Nasozi Kakembo

The before version of this bathroom was perfectly functional and updated, but bland. It has great storage, but completely lacked in character. This is the first home I have owned (and lived in) in my adult life. Even as a kid, I grew up in rentals. I’ve always harbored dreams (and vision boards) of how I would customize my future home. None of it was too radical, but they were rarely rental-friendly edits.

Name: Curry Hackett Location: Howard University/Shaw — Washington, D.C. Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Renting, 1.5 years The apartment that Curry has lived in for one and a half years couldn’t be anymore perfect for his diverse pursuits, which include graphic design, vintage furniture collecting, and playing the trombone. He’s also the founder of Hackreative, a multidisciplinary design studio specializing in placemaking, visual design, and creative direction.

Name: Anastasia Antoinette and Jamon Johnson Location: Columbia Heights — Washington, DC Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, rented It’s not every day that you’re in the market for a new apartment and stumble upon an architectural masterpiece — which also happens to align perfectly with your profession — but that’s exactly what happened to Anastasia and Jamon when they were looking for their first home together.

Name: Delia Kenza, Júlio Leitão, and their two daughters Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Having already renovated and/or designed 10+ homes together over the past 15 years, Delia and Júlio were already well on their way to capitalizing on their experience. They had lived in four of these homes together, all in Manhattan, ranging from trendy Soho to soulful Harlem.

Name: Neffi Walker and her children (Adonis 23, Kawhyii 22, Jhette 17, Nile 5) Location: Northern New Jersey Size: 5,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years Some know her as the proprietor of Jersey City interior design destination, Le Noir Home. Others know her for her uplifting and unapologetic attitude on her blog and its related Instagram page. But all who know Neffi Walker know that her family is the center of her being.

Name: Mekiel Nuñez and Saadiq Vaughan Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year The stereotypical New Yorker’s wardrobe consists unapologetically of black, greys, neutrals, and denims. Perhaps the overabundance of visual stimulation in our surroundings is why we prefer our clothes understated.

Name: Jungwon Kim, Senior Editorial Manager at Rainforest Alliance, Soyoung, Anire (15), and Seiami (11) Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Born and raised a stone’s throw from the beach in Southern California, the home of Jungwon and her family is a true reflection of their tidal roots.

Name: Brian and Dara Packer and their kids, Daphne, Maddox, and Amelia Jane Location: Ellicott City, outside of Baltimore, Maryland Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Brian and Dara have had plenty of time to perfect their personal style. The couple met in high school and married after college graduation, having attended different schools in the same area. The first home they shared was a condo in the historic Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore.

Name: Lauren Rogoff Location: Union Square/Flatiron/Chelsea; New York City, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Just beyond the bustling Union Square Farmer’s Market, the Flatiron’s shadow, and Chelsea’s world famous 5th Avenue shopping attractions, an attorney by day and fine artist by night strikes the perfect blend between urban and rustic.

Name: Joshua Kissi Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When you’re one half of the creative agency Street Etiquette—tagline: “Telling Stories Through Style”—home styling is second nature to you. The home of Joshua Kissi is also more than a home—it is a meeting place, photography studio, and informal art gallery all at once.

Name: Amhalise Morgan and her children, Harmony Cree and Rebel Spirit Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned The home of Amhalise and her two teen-aged children is the definition of a labor of love. She bought the home after traveling and living overseas for many years and essentially had a clean slate to work with upon purchasing her 19th-century Brooklyn brownstone.

Two sisters, native New Yorkers and close in age, share this apartment.

Name: Eric Location: Butcher’s Hill; Baltimore, Maryland Size: 702 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, rented Eric’s home became an instant favorite when we shared his House Call submission with readers. Viewers swooned over the whimsical pops of color, the high tin ceilings and the overall quality of the historically preserved elements of the home.

Name: Marissa Lippert Location: East Village; New York City, New York Size: Approximately 450 square feet Years lived in: 5.5 years; Rented The expression “Less is More” most certainly holds true in the home of culinary expert Marissa Lippert of Nourish Kitchen + Table. With just 450 square feet at her disposal, Marissa creatively carved out a space for the same living areas you would expect to find in a much larger home.

Name: Natasha R. Johnson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented With no extra space to spare, Natasha was both deliberate and maximal in organizing the decorative and essential elements of her studio apartment. In the 35+ countries that she has lived and/or worked in as a college professor and international human rights attorney, she has assembled her fair share of global keepsakes.

Name: Brandi Ware Location: Crown Heights; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 970 square feet Years lived in: 1.7 years; Rented Born and raised in New York City, and then moving back after several years in Texas, presented Brandi with several unique (and welcome) challenges. The first Brandi would encounter, of course, was New York’s notorious rental market, which is discouraging for even a blue-blooded New Yorker.

Name: Gabriela Franceschini, Thaïs, 10-years-old, and Samba, the golden retriever Location: Itacimirim; Bahia, Brazil Size: 1,400 square feet/130 square meters Years lived in: 8 years, Owned; Lived in 6 months Straddled between one of Bahia’s most cherished beaches and a forest preserve is where you will find Beija Flor resort subdivision, meaning Hummingbird.

Name: Ayah Wilson Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented To most of us, the process of moving to a new home is a daunting task. Aspects of it are filled with excitement (especially the decorating part!) as well as the unknown (moving rates!).

Name: Ben Erickson Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Renovated and Rented Homes like this one are what neighborhood legends are made of. Tourists walk by them and ponder their historical significance. School children imagine what fairytale or superhero character might be living inside. And adults dream the wildest dreams of ever calling a place like this home.

Name: Kai Avent-deLeon and Dan Solomito Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Kai Avent-deLeon (pronounced Kai-E) is no stranger to the homes that have put her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on the historical record of architecture and design. She was born and raised here, and the brownstone that her apartment is in, which she shares with her boyfriend Dan, has been in her family for nearly half a century.

Name: Sybil Domond + Daniel Lessin Location: Greenpoint; Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned You didn’t misread the headline; this home is in Brooklyn. And just like the borough that it is located in, it is a composite of places near and far. Sybil and Dan are the husband and wife powerhouse duo behind Greenpoint’s People of 2Morrow vintage apparel and gift boutique.

Name: Nyakinyua Gill, Ivan Iricanin, and Baby Vuk Location: Howard University-Shaw; Washington DC Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Nyakinya Gill (affectionately known as Nya) and her husband Ivan Iricanin are no strangers to the interior design industry. Ivan is an international restaurateur, with award-winning venues in Washington, DC, New York City, and Serbia, and Nya has played lead interior designer to some of these establishments.

Name: Malene Barnett Location: Bedford-Stuyesant; Brooklyn, New York Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years lived in; 6 years owned One barely has to enter the home of luxury carpet designer Malene Barnett to appreciate her eclectic and refined design sensibility. Years before meeting Malene at a book launch in Soho, her home caught my eye. As a neighbor and frequent passerby, several design elements jumped out at me within the few seconds it took to ride my bike or walk past her home.