Bianca Tueretsky wrote a series of YA books called "The Time-Traveling Fashionista" about a girl who travels back in time through an enchanted vintage dress. Her small Prospect Heights apartment reflects her love of books, history, vintage pieces, and travel.

Aparna Jayaraman is Indian and has always been "inspired by the bold colors, patterns, and glitz of traditional saris." But while she says color is very important to her home, "neutrals provide it the foundation to really pop."

Musician Mathew V has moved five times in the last six years in “search of a home that felt like just that: home.” He’s found it here in this polished condo he shares with his partner, Justin.

Alexander and Jesse avoid newer luxury buildings, "preferring brownstones and buildings with more historical character. So when we were looking in Charleston we prioritized spaces in old, classic Charleston homes. Our building was built in 1840."

"The space had a modern aesthetic and we used the green kitchen as a jumping-off point for leaning into color and modern details," writes Mark Goldwell, the founding partner and executive creative director of Zero Studios.

Laura and Jason have designed the space to be like a "modern-day curiosity cabinet, and tried to evoke an overall style that blends mid-century, old British gentleman's club, and playful modernism to create a space that highlights all of our collections."

The colors in Nityasya and her partner's home are bright "and there's a lot of texture and patterns to not just take us back to India (our homeland), but also to make the feel space vibrant and full of energy — on even the coldest winter day in NYC."

Lifestyle blogger Jessica Kirby and her partner, Craig Mackay, did all the renovations themselves on this house in Rhode Island, and they had a very small budget. But they maximized their efforts "by spending on materials instead of labor. Our house is small and it’s an open layout, but we managed to make it feel spacious and still cozy."

"We wanted everything to feel super fun and happy to look at," Victoria Buckley says of the home she shares with her partner and dog. "We both try to be really positive and I think our home helps a lot with that! When we’re relaxing at home or even working during the day, the whole atmosphere feels very positive and motivating."

Elielle describes their home's style as "botanical, airy, eclectic, relaxed, traditional."

"We moved from a converted church to a converted school house," says Rachel Hill, who shares this home with her husband. "We both love the character that comes with an old building which is brought back to life and repurposed as a home."

Bronwyn, who rents this 800-square-foot Nob Hill apartment, advises: "Let things evolve slowly. Invest in antiques with soul."

Kate makes an effort to avoid buying new things for her Chicago rental apartment, instead sourcing "items from thrift stores, antique shops, and second-hand marketplaces. About 80% of the things I buy come from these places, and I love incorporating historic designs into a very modern building."

Name: Donna Wilson and husbandLocation: Belfast, Northern IrelandType of home: TownhouseSize: 1000 square feetYears lived in: 10 years; rentingTell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: It’s a rental but I’ve made it my home, adding colour, texture, and layers to make it feel warm, cosy, and homely.I identify as a woman who loves life!

Amy and Jason sacrificed space so they could afford to buy something close to surfing and hiking trails. They did a gut reno on this 600-square-foot cottage, cladding it in warm wood from the ceiling to the walls and adding storage everywhere they could — under the couch, wall-to-wall cabinets in the tiny bedroom, and even vertical surfboard racks along the retaining wall outside." 

Dana and Andy first fell in love with this condo's vintage charm, and have appreciated all the work they did to make the space a comfortable home for their family, which now includes a young son. "Our condo has been a wonderful, cozy refuge," Dana writes.

"Every piece on the wall contains a memory of either a place, a time, or an experience we don't want to forget," says Serene, of the apartment she shares with her husband, Jude, and daughter, Sophie.

Hilary Crawford's favorite thing about her four-bedroom semi-detached home she shares with her husband and three daughters is the open plan living space and "how it opens out to the garden particularly in the summer months!"

"I'm Italian American, lived in Rome for 10 years, and studied Humanities and Classics at university; these attributes reflect everywhere in my world," explains LeAnne Smith. "I love stone sculpture, architecture, pencil sketches, and gardens."

Carole home's style is very colorful and eclectic. She's inherited centuries-old beautiful antiques from her family and added her own twist with some modernist furniture and great collectibles collected from travels across the world.

"I've just always been attracted to a lot of color and I love it loud and colorful," describes Kimiya Justus, a Berlin-based artist and illustrator.

Karie and Sean have been living in this 1922 bungalow in Norman, Oklahoma, for five years and "don't plan on moving as we love living small and are in an excellent neighborhood."

Julie and her fiancé fell in love with the original details of this house, like the original hardwood and arched doorways. And when it came to furnishing it, they got thrifty: "Our home is about 80% secondhand and 20% new items."

New Zealand design editor Georgina McWhirter's Perth, Australia home is "modern-organic with an artsy twist."

As a Taurus, Reed's home is her castle and she spend a lot of time here, so she's made sure it's extremely cozy, has good lighting, and overall is a place that grounds her when she's in it.

"From DIY to beach finds, there are so many budget-friendly ways to make your space somewhere you're excited to be," explains Kelsey. Some of her favorite budget hacks in her rental apartment include: framing matchbooks for art, hacked IKEA console, custom desk, and more.

"The stained glass that borders my three gigantic windows is a gem in and of itself, and combined with the decorative fireplace, exposed brick, and massive wood sliding doors, the room feels like a historical experience of living in Brooklyn," writes Karys Rhea.

Dorshelle Guillaume is a Haitian American fashion designer and says aesthetics, style, and ambiance are really important. "My home is very cozy, clean, and elevated and I love how everything works well together."

Lou, who runs the IG account @notaperioddrama, loves to respect and enhance the period style of their home but also likes to add a “sprinkle of something a little bit bold and unique.”

"Living in a studio means that I see everything all the time, so I really need to like everything that's there," explains Upper East Side studio apartment dweller Jamie Mandel.

Lisa and Eddie slowly transformed this space, layering textures of lush rugs and velvet, an antique mirror kitchen backsplash, and moody blue French wash walls to create this 516-square-foot retreat. "The space is small so we had to be thoughtful about the placement of absolutely everything."

Olivia's apartment's interior structure is Craftsman style, with built-in features including a slide Murphy bed, wall shelves surrounding the living room, a stained glass cabinet, antique push-button-style light switches, and a bathroom with a deep tub.

Katharina fulfilled her dream of owning a home as a single woman. "I worked from finishing school until the day the papers were signed to give myself this security for retirement and to protect myself from rising rent costs," she writes.

Erik works from home, and needed a bright, airy space that "inspired me while keeping me in a good mood (happy colors) but relaxed."

"As a first-time homeowner I was excited to make my mark in a way that I was never able to do when renting. I love the simplicity and brightness of Scandinavian design, but also bright colors and pop art," writes Jen.

Danielle and her family searched Facebook Marketplace for almost all of the furniture for their small cabin, including a full dining set for only $100! "We also upcycled all of our lighting. We kept most of the lighting original to the cottage and just painted and rewired it," she explains.

Kate and her husband loved this small unit's natural light, original details (like molding and inlaid hardwood floors), and location, despite not having been updated in many years. "We knew we wanted to keep as much of the original charm as we could, while also updating it to bring in natural elements and modernize the space."

When Antoinette purchased this home, the interior needed a lot of work! The biggest challenges were creating functional living spaces in such a small space and finding solutions for the exposed, unattractive features.

As a designer, collector, and artist, Darien Stokes was captivated by the unique architectural characteristics of this one-bedroom loft nestled off the bustling streets of West Hollywood, California.

"The natural woods, clean minimalism, and considered styling reflect Scandi themes, while the Feng Shui calls to my Chinese heritage," owner Emilie writes. "The neutral palette keeps the focus on the glorious nature vistas from every window and calms the mind."

This tiny one-bedroom apartment was quite outdated. Agathe and her partner did the entire renovation themselves while working full-time, which meant they had to sleep in the kitchen for nearly two months!

Ana shares this tiny studio apartment with her boyfriend, and while there's technically only one actual room for the entire home, her simple but successful room-dividing solution helps make the space much more usable.

Most of the art in Julia's apartment is either of Black women or created by Black women. "I grew up surrounded by Black art so all of my art makes me feel at home," she writes.

Aaron's favorite "room" is the entire apartment, "because it is a studio that has been designed with intention to give each area a specific use and vibe. Although it is one open space, each section serves a different purpose."

Taylor Jordan says the key with rentals is "to work with and around the things you can't change." In his San Francisco apartment he worked around the original yellow toilet and tub, and in the kitchen he "changed out the cabinet hardware and backsplash for an updated, modern look."

"I filled my home with objects I made, and furniture I gave a second life to (i.e., with paint)," writes Kira. "I worked hard to create a curated environment with a lot of personality on a budget."

When Carissa and her husband moved to NYC from Florida, they had to downsize from a 1,500-square-foot home, so they "had to really process not only the functionality of objects, but also their significance."

"We live in a mid-century home that was a bit of a blank slate when we moved in," begins Julie Mak. "It has been a wonderful palette for adding the lively fabrics, patterns, colors, and lines that I love."