over 100 years old. And though it creaks and cracks a lot, nothing can replace the charm of tall ceilings, cove molding and other traditional building features. Yet I sometimes wonder if my furnishings do the space justice? Does my “Bohemian-meets-Maximalist-meets-Literally-Throw-Anything-Together” style really make the architectural details of this older building sing?

Colie and her husband immensely enjoy their 781 square foot Minneapolis apartment, thanks in no small part to the well-designed, cohesive and comfortable space Colie has crafted. The decorating skill just might be genetic because Colie’s mother, Nancy Sieve, is an interior decorator. After we published the tour, I asked Colie a few questions about what it was like growing up with a mom with a knack for design.

As we’ve seen from her two Halloween decor tours, crafter and blogger Jennifer Perkins takes decorating for the holidays very seriously. And by very seriously, I mean incredibly bold, brassy, colorful and over-the-top! It should come as no surprise that she’s a master at outfitting the crown jewel of Christmas decor: the tree. In fact, she has over 100 trees, so she definitely knows what she’s talking about. Let her decor ideas inspire your own last-minute holiday touches.

Do you want to invite friends over — maybe even have a dinner party — but you’ve been hesitating because you live in a studio apartment and your living room is also your dining room, kitchen, office and bedroom? Though it might feel a bit strange to have guests (good friends or acquaintances) milling about in your sleep space, I don’t think having a small home should be a road block for entertaining.

Whether you rent and can’t make any changes or just don’t have the funds to remodel, moving into a home with a vintage bathroom can be a challenge. When that bathroom sports vintage tiles in intense colors, it can be especially puzzling to figure out how to decorate. If the tiles have to stay — and the color palette’s been forced on you, for better or worse — try a trick to making vintage bathrooms work.

Growing up, the walls of my parents’ living room den were narrow, dark wood panels. No matter the time of day, the place felt like a cave. But though I finally persuaded them to paint them to match the rest of the house a few years ago (and it really did brighten the place up), after seeing these stylish spaces, I’m starting to rethink the wood paneling look. It’s definitely distinctive. It adds texture to a space and it certainly ups the warmth factor.

Not everything in Jessica and Ryan’s home is from a thrift store, but a large bulk of the furniture and decor is. Their style looks anything but second-hand, however. Not surprising considering Jessica Cook is a vintage seller with her Etsy shop Houseworking. I asked her to share her best thrifting tips, second-hand secrets and hand-me-down hints. You’ll be a thrifting expert in no time! Thrift stores are where I do the bulk of my vintage hunting.

There are lots of reasons why you might have a too-big or too-bulky piece of furniture in your home. Perhaps it’s an inherited piece you can’t part with. Maybe you need a large piece of furniture for storage. Whatever the case, you don’t have to live with a heavy piece of furniture visually weighing down a room.

Last week I showed off some magical GIFS that took out—and added back in—specific types of architectural detail. This week, I’ve got even more, in a similar vein, to look at. Because we’re not all living in our dream homes, seeing how certain types of architectural details add character demonstrates that it may be totally worth the time, money and energy to consider adding them to your own home.

Color doesn’t have to be permanent…or even on the walls. It also doesn’t have to be super saturated or loud, either. These five renters added soft, subtle color to their homes—in ways that won’t prevent them from getting their security deposit back! From Katie, of Katie’s Shabby Chic St. Paul Apartment: “I am quite proud of my dining room table and chairs.

Though it may not be your dream material, black and white tiles can be a very affordable choice when you need new flooring in your kitchen. Need proof? These eight rooms look fantastic with black and white floors. From simple spaces to bold, accessorized rooms, let these kitchens and their checkered floors inspire your own home. As you look through these examples, pay attention to the tile size and layout orientation; you’ll see a surprising variety of looks in these rooms.

In the hunt for the perfect apartment—one that’s located where you want and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg—you sometimes have to make sacrifices. For Kimberly’s search in Philadelphia, she was willing to settle for a small “kitchen” since she doesn’t cook often. But she wasn’t going to settle on it being boring and beige.

Poufs, floor pillows, low ottomans and small stools—these are all great decor elements to add to a living room whenever you need extra seating or more softness. But it’s not always crystal clear exactly where your newly purchased or DIYed pouf or floor pillow should go. In the place of side chairs? As a coffee table? Kind of floating off to the side?