Take a Peek Into This Serene San Francisco Apartment
Name: Mohammad and Rachael Gorjestani Location: Western Addition — San Francisco, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, rented Mohammad and Rachel’s San Francisco apartment is so cozy and serene, it’s easy to forget that it’s right next to a busy intersection at the center of the city. The original hardwood floors add warmth to the space, and the view of greenery in their spacious backyard (a true luxury in San Francisco) is beautiful.
Apr 30, 2019
A “Hippie, Rainbow-Boho” Apartment in Oakland
Name: Rachel Kaplan Location: Adams Point — Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Rachel’s friends know her as the person always wearing the outrageous, colorful, and sometimes stylishly clashing outfits. So clearly, she reflects that boldness of color, pattern, and texture all over her home.
Apr 30, 2019
A Tiny, 370-Square-Foot Bay Area Studio Prioritizes Functionality
Name: Naimah and kitties Location: West End — Alameda, California Size: 370 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented Having spent the past few years at college in the South, Naimah didn’t expect the Bay Area’s competitive rental market when searching for the tiny Alameda studio apartment she now calls home. “The rental market in the Bay is wild, so this building was actually the first and only one that I saw,” she says.
Apr 30, 2019
Get the Look: An Oakland “Eclectic Weirdo” Loft
Do you have unusual inspirations like Pee Wee Herman, Banksy and Lady Gaga? Do you take pride in that? If so, check our Bob and Heather’s Oakland loft and shop similar items that will fill your space with color, rainbows and overall weirdness (that’s a good thing).
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: A Retro-Modern & Scandinavian Mix
Gilles, Ismérie and Alexie’s Montreal home features graphic patterns, Scandinavian-style furniture, nautical themes, and a whole lot of DIY. If you’re looking for this wide range of styles for your home—and maybe some Star Wars art—check out the shopping sources below.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Pared-Down Comfort
As a writer and photographer for Apartment Therapy, Emily Billings knows that readers look to House Tours for inspiration. She was kind enough to provide a glimpse into her Boston apartment—where she lives with her partner Max— and also provides links to most of the items in her beautiful home. Check them out below.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Sweet & Charming Meets Scandinavian Style
Betsy and Manny went from a tiny New York City studio to a spacious bungalow in Savannah. The new layout allows them to fill the space with functional antique furniture and family heirlooms, as well as modern Scandinavian accents and decor. If you’re into the Scandinavian-meets-craftsman style, check out the sources below to get a similar look in your home.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Artsy, Vintage & Functional
Jaime’s cozy Chicago loft is a perfect example of working with what you’ve got. While not short of beautiful, it showcases how to successfully implement gorgeous yet functional furniture to create an artsy and comfortable space. Check out the sources below to get this artful and vintage-inspired look in your home.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: A Neutral Palette with Touches of Color
Natasha’s 450 square foot condo appears much bigger than it is, partly because she keeps a neutral palette of whites, grays and blues in each room. However, she sprinkles color into each vignette whenever possible, such as fresh, pink flowers as a coffee table accent or framed, colorful prints on the wall. The end result: a comfortable, classic space in Montreal that allows her to cook and entertain in peace. Use the sources below to shop some of the items in Natasha’s home.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: A Happy, Cozy & Inviting Home in Melbourne
Dawn and Darren keep it simple in their inner-city Melbourne home. The decorations are minimal and they only invest in pieces that are bold, bright and certain to make anyone smile. You can shop some of the items in their home using the sources below!
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Beautiful, Functional & Modern
Jan-Nicolas and Vincent’s Montreal home is beautiful and modern, yet functional and happy at the same time (just take a look at the bright yellow stairs leading to their third floor flat). You can find some of the custom pieces and unique art that fill their home using the sources below.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Playful, Imaginative, & Whimsical
Steve and Sarah’s beautiful home in Illinois showcases their personalities perfectly: playful, imaginative and whimsical. Their home features accessible furniture, as well as unique art and decor that is meaningful to them and their children. If you love this beautiful style, you can get the decor for your own home using the sources below.
Apr 6, 2019
Get the Look: Fearless & Colorful
A variety of styles blend together to create comfortable spaces in Heidi and Erik’s Cleveland home. Mixing so many different textures and colors can easily overwhelm a room, but in their home, it feels natural. Check out the shopping sources below to get this unique “mixed and matched” look in your home.
Apr 6, 2019
A Remodeled Mid-Century Eichler Home in Northern California
Name: Karen Nepacena & John Shum Location: Walnut Creek, California Size: 1,663 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years Karen and John knew they wanted to raise their family in not just any mid-century modern home, but one specifically designed by the renowned real estate developer Joseph Eichler. “We fell in love with Eichler homes and mid-century modern design after seeing a nearby open house for a thoughtfully restored and renovated Eichler,” Karen says.
Mar 28, 2019
Joyce’s Modern & Personalized West Oakland Loft
Name: Joyce Chen and her fiancé Location: West Oakland—Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Joyce moved into her now-fiancé’s West Oakland loft a couple of years ago, she knew it would be a challenge to have the space embrace both their styles. The loft previously had a personal gym and bar area in the living room and didn’t quite give off the warm and homey vibe Joyce wanted in their home.
Feb 20, 2019
Darren & Preston’s Castro Home With a View
Name: Darren Elms and Preston Ames Location: Castro; San Francisco, CA Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Los Angeles natives Darren and Preston consider themselves fortunate to have found a beautiful apartment with breathtaking views in the Bay Area’s competitive rental market.
Feb 20, 2019
Rachel’s Modern Traditional Cow Hollow Apartment
Name: Rachel Shipp Location: Cow Hollow; San Francisco, California Size: 1,009 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned After turning 30 last year, Rachel decided to pull the trigger and buy her first place—a one bedroom apartment in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood, just minutes away from the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
Feb 20, 2019
Laura’s Live-Work Loft
Name: Laura Hyman Location: Santa Fe; Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Laura’s sister described her Oakland loft’s style as “feminine industrial,” Laura thought it was spot on. The bright and spacious live-work loft utilizes cool and tranquil colors that add an overall warmth to a huge space that can easily feel cold and sterile.
Feb 20, 2019
A “Happy Californian Golden Girls Greenhouse” Apartment
Name: Jane Location: Noe Valley — San Francisco, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year What makes Jane’s home unique is the mixture of items and styles that can only be described as “Happy Californian,” such as the bedroom wallpaper inspired by greenery, the mid-century modern furniture and paintings, and the gorgeous vaulted ceilings that make her smile every day.
Feb 20, 2019
A 400-Square-Foot Studio Makes Plywood Look Magical
Name: Becky Elfes-Terjung and Cliff Lance Location: Piedmont Avenue — Oakland, California Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rented When Becky took on a job as a display artist at Anthropologie, she would constantly bring home leftover scraps from work. This is where her love of plywood grew, as it provided her with a blank canvas that allowed her to be as creative as possible.
Aug 27, 2018
A Rule-Breaking Bay Area Home Proves the Best Color Inspiration Comes from Nature
Name: Nancy, Ken, and their little canine, Monty Location: Berkeley, California Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 22 years; Owned Nancy says her home is a haven—it’s colorful, cozy, bright, and full of memories. Though the bright green walls help, it’s her collection of meaningful pieces that truly makes her Berkeley condo a home.
Jul 20, 2018
Before and After: A Living Room Stuck in the ’90s Gets a Gorgeously Dark & Modern Makeover
We showed off Timothy’s remodel of his inherited childhood home in a tour recently — it’s beautiful, modern and it perfectly illustrates what can be done with a limited budget. Timothy was kind enough to contribute family photos from the early ’90s showing the front room — or parlor — in its original state, complete with drab carpet and lackluster furniture.
Oct 30, 2017
Before and After: A “Luxe Bohemian” Bedroom Gets a Refresh
Bridget’s “luxe bohemian” Oakland apartment is full of unique furniture, eccentric art, and beautiful textiles. But even all of those wonderful elements combined can make a space feel cluttered and disorderly, as Bridget says was the case in her bedroom. “It was starting to feel clunky and granny-ish. There were big, heavy furniture pieces and too many color schemes.” To fix that, Bridget got the idea to rearrange large furniture pieces and mix it up with new art.
Aug 2, 2017
The Best Budget IKEA Buys When You Have Little or No Closet Space
Did you catch this tour in which Shelbie and her roommates not only make a four-bedroom apartment look refreshing and cohesive, but also add a bunch of clever (and affordable!) storage solutions to their no-closet bedrooms? They all agree that lack of storage is one of the biggest challenges in their San Francisco apartment, but they make it look effortless and orderly using easily accessible products.
May 25, 2017
How to Make the Super Tricky “Shotgun” Layout Work
I recently stayed in a traditional shotgun apartment in New Orleans with my partner and one of my best friends. If you aren’t familiar with the shotgun home layout, it’s typically long and narrow, and made up of rooms that are directly connected to each other, directing you through each room to get to the next. The layouts were very popular in the South (especially New Orleans), but are also common in New York and Chicago.
Apr 9, 2017
If You’ve Ever Dreamed of Owning a Dreamy Boutique Hotel, Read This
Tucked away in the gated Ocean Park community in San Juan, The Dreamcatcher guesthouse features nine unique rooms and three suites, each one featuring its own distinct style. And though The Dreamcatcher became a beautiful space organically, co-owners Sylvia and Stephan put in countless hours and hard work, as most major renovation projects require.
Jan 13, 2017
A Harmonious Blend of Styles in Oakland
Name: Sam E., Stephanie Libanati and Lorena Jimenez Location: Lower Bottoms — Oakland, California Size: 1,610 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Rented When Sam E. was looking for an apartment earlier this year, she felt so lucky when she hit it off with Stephanie and Lorena on the day they met.
Nov 5, 2016
Before & After: A Drab, Beige Wall Gets a Bold, DIY Upgrade
When Paige and Thorben moved into their San Francisco apartment, they knew they were going to stay put for a while. And though they were renting, the couple made it a goal to customize their apartment to their liking—something they could call home and be proud of. Throughout the years, they’ve tackled many ambitious projects: building a Murphy bed, custom shelving, and “hacking” their kitchen lighting.
May 26, 2016
Jeni’s Mixed & Matched San Francisco Apartment
Name: Jeni Wu Location: Nob Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 685 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented After years of roommates and carpeted studios, Jeni finally got the chance to move into her own apartment, and she couldn’t wait to add her personal style. She works as a home decor buyer and as an interior designer with her own styling business, Wunder Design, so it’s only natural that her space is as stylish as the homes she puts together for clients.
Mar 2, 2016
Genevieve & Ashley’s Lush Shared Sanctuary
Name: Genevieve Bandrowski and Ashley Campbell Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented When Genevieve moved back to Oakland nearly two years ago, she wanted her now-roommate Ashley to see the creative spirit that Oakland has to offer. Since then, they have created a lush sanctuary inspired by the many Bay Area makers they admire.
Feb 15, 2016
Stephanie’s Marina District Apartment of Inspiration
Name: Stephanie Fauerbach Location: Marina District — San Francisco, California Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years; Rented Though making a temporary space feel rooted isn’t easy, Stephanie Fauerbach has put together a collection of mementos and inspiring pieces that make her apartment feel like a home.
Feb 1, 2016
India & Joe’s Apartment of Thrifted & Gifted Treasures
Name: India Mafi, Joe Gray and their dog, Scout Location: Oakland, California Size: 730 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented When I asked India to tell me about some of her favorite thrift stores, she jokingly refused to tell me some of her best-kept secrets.
Dec 16, 2015
A Relaxed, Organic Modern San Francisco Rental
Name: Delila and Nexus, and their dog, Amanda Location: Hayes Valley; San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Nexus and Delila’s personal styles extend deep into their apartment’s aesthetic — he describes his style as relaxed, and she finds inspiration and comfort in wearing a white T-shirt with vintage jeans and high heels.
Dec 7, 2015
Allie and Travis’ Sunny and Spacious Oakland Home
Name: Allie & Travis Hackett-Camacho and their dog, Brody Location: Lynn-Highland Park; Oakland, CA Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; Rented Allie may look familiar to Apartment Therapy readers, as her twin sister Caitlin’s home—Caitlin & Dave’s Oakland Apartment of Wonder & Oddities—was recently featured.
Oct 27, 2015