Cathy Pyle

Designer Kay Prestney and her family celebrated the festive season in their cozy country home.

Name: Ruth Matthews, husband Dan and son Ted Location: Wallington — London, UK Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years “The right colour has such an impact on the way you feel about your home, and I like to think the colours we’ve used make ours a relaxed and happy home,” says Design Soda blogger and interior stylist Ruth Matthews of the London home she shares with her husband and their two-year-old son.

Name: Alex Crabtree and her husband Adrian Location: London Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years A print in the bathroom declares: “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love.” And this exuberant, eclectic London apartment, lavishly filled with collections and curios, beautifully tells the story of property, kitchen and interiors public relations expert Alex Crabtree.

Name: Kate and Matt Williams, their children Daisy and Joseph, and their whippets Mimi and Olive Location: Mistley — Essex, UK Years lived in: 3 1/2 years This Georgian home dates back to 1710 and sits on one side of the scenic High Street of Mistley village on the Stour Estuary in Essex. The air is scented with the salty smell of the river and the malty hops brewing in the large red-brick brewery nearby.

Name: Ciara Elliott and family Location: Mistley, Colchester, Essex UK Years lived in: 2 years, owned “I do love big statement pieces — like our brightly coloured yellow sofa and the stand-out rug in our lounge — and I think if you have a few of these big-ticket items you can actually revolve a whole scheme around them,” smiles Ciara Elliott, editor of leading UK interior magazine Essential Kitchen Bathroom and Bedroom.

Name: Dee Campling, her husband, three children and cockapoo Ted Location: Cheltenham — Gloucestershire, UK Years lived in: 18 years, owned Cheltenham-based interior and event stylist Dee Campling has recently risen to Instagram fame with her fresh, eclectic, and highly accessible approach to interiors and her often wry and funny take on family life.

Name: Andrew Griffiths Location: Borders of Crouch End — Islington, London Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “Where you can, invest in some pieces that will always make you smile” says homeowner Andrew Griffiths, and it’s easy to see how he’s put this philosophy into practice in the North London apartment he shares with partner Luke.

Name: Vicky and Ross Smith, and daughters Olivia & Florence Location: Guildford, UK Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 1/2 years With its pared-back yet warm feel, understated color palette and abundant natural light, this family home in the Southern-English county of Surrey is inspired by many elements of contemporary Scandinavian style.

Name: Antje Weber Location: Alfama — Lisbon, Portugal Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years This two-bedroom apartment occupies the top two floors of a four-story building in the heart of Lisbon’s historic Alfama district. With views to the Pantheon and — from the bedrooms — across to the river Tejo, the apartment is filled with the beautiful light that Lisbon is so famous for.

Name: Sally Morgan-Flower Location: East London Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years This beautifully-restored apartment, brimming with unique historic details, occupies one floor of a converted 1850s pub in the heart of London’s East End. Its renovation is an ongoing labour of love for owners Sally and David, who set out to stay true to the apartment’s original aesthetic yet at the same time create a lived-in home that feels comfortable and not too precious.

Name: Ruth Steadman Location: Crystal Palace, London Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, rented This high-ceilinged apartment in a large early-Victorian house is home to writer and psychotherapist Ruth Steadman and her cat Tallulah. Although it’s rented, in the nine years Ruth has lived here she’s managed to create a home that feels truly her own.

Name: Faye and Dave Campbell, and their four children Location: Sutton Green — Surrey, UK Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years With its tall elevations and white-painted, wood-clad exterior, this house gives an impression of New England that feels quite unexpected in the heart of the quintessentially English countryside.

Name: Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker and their son, Henry Location: Gospel Oak near Hampstead Heath — London, UK Size: 1,120 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When architects Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker first saw this late-Victorian flat, located just around the corner from Hampstead Heath, they were at once drawn to the layout and the sense of space and light.

Name: Katy and Jules and their dog, Otto Location: Bermondsey — London, UK Size: 749 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned This new-build apartment in London, just south of the river, is home to interiors blogger Katy Orme, her partner Jules, and their (adorable!) Golden Retriever, Otto.

Name: Cate and Olivier Location: Bloomsbury —London, UK Size: 725 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Design writer Cate St Hill’s blog and Instagram feed are filled with beautiful images of effortlessly stylish, minimal-yet-cozy interiors (as well as London recommendations, travel features, and lifestyle pieces).

Name: John and Shauna Stanton and their daughter, Isla Location: Guildford — Surrey, UK Size: 1,064 square feet Years lived in: 17 years; Owned There’s something fascinating about the homes of artists—I love the way the style and character of their art is expressed in the way they decorate and inhabit their spaces. The home of Guildford-based artist Shauna Stanton and her family is every bit as colorful and quirky as her beautiful, vibrant paintings.

Caroline is owner of Patchwork Harmony, an interiors and lifestyle blog celebrating all that is vintage, thrifty and handmade.

Name: Doris Lee, husband Jon and son Jak Location: West London, UK Size: 1,245 square feet Years lived in: 5 years This high-ceilinged Victorian terrace on a quiet road in West London is home to interior designer and blogger Doris Lee, husband Jon and their five-year-old son Jak.

Name: Audrey Location: Soho — London, United Kingdom Size: 1,152 square feet Years lived in: 6 months Located right in the heart of London’s bustling Soho district, this loft-style apartment is tucked away from the street, in a former warehouse building overlooking a courtyard. And once you’re inside, the large open-plan living and dining room, together with the light pouring through the vast windows that span the front walls, make this apartment a truly stunning space.

Name: Emily Quinton and Stef Location: East Dulwich; London, United Kingdom Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented “Create something every day,” reads the brightly-colored motto that adorns the living room wall of the vibrant, inspiring family home of writer, photographer and maker Emily Quinton, her technologist and artist husband Stef Lewandowski, and their four young children.

Name: Cristina Colli Location: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years; Rented Cristina Colli’s home that she shares with husband Paolo, and cats Cleo and Sid, sits nestled just below the high street of bustling Cotswold market town Chipping Norton (or Chippy, as it’s known to the locals).

Name: Henriette van der Does Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years 9 months; owned This bright, inviting house, filled with sculpture, paintings and books, is home to Henriette, a painter, sculptress and art psychotherapist, her two teenage children and their two (extremely fluffy) cats. Having left her native Holland for London, Colombia and then Brazil twenty years ago, she now calls southern England home.

Name: Frances and Dom Rogers Location: Abingdon — Oxfordshire, United Kingdom Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Everywhere you look inside this family home are delightful details that have been created by homeowner Frances’ artistic hand: From the murals that adorn the kitchen walls and breakfast bar, to the mosaics lovingly made from salvaged pebbles, to paintings, ceramics, woodwork, textiles and more.

Name: Karen and Kevin Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 18 years; owned This Victorian apartment in central Guildford is home to Karen, a visual merchandiser who’s embarking on a new career in interior design, and husband Kevin, an aircraft engineer.

Name: Liz and Tim Hoad Location: Worth Matravers, Dorset, United Kingdom Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 16 years; Owned In the heart of a picturesque Dorset village on the Purbeck coast, this former shoemaker’s shop has been home to Liz and Tim for 16 years. For many years, Liz, with her love of gardens and the countryside, and Tim, with his love of the sailing and the sea, enjoyed family holidays here.

Name: Kelly and Ed Smithson Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned This cottage — home to Kelly, who runs jewelry business Cabbage White England from her studio, husband Ed, their two children and Herbie the border terrier — is a fresh and vibrant take on a traditional English country home.

Name: Bonnie Rasmussen and Russell Patmore Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years rented, 7 years owned When Bonnie first moved to the UK from her native Denmark, she was accustomed to light, warm and cosy open-plan Scandinavian homes with good insulation and double glazed windows.

This UK house is dripping with charm. Elegant proportions and architectural details of the late 1800s mix with lofty ceilings, original fireplaces and picture rails.

Name: Cathy and Tony Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 8.