Mid Century Modern

"The overall vibe I’m going for, for the house is a bit of a hodge podge: an artist’s 1970s beachside pad mixed with pared-down Parisian glamour and of course lots of lighthearted elements..." says creative director and commercial photographer Lizzie Darden.

Thanks to great layout planning and smart storage ideas, this couple's small apartment feels much bigger. And there's an adorable terrace, too!

Gaby Neira and Chris Yera moved into their Upper West Side apartment almost a year ago. "Living in New York is expensive, especially for college students. We had to design the space with a small budget, limited stock availability across the city, and a two-week moving time constraint."

Kit Williamson and John Halbach have completely transformed this 1958 cabin on five acres in Yucca Valley, using patterned tiles, fun furniture, and lots of dreamy outdoor elements.

Meng and his husband, Andrew, gorgeously transformed this outdated two-bedroom co-op, which they say hadn't been updated for almost 60 years. There was worn green carpeting, an odd layout, and a very dirty bathroom, to name only a few of the things that would need remodeling.

“Growing up I spent Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and so many other holidays in this house,” April describes of this house, which was once owned by her grandparents! Now she and her husband Joe are making this house their own.

Emma and Henrik's home style is heavily influenced by the patterns and colors of the 1970s — particularly orange and brown, hence the name of Emma’s Instagram, Home of Orange Brown.

This house was renovated twice since it was built in the 1960s, and when Doro and Jürgen moved in, the couple had a clear idea of how they wanted to change the house to suit their style.

Rebekah Love, a professional organizer and the owner of company, Organize For Love, shares this Staten Island home with husband, Olushola Bashorun, a fine arts photographer with AQut Photography, and their daughter, Loren.

Former graphic designer Siân currently works in the NHS as a Mental Health Practitioner, and says that making home personal is incredibly important for mental health and overall well being.

Megan and Alex bought this 1,800-square-foot, ranch-style house in Austin three years ago. Megan is just the right person to style a house from the 1970s because of her passions for retro styles, thrifting, and history, which she explores on the popular blog Mid-century Millennial.

Lauren and Dustin say this house, built in 1902, hadn't been updated since the '70s and '80s. The couple spent just over a year on interior renovations, modernizing the outdated space but preserving and honoring much of the historic home's charming architectural features.

Anna decorated her family's large rental house on a budget, thrifting almost everything but plants. One of the biggest splurges was actually an IKEA rug, which proves how affordably the whole house was furnished!

Rachel, who runs the popular retro-inspired home Instagram account @bungalow_fifty8, wasn't necessarily looking for a new house, but when she came across this two-bedroom 1950s-era bungalow with a big garden, she and her partner took on the project of turning it into a home.

Emily Brinkley is an illustrator/designer working for a small company that designs games, toys, books, greeting cards, stationery, and gift wrap. She describes her London flat as being a totally beige, blank canvas when she first moved in.

Maddie Kulig, owner of Philadelphia-based lingerie brand Madalynne Intimates, purchased this cute cottage less than a year ago in Galena, Maryland with her husband, Ryan Kulig.

Raquel Lily is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and online content creator, and she released her debut full-length album, "Fixations," in early March. She lives in this colorful, musical house in Atlanta.

Artist and art teacher Laina Weiss is the creative director of L’or de Seraphine, an artisanal candle brand, and calls home this cozy and colorful East Village apartment, sharing it with her cat, Abby.

Sekile Nzinga is the Chief Equity Officer for the State of Illinois and the founder of The Nzinga Collective, and rents this 1200-square-foot condo in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.

Behavioral scientist and science communicator Vanessa Hill shares a look inside her stylish Brooklyn rental AND reveals why she keeps old technology in her bedroom, what kind of mattress she sleeps on (under $500 from Amazon), and other smart secrets to getting better sleep.

This "contemporary eclectic" apartment blends clean lines with lots of vintage and mid-century modern pieces.

Content creator and small studio renter, Imani Keal, is on a mission to get people with small spaces to paint them black.

Amanda and Dan moved from California to Pennsylvania in April 2020, eventually buying this farmhouse with lots of architectural character.

Jaclyn Isaac is the owner and principal designer at doni Douglas Design, and she took on remodeling this dated beach bungalow at the Jersey Shore, turning it into a mix of mid-century modern, vintage, and bungalow chic.

Thanks to collaborating and facetiming with her bestfriend everyday, Christine was able to DIY furniture, create an enviable bed loft/home office setup, give an ugly kitchen a renter-friendly facelift, and create a stunning home that feels much bigger and more expensive than it actually is.

Ph.D. candidate and creative entrepreneur Taylor Evans and her partner have incorporated color and pattern into their small rental apartment. "It feels playful, yet sophisticated, and I think it reflects our personalities," she writes.  

Navajo/Diné knitwear designer Jennifer Berg founded Native Knitter, and she designs and sells knitting patterns from her beautiful house in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which she shares with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and a tortoise.

Celia runs a YouTube channel and founded the decor shop Sticki Icki, and shares this 760-square-foot apartment with her partner, Sean, and their baby son, Cassius.

Colin Tury and Ellie Ingram have put A LOT of work into transforming this house into what you see today. “Every square inch of this house has been affected by us and we’re proud of it” he writes.

Roxy Michaud brought in textures like wicker, dark wood, bamboo and greenery to her Brooklyn home, as well as used the color black to make the space feel more warm and cozy.

Peter Quinn and Caitlin Dawson bought this house in Mount Washington three years ago, and recently finished a remodel that modernized the small home, while retaining a lot of the original history and charm

Every room in this old Philadelphia house got an affordable upgrade, and the result is a bright, cheery home absolutely PACKED with home makeover inspiration!

With only 600 square feet, Celeste and Lucas had to get creative to fit as many functions into their small home as possible, employing an interesting furniture arrangement to do so.

Maya Goldfine breathed life into her rental home by embracing a mixture of textures, color, and styles, which was primarily inspired by a trip to Mexico City.

This art teacher and museum educator draws inspiration from "estate sales in untouched time capsule houses, old magazines, and period movie and TV show sets" for decorating her own 1970s Philadelphia house.

Sharon Lomas and her husband share this four-bedroom Victorian detached rectory located in a national park surrounded by natural settings. Their home's decor takes tons of inspiration from nature.

Architect Jill Porter says her Brooklyn apartment had zero original details when she bought it 16 years ago. But after a makeover it now has color, pattern, and most of all joy and charm!

Erin Kerr's style can best be described as: "Like if a Danish Grandpa and Primary School Teacher Grandma had a grandkid who loved Memphis Milano."

The most challenging thing about this home was making it functional with so little space, but this couple was able to fit two desks, a ton of shelving, and smart under-bed storage.

Inspired by the beauty of tropical nature and the vibrancy of Mexican culture.

Outdoor seating, a firepit, raised veggie gardens, and a cute converted garden shed turned guest room/movie room make this small Seattle house's backyard dreamy and inspiring.

Paul — better known as @plantmepaul on Instagram — shares this small rental apartment with a roommate, beautiful brick walls, natural light, and tons of plants!