Home

Name: Jill and Dan and their 2-year-old, Branson Location: Hillsdale; Portland, Oregon Size: 4,100 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years; Owned When Jill and Dan moved from a small condo in Portland’s Pearl District to their brand-new home in the Hillsdale neighborhood, they weren’t in a hurry to fill the house up with furniture and things that didn’t have meaning for them.

Name: Maggie and Howard Location: Logan Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned When Maggie, Howard, and their gorgeous boys moved into their Logan Square house, it had just sat empty through a frigid Chicago winter.

Name: Lauren, Danny and their dogs, Mr. Belvedere and Junebug Location: Mount Washington — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Salon owners Lauren and Danny’s comfy cottage is like the brick-and-mortar equivalent of a breath of fresh air. High ceilings and interesting, multi-level mid-century architecture allow natural light to flood in from every direction, bouncing off the simple white walls.

Name: Tyler Parker (a photographer) and Kelsey Harper (a custom floral designer) and their 2-year-old, Harrison Harper Location: Eagle Rock — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; Rented Tyler and Kelsey have been thoroughly enjoying their East Los Angeles home. Making room for a baby on the way while raising a 2-year-old, they’ve somehow managed to create a home that is not only beautiful but incredibly functional as well.

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.

Name: Travis and Jessica Kiger and their two children Location: Fullerton, California Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Jessica and Travis’s charming 2-story home is a historic Southern California landmark—built in 1923—that looks as though its roots are deep-seated in a Grimm fairytale.

Name: Jeff and Jenni Swedlund and their son, Decker Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,497 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Jenni and Jeff come from different parts of the country—Seattle and Chicago—but met on common ground when they were both living in California. Six weeks after Jenni moved to their beach town, they met in a sequence of events involving tequila shots, mistaken advances toward a waitress, a whispered coaxing from a friend, and an ocean swim.

Name: Sara and Rich Combs Location: Joshua Tree, California Size: 1,241 square feet Years Lived In: 8 months; Owned You may remember Sara and Rich from our House Tour of their Colorful, Calm & Sunny California Haven in San Francisco. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing their latest collaborative interiors project: their vacation home in the Mojave Desert dubbed The Joshua Tree House.

Name: Dave Winkler Location: Capitol Hill — Seattle, Washington Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned The first time I visited Dave’s home was for a summertime party that he and his housemates hosted. The house was filled with people laughing, enjoying cocktails and relaxing. It’s easy to relax in such a comfortable space that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Name: Thomas Wegner Location: Longfellow — Minneapolis, MN Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 20 months; Owned Longfellow, one of south Minneapolis’ tight-knit neighborhoods, is full of row after row of early 1900s gems. The exteriors of these houses—which are found throughout the Twin Cities—share many similarities, so walking into a unique interior like Thomas’ is a special treat.

Name: Bill and Kristina Sager and their dog, Wisco Location: Fletcher Hills, California Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Creative duo Kristina and Bill breathed new life into their San Diego area Mid-century modern home while also lovingly preserving its gorgeous original character. Both Wisconsin natives, the couple met while working together in advertising in Milwaukee.

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.

Project by: Lee Location: Mequon, Wisconsin We moved into our house in 2004. At that time, the house was like a time capsule of early-70s design, so we promptly gutted the kitchen and family room. Eleven years later, I decided it was time for another update … but with the big money we sank into it a decade ago, I wanted to do it all myself this time, as inexpensively as possible. In 2004, we spent around $20,000 on our gut re-do.

Name: Blanca Martinez and Cody Perez Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1160 square feet (560 sq ft cottage with a 600 sq ft basement) Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Blanca Martinez and Cody Perez moved into their small, one-bedroom cottage in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, they immediately saw the potential for more usable living space in the concrete basement—all it needed was a good bit of TLC.

Name: Liza Monteagudo and David E. Peterson + Dog, Paco Location: Grant Park — Atlanta, Georgia Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Designer and DIY guru Liza Monteagudo and abstract painter David E. Peterson have created an eclectic, creative home in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta. It’s a treasure trove of David’s paintings, art from Liza’s home of Puerto Rico, carefully chosen antiques, and plenty of clever DIYs.

Name: Sara Dahlquist and Shawn Dimke, sons August-Jack and Hudson, dogs London and Tallulah, and cat Maddog Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Owned Sara, Shawn and their brood just moved into their North Portland home a few months ago, but you’d never know that by how inviting and put-together the space feels.

Names: Jag Nagra, Agata Matyszcuk and their two dogs Location: Port Coquitlam — British Columbia, Canada Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned “When Agata and I decided to move in (and purchase our first home together), we went to visit a new townhouse development on a lazy weekend on a whim,” begins Jag. “As soon as we walked in, we knew we had to live there. It was the only place we visited in person and it was exactly what we wanted.

Name: Alison and Jeff Allen (and sons Finn & Gus) Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned I stumbled upon Alison’s home via Instagram and knew right away that I found a gem. A bold teal living room is always a good sign! As I got to know Alison through her blog (Deuce Cities Henhouse), which features her home improvement projects, my excitement grew to see it in person.

Name: Allen Loeb and Nate Clark Location: West Hollywood — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,450 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned When my friend Jason Martin told me about Allen and Nate’s gorgeous West Hollywood home, I jumped at the opportunity to photograph it. This home is one that is stylish but warmly minimal. Each room has a personal touch that expresses their personalities but still feels both refined and functional.

Name: Vaishali and Rasesh Shah and their son, Malhar Location: Ahmedabad, India Size: 5,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned The outskirts of western Ahmedabad are dotted with farmhouses and weekend getaways. Driven by their love for nature, Vaishali and Rasesh made the decision to move away from the city into a home that brings together all their passions: the outdoors, travel and the quiet life.

Name & Location: Kaylee in South Jordan, Utah My Favorite Room: Living Room Specs: 200 Square Feet My husband and I bought our first home about a year after we got married and immediately set to work on updating the living room (it’s the first thing people see when they walk through the door). The entire house was dark tan when we moved in, including the trim, so just updating the paint made a huge difference!

Name: Liz Klafeta, founder of BANGTEL Location: Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 9 years owned Often you hear people use words such as “daunting” or “time consuming” while referring to renovations. “Fun” and “having a blast” don’t come to mind. However, these are the exact words you’ll hear Liz use while describing the renovation process of this space.

Name & Location: Kari in Dallas, Texas My Favorite Room: Family Room Specs: 275 Square Feet My husband Ryan and I moved into our home two months ago. We always talked about buying a fixer-upper and making it our own. Then, something crazy happened. We had kids. Between the toddler tantrums and an angelic newborn, a fixer-upper no longer seemed fun. Priorities, y’all. So instead we found a move-in ready home and fell in love instantly!

Name: Amy Gustafson, Stephanie Ingold and their dogs, Lenny and Marvel Location: Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years owned for Amy; 2 years rented for Stephanie Amy and Steph have been friends for over a decade.

Name: David and Ashe Pellew and their three children Location: West Coolup; Western Australia Size: 180 square meters (1,938 square feet) Years lived in: 14 Months; Owned One afternoon Ashe and David, along with their three children, drove past an old farm that was for sale in a tiny town in the south of Western Australia. At that moment, they fell in love with its charms and promptly bought it the next day, thus fulfilling a dream that they had had together since they were only 17 years old.

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: Nick and Julia and their three children Location: Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 8 years Modern, colorful and striking, this renovated home is full of great architectural features, elegant design and clean lines. Nick and Julia love the family- and party-friendly home they were able to create with the help of Solares Architecture, a firm that renovates and builds environmentally integrated homes.

Name: Robert and Jocelyn Rahm and their children, Odessa and Wyeth Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Robert and Jocelyn are the proprietors of one of Portland’s most beautiful home stores, Beam & Anchor, so it’s no surprise that their own space is filled with lovingly crafted furniture, gorgeous textiles, interesting vintage pieces, and thoughtful modern accents.

Name: LonAnne Culver Magnuson, design and organizing consultant, with sons Thomas and William. And Lucy the cat. Location: Brentwood Neighborhood — Austin, TexasSize: 1,848 square feetYears lived in: 10 There’s this intangible, mythical quality that Texas-born men and women ethereally possess. Something about always saying “thank you” and “ma’am.” Pulling off cowboy boots and any article of clothing. Always having a cold beer ready for a guest.

Name: Michael Andrews Paul Svendsen + Alice Martha (dogs), and Monkey (cat)Location: Silver Lake, California Size: 2,000 square feetYears lived in: 3 Michael is the owner of Inheritance, a shoebox-sized shop brimming to the rafters with design artifacts, miscellaneous curiosities, and modern furnishings — all curated with aplomb by its owner who “inherited” the store back in 2008.

Name: Erin Curtis and Aaron Dubrow (and 4 part-time, indoor/outdoor kitties) Location: East Side — Austin, Texas Size: 1400 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year What would you get if you mixed a 1920s bungalow, the inside of a vintage boat and a lofty barn with clean lines? The unique look of an East Austin house that has completely won us over. Full of incredibly smart space and money saving ideas, we’re quite impressed with the path the look of this home has taken.

Name: Andrea Koran and Elliott Torres and their daughter, Ella Location: Wilmette, Illinois Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 16 years; Owned Andrea and Elliott’s home feels like a cozy cottage, or maybe a vacation home by a lake. Considering that Lake Michigan is just two miles away, it’s a lake house that they live in year-round. Graphic designer Andrea and software engineer Elliott both create things at their jobs, so they say that they don’t do much DIY at home.

Name: Sarah and Morgan Dews, their kids Tallulah and Max, and Cosmo the dog and Leroy the cat Location: Ocean Park Neighborhood — Santa Monica, California Size: 1,450 square feet Years lived in: Owned 6 years (and soon to be moving!) Sarah and Morgan are two world travelers whose paths crossed in Barcelona, Spain in 2004. Morgan, who grew up in the states between the east and west coast, fled to Spain in his twenties in search of adventure.

Name: Faith and Hannah Russell Location: South London, UK Size: 1158 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Faith Russell and Hannah Russell aren’t just sisters; they’re roommates, business partners and the co-founders of Layer. What started out first as an Instagram account, then morphed into a popular lifestyle blog, has now evolved into a UK-based online marketplace featuring thousands of vintage and pre-owned furniture items for sale.

Name: Virginia and Garrett Cortese Location: Maitland, Florida Size: 817 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, Rented Virginia and Garrett’s lakeside home is a treasure trove of fine art, travel souvenirs, family heirlooms, lush greenery, and their own art—Garrett is a photographer, while Virginia is a graphic designer who dabbles in painting. Their apartment is wonderfully, as Virginia describes it, “modern but eclectic.

Name: Erin Nichols and Danny, daughters Kate and Ava, and dogs Chance and Stella Location: Huntington Beach, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 8 years Erin and Danny’s lovely Huntington Beach home feels idyllically Californian: tucked away on a quiet tree-lined street, a short walk from the beach, filled with sunlight, and book-ended by two breezy outdoor areas. It’s an easy place to feel relaxed and happy.

Name: Jaimee and David Morse, their twin sons, and Lana the dog Location: Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Jaimee and David moved to the Midwest from the East Coast, they didn’t expect to come to Minneapolis—and they certainly didn’t expect to stay. They have since fallen in love with the city, their neighborhood, and their home.

Name: Seth and Maureen Conant and their cats, Frank and Lucy Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Walking into Maureen and Seth’s house transports you to the 1950s. In fact, just walking along their street gives you that feeling! They live in a little enclave of mid-century homes in northwest Seattle, most of which were built by the same architect, Thomas Dunstan, in the late 1950s.

Name: Claes & Melinda Bergman Location: Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,400 square feet including studio Years lived in: 7 years; owned The incredible thing about Melinda and Claes Bergman’s beautiful home is that they’ve done virtually everything themselves. Remodeled kitchen and bathroom? Check. Flooring? Check. Paint? Check. There isn’t a corner of their Mid-Century modern house they haven’t put some serious and impressive DIY into.

Name: Sarah and Brian Meeks Location: Homewood, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned Nearly everything in Sarah and Brian’s house – from the credenza they found on the side of the road right down to their three cuddly shelter pets – has been rescued or re-purposed.

Name: Molly and Tyler KingLocation: Echo Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 680 square feetYears lived in: 5 years; Owned I first met Molly and Tyler years ago when I tagged along with a friend to their Labor Day barbecue, and since then, I’ve watched them welcome countless friends into their charming Eastside home.

Name: Neeza and Pierre Location: Helmersbuurt; Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Neeza is from Malaysia, and Pierre hails from France — two wildly different backgrounds that tastefully meet halfway to create this unique space. Splashes of color to balance out the white floor and walls, placement of beautiful furniture, and special handcrafted accents are just a part of the unique beauty of this home.

Name: Marisa Vitale and Peter James Location: Venice Beach, California Size: 1250 square feet Years lived in: 3 Years; Owned Marisa and Peter are a couple of world travelers with a serious case of wanderlust. Beloved souvenirs abound throughout their sunny, airy, one-story, Venice Beach home. Their home’s newest decor, however, speaks not to globetrotting, but to an entirely different sort of adventure, -that of first-time parenthood…times two!

Name: Austin White, Monica Rodgers and children, Manon and Shaw  Location: Kingston, Rhode Island Size: 1,850 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned It all started with a ship captain in the 1920’s. He translated his passion for the seafaring life into a nautical-inspired Arts and Crafts home.

Name: Jenna & Lexxa Location: Baker Neighborhood; Denver, Colorado Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 13 (Jenna) & 17.5 (Lexxa); Owned Jenna Miles, the owner of Denver’s “modern mercantile” shop Hazel & Dewey,  and her partner, Lexxa, are the happy residents of a two story renovated colonial in the city’s quaint Baker District neighborhood. I first met Jenna in her shop, filled with the most incredible kitchen items and hostess gifts.

Name: Alix Flood & Nick Benson, with kids Henry and Hope Location: Jamestown, Rhode Island Size: 2,355 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; owned For Alix and Nick, moving into their home in the quaint seaside village of Jamestown four years ago was a “dream come true.” Nick had admired the Edwardian house ever since he was a young boy, when his family spent summers in the picturesque island community.

Name: Sophie Crocket, her partner Scott and kids Casey and Callum Location: Lymington; Hampshire, UK Size: Three-bedroom house Years lived in: 6 years The pink flamingos standing sentry outside the front door give a clue to what lies inside this tiny 1960s red brick cottage tucked away in the English countryside.

Name: Annie Elliott, CEO Bossy Color Interior Design Location: Woodley Park, Washington, DC Size: 2700 square feet Years lived in: Owned 8.5 years With a business called “Bossy Color” one naturally has a strong point of view when it comes to design. Enter Annie Elliott, the energetic designer behind Bossy Color Interior Design based in DC.

Name: Laura Shaeffer, Andrew Nord, Jasper and Sebastian Location: Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Laura and Andrew’s modernist townhome is a part of a community near the University of Chicago campus. It has 2 floors, a basement, and a huge backyard accessible by the other houses in the community. Their house is HOME Gallery, an intersection between a living space, an art gallery, a community engagement center, a playground, and a school.

Name: Keith and Paige Location: Belmont Heights, Long Beach, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; Rented The day of Keith and Paige’s tour I am embarrassed to say I was running late, plenty late. Making my way from a shoot in Laguna to Long Beach, I called from the 405 (Hello, Californians!) to see if I needed to reschedule.

Name: Page Evans, daughters Peyton and Katherine, and Angus the Lab Location: Georgetown; Washington, DC Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Page and her two daughters moved into this two bedroom in the heart of Georgetown eight years ago — they were downsizing after a divorce. Upon moving, Page, an art consultant and writer, set out to bring the small, 19th-century house up to date.

Name: Joanne and Brian King Location: Bay Spring; Barrington, Rhode Island Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 35 years; owned It’s a perfect summer evening. There’s a mellow breeze and a blanket of soft golden light. The Kings are sitting on their deck with drinks and a cheese tray watching sailboats race in Narragansett Bay. A couple sitting in a parked car takes in the scenery from across the street.

Name: Kelsey and Mike Sheofsky (and Louella and Bird Sheofsky) Location: Mission; San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years; Rented Kelsey and Mike make their living by creating beautiful outdoor spaces for their pop-up lodging service Shelter Co. They bring the same effortless style, laid back attitude and appreciation for travel to their San Francisco home, which they share with their perpetually chatty 7 month old Louella and their dog Bird.

Name: Christina Nickerson, Owner of Olmay Home, and her husband, two daughters, and their dog Location: Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California Size: 5,000 square feet Years lived in: 15 years I’ve always been surprised that the classics, things like great jeans, a beautiful white mug, a plain dark chocolate bar, someone who makes a good martini — which you would think would be so easy to locate — can be so hard to find.

Name: Maria and Eric Location: Jordaan — Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 200 square meters Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Welcome to Maria and Eric’s historical Amsterdam home with a modern twist. The two purchased this four-story abode five years ago and renovated the whole structure from top to bottom. Maria put it lightly when she said that renovating is “not an easy task in a foreign country.

Name: Stiles and Lauren Christner Location: Englewood, Colorado Size: 624 Square Feet Years Lived In: 2 Texas born and bred, Lauren and Stiles embody the small town warmth and southern spunk so often found in the Lone Star state. Lucky for us, the same can be said about their beautiful starter home in Denver, Colorado. Stepping through the threshold of this home, one might initially find it hard to determine the age of its residents.

Name: Taylor and Isabella Crockett Location: Central Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 9 Months; Owned While the housing market in Phoenix was one of the first to crash, it’s also been the first to rebound. Before the first quarter of 2012, if you were quicker than the investors, you could snag a foreclosed home in an historic neighborhood for less than $100,000.

Name: Philip Oakley, his wife Olivia, and their two cocker spaniels, Joe and Jarvis Location: St Leonards; Sussex, UK Size: 6,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4.5 years, lived in 3 years Philip and Olivia’s home is a great hulk of a building painted top to toe in gunmetal grey. From the outside, it looks almost hermetically sealed. The front door blends in to the wall, and most the windows are shuttered.

Name: Jonathan Lo of Happy Mundane Location: Solana Beach, California Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Last year, Jonathan Lo circled back around to his fondest childhood memories and rented a place in Solana Beach for long summer weekend escapes. Of course, since it was only going to be used in summer and because the space was temporary, cost was a primary consideration. When costs need to be kept low, turn to imagination to keep the final look high.

I first saw Shira Gill’s home through an Airbnb link that my friend forwarded to me, and I was instantly smitten. Shira, the owner of a professional organizing business called Simply Sorted, keeps her home exactly how I would (and sorta do). Her decor is minimal and clutter-free without being boring, an impressive feat with two little girls.

Name: John and Liz Tavarez Location: Fairview Place; Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,004 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Liz and John live in a Sears Craftsman assembled in 1926. Their neighborhood, Fairview Place, was granted Historic Designation in 1994. It’s the oldest house in their neighborhood by two years. In Phoenix, this is considered incredibly old. In fact, generally speaking, a home built before 1960 is considered old.

Name: Sarah Bernard, husband James, and stepson Edward (on weekends) Location: Notting Hill, London Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Sarah’s home has a modern, graphic style and a laid-back vibe that makes guests feel immediately at home in their colorful surroundings. Nothing is staged or forced.

Name: Lori and Jeromy Murphy, accesibility consultant with ACI, plus their two daughters Location: Heights Area; Houston, Texas Size: 2,480 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Lori and her husband Jeromy are both architects. These days, she looks after the kids and he’s an accessibility consultant, but the house they built together has every bit of the ingenuity and style you would expect from the home of two designers.

Name: Cori & Jake Roberts Location: West End; Glasgow, Scotland Size: Three story town house Years lived in: 3 years; owned I can only conclude that Cori, her husband Jake (a film editor) and their three beautiful boys, Milo, Jonah and Louis, have effortless style running through their veins. Cori was born in Sweden, and with a photographer for a mother and artist for a father; their home was a hive of creativity.

Name: Dan, Jill, Grey and Taavi Ritacco and their dog Apple Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: almost 3 years; owned Written in chalk above the bathroom door are the words, “Artistry + Function + Simplicity = This Home.” It’s a fitting mission statement for Jill and Dan Ritacco’s small Rhode Island cape, which was gutted and revitalized by the couple themselves.

Name: Cyndi Coon Location: Tempe, Arizona Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; owned Cyndi’s home, a ranch-style house built in 1958, is a stunning ode to all things found, reclaimed, and vintage. It’s a home you can stare at for hours: peering into glass-fronted cases, admiring collections of ceramics, and wondering at the story behind each object. It’s about as far away from childproofed as you can get.

Name: John Trefry and Laurel Watson Location: Lawrence, Kansas Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented When I first visited John and Laurel’s house less than a year after they’d moved in, I was struck by its warmth and homeyness, qualities that brought me back for a tour. John is an architecture instructor and founding partner of the work.

Name: Amy Haiar and Todd Donahue Location: Avondale/Logan Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned What happens when two creative directors have carte blanche to design a new home from the ground up? In the case of husband-and-wife duo Todd and Amy, colorful, interesting, and beautiful things happen. Amy and Todd purchased their newly-constructed Smart Tech home a little over a year ago.

Name: Chris MacDonald (tattoo artist) & Meg Tilston (furniture designer) Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; owned Tattoo artist Chris McDonald and furniture designer Meg Tilston knew they’d found the perfect home when they first saw this tiny cottage in Toronto.

Name: Mark Salvie, plus roommates Rob and Jeff and dog Bubs Location: The Heights; Houston, Texas Size: 2,188 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Mark is the guy with all the cool stuff. Everywhere you turn, there is something interesting to look at. The thing about Mark’s house, though, is that it doesn’t feel cluttered or crowded. It is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.

Name: Tim Eddy and Hannah Fuller Location: Tahoe, California Size: 196 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Hannah grew up in a home her parents built (her father is a boat builder), so it was only natural for her to follow in their footsteps. Tim, on the other hand, has never built anything but fires.

Name: Cinda & Mark Boomershine Location: Atlanta, Georgia Size: 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Years lived in: 7 years An architecturally traditional home filled with bright color and bold contemporary art is just the first of many contrasts that make up Cinda and Mark’s style.