Emily Billings

Nick and Sarah had one toddler and baby number two on the way when they purchased their 1920s island cottage — and had ambitious ideas for what they could do with the space.

Name: Jessica Cook & Ryan Taylor and their cat, Olive Location: North Shore — Ipswich, Massachusetts Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Jessica and Ryan are no strangers to the challenge of fitting a busy life into a small space. The two creatives have managed to live and work out of a 700-square-foot apartment for the last six years.

Name: Melissa Miranda and Ulises Serret, their son Alex, and cats Tammy and Siddharta Location: Harrison Hill — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Nearly a decade ago, interior designer Melissa Miranda moved into her now-husband’s home in the Harrison Hill area of Dorchester in Boston.

Name: Charlie and Jill Bent and their two children Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Jill and Charlie Bent live with their two teenaged children in an 1899 Victorian house on a sleepy street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their home is a labor of love, thanks to high-impact renovations paired with carefully collected furnishings—from family heirlooms to found pieces and vintage textiles that have been transformed by Jill.

Name: Philip Saul and his cat, Toby Location: South End; Boston, Massachusetts Years lived in: 8 years; Rented For Philip Saul, his South End apartment boasts two major advantages: the incredible amount of natural light his large south-facing windows offer, and the ridiculously short commute to his men’s clothing shop, SAULT New England. Much like his brick and mortar store, Philip’s apartment is easygoing, and reflective of his passion for sourcing New England-inflected decor.

Name: Stone Dow, Julia Goldstein, and their cat, Kiki Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Stone and Julia happened upon their 1960s duplex via Craigslist — it’s an unbelievable find that would make anyone want to start looking around in the off-season of the Boston rental market.

Name: Hopie Stockman and David Branson Smith and Otto the pup Location: Venice Beach — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting These California transplants have had to get resourceful in decorating their apartment in a 1920s Venice Beach house. Rose Bowl Flea finds, hand-me-downs and tons of books blend into an eclectic, East Coast-meets-California beach cottage vibe.

Name: Anna and Zan Winchell, and mini-labradoodle, Pennylane Location: Waltham, Massachusetts Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years Anna and Zan’s apartment is one you walk into and immediately know they have had fun designing it and making it their own.

Name: Max Shay, Emily Billings, and their cat, Snowboots Location: South End — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 655 square feet Years lived in: Rented 5 months As you may remember, a couple years ago, Max and I left our city life behind for rural New England where we moved into an old farmhouse with plenty of room to roam.

Name: Emily Billings, Max Shay, and cat, Lorelei Location: Woodside, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Seven months, renting I can’t help but read real estate and rental listings the way the rest of the world reads the daily news. I have a knack for finding homes my partner, Max, and I could only afford if we subsisted solely on rice and beans.

When Jill and Charlie Bent bought their Cambridge home, the kitchen hadn’t been updated since 1920. Cosmetic changes made the space function aesthetically for the family, but the space had its fair share of structural issues, leaking ceilings, and ant infestations every spring. After compromising their comfort for half a decade, the couple decided to hire a contractor, Monarch Carpentry, to renovate it.

Name: Alice Saunders and her pup, Maisey Location: Jamaica Plain; Boston, Massachusetts Size: Approximately 800 square feet Years lived in: 5 1/2 years; Rented Alice Saunders is a prominent figure in the world of artists and makers. A native of New Hampshire, this New England gal is the owner of Forestbound, where she designs and crafts beautiful leather and canvas totes out of vintage materials sourced at flea markets, estate sales, and military shows.

Name: Katherine Hysmith and Josh Gantt and their cats, Eleanor and Maxwell Location: Belmont, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented When Katherine Hysmith, The Boston Globe contributor and founder of the food blog The Young Austinian, left her native Texas to pursue a graduate degree in gastronomy from Boston University, she brought her Southern roots with her.

Name: Justin and Madison Power and their schnoodle, Sylvia Location: Roslindale; Boston, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 Months; Rented Justin Power of Pioneer Goods Co. has a bent for good old rustic Americana. The son of an interior designer, Justin spent a great deal of his childhood developing his eye at flea markets and estate sales with his mother. Some twenty years later, Justin curates his own home goods shop in one of Boston’s most popular neighborhoods.

Name: Emmy and Andreas Location: Providence, RI Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Andreas, a financial coaching fellow, and Emmy relocated from the windy city of Chicago to the creative capital of Providence three years ago when Emmy began her studies as an art history PhD candidate at Brown University.

Name: Peter & Amy Dorrien Traisci, sons Luca (4) and Theodore (2), and cat, Bigote (Spanish for “mustache”) Location: Newport, Rhode Island Size: 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms Years lived in: 2 years; Rented I often dream of living in a clutter-free, minimalist-style house, but one that still feels warm, inviting, and playful. It’s no wonder, then, that I fell hard for the Newport, Rhode Island abode that Amy and Peter call home.

Name: Oliver and Molly Hatch and daughter Camilla Location: Florence, MA Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned I first came across Molly Hatch when I worked for Anthropologie. Known for her cheeky sense of humor that cleverly combines contemporary concepts with classic designs, Molly created ceramics for the retail chain that were distinctively whimsical.

Name: Joe & Rachael Ringenberg, daughters Lux & Joan Location: Beacon Hill; Boston, MA Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Rachael, of Erstwhile Dear, and Joe Ringenberg, a product designer for Wistia, live in this intimate Beacon Hill apartment with their daughters, Lux and Joan. The couple has honed in on a sleepy-minimalist scheme that reflects the abundance of natural light, transforming the attic space into an airy, lived-in nest.

Name: Adam Dunetz, Liz Karney, daughter Frida, and dogs Franks and Louie Location: Northampton, MA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3.5; Owned When I first walked into Sticks and Bricks of Northampton Massachusetts, I immediately wondered what the owner’s home must look like. The shop was a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind-furniture made from old, under-used, and reclaimed materials.

Name: Carla Caruso Location: Ashfield, MA Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Designer Carla Caruso, of Carla Caruso Jewelry, bought her home in the sleepy town of Ashfield, MA, five years ago. Nestled in the hilltowns of western Massachusetts, Carla embarked on a years-long renovation project, which she tackled largely on her own. The result is an eclectic and vibrant take on the New England farmhouse.

Name: Linzi Clary and Spencer Tubbs Location: Providence, RI Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Linzi Clary and her boyfriend Spencer Tubbs have an eye for interiors and share a passion for mid-century design. Linzi, a fine arts graduate and designer at Speidel, and Spencer, a shopkeeper and musician, moved to Providence two years ago, combining their styles and passions to create one seriously mod and beautiful space that truly reflects their personalities.