Tamara Gavin

Name: Megan and Todd Walsh, one cat, and three dogs Location: West Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Applying a fresh coat of white paint on the walls in each room was the first thing Todd and Megan, owners of Atomic Furnishing, did to their new rental—a simple and inexpensive change that created the perfect backdrop to highlight the couple’s colorful collection of mid-century furnishings, rugs and art.

Name: Letitia Walker and Whitney Shroyer, two dogs, and about 250 sock monkeys! Location: West Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,386 square feet Years lived in: Owned 16 This idiosyncratic, hip, little home in West Asheville is owned by Letitia and Whitney — a couple of collectors who love found objects, abstract expressionism art, and music.

Name: Maria Rusafova and Jakub Markulis Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, own Though Maria and Jakub’s house is situated in a dense neighborhood, it often goes undetected — a mark of success for the architects who designed the house with the goal of integrating the structure as peacefully as possible into the urban forest. In fact, not a single tree on the property was disturbed.

Name: Natalie Pollard, owner of Villagers, and cat Melon Location: Candler, North Carolina Size: 265 square feet Years lived in: 6 months Natalie’s home may only be eight feet wide, but it is packed with inspiring design details and unexpected features for a tiny home including a large side entrance, a central bedroom loft, and the creative use of heirloom furniture pieces to contribute to that familiar feeling of home.

Name: Nikki Witherspoon-Whited, owner of East West Vintage Rentals (with husband Steve and children Atlas and Rosie) Location: West Asheville; Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Artfully styled scenes of found objects can be discovered at every turn in Nikki’s delightful 1920s bungalow. The vintage treasures, once covered in dust, shine again as they join a new family of modern furnishings and accessories.

Name: Elise Becker Location: Franklin, North Carolina Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; owned An old house with lots of original charm is now a groovy and colorful dreamboat filled with vintage objects and funky heirlooms. If you thought the days of orange, green, and yellow were long gone, a tour of this sweet sixties throwback will show you that they still live on, and are as fantastic as ever. Elise is a sunny and funny gal, and her spirit shines through in her whimsical home.

Name: Sara Kate Eubanks Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented On a Saturday morning, Sara Kate can be found rocking heels, a favorite shade of lipstick, thrifted denim, and a baseball cap. She’s a confident woman who isn’t afraid to mix things up—just so long as there is a little sophistication and class in every combination.

Name: Ethan Morris and Tarleton Walmsley-Morris and their cats, Tozer and Etta Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 6 years: Rented Antique dealers Tarleton and Ethan have filled their home with many of their favorite finds, and the result is an eclectic mix of art, textiles, and Mid-century furnishings.

Name: Morgan Fender, Owner of Bomisch, Brandon and Ed (the dog) Location: Montford — Asheville, North Carolina Size: 842 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year, 2 months While the couple was living in a downtown Asheville loft, they signed the lease immediately when they noticed a house on a corner lot in a desirable neighborhood pop up on Craigslist.

Name: Sam and Heidi, and their two young sons Location: Athens, Georgia Size: 1,750 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned When it comes to fixer-uppers, it takes the right person with a vision to bring it back to life. For this darling 1936 Spanish Colonial in Athens, Georgia, it was destiny that brought her the befitting champion—someone who could see her potential beyond the old peeling paint, the water damage, and years of neglect.

Name: Kathryn and Emilio Ancaya and their daughter, Claire Location: Kenilworth — Asheville, NC Size: 2,000 square feet (with 700 square foot attached studio apartment) Years lived in: Owned 7 years Kate has always appreciated the beauty of old homes, and when she saw that the architectural gem she had long admired had gone on the market, she knew there was a dream to chase.

Name: Erin D. Brittain Location: North Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Renting 5 years Erin’s home is a playful blend of her talents as an antique dealer, a seamstress, and an interior designer. This is evident in the fearless mix of velvet, ikat, plaids, florals, and geometrics of which she uses to sew her bedding, draperies, and pillows.

Name: Thomas and Amy Fitzpatrick, Aislinn, Sean and cairn terrier Jack Location: Highlands; North Carolina Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: less than a year; owned The Fitzpatricks live at 4,000 feet in the quaint mountain town of Highlands, North Carolina, a vacation respite for some 15,000 visitors each summer. But for Thomas and Amy, they enjoy the surrounding natural beauty year-round in their 1950s home which they’ve been transforming since they moved in last year.

Name: Katie Vie & Loren Wooten and their dog, Mathy Location: Asheville, NC Size: 1,400 square feet, including an unheated garage Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Though Katie designed this house and Loren crafted many of its details, they maintain a fluid relationship with it, saying, “This home is not our ‘baby’ — it’s not precious to us in that way. Instead, it’s our creative project where it’s okay if things aren’t perfect.

Name: Laura Evans and Blaine Perry and their cat, Honey Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Historic divided-light windows, crystal door knobs, a brick fireplace, and picture rail molding are just some of the architectural details in Laura and Blaine’s all-white, all-natural 1920s-era home. Their edited decorating style leaves few layers to hide behind, imparting a meaningful weight to each element.

Name: Rob Maddox and Karie Reinertson, owners of Shelter Collective Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Rob and Karie have created a home that beautifully recounts their lives through displays of unique treasures and layers of textiles, many of which have been collected from family and friends.

Name: Jove Meyer, Owner of Jove Meyer Events and creator of “Totes Getting Married!” tote bags Location: Crown Heights; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned Jove is a creator without boundaries. He lives for carrying out a vision—both in his life and in his work as an event planner—and his resourcefulness helps him achieve the result he’s after regardless of limitations.

Name: Mia Cefkin Location: Franklin, North Carolina Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned A drive down (and up) windy mountain roads past farms, fields, and old country homesteads will bring you to an unexpectedly adorable log cabin; one that fortuitously persuaded Mia and her husband David to leave their urban Florida home of many years for the simple life in North Carolina.

Name: Susan Harlan, English professor at Wake Forest University, + dog Millie Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, 4 months; owned While sitting on a beach in Santa Barbara, Susan recalled the rooms of the house she had just decided to buy in North Carolina. She had with her some paint decks, and it was there under the California sun that she selected the paint colors for her new home, site unseen.

Name: Dan and Sommer Collier, food blogger at A Spicy Perspective, with Ava, 11, Carson, 10, and dog Kona Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned As soon as Dan and Sommer walked through the door of this timeless beauty, they were immediately charmed.