Sarita Relis and Carrie Bluth

Name: Jillian Gould Allstadt and John Allstadt, kids Mia and Bodhi, and dogs Bella and Milo Location: Mission Canyon — Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,650 square feet on a 10,000 square foot lot Years lived in: 8 months (bought gutted and designed from NYC); owned Jill and her husband John are New Yorkers who left Brooklyn behind for a West Coast dream.

Name: Vasanti Lackner and her dog, Tango Location: Silverlake; Los Angeles, California Size: 650 square feet + 256-square-foot detached art studio Years Lived In: 5 years; Owned You’re either an artist or a musician if you’re a Lackner, and Vasanti and her mother, Diana, are both fine artists.

Name: David Brown Location: Lower Eastside — Santa Barbara, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned The concrete floor—now honed to perfection—and the roll-up door are the only indications that David’s light and bright studio was formerly a garage. With the help of a skillful design team and an able contractor, David transformed the garage into a studio that epitomizes simple indoor/outdoor living.

Name: Jessica Meaney and her cat, Lucy Location: Echo Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 676 Square Feet Years lived in: 15 years; Rented Located on the ground floor of a 1930s, Spanish-style triplex, Jess’ home is a light-filled, happy haven.

Name: Jennifer Maxcy and her husband, son, and their dogs, Doug and Daisy Location: Newbury Park — Ventura County, California Size: 1,143 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Owned Stylist and maker Jennifer Maxcy of The Ranch Uncommon employs the same vision and design ethos in her home goods collection as she does in styling her personal abode. Her approach celebrates unique finds, pairs vintage with new, and favors the handcrafted and repurposed.

Name: Laurel Martinsky Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Perched up in the hills above Santa Barbara, Laurel’s flower-filled home evokes the English country garden aesthetic of which she is fond. When she moved to the studio in 2011, instead of buying new pieces, Laurel worked with her existing collection of beloved furniture, taking on the challenge of making larger-scale pieces work in the one-room, multi-functioning space.

Name: Lynne Sutherland, kids Ava and Wyatt, cats Felix and Fiona, and dogs Charlotte and Tuesday Location: Santa Barbara, CA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Lynne’s home is oriented to the sun—in more ways than one. On the day of our visit, we found the house flooded with the most glorious mid-morning light. The energy of the household was light, too, and that’s intentional.

Name: Kerry Clarkson, and daughter Azure Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year, 8 months It’s been well over a year now since Kerry left Lima, Peru, deciding to stay in Santa Barbara after a visit. That meant leaving a lot behind and starting over with very little in the way of material items and furniture.

Name: Kelsy and Travis Hodge, with their children Elodie (6) and Paloma (1.5) Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4.5 years The bright yellow wreath by the front door and pom pom garland hanging in the picture window are the first hints of the visual treat waiting for us within the Hodge family’s 1920s California Bungalow. Inside, their home has a cheery and comfortable vibe.

Name: Tara and Thierry Broucqsault, their son Henri, dogs Lola and Junebug, Maverick the cat, and Bobby the Gecko Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned Set high above the street, Tara and Thierry’s charming cottage is a place where family, pets and guests can truly feel at home.