Name: Jackie Blair Location: Lake Orion, Michigan Size: 882 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Jackie is a photographer and social media creative who loves to travel. She lives in a townhouse condo with her son and her new puppy. By keeping her condo neutral and simple, she has turned it into a peaceful hangout spot where they can all play and relax. Though living in the rented space comes with its challenges, Jackie strives to add the family’s personality wherever possible.

Name: Meg and Joe plus Lady and Benny (Dachshunds) Location: Royal Oak, Michigan Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Embracing the quirks — uneven floors, for instance — of an almost 100-year-old house is a challenge for people in the profession of precision. Like Meg and Joe, who are both graphic designers in the Metro Detroit area.

Name: Tracey Tilley Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned When Tracey is not working as a marketing project manager, she is obsessing over her house’s interior. She prefers furnishings that are old and built to last. She believes in supporting local artists. She really enjoys a good flea-market find. And she has been known to DIY a few things. Not surprisingly, her home in Michigan is a sophisticated mix.

Name: Patrick Thompson, his wife Courtney and their son Monty Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Patrick Thompson is an award winning interior designer residing in the suburbs of Detroit with his lovely wife, their energetic three-year-old son and their sweet dog. His design firm, Patrick Thompson Design, specializes in hospitality, commercial and retail spaces. Patrick grew up in a family that celebrated art.

Name: Diana Marsh Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 months! After living in New York for many years, Diana decided to go back home to Michigan. But that wasn’t the only big life change she made, she also purchased a house, fully renovated it AND opened a store in downtown Ann Arbor. Called Thistle and Bess, Diana’s store offers one-of-a-kind treasures and goods to those seeking a luxurious lifestyle.

Name: Darren DeWitt and Adrian Ohmer Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years Darren hasn’t stayed in one home or job for very long in the past 20 years. “I’ve been an instrumentalist, a dancer, a Shakespearean actor, a photographer, a waiter, a concierge, and the Easter Bunny, (a position I one day hope to leverage into a gig as Press Secretary.

Name: Rachael Barlock Location: Metro Detroit — Ferndale, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting There’s a duality to Rachael’s life: She’s a water engineer by day, but by night she runs a hand-lettering and paper goods business, Hazel + Dolly. She loves balancing the structured, math and science half of her life with the fun, creative half. And her home is a balanced mix, as well.

Name: Andrea Kerbuski and her dog James Location: Lansing, Michigan Size: 2,014 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, owned Andrea avoided home ownership for years, preferring the more flexible, mobile lifestyle of renting apartments. And, she always thought she’d wait until finding a life partner to buy a house. But after a brief stint in Chicago for work, she realized she loved her home state of Michigan and her community, and that she could absolutely buy a house on her own.

Name: Danielle, Michael, Enzo, and Ziggy Gutelli Location: Plymouth — Michigan Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Danielle and Michael were both born and raised in the Midwest (Metro Detroit and St. Louis, respectively) and met in Chicago, where they resided together for 10 years. After their first born, Enzo, came into the world, they decided to make the move to Michigan to be closer to family.

Name: Gretchen and Kevin Location: Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After spending four years in 800 square feet in New York City, Kevin and Gretchen were able to design their dream loft back in their home state of Michigan. They found a space in an old, industrial building in a mixed-use neighborhood that’s lively and vibrant.

Name: Brandon Bourdganis Location: Ferndale, Michigan Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “My home is a snapshot of my life…I try to incorporate memories from my family, travels, city, state and friends while making it look very personal and uniquely me.

Name: Kim and Patrick + daughter Fiona + dog CeCe Location: Brighton, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Built in 1940 — with a mint green exterior and eggplant shutters — Kim and Patrick’s Cape Cod style house is steeped in history. “There has only been one owner prior to us and the land for the home was originally parceled from the lot belonging to the house next door.

Name: Lisa Palmer, husband Rob and son Quinn Location: Fenton, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) Size: 5,300 square feet (including basement) Years lived in: 16 years, owned Lisa Palmer is a seeker of all things vintage, lover of nostalgia, and fan of making her home a place where anyone can walk in and feel loved by it. On the professional side, Lisa is a serial entrepreneur (16 years in) who has a knack for developing products and building lifestyle brands such as her most recent Lillybee.

Name: Courtney, Paul, and (daughter) Redding Location: Corktown — Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After living in Brooklyn for 10 years, Courtney and Paul relocated to Detroit in 2016 and took a chance on buying a house…without ever walking inside. The couple discovered the property through family: Paul’s cousin moved back to the Motor City a few years before them and found this duplex. Now they all currently live in it!

Name: Haley Lertola Location: True North — Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1/2 year, renting Haley Lertola owns an event planning and design company, Detroit Cultivated, where she’s “committed to disrupting the Detroit event industry by creating inspired experiences that incorporate sustainable practices. One of the goals of each event is to transport guests to a truly original setting.

Name: Leo + Jordan Miller + Alexander Lynch Location: West Village — Detroit, Michigan Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting Jordan is an Ohio native who moved to Detroit on a whim in the summer of 2016 because of her love for the state of Michigan, particularly its lakes. Al grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula called Norway.

Name: Wes Trammel, Ben Cooper, (Dog) Duffy Location: Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Size: 1,870 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned An Alabama native and graphic designer, Wes relocated to Detroit three years ago with his fiancé, Ben. Having worked for 16 years as a graphic designer for a national home and lifestyle magazine, Wes has recently turned his attention to home renovation and interiors.

Name: Vicari Vollmar and Jordan Conley Location: Lansing, Michigan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting Vicari is a senior designer for a public policy firm with an affinity for fitness, bold color, and a good gin fizz. She firmly believes in carbohydrates, horoscopes, and the power of love. Jordan is a state contract monitor, CrossFit coach, and bookworm. He enjoys binge-watching a series on Netflix, comic books, and snuggling his calico, Harley.

The nice part about a spec home is you start with a great blank canvas with such potential for personalization.