Katy Cartland

Name: Liz, Andrew and pets Stella, Layla and Helen Location: Neuilly-Sur-Seine (border of 17th arrondissement, Paris) Size: 65 square meters (about 700 square feet) Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Finding an apartment in Paris is a dream for many. It’s easy in the process to get lost in the romance of parquet floors, french doors and views of Parisian rooftops. So easy, in fact, that many of us forget that day-to-day living needs sometimes trump those Parisian fantasies.

Name: Des Ellis Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,440 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented and owned Some people have an effortless style, amazing taste and the gift of knowing how to put all the pieces of their life together perfectly. Des is one of those people. She’s the buyer and general manager at Manready Mercantile, a “one-stop shop” that sells American-made goods for the home and closet.

Name: Todd Location: Montrose — Houston, Texas Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 1/2 years, renting As someone who works at an architecture firm, it makes complete sense that Todd would choose to live in the lively and hip Montrose area in Houston, Texas. Living in a neighborhood that has access to art, culture, amazing food and nightlife was more important to Todd than space.

Name: Alexis Sassard, husband Walt and children Felix, Luella Location: The Woodlands, (right outside of Houston) Texas Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Alexis and her husband Walt moved to his hometown of Houston from NYC almost five years ago to start a family. Walt, a former professional photographer, fulfilled a dream of his to become a fireman. Alexis, an interior designer, was nervous but excited about rooting down in The Woodlands, a large suburb outside of Houston.

Name: Caroline Harper Knapp, her husband, and their sons, Knox and Andrew Location: Briargrove — Houston, Texas Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Caroline Harper Knapp moved back to her home state of Texas a few years ago from New York, she knew she would have more space to design a home for her and her family.

Name: Keely Mann Location: The Woodlands — just outside of Houston, Texas Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Keely Mann, her husband, and small children moved to Houston from California over a decade ago. After adding two more kids to the mix (for a total of four!), The Manns were in need of a larger home. They settled in The Woodlands, Texas, a large suburb outside of the Houston City Limits, which gets its name from its sprawling forests.

Name: Max and Tamera Walters Location: Austin, Texas Size: 843 square feet Years lived in: 7 months, renting Tamera and her family live in South Austin with their daughter (with a second child on the way!). South Austin, an expanding part of the city, has become increasingly expensive, so Tamera and her family chose to live in a complex where they would have security, convenience to work, and be within their budget. The apartment is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom on the ground floor.

Name: Maria Branco, Bruno Sabino, and their puppy Kilo Location: Lindale Park — Houston, Texas Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Maria Branco is an interior designer, jewelry maker, and artist living in Houston, Texas with her husband Bruno. After moving to the U.S. from their native home of Lisbon, Portugal, they are renting an 800-square-foot garage apartment in an up-and-coming neighborhood just miles north of downtown Houston.

Name: Nikou and Travis McCarra, their sons, Kian and Zayn, and WIFI the Dog Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Nikou and Travis met in architecture school at the University of Houston many years ago—first came love of design, then came marriage. Now they co-own McCarra Creative, a “multi-disciplinary design studio focused on branding, web, print, and 3D.

Name: David Jameson (with Treasure Hance) Location: Downtown — Houston, Texas Size: 817 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Working with 817 square feet of space can be a challenge, especially if you are a collector. David, however, manages to pull off the seemingly impossible by arranging years worth of procurements in an ingenious way, making every inch of his apartment interesting and beautiful.

Name: Jen & Dave Figueroa and their two rescue greyhounds, Ike and Louise Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned A little over a year ago, Jen and Dave bought a house that was in desperate need of some love. The house sits on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood in South Austin, and when they bought it, it had old carpet, beige walls, and all the hallmarks of a fixer-upper.

Name: Michelle and Stephen Taussig Location: Garden Oaks; Houston, Texas Size: 2,632 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Michelle’s home is big, warm, and very beautiful, but it also tells a story — or rather, several. With its mixture of heirlooms, thrifted items, impressive art, and smart design, Michelle’s home is elegant, cozy, and endlessly interesting.

This 100-year-old Craftsman-style home and opened up the living room, dining room, and kitchen to create one comfortable, communal space.

Siire and Jean Francois have lived and travelled all over the world, and they recently settled down to raise their young sonin a Haussman-style building in Paris.

Name: Libby Gravatt and Tim Caws Location: 4th arrondissement (Le Marais); Paris, France Size: 60 square m (645 square feet) plus 14 square m terrace (150 square feet) Years lived in: 6 months This mid-sized apartment merges Old World French and modern aesthetics perfectly. It’s hard not to fall in love with this space, with its big French windows, marble fireplaces, and hard woods.