Name: Laura Hofenk and 2 cats, Jisse and Jaro Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, renting In April 2018 I moved to this apartment with a modern anthracite [gray-colored] couch and boring gray carpet. But at some point I started collecting vintage from the ’60s and ’70s, and then I decided to go all the way with this style. Now I’m literally living like they did in the ’70s.

Name: Sarah Choate and a spooky black cat named Jackson Dale Location: Wilmore, Kentucky Size: 400-500 square feet Years lived in: 7 months, renting This is the first place I’ve lived in totally on my own and so far, I really love the peacefulness that comes with living alone. I’m 24 and work as the marketing coordinator for a faith-based nonprofit that does international community development work.

Name: Kirsten Olson, partner, college-aged child, pets galore! Location: Bellefonte — Wilmington, Delaware Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned Our family—my husband, college-aged child, and me—have lived in this house for 13 years, along with a constantly changing array of pets. (Right now it’s two dogs and four cats.

Name: Anne Neuenschwander, her partner, and three cats, Pele, Babyteo, and Mija Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 7 months, owned I am a professional upholsterer and interior decorator while my boyfriend is an architect. We’ve lived together in apartments in Berlin and Raleigh but this is the first home we’ve owned.

Name: Pamela Thistle, my husband, and two black labs Location: Township of Oro-Medonte — Ontario, Canada Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned My name is Pamela Thistle and I live in this home with my husband Kevin and two black Labs—Harley and Fionnegan. Our home is roughly 2,100 square feet. Slowly, we have been adding our stamp on our otherwise plain new-build home. We have done all the work ourselves and yet we are still talking to each other!

Name: Jessica Morris, my husband and our four kids Location: Campbell River — British Columbia, Canada Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting My husband and I have four kids whose ages range from 1 to 9. We live in a smaller 1,500-square-foot rancher and we utilize every inch of our space. We are minimalistic in the sense that we only purchase items we love and we don’t have a ton of clutter around our home.

Name: Sara Ruch, husband, and three cats Location: Jersey City, New Jersey Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned My husband and I bought this home in the fall of 2017, after searching for close to a year in the Jersey City area. We knew we wanted a single family home, and the process was so much longer and more competitive than we imagined. We were lucky to have our offer accepted on this home, which was previously owned by the same family for many years dating back to WWII.

Name: Erica Riha and fiancé Location: Upper East Side — New York, New York Size: Under 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting My fiancé and I moved into our Upper East Side apartment a few years ago after living in a much larger Queens one bedroom. We both work on West 57th Street and moved to have a shorter commute, the trade-off being less space; I’m an interior designer so I knew I could handle the challenge.

Name: Rachael Klieman, husband (Nisar), Dogs (Red & Otis) Location: Champaign, Illinois Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned When my husband, Nisar, and I first saw our house, we fell in love with the details from 1880. The carvings on the trim, the pattern of the oak floors, the original patinated brass hardware, the oversized windows. Nevermind that the kitchen, bathrooms, and mudroom were all a disaster. Who needs a working dishwasher when you have quarter-sawn oak trim!?

Name: Ella Khan Location: Clawson neighborhood — Oakland, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting I found my home via Craigslist ad and it was seriously such a magical find. The condo is located in an old elementary school building that was converted into lofts several years ago.

Name: Erica Thomas Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 494 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting I live in a 494-square-foot studio apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This is the first apartment I’ve ever lived in that has a really fantastic layout that utilizes all of the space well. It has 10-foot ceilings and a wall of eight-foot windows, so it definitely feels bigger than it is.

Name: Ashley Kost, husband, and a Golden Doodle dog Location: Roxbury, NY Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned My husband and I purchased our cabin in January of 2018 after deciding we needed an escape from city living. We chose the small town of Roxbury because it’s where we got married in 2015, so it already had a special place in our hearts. Our home is located approximately 2.

Name: Lindsey Swedick, my boyfriend, cats Freddie and Ramona Location: Brooklyn, New York Years living in: I have lived here for 1 year, but my boyfriend has lived here for 8 years, renting I moved to NYC from Albuquerque, New Mexico, seven years ago. I currently work in Digital Editorial and Social Media Marketing at West Elm and have always had a passion for photography, both for work and outside of it (I recently set up a film photography developing set-up at home!).

Name: Mary Martha Meyer Hill Location: South Austin — Austin, Texas Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 7 months, renting I am a recent graduate living in my first post-college apartment. I studied art history and classical studies in college, and I’ve always been drawn to subjects, objects, and styles that possess a history that feels distant and somewhat untouchable.

Name: Erika Hinn, husband Sam, daughter Christa, and two dogs, Molson and Maple, and two cats Location: Longwood, Florida Size: 1,650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Our house was built in 1978 and had suffered some years of neglect when we first saw it. It was in the process of being purchased by an investor as a flip, but we saw it and even in its terrible, smelly condition I loved it and saw what it could be.

Name: Chris Schapdick and my daughter Location: Livingston Manor, New York (The Catskills) Size: 150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned My tiny house was created from a strong desire to get away from the bustle of New York City and to have a place for my daughter and I to escape to on the weekends. We spend as much time as possible at the house year round.

Name: Gillian Beach Location: Charleston, South Carolina Size: 975 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned I bought my house three years ago. I was just about to give up on my search when this house that I had seen the previous year became available again. It was under contract but that fell through and I was at the right place at the right time. The number one reason for buying a home was to have my own garden. I have enjoyed slowly designing the garden how I envisioned.

Name: Sofia Gil, my husband and two daughters: 1 and 4 years old Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting We are a Portuguese family living in Valencia, and we love it here. Our flat is very bright, and my husband and I decided to use pastel colors for the decor. A lot of the furniture is second hand and painted with chalk paint; we love to combine old and new.

Name: Miya Kusumoto, my kitten, Poppy Location: Riverside — Jacksonville, Florida Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting The Riverside House—Rochester House as it was originally known—was built in 1869 as a boutique hotel that could accommodate up to 40 guests. Perhaps the most famous guest that stayed at the hotel was Mary Todd Lincoln—reportedly she came down South to recover from arthritic pain.

Name: Lauren Murphy, cat Tulip Moonbeam, and my dwarf rabbit, Alfee Location: South Norwalk, Connecticut Size: 300 square feet Years lived in: 1 week, renting My name is Lauren, and I am a nanny/graduate student getting my Master’s in teaching. I just moved into this apartment to be a bit closer to my school. Although very tiny, this home allows me to have my first real bedroom since college, which is huge for me!

Name: Elle Collins, husband John, son Hudson, and British Shorthair cat Mia Location: Knowle — Solihull, United Kingdom Size: 1,264 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Myself, my husband John, our 2-year-old son Hudson, and our British Shorthair “Blue” cat Mia have loved every second of the last four years in our home. This home was our first purchased together as a couple; we got married and had our first child while having this home so it’s full of memories.

Name: Rebecque Asher, husband, dog, and cat Location: Columbia neighborhood — Bellingham, Washington Size: Less than 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned We are first-time home owners in Bellingham, Washington. We live a five-minute drive away from the ocean. We were able to buy our small, historic house (built in 1904) through a local organization called Kulshan Community Land Trust. They help low-income families achieve the dream of home ownership in our community.

Name: Nicole Stankus Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York Size: 207-ish square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting I’m a designer in New York, and I have moved A LOT. I had lived in 12 apartments in the five years prior to May of 2018. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I pride myself on making wherever I am feel like home as quickly as possible.

Name: Brigid Andrews Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years, renting My Apartment is in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, on the third floor of a pre-war brownstone. At 1,300 square feet it’s big, has exposed brick walls, and the light that comes in is pretty amazing.

Name: George Banks-Weston, my husband, Mark, and our dog, Hilde Location: South Kensington, Philadelphia Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Our loft is in a building that used to be a sewing factory. My husband, Mark, is a collage artist from Port Antonio, Jamaica and I am a food blogger from a small town in Pennsylvania.

Name: Louise Lechat, husband Guillaume Lechat, and 11-month-old daughter Location: Paris, France Size: 580 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned My husband and I bought the apartment in 2016 and use it as our base when we are in Paris. We are both photographers. It’s in a really vibrant area of Paris called Pigalle, which is just below Montmartre. It’s on the sixth floor (without an elevator) but there is a window on the roof, which we replaced with a Velux window.

Name: Sophie Leger, hubby Laurent, daughters Charlie and Olive, baby boy Louie, and bad dog Willis the miniature dachshund Location: Moncton — NB Canada Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned After moving out of our last home, which was very cookie cutter/traditional/boxy/closed off, we knew what we didn’t want. So when we stepped foot in this house, we both instantly fell in love. It was just so bright, open, and airy with the skylights and vaulted ceilings.

Name: Ricky Rodriguez, my partner, Luke Pharr, and our cat, Mr. Bingley Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Our apartment is situated on the banks of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, Texas. Our household consists of myself, my partner, and my cat Mr. Bingley. When we moved in to our apartment a year ago, we wanted to create a space that reflected both of our personalities.

Name: Miks Riggs, my husband, dog named Douglas, and currently 2 foster children Location: Valley Ranch — Dallas, Texas Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, owned It was a big deal for my husband and I to buy this home—it’s our first! I have lived in 11 different apartments in the last eight years, so I was used to moving, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it!

Name: Jennie Hoekstra, partner, three children, 2 birds, 1 cat, 16 (outdoor) chickens Location: Kemble — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,675 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned Until the summer of 2017 we lived in a very drafty 130-year-old, converted schoolhouse. When a lovely secluded lot with potential for distant water views came up for sale around the corner in our small village, we jumped at the chance and bought it, not knowing exactly what we’d do with it.

Name: Jennifer Page, my partner, Ronnie, and two cats “The Boys” Henry and Bones Location: Portage Park/Jefferson Park/Northwest side — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned When I moved in to Ronnie’s space, our goal as a newly cohabiting couple was to create a space that was entirely our home. We wanted our home to continually inspire us, but also be comfortable and a place to stay tucked away when the work week ends.

Name: Heather Knight-Willcock, husband, and Meeka (12-year-old rescue) Location: Newport Beach, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting I am a Southern California native who is married to a lovely British man and we lived together in London for nearly a decade before moving back to Orange County a few years back. We went from a 400-square-foot flat in a busy city to more than double the space in a suburban townhouse.

Name: Lauren Haden Location: Inner Sunset — San Francisco, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting My apartment building was built in 1920… that’s almost 100 years of history! I like to think about who lived in my unit when it was first built. The thing that really drew me to this space in particular were the classic San Francisco details that haven’t been touched.

Name: Matthew Klein Location: Union City, New Jersey Size: 445 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, owned Located just 20 minutes outside of New York City and a short distance to Weehawken, Hoboken, and Jersey City; my 445-square-foot Union City apartment features an eclectic mix of rustic, vintage, and industrial styles with some contemporary pieces added to balance them out.

Name: Spencer Bergen Location: Andes, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, owned The home was built in 1910 and sits in the historic hamlet of Andes, located in the Catskill Mountains—just two and a half hours from New York City. It features all original woodwork from when it was first built, and includes Victorian and Craftsman touches. While decorating I have tried keep in line with the cozy country setting while tying in the history of the home.

Name: Cindy Zhang and Kai the Corgi Location: San Francisco, California Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting My apartment is a “junior one-bedroom,” which means it’s a studio with a small door-less bedroom carved in. My apartment is my place to relax after a long day, but also the place to get work done. All the practicing for gigs happens here, as well as actual work on WFH Wednesdays.

Name: Allison Sparkuhl and a cat, Veda Location: San Francisco, California Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Just about three years ago, my cat, Veda, and I lugged our stuff to San Francisco from NYC. After 12 years in one city, you don’t realize how much you accumulate! I used the opportunity to purge and really “KonMari” my life into things around me that truly made me happy.

Name: Elizabeth Mahon Location: Union Market neighborhood — Washington, D.C. Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting I live alone, but my boyfriend spends most of his time at my place. We both love design and thankfully have really similar taste. He also does a really good job of reminding me to scale it back when I’m getting a little too crazy and want to buy everything—ha!

Name: Jordan Jones, my boyfriend, and our Maine Coon Cat, Thor Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting I’m a fashion blogger, barista, and hairstylist and I live in a one-bedroom apartment in North Portland with my partner Grant Thomas and our 20-pound Maine Coon cat named Thor. Grant and I met on Tinder three years ago back in San Diego, California, which is where we used to live.

Name: Sarah Huchel Location: East Sacramento neighborhood — Sacramento, California Size: 1,020 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned I was looking for a home to buy for over a year, and I completely lucked out with this place. Not only is the neighborhood geographically amazing (I commute to work and can do nearly all my errands by bike!), the neighbors are fantastic (one of my best friends ended up buying a house three doors down), and my sewer line has not yet collapsed.

Name: Maria Cronin and my cat Frida Location: Cheesman Park neighborhood — Denver, Colorado Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting I love that I smile when I walk in my apartment and throw down my work bag. My cat Frida (yes named after Frida Kahlo) awaits me while lounging on my favorite Peruvian throw blanket. I put a lot of thought into my home aesthetic. The inspiration behind my feminine meets eclectic vibe comes from my travels, my mother, fashion, and art.

Name: Kelly Wheeler and three kids Location: Darien, Illinois Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned I bought my home six years ago and live here with my three kids, Jack, Brice, and Ireland. The home is a split-level that was built in the ’80s and when I moved in, it had wall-to-wall carpet and white walls. It was very dark and generic but I loved that it had lots of windows and space.

Name: Schalah Mitchell, one dog, and two cats Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting I live alone with my dog and two cats, but my mother is a very frequent visitor and has made the guest room her home away from home, along with her two tiny chihuahuas. Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Warm, whimsical, classic and eclectic I have a lot of French furniture inherited from my grandmother or the home I grew up in Paris.

Name: Melanie Raver, husband, three daughters (8, 4, and 3 years old), and dog Location: San Diego, California Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned We are the Ravers! My handsome hubby, my mini girl gang, and our extremely furry German Shepherd. We upgraded from our small starter home to a home with more space for our growing family. We found our home in a great area of North County San Diego, plenty of rooms, great schools, and a killer view of the Pacific Ocean!

Name: Vonny Halim and husband Kevin Location: Capitol Hill — Seattle, Washington Size: 525 square feet Rent or owned: Renting I live here with my husband, Kevin. We are originally from Auckland, New Zealand. We moved to the U.S. in 2016 and lived for two years in San Francisco before deciding to move to Seattle. I love crisp winter air and gloomy weather, and Seattle has both which makes it perfect for me to knit.

Name: Evi Ritter, husband, and two kids Location: Västervik, Sweden Size: 861 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned My husband (an architect) and I (a photographer) have renovated this house for the last couple of years. It was in pretty bad shape and needed lots of love. We kept everything minimalist, organic (used lots of white and wood), and simple (because we have two small children), but also wanted it to be cozy. The house is located by a lake, surrounded by nature.

Name: Rebecca Duckert Location: Upper West Side — Manhattan, NY Size: Around 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting When I moved to New York three and a half years ago from my hometown of New Orleans, I drove up here in a U-Haul with all of my belongings because I was committed to starting a real life in my new city.

Name: Candy Scott, two dogs, Rosie and Ruby. Location: River North — Chicago, Illinois Size: 765 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting My home is a high-rise apartment in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. As an interior designer, I spend a lot of time at the nearby Merchandise Mart working with vendors and running to client meetings. It was important for me to be in a convenient location in the heart of the city.