Scandinavian

Name: Gary Marshall Location: Poplar Dock Marina, London Size: 92 square meters (or just under 1000 square feet) Years lived in: 3 Months Have you ever dreamed of living on a boat? I know I have. But while it sounds romantic, I’ve always been worried about having to live in a too-cramped space or a home filled with too many “nautical” themes. Gary’s houseboat blows any preconceived notions about a houseboat right out of the water! (Pun very intended.

Name: Florence and Julien Location: Plateau Mt-Royal — Montreal Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Florence is the founder of Me Myself & Montreal, a blog that provides the best spots in Montreal to visit. She also organizes “discovery” events for its readers. The Montreal apartment she shares with Julien is bright and radiant and the large windows provide the best views of the city, like the Mount-Royal, the city center and the Olympic Stadium.

Name: Edmund Lam, Heidi Donnelly and Arthur (2 years old) Location: Montreal-West; Canada Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Sometimes it can be difficult to make the transition from downtown living to the suburbs, but when you luck out on a space to call home that screams your name (and meets your budget) you leave running! This is essentially what happened to Edmund and Heidi a little over two years ago.

Name: Jil and Jeff Location: Leslieville — Toronto, Canada Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years Originally from the Canada’s East Coast, Jil and Jeff moved to Toronto in pursuit of career opportunities. They brought along not only their friendly character and Maritime hospitality but also many treasures, such as old barn ladders, driftwood and antiques.

Name: Andrew Deming and Rachel Gant and Dog, Clover Location: Davis Shores, Anastasia Island, St. Augustine, Florida Size: 1550 square feet Years lived in: 11 Months Rachel and Andrew of YIELD Design Co. open their doors to their beautifully renovated mid-century home in St. Augustine, Florida. What was once an outdated 1950s house is now a peaceful, tropical retreat. Nestled in the tropical flora and fauna of the old city of St.

Name: Georgina, Gideon, Hunter and Case Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 2583 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Situated in the bohemian and arty suburb of Observatory, Gideon and Georgina’s home is filled with warmth and creativity. This young family home has many personal touches and custom-designed elements thanks to Gideon. Although Gideon specialized in landscape architecture, he likes to call himself a design generalist.

Name: Gilles, Ismérie and Alexie Location: Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Montreal Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years Ismérie, founder of The Little Spot and owner at L’Atelier du coin de la rue (“The workshop around the corner” a creative space for DIY passionate Montrealers), opened up her family home for us and shared their little universe.

Jil and Jeff’s home showcases many rustic, nautical and Scandinavian-inspired pieces, like the vintage wood crate at the sofa’s side or the coffee table made from a slab of wood. If you had your eye on some of the items in their expansive Toronto loft, you can get some of the items—or something similar—using the sources below.

Name: Dora and Oliver Location: Eixample Quarter — Barcelona, Spain. Size: 1.291 square feet Years lived in: Rented for 5 years Dora and Oliver are like colorful, fascinating characters from a novel. They’ve filled their eclectic Spanish home with travel souvenirs, great design…and dancing! Dora is a fashion designer currently working for Uterqüe; Oliver is partner and design strategist at The Bold Studio.

Name: Celine and Christian Coly (and their son Damase) Location: East Bay — Dublin, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Celine and Christian’s East Bay apartment is bright, airy, chic. Most importantly, it’s cozy and comfortable for the couple, their 9-year-old son and guests.

Name: Vicky and Ross Smith, and daughters Olivia & Florence Location: Guildford, UK Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 1/2 years With its pared-back yet warm feel, understated color palette and abundant natural light, this family home in the Southern-English county of Surrey is inspired by many elements of contemporary Scandinavian style.

Name: Sandra Lobos, Juan Carlos Ferrer, and their cat Mimí Location: Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4 months It’s a surprise that Sandra and Juan Carlos‘ apartment in Puerto Rico is so minimal, considering the two have such playful, exuberant personalities.

Name: Anna Alfaro Location: Eixample — Barcelona, Spain Size: 807 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 1 year Anna greets me with a hug when I arrive to photograph her home, and the autumn sun fills her house with warm light. It’s such a lovely scene, the house itself seems to hug you. Anna has spoken about how pleased she is with the results of her apartment renovation, and now seeing it in person I can only feel envy!

Name: Irina Melsom and Hans Askheim (and kids Aleksandra, Markus) Location: Bethnal Green — London, UK Size: 1000 square feet Years Lived In: Owned for 4 years Originally from Norway, artists Irina and Hans have shared this Victorian three-bedroom terrace in East London with their daughter Aleksandra and son Markus for four years.

Name: Kenny and Robbert Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, rented Robbert and Kenny are quite the complementary pair — Robbert’s practicality balances out Kenny’s flair for the dramatic — and their Utrecht attic apartment wonderfully reflects that balance. Located on one of the main canals of Utrecht, this building was once a warehouse and dates from the 15th century.

Name: Tim and Ren Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Size: 1076 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2 years When you enter Ren and Tim’s light-filled Amsterdam apartment, you can physically feel yourself relax as the hustle and bustle of city life is shed at the door. Part Nordic, part mid-century, their apartment boasts clean, simple lines and minimalist aesthetics.

Name: Nathan Lump and Charles Runnette Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet plus terrace Years lived in: 1 year, 2 months, owned Where does Travel + Leisure magazine’s editor-in-chief Nathan Lump live when he’s not combing the world to find fabulous far-flung locales? In an airy, comfy Park Slope apartment he recently renovated with his husband Charles Runnette, a fellow killer content creator who works at the Mustache Agency (and a traveler, too).

Name: Kelly and Colton Jarisch, baby Silas, and Shiner. Location: Tarrytown — Austin, Texas Size: 1,530 square feet Years lived in: Owned a little over 2.5 years Kelly and Colton’s small cottage home just west of downtown Austin is a case study for renovations done right. Their reno began as a series of DIY projects to remove the previous owner’s design decisions, but Kelly and Colton soon found themselves in the midst of a whole house renovation — for the first time.

Name: Anne, Dave, Pascale and Liam Lowell Location: Orinda, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned After living in San Francisco for 20 years, Anne, her husband and two children moved north over the Bay Bridge to Orinda — a small town in the lush hills of the East Bay. It was the better schools that convinced the couple to make the move over the bridge. They found and nestled down in a beautiful house surrounded by leafy trees.

Name: Margot and Luc Location: Utrecht, Netherlands Size: 538 square feet Years lived in: 2 years (I moved in with Luc a year ago, he has lived here for 2 years) Margot and Luc’s travel-inspired apartment will fill you with wanderlust the second you step through the door!

Name: Lisa Martin Location: Ville-Marie, Montreal Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Her travels in South America — seeing the colorful culture and world-renowned traditional crafts — have heavily influenced Lisa Martin’s Montreal apartment. Though small (just under 550 square feet), the space feels light and airy, thanks to clean white walls and a minimal aesthetic (and the small bits of color sprinkled throughout).

Name: Cai Haun and Britt Maton Location: Oceanview — San Francisco, California Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Having a complete and comfortable home is really important to Cai. She’s moved at least once a year, every year, since she was 13, so adapting quickly has never been an issue. But because of the frequent moves, she noticed she wasn’t putting much effort into her homes as she’d like to (since she would inevitably move out within a year).

Name: Marta and Jordi Location: Sarrià – Barcelona, Spain Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned After having two kids — and living in a really small apartment — the time to move for Marta, Jordi and their family had arrived! With high design standards, searching for the perfect apartment can be stressful, especially when you want it all! Fortunately, Marta and Jordi feel lucky: they’ve found this perfect (larger!) home to stretch out in.

Name: Josie and Jules Location: South East London — UK Size: 677 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year Seeing this home’s style might give you déjà vu. Josie and Jules first showed off their small space maximizing skills when we toured an Edwardian flat in South East London they remodeled in 2015. It was a top-to-bottom renovation — the layout was reconfigured, and light and function were added to a dated space.

Name: Marcus, Alicia and Phoenix Brandon Location: Prospect Lefferts Gardens — Brooklyn, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting First of all, this beautiful apartment has a private elevator. Call in, beam up, doors open and you’re there. It’s a wildly easier ride than a fifth-floor brownstone walk-up and definitely one of Marcus and Alicia’s favorite aspects of their home.

Name: Ilse van Elleswijk and Jasper and their puppy Jackie Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands Size: 1,640 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned There’s a lot to see in Ilse’s home — not a shock, considering her profession as a stylist — but what is surprising is how uncluttered the space feels. Ilse’s a big fan of accessories; she feels they add coziness to any room. But she hasn’t gone overboard in her home.

Name: Irene and Rob Burg Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 19 years, owned As a girl, when Irene would visit her grandpa, she would always pass this quaint house built in 1934 and think to herself: “One could be so lucky to live in this home.” Years later she and her husband Rob moved into this very home — and it felt like a dream come true.

Name: Marta Location: Sant Cugat – Barcelona, Spain Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned Marta is a woman who knows what she wants and her Barcelona home is a beautiful blend of all her favorite things. She loves plants, illustrations and natural materials, and you’ll find all of those things and more in the home she’s owned for a year and a half.

Name: Mery Garriga Location: Barcelona, Spain. Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting “Less is more” was the phrase Mies Van Der Rohe used to define a design ideal. It’s also the philosophy Mery, a Barcelona-based interior designer, focuses on in both her design business and her life at home. Soft colors, simple furniture and small details mark her style, and her home is the perfect showcase of her skills at elegant simplicity.

Name: Eva Goicochea and Ian Goicochea Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, renting What happens when two creatives — one from California/New Mexico and the other from Arizona/Oregon — come to New York together with four animals? They make some serious West Coast meets Southwest minimalist magic. Ian and Eva met nine years ago through a mutual friend.

Name: Gaby Suhr Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 1,163 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Several years ago Gaby spent a couple of months traveling around the world. Living from just a suitcase, she became conscious of just how little one actually needs on a day-to-day basis. Some time later, a friend told Gaby that he felt she had a distinct ability to see the essence of a situation. To focus on the bare necessities.

Name: Björn Holmenäs Location: El Poble-sec — Barcelona, Spain Size: 506 square feet (plus a 430 square foot terrace) Years lived in: 6 years, owned Björn’s apartment is located in the Barcelona neighborhood of El Poble-sec, a neighborhood with a history that can be traced back to ancient Rome. The streets in the neighborhood are small and narrow, yet filled with creativity and inspiration.

Name: Shari Pelkmans, Mike and Olle Location: Heeze, the Netherlands Size: 1,087 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Three years ago Shari and Mike bought a newly-built house in Heeze, a tiny town in the south of the Netherlands (and Mike’s hometown). The location is great: a short walk from the town center, but also lots of pretty nature just around the corner.

Name: Julie and Matt Stephenson Location: Culver City, California Size: 2900 square feet Years Lived In: 6 months, owned It’s no secret that sticking to a minimal color palette can help create a sense of order and cohesiveness in design. Inspired by the stark and minimal styles found in Brutalist architecture and Icelandic design, homeowners Matt and Julie fully committed to a strict black-and-white color scheme and it definitely paid off.

Name: Matt, The Stewart House Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 730 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned The story behind Matt’s mid-century modern bungalow is as beautiful as the home itself. “This place was built (and named) in memory of my late grandmother. I share my middle name with her (Stewart). She was the most amazing hostess and the money she left me when she passed was the seed money to get the design going on this little haven.

Name: Isabella and Oscar Location: Wembley, London Size: 870 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 year, owned Having grown up, studied, and worked in Hong Kong, Isabella and Oscar went on a trip of a lifetime to Iceland, fell in love with Europe and decided to relocate to London together to pursue their dream of traveling around this little continent.

Name: Ivonne Meyer Location: Woodstock — Cape Town, South Africa Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned After many years of renting a bedroom in this very house, Ivonne luckily had the opportunity to purchase the property when her friend relocated to Namibia and needed to sell. With no furniture of her own to begin with, Ivonne slept in the living room on just a mattress for the first few months.

Name: Karlijn, Daniel and their cat Harrie Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Size: 1,076 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Karlijn is a teacher at a school for children with special needs. It’s a very rewarding job, though at times it can also be pretty challenging. When a day has been especially strenuous, she loves to unwind in the lovely home she shares with Daniel and their cat Harrie. In fact, decorating the house they bought three years ago has become quite a passion.

Name: Leela, Chris and Violet Location: Bedford Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Leela describes her family’s Brooklyn home as a constant work in progress. When the she and Chris purchased the whole building about four years ago, lots of work needed to be done. Their full gut renovations left them with a “Brooklyn industrial recycled Scandinavian” duplex, though.

Name: Sharita Harcharan, her husband Shai, their children Jason, Ryan, Justin and Jasmijn Location: Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands Size: 1,076 square feet Years lived in: 16 years, renting Upon entering the Harcharan home, one instantly feels relaxed and completely at ease. It’s hard not to with all that light, the pale hues and the various tactile elements.

Name: Chantal Berkelmans, husband Pieter, their daughters Annabel and Lois Location: Eersel, the Netherlands Size: 6,458 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned (and self-built) For a long time Chantal believed she wasn’t creative or handy. She always felt envious of people who seemed to make the loveliest items (seemingly without much effort). When Chantal was pregnant with her first child, she remembers a period when she was terribly ill and could only lie in bed all day.

Name: Sophie, Guillaume and baby Simone Location: Heart of the Plateau — Montreal Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Avid travelers and a creative couple, Sophie and Guillaume live in their warm renovated flat in the heart of the Plateau with their young daughter Simone. The flat’s architecture is at once rich and minimal, and the couple loves to merge old, timeless design pieces with newly acquired ones.

Name: Liam and Emma Paton, with children: Finn (4) Violet (1) Location: Stoke Newington, London Size: 1700 square feet Years Lived In: 5 years, owned Emma Paton, a fashion buyer-turned-blogger (her blog is called Finlay Fox), and her musician husband Liam live in Stoke Newington in London with their two children Finn and Violet. It took them over two years to find and secure this double-fronted Victorian house; they completely gutted and renovated it with an architect friend.

Name: Trudy Crane Location: Old Montreal Size: 1250 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting After working as an executive in the fashion industry for many years, Trudy decided to pursue her dream and switched to a career as a ceramicist. Inspired by nature and the many shades of white, she creates beautiful and organic ceramics under the name of Looks Like White.

Name: Mel and Mario, baby daughter, Mia and two dogs, Coco and Marni Location: Alicante, Spain Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years, owned Mel is a designer and her husband Mario is a filmmaker, and when they decided to purchase a home, there was one thing that was most important. “We knew we wanted a renovation project where we could design everything ourselves.

Name: Klaas Hogeweg Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Gray, beige, white, black. Generally, these colors don’t evoke feelings of warmth and coziness. But if you visit Klaas Hogeweg’s home those are the exact words that come to mind, together with stylish and elegant.

Name: Elizabeth Podlesnik Location: Queen Anne — Seattle, Washington Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Back in June, this former personal stylist-turned-photographer got an itch to redecorate. Like, seriously redecorate. “I sold everything on Craigslist and Offer Up, and started from scratch,” Elizabeth told me. I was slightly jealous of the adventure she’d just been on. From scratch, you say? Swoon. I really do have a thing for blank slates.

Actress Molly Bernard (Lauren Heller on "Younger") shares this Brooklyn apartment with her partner and dog.

Name: Katy and Jules and their dog, Otto Location: Bermondsey — London, UK Size: 749 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned This new-build apartment in London, just south of the river, is home to interiors blogger Katy Orme, her partner Jules, and their (adorable!) Golden Retriever, Otto.

Name: Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw’s 1971 Airstream Sovereign packs incredible style into a compact space — every inch has been thoughtfully designed and curated by the couple. Over one very eventful year of renovation and restoration, they have been able to build a home that is warm, bright, and that even boasts a feeling of loftiness, all in 200 square feet!

Name: Leo + Jordan Miller + Alexander Lynch Location: West Village — Detroit, Michigan Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting Jordan is an Ohio native who moved to Detroit on a whim in the summer of 2016 because of her love for the state of Michigan, particularly its lakes. Al grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula called Norway.

Gilles, Ismérie and Alexie’s Montreal home features graphic patterns, Scandinavian-style furniture, nautical themes, and a whole lot of DIY. If you’re looking for this wide range of styles for your home—and maybe some Star Wars art—check out the shopping sources below.

Betsy and Manny went from a tiny New York City studio to a spacious bungalow in Savannah. The new layout allows them to fill the space with functional antique furniture and family heirlooms, as well as modern Scandinavian accents and decor. If you’re into the Scandinavian-meets-craftsman style, check out the sources below to get a similar look in your home.

Name: Kyla Magrath Location: Bristol, United Kingdom Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 14 years, owned I first came across designer Kyla on Instagram, where she regularly uploads snaps of her Victorian home she shares with her husband, two children, and a dog in St. Werburghs in Bristol. Kyla is certainly not afraid of colors, especially the darker tones.

Georgina and Gideon’s Cape Town home is full of unique pieces designed and/or made by Gideon, incredible textiles purchased on their travels, and treasured family pieces passed down for generations. If you don’t have access to heirlooms, airfare, or a powder coating gun, don’t despair—now you can shop the style!

Lisa’s Australian home is furnished in a minimal, modern, black-and-white style that’s actually very obtainable, so it’s time to shop the style!

Name: Luke and Claire Staszak Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 2 bedroom + office Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Luke and Claire are two incredibly warm and inspiring individuals. Spending time with them in their beautiful greystone included stories of their experiences living in New Zealand together, details on their impressive DIY projects, discussions about the music playing on their record player, and lots of laughter.

Name: Anette, husband Barrett, and baby boy Elliot Location: Oslo, Norway Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals.

Name: Giverny Petitmermet and Mara Gannon (plus Eloise the cat) Location: Carroll Gardens/Gowanus, Brooklyn, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years (as of house tour photo shoot)/1.5 years (at time of A-Line video shoot); rented In Brooklyn, on the top floor of a charming little building located just across the street from the elevated subway tracks, is Giverny and Mara’s apartment.

Name: Julien Location: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve — Montréal, Canada Size: 466 square feet Years lived in: 4 months; Owned Newly-single Julien had to find a place that would meet his love for lofts and small spaces while integrating elements that appealed to him; he found this studio for sale and fell in love with it. He then had to make sure his vintage finds and every piece of furniture he owns would fit in 466 square feet—it was a challenge!

Name: Megan and Leif Location: Longfellow — Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Hailing from Wisconsin via Chicago and Portland, Megan and Leif now find themselves in Oakland with a home that pays homage to their past interlaced with the sunny muse of their present. With Leif working from home as a writer and Megan an aspiring creative director, the couple have created a space that strikes a balance between practical and inspirational.

Name & Location: Sara in The village Skærbæk outside Fredericia, Denmark My Favorite Room: Living/Dining Room Specs: 431 Square Feet What I love most about our living room is the way that the sun falls in through the large window-doors, creating figures on the floor. I also like that it can hold the whole family with friends over. Typically my husband and son sit in the sofa, while my daughter dances or jumps around on the floor, and I sit with my laptop at the dining table.

Name: Séverine Piller and Gianfranco Location: Milan, Italy Size: 1400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months If you believe that home should be a retreat from the hectic outside world, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this home shared by a couple in Milan. Séverine is an interior designer and co-founder of atelier BOEMIA, “an online retail store selling decor made by artisans… .

Decorating a rented space well can be challenging. Incorporating your own style into the permanent, sometimes significant, features isn’t always easy. But it’s an area in which Ruth excelled in her 550 square feet in London. Check out Ruth’s shopping resources to achieve her stylish vintage Scandinavian style in your own space.

Let more light in and simplify your style with the shopping resources from this minimal yet cozy, Scandinavian style home in The Netherlands.

Name: Svenja Bruecker Location: Vienna, Austria Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: Renting 6 months Svenja is an interior design blogger and her boyfriend Jonas is a professional poker player, and they share a 1300 square foot airy apartment in a big old building in the heart of Vienna. It’s also the kind of all-white, Scandinavian-inspired dream holiday home that’s just perfect for kicking off this holiday season!

Mylène’s style is a “mix of retro, Scandinavian, modern elements and plants.” Her Montreal apartment is filled with old and new with DIY projects in nearly every room. Shop Mylène’s style to achieve a “soft retro” look of your own.

Name: Sonia Rayos and Ibán Ramón and their four kids Location: Ensanche, Valencia Size: 2238 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years Sonia and Ibán’s home illustrates a perfect harmony between two design disciplines. He is an award-winning graphic designer, and she’s an award-winning architect. They complement each other, and their family flat is full of functionality and great design.

Elijah’s Boston apartment seamlessly combines inspiration sourced from New England, classic Americana, his world travels (to Scandinavia and beyond), and his German heritage. If you’re intrigued by his “Ralph Lauren’s son returns from study abroad in Stockholm” style, check out his resource lists below to shop his charming style!

Elizabeth fell in love with Providence and, after renting for years, bought and renovated a 1900 Victorian. She lives on the top two floors and rents out a first floor apartment.

Name: Alida and Alex Location: Gracia – Barcelona, Spain Size: 480 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Having a boyfriend who works at IKEA can make it difficult not to turn your entire home into an IKEA catalog, but as Alida and Alex’s small Spanish apartment shows, infusing your home with cute details can completely transform the personality of a place. Their apartment is best described as an adorable pastel nook, a rare style in Barcelona.

When a minimal approach to furnishings, Scandinavian influences, warm colors and playful accents combine, they create an interesting and inviting place. That’s just what Mina and Sumit did in their Stockholm house, which is also home to their three young children. Below, find the shopping resources to incorporate a playful, minimal, Scandinavian style in your space.