Anna Spaller

Sean and Ashley chose wall colors based on the room's function: a calm blue in the living room, orange in the dining room and turquoise in the office to spark creativity.

Name: Justin and Anna Spaller + Cat, Oscar Location: Savin Hill — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Two years ago, Justin and I had no idea we would end up living in an old Boston neighborhood, let alone in a beautiful 19th century Victorian home. At that time, we were Midwest natives turned Brooklynites, planning a big farewell to the city that never sleeps after four years.

All the door and windows are painted gold!

Name: Jessica, Andrew, and Gus Ullom Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Size: 1,750 square feet, built in 1965 Years lived in: Owned 2 years From the outside, you would definitely expect a cute new family of three to live here. But you might be surprised at the beautiful creativity happening inside! Jessica and her husband Andrew both work with their hands on a daily basis.

Name: Kate Sykes Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Size: 840 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2.5 months To find her new apartment, Kate bypassed typical rental search engines and opted to drive around her ideal neighborhood in Raleigh, scouting beautiful facades and “For Rent” signs. That’s how she landed this home just three months ago. How she managed to pull it together so quickly and skillfully speaks to her background in design.

Name: Rosewood Clothing Co. Location: 16 W. Broad St., Richmond, Virgina Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years With one visit to Rosewood Clothing Co.’s vintage insta-shop, founder Ashley Carruther’s style is immediately enviable.

Name: Li Ward and husband Dan Location: South End — Boston, Masschusetts Size: 1,380 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned Li Ward and her husband Dan initially met through their work as computer science professionals, but after a decade in the industry, Li decided it wasn’t the right future for her. Around 2009, Li took the plunge into full-time freelance photography after seeing a West Coast friend succeeding at the same thing.

Name: Ashley and Terry Reth, and their two cats, Boy and Girl. Location: Portland, Maine Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Ashley and Terry celebrated their first six months as a married couple this April and have been together for over ten years…but they originally met all the way back in kindergarten! New to marriage, but not to each other, they are happy to now have a place their family can grow into.

Name: Shannon Buckley; husband, Nick Huertas; and 3 cats Location: Andersonville — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Looking at their apartment, it’s hard to believe Shannon and Nick only moved to Chicago one year ago. Leaving Boston, the East Coast, and a number of dark, dreary apartments behind, they were determined to find a home with outdoor space and lots of natural light.

When Sarah and her wife, Jamie, chose to buy a home together, they were finally able to turn their beautiful creative energy on their own space.

Name: Kayla Benedict and Erick Pausz Location: Lincoln Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: around 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Kayla and Erick met nearly seven years ago, and shortly after started selling mid-century furniture out of their garage together. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a business! Now their mid-century modern furniture company, Shark Gravy, has a store front, 16K+ Instagram followers, (and probably as many satisfied customers!

Name: Erin Myles, Tobin Curran and Rosa the Chihuahua Location: West End — Providence, Rhode Island Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned Jewelry designer Erin bought this beautiful condo in Providence, Rhode Island’s West End over 10 years ago. She says the neighborhood has changed a lot in that period of time…and this home definitely has, too!

Name: Elijah Clark-Ginsberg Location: Somerville, Massachusetts Size: 450(ish) square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented Elijah, a well-traveled marketer and designer, moved into his beautiful one-bedroom rental in Somerville two years ago. This West Coaster turned East Coaster now draws design inspiration from the collegiate, preppy feel of the New England area, and his love for international travel.

Name: Alissa Lenore Minehart, owner of Lenore Design, and family Location: Newton, Massachusetts Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 ½ years Over the past two years, interior designer Alissa of Lenore Design has had the task of turning her family’s rental into a home. With an industrial feel (“overhead pipes and very little overhead lighting”), the space wasn’t an easy project to tackle.

Name: Sarah, Keith, Charlotte (age 9), Cormac (age 6), and Otis “My Man,” their Wheaten Terrier Location: Melrose, Massachusetts Size: About 2,200 square feet (including finished basement) Years lived in: Owned 8 years Sarah and her husband Keith moved from Boston up to Melrose, Massachusetts after getting married and having their first baby. Having a small child in the city wasn’t ideal for them, and it seemed like the right time for more space.

Name: Brett Leigh Location: Providence, Rhode Island Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months I drove up to an old factory in an industrial part of town, just outside of Providence, Rhode Island. This is the kind of building that’s been re-purposed and converted into loft-style apartments, so I figured I could expect some creativity. But there was nothing that could have prepared me for the magic that is Brett Leigh’s home.

Name: Laleh and Matt Lewis Location: Medford, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 2.5 years Matt and Laleh’s home is full of collected items, inspiration from nature, and positive mantras to remember daily. With backgrounds in early childhood education and environmental science, the two are active members in their community.

Name: Andrea Castañeda, Chris Amirault and their two kids Location: Coventry, Rhode Island Size: 3,400 square feet of living area Years lived in: 6 years, owned Built in 1958, this house has only been home for two families in its 60 years. It had been well-maintained, but was in an aging condition when Andrea and Chris bought it; they were intent on restoring it to its former glory. Over six years, they shaped it into the beautiful relic of history it is.

Name: Maeve Stier (and dog Weaver) Location: Back Bay — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 515 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year When Maeve and her dog Weaver moved to Boston last July, the first apartment they looked at fit the bill just perfectly. It was in the ideal location, had tall ceilings with intricate molding, lots of natural light, wooden floors, and was dog-friendly! Maeve signed on the spot and became a resident of the hip Back Bay neighborhood.