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Name: Hallie Glennie Location: South Loop, Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years; Owned From the rustic wood ceilings crisscrossed by painted red duct work to the castle-sized windows surrounded by floor-to-ceiling exposed brick, her loft is the real deal — that sleek, urban look that suburbanites (like myself) often try to emulate with faux brick panels and prepackaged beadboard, but can never quite capture for lack of authenticity.

Name: Hannah and Dave Bullivant and their daughter Frankie-Rose Location: Brockley; London, UK Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; rented Hannah and Dave’s south London flat is proof that a little creativity and lateral thinking can turn a down at heel rented property into a cozy family home. The couple moved in ten years ago as students. Since then they’ve embarked on careers as a freelance writer and blogger at Seeds & Stitches (her) and music video director (him).

Name: Elizabeth Tulipana, founder of Anticipation Events + Bad Loo Loo Location: Bucktown; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Putting together a space that functions as both a home and base for her event planning business and Etsy shop came naturally to Elizabeth. A lover of all things vibrant and patterned, her spacious one bedroom apartment reflects her dynamic spirit and boundless creativity.

Name: Calvin Gilbreath Location: Capitol Hill, Washington DC Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned “Natural” is an apt term for the look and feel of Calvin’s Capitol Hill apartment — not just for the materials that make it up, but his innate ability to mix (and repurpose) high and low decor into a truly fashionable space. And I’ve never wanted to steal someone’s bathroom trash can until I toured Calvin’s home.

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: Johanna Lowe, food and prop stylist, and Derek Richmond, food photographer; together, they are the co-founders of Richmond Lowe Studio. Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 3,000 square feet, with an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor space Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Could there be a more perfect pairing than a food and prop stylist and a food photographer?

Name: Lesley Greening Lassoff of Aardvark, and her two lurchers Ernie Spartacus Crabtree and Peggy Pansy Pearl Location: St Leonards, UK Years lived in: 5 years Lesley is one half of the creative force behind Aardvark, the printmakers who came up with the warm and witty Kill Your TV manifesto. She lives in the seaside town of St Leonards on Britain’s south coast in a converted Victorian Sunday school with her two lurchers Ernie and Peggy.

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: Alison Hotchkiss Location: Mission; San Francisco, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Event Planner Alison‘s home is a reflection of her finely honed aesthetic, cultivated both by years in the wedding and event industry and her travels throughout the world. When quizzed on her resources she was as likely to drop the name of an exotic locale as a big box store.

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: Rachel, Zach & Skye Location: Little Italy, San Diego, California Size: You’d think that we would know that since Zach’s dad is the architect, but we have no clue. Big enough for the three of us! Years lived in: 11 years If you want to live in one of the coolest concrete lofts in San Diego, it doesn’t hurt to be related to the architect.

Name: Tyler and Lolly Lux Location: Kensington, London, United Kingdom Size: 560 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented The morning of my photo shoot at Tyler and Lolly’s west London mews home, the couple were visited by an unexpected guest, in the form of a pigeon who somehow managed to fall down their chimney into the living room. “We woke up and could hear this strange flapping noise” Lolly told me when I arrived several hours later.

Name: Zoie Kingsbery Coe, founder of Kid & Coe Location: Marylebone, London Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; owned The location of Zoie Kingsbery Coe’s central London home is hard to beat. Situated in a tranquil and beautiful old mansion block, the apartment is tucked away, yet right in the heart of Marylebone with all the buzz of the city just moments away. The flat is the London home of Zoie, her husband and their two kids.

Name: Jesica Ryzenberg Location: Alamo Square, San Francisco, California Size: Studio, 450 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented When the door to Jesica’s apartment swings open, you are greeted enthusiastically and welcomed in wholeheartedly (even when you happen to show up on the wrong day).

Name: Bryan & Sarah Farevaag Location: Brooklyn, New York (Prospect Park South) Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3.5; rented Bryan and Sarah Farevaag are creative powerhouses who live and breathe good design; Bryan is Deputy Art Director of Digital at O Magazine, and Sarah is an Interior Designer.

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: Amy Desmond of Victory Market Vintage & Handmade Location: Andersonville, Chicago, Illinois Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 4 There are charming apartments and then there’s Amy’s apartment, which is so charming it should come in locket form.

Name: Kim Knoll and Kyle Eertmoed, graphic designers at Knoed Creative Location: Ravenswood Manor; Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Kim and Kyle know a thing or two about space. As graphic designers who started their own company, Knoed Creative, they spend endless hours thinking about how forms and language communicate across visual dimension.

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: Oliver (graphic designer), Sherrie, and Cookie (a four-year-old Pekingese) Location: Bronx, New York Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: Under 2 years; Rented After living and volunteering abroad, Oliver and Sherrie had to start their home from scratch. Their experience in a third world country had a big influence on the way they approached furnishing their apartment.

Name: Andrew Samuel and Anne Greenwald Location: Ukranian Village; Chicago, IL Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, rented I visited Drew and Annie’s apartment on the first snowy day of the season, when everything outside was still and white. Annie was out of town, but Drew, who used to work at several independent record labels and who now works at Intelligentsia Coffee, played the perfect wintertime host, serving up warmth, conversation, and great music.

Name: Mike Rugnetta & Molly Templeton Location: Bed Stuy, Brooklyn NY Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented Molly Templeton is better known as her internet personality Mememolly, and Mike Rugnetta is a composer, programmer and performer who hosts PBS’s web series Idea Channel. This ultra media-savvy duo are often busy at work (so busy that Mike had to miss the portrait shot), so when they retreat back home they want their place to feel playful and fun.

Name: Elena and Judd Location: Amsterdam Oost (East) Size: 83 square meters (about 893 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Elena’s Italian heritage and Judd’s Wisconsin roots combine with their love of architecture, vintage street finds, and mid-century details to create a fantastic masterpiece of a home. Welcome to Elena and Judd’s beautiful Amsterdam space!

Name: Seth and Natalie Brookshire Location: Presidio Heights; San Francisco, California Size: 2,700 square feet Years lived in: Seth for 10 years, Natalie for 3.5; Owned Walking up to this residence you’ll be greeted by Seth, an architect, and Natalie, a floral designer. The modern, light filled space you step into feels like a hidden treasure, and for good reason. The place was designed from the ground up by Seth, and every detail was carefully considered, with flawless results.

Name: Michelle, Juliette & Nicolas Sauzier Location: SOMA; San Francisco, CA Size: 1,266 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Michelle and Nico are one of my favorite couples in San Francisco. They met in a very kismet-type of way: Michelle spotted Nico, a French expat with his own interior architecture and design business (Design By Nico), in a friend’s photo and was instantly smitten.

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: Tim Naus Location: Albany Park, Chicago, Illinois Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Tim had to rescue the model building from being demolished, so he found his way into the abandoned school and grabbed the plastered to-scale model of Independence Hall. A similar one rests in the Smithsonian American History Museum, but this one was completely original, a true treasure.

Name: Pixel Farm Digital Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 10,000 square feet Years in business: 17 years Most high tech spaces and production companies feel sleek and modern to the point of simplicity. Not Pixel Farm. I’d even go so far as to say it feels like home, which is a welcome departure. Now, I don’t know many people who have a Roman fountain in their living room, but it’s that kind of unexpected embrace of the bold and comforting that makes this space so fun.

Name: Jesse Leake, Photographer Location: Lower Pacific Heights; San Francisco, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Rented The antithesis of the proverbial bachelor pad, photographer Jesse Leake’s well-considered space is evidence that stereotypes are meant to be broken. A reflection of his globetrotting, artistic endeavors and eye for the offbeat, the space hits all of the right notes.

Name: Adi Edlen Location: South Waterfront; Portland, Oregon Size: 1,597 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Adi’s condo, located high above South Waterfront in Portland, Oregon, is as chic and glamorous as it gets. It combines soft, beautiful colors, a killer view, an ever expanding collection of artwork, and good old fashioned DIY projects. One moment Adi’s hosting a small, sophisticated party, and the next she’s chasing a toddler who’s running out of the nursery.

Name: Marco Pecota & Ilse Gudino Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 2,700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Imagining what the combined efforts of an industrial furniture designer/horror magazine publisher/film maker and a professional flamenco dancer could do with a boxy mixed-use building couldn’t even come close to the dramatic reality that is Marco & Ilse’s multi-level loft.

Name: Evan Pohl Location: Upper East Side, Manhattan Size: 295 square feet Years lived in: 18 months; rented It’s not always easy to edit your life down to under 300 square feet, but Evan Pohl makes it look effortless. Not only is he faced with the challenge of small space living; landlord restrictions keep things limited with a strict no-paint rule.

Names: Bianca Sotelo, Blogger at A Fabulous Challenge and Editorial Manager for Apartment 34 & Craig King, Assistant District Manager, G-Star Location: Alameda, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented I love interiors that set a certain mood and turn the innate quirks of the space to their advantage. The style mix in Bianca and Craig’s place does just that. Bianca and Craig live in a garden level unit and their design embraces the naturally dim interior.

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: Esthera & Gus Preda-Engle, along with cat Lotlita Location: Fossambault-sur-le-Lac; Quebec, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Esthera, a videographer at Boat People Vintage, and Gus, a professional snowboarder, are quite the talented couple. Esthera and Gus’s home truly embodies their style and heritage: Esthera is a first generation Romanian-French-Canadian, and Gus is half Native American.

Name: Kristen Philipkoski, Kourosh Karimkhany, and daughter Frida Location: Pacifica, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented When Kristen Philipkoski, a science writer turned fashion blogger, spotted this 70s beach house in Pacifica, just 15 miles south of San Francisco, she knew she had to have it.

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.

A truly bittersweet tour for me – walking around Megan and Mike’s lovely home knowing that boxes waited in the other room ready to pack up everything and officially close their Amsterdam chapter – made this a sad day, but a happy one knowing we shared some nice memories in this canal-side flat.

Name: Jessie and Jon Location: Brooklyn Heights; New York, New York Size: 710 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; rented Within every couple-cohabited space there is a love story: the how, when, and why a house adapts to contain the spirit of the two people who have worked together to share it and create for themselves a home.

Name: Sarah Becker, of Sarah Becker Skincare Location: Pacific Heights; San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Upon stepping into Sarah’s apartment, your eye is immediately drawn around the room, resting on carefully arranged collections of found objects and curiosities, colorfully patterned textiles, and a collection of paintings culled from the local flea market.

Name: Sarah & David Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York Size: 1 bedroom + outdoor patio Years lived in: 10 months; rented Sarah and David’s apartment is the perfect example of a great tenant/landlord relationship. Their apartment had great bones to begin with, with exposed brick, a beautiful chandelier, and lots of lovely traditional moldings that provide a nice contrast to the soon-to-be married pair’s modern taste.

Name: Sarah Glicken of Develop Agency Location: Potrero Hill; San Francisco, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Sarah’s loft is open and expansive without losing a sense of warmth, and keeps the relaxed sensibility of a space that feels truly lived in while still maintaining a strong point of view and style.

Name: Grant Spanier and Veronica McCracken of LESS Co. Location: The Everest Building, St. Paul Size: 1,400 Square Feet Years occupied: 1 LESS Co. is the kind of place that really lives by its name. The crisp white walls are offset by smart and efficient black furniture. Every detail, plant and tchotchke is lovingly thought out and has a meaning to its owner. That’s why it comes as no surprise to me or others that the LESS Co. space is just as much about the people in it as the stuff.

Name: Ekaterina Yaschuk of Meystyle Location: Waterloo; London, UK Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned Tucked away at the top of a flight of narrow and twisting stairs, over one of the best tapas restaurants in South London, is the glamorous and glossy apartment of the equally lovely Ekaterina, a wallpaper designer with a difference — she makes bespoke papers and fabrics studded with LEDs and crystals. I admit, I was hoping for floor to ceiling shimmering opulence.

Name: Eva Schone Location: Hyde Park; Austin, Texas Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Eva Schone, the founder of Trophyology (and an architect on hiatus), describes her style as “light, cozy, and green with a sense of clarity.” It’s true. Upon entering her sun-drenched two bedroom garage apartment, Eva’s decisions and delights are perfectly clear, without the appearance of a lot of work or fuss.

Name: Taryn & Sanford Parker (and their dog Iris and cat Tron) Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; owned It’s almost unimaginable. You buy a house, and a few days before you’re slated to move in, some hooligans break in and burn the interior, and you are faced with a gut rehab of what you thought would be a virtually move-in-ready space.

Name: Mimi Shim Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Mimi shares this colorful, light-filled Brooklyn apartment with her husband and two cats. The space manages to feel comfortable and welcoming and yet chic and well edited. The lack of clutter and well designed living space are a testament to this couple’s attention to detail, and the results are nothing short of charming.

Name: Candice and Jason Rose Location: Mission, San Francisco, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 weeks; Rented Candice and Jason moved into their current apartment six weeks ago — yes, six weeks. But you would never know it when you walk through the front door. The space feels warm, collected, and well organized.

Name: Heather Frank Location: Alamo Square Park, San Francisco Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Film, fashion, and French culture are just a few of Heather Frank’s favorite things. The video producer turned turned this classic San Francisco apartment, which sits right above Alamo Square Park, into a space that reflects all of her passions. It’s an eclectic mix of Japanese art, movie posters, vintage furniture, and travel mementos.

Name: Tim Speicher, Director of Marketing and Communications at Victory Gardens Theater in Lincoln Park, and Ellenkate Finley Location: Lincoln Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: almost 9 months; Rented You know a tour is going to be different when you’re warmly invited to check out a cozy crawlspace/adult fort underneath a completely DIY lofted bed!

Name: Eva & Jason Hume Location: Mt. Tabor; Portland, Oregon Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned It’s been four years since Eva, Jason and their French bulldog Santo settled into this perfect little nest in the heart of southeast Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood is made up of an array of eateries, jam-packed coffeehouses, vegan bars, offbeat clothing stores, and vintage oddity shops.

Name: Lauren Spain Location: San Francisco, California Size: 450 square Feet Years lived in: 1 year 8 months; Rented I don’t meet a lot of people my age that really have their shit together, but Lauren is the exception that obliterates the rule. You wouldn’t know it now, but Lauren has had to redecorate her apartment TWICE. Yes, twice. Two months after moving in, her oven caught fire and ruined many of her belongings.

Name: Thayer Allyson Gowdy and Scott Paterson Location: Bernal Hill, San Francisco, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Photographer Thayer Gowdy’s carefree style comes together with a mix of clean-lined Danish designs, eclectic accessories, and pieces sourced from her travels around the world. → Re-edited from a tour originally published in 2014 The result is collected without feeling too busy, and modern without losing its sense of warmth.

Name: Jaclyn Simpson, of Jaclyn Simpson Photography Location: Lincoln Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Jaclyn is exactly the kind of wedding photographer you want with you all day during your big celebration: warm, generous, funny, and absolutely genuine. Her live/work space is filled with personal pieces and DIY projects galore, creating an earthy/quirky combination that is distinctly her own.

Name: rabble+rouser, Christina Schroeder, Principal and Founder Location: Blake Street, Denver, Colorado Size: 7,000 Square Feet Years worked in: 3 years There’s nothing quite like an old warehouse space embracing color. It bolsters creativity and just makes everything feel alive. At rabble+rouser, bright blue and orange feature walls keep a space that once served as a furniture workshop feeling new, vibrant, and fresh.

Name: Adam Lopez, Owner of vintage clothing shop October 18th Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Adam is one of the Angelenos lucky enough to have landed a rent controlled bungalow in the heart of the city. Centrally located in Echo Park, his home is a cozy one bedroom with plenty of space to house his art and vintage treasures.

Name: Rachel Yacapraro, blogger at Taffeta and Cedar, and Brian Willard, Visual Effects Artist at Radar Studios Location: West Town; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Warmly considered and lovingly maintained, Rachel and Brian’s flat has the broad, open feel of a loft, while retaining the flow and privacy of a traditional apartment. Luckily for this couple, Rachel and Brian share a similar clean, modern aesthetic with a vintage twist.

Name: Fancy Tiger Crafts Location: 59 Broadway, Denver, Colorado Size: 4,000 square feet Years worked in: 2 years Fancy Tiger Crafts is kind of like a knitwear wonderland. With wall to wall shelves of wool and felt yarns being stocked by lovely ladies in hand-crafted sweaters, it’s definitely a place a shopper can really escape to for a while. But it’s not just a great little shop: it’s a community classroom for sewers, knitters and crafters of all skill levels.

Name: Jim & Doris Location: Honolulu Size: 14,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned It’s always fun to get a sneak peek into really spectacular homes, and today’s tour certainly fits the bill. Tucked away on the island of Oahu, Jim and Doris created a retreat from everyday life that’s as remarkable as it is immersive. As you move through the rooms, it’s hard to believe this house is located in the USA.

Name: Jacqueline Clair Location: Upper East Side, New York City Size: Approximately 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented If you take a peek at New York City blogger Jacqueline Clair’s Instagram account you’ll see plenty of images that are well-composed, colorful, chic, and fun. The same could be said of her Upper East Side studio. Her taste reads clean and polished, with touches of whimsy and romanticism.

Name: Lesley Greening Lassoff and Pea Crabtree of Aardvark Location: Hastings Old Town, Sussex, UK Size: “It’s one room in an old brewery.” Years worked in: 6 years in business and 3 years in this studio Step inside the wonderfully wonky world of Lesley and Pea, creators of old-style letterpress prints, enthusiastic tea drinkers, and champions of all that is homemade, folksy, imperfect and authentic.

Name: Mikola Accuardi, photographer and blogger at Portland Supply Co., Randall Garcia, designer at Wieden + Kennedy, and baby Valentino Location: Southeast Clinton; Portland, Oregon Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, 5 months ; Rented Mikola and Randall’s apartment is one of those spaces I swooned over, but never actually get to visit, until today.

Name: Isaac Larose and Florence Provencher Proulx Location: Le Plateau; Montreal, Canada Years lived in: 9 months; Rented If everything you wore looked just like your home, I’d be wearing a kilim rug and antlers on my head — doesn’t sound so cool, right? It’s rare to find a home designed in such an authentic manner that becomes a true reflection of the resident’s personal style, but Isaac and Florence’s home is the exception.

Name: Hope & Pete Colling Location: Terra Linda, California Size: 1955 sq ft. Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Pulling up to Hope and Pete’s home I can’t help but notice that I’ve entered a place where all of the homes are perfectly landscaped in gravel and native plants and maintain a uniform sense of modern, minimalist design. It’s almost Stepford-ish in its perfection, if the Stepford wives took their cues from Dwell magazine.

Name: Mandy and Matt Location: Amsterdam, Centrum Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Before packing up their belongings and moving back to the United States, Mandy and Matt wanted to share their lovely Amsterdam canalside home.

Name: Karen LaShelle (nonprofit director) and Deborah Esquenazi (documentary filmmaker) Location: Cherrywood; Austin, Texas Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; owned It’s been five years since we first toured Karen’s house in Austin. Since then, her 2 bedroom/1 bath house has undergone some big and meaningful changes.

Name: Nancy Sickbert-Wheeler, Andrew Wheeler, and their dog Bailey Location: Evanston, Illinois Size: 2 bedroom + finished basement Years lived in: 19 years; owned Metal, enamel, and film: all three media require a creative eye, a deft touch, and a sense of possibility.

Name: Lisa and Richard Location: Museumplein, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Lisa, from the States, and Richard, from the Netherlands, bought their first home in Amsterdam in 2012. Their vision was to create “a space that had character but was still minimal and not overloaded with artifacts.” They also wanted a home with a cozy feel, or as the Dutch would say, “Gezellig”.