Apartment

Name: Esther Lopez Aguilar, her partner Dani, and Alma Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting This amazing apartment renovation in Barcelona’s “El Born” neighborhood is full of the soul of its interior designer inhabitant, Esther Lopez Aguilar, the founder of loag studio. Esther shares the minimal home with her partner Dani and daughter Alma.

Name: Caryn Wallace and husband Location: Alphabet City (East Village) — New York, NY Size: Approx 400 square ft. Years lived in: Owned 2 Years This urban dwelling is the first New York City apartment purchase made proudly by business service manager, Caryn Wallace. It’s located in Alphabet City, a neighborhood in Manhattan’s crowded East Village.

Name: Brigid Andrews Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years, renting Brigid Andrews, a merchandising director, has been a part of the fashion world for 15+ years. And her Brooklyn apartment reflects this experience… as well as her love for eye-catching visuals. Stacks of fashion magazines cover the top of the credenza in the bedroom, transforming it into a show-stopping feature.

Name: Timothy Griffin and Nico Fournier Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Timothy and Nico, both hoteliers, have created an apartment full of mood and atmosphere. They both wanted to try and create that feeling of hygge, and they did it thanks to cozy textiles, moody colors, and atmospheric light choices.

Name: Simone and Mimi McGurl, their cats Jimmie and EZ Location: NoMad (Flatiron) — New York, New York Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting (but 10 years in NYC) Simone and Mimi had moved away to San Francisco for the winter a couple of years ago, with a plan to come back in the spring. After looking at hundreds of apartments online and many in person, she let her lease lapse and figured they’d find something after they took a pause on searching.

Name: Allison, my girlfriend Laura, and our cat RhiannonLocation: Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaSize: About 400 square feetYears Lived In: 8 months, rentingAfter living in a number of rentals over the course of our early twenties, my girlfriend, Laura, and I were looking for a space we could call home for more than a year. Aside from the hassles of moving we were ready to have a space to really make our own without the compromise that comes from college living or sharing with  roommates.

It was Gary and Chelsey’s personal style that first enticed us to peek inside their mod Astoria apartment. While they each have a strong individual aesthetic, their mutual love for classic vintage attire means they complement each other perfectly. With closets full of pieces ranging from classic motorcycle jackets and wool capes to Star Wars sweatshirts and Swedish Hasbeens, the couple seem to have honed their own cohesive brand of style.

Kelsea Gaynor owns East Olivia Creative in NYC, lives in a fabulous two-story apartment, and has an eye for fashion that is fun, sophisticated and sensible. From her elegant wool skirt suits to her fuzzy pink hats, she knows how to make a fashion statement while keeping warm strolling those chilly city streets. This California native shared with us what inspires her unique style. Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out a way to share her ridiculously good hair genes.

After years of living in beige and buttercream apartments, designer Arielle Goldman was “…itching to go bold” when she moved into this old Victorian. Thankfully, she has a knack for fearlessly painting walls and using dark, dramatic colors in her home, which she talks about on her blog, Scotch and Nonsense. And which you can see quite clearly in her house tour, A Beautifully Moody Historic Victorian in Virginia.

Name: Dev Shah Location: Lower East Side/Chinatown area Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Renting There’s one thing that you won’t find in the apartment of Master of None’s main character Dev: any furniture pieces from IKEA. “It’s just not Dev’s style and I could never image him assembling any furniture,” reveals Amy Williams, the production designer for Netflix’s hit show, which recently came back with ten new episodes for its second season.

“Doing a gut renovation on my own—no husband, no boyfriend, just me—wasn’t easy,” admits Sarah Jacobson, of the renovation of her 750-square-foot NYC home. “It was literal blood, sweat and tears (so many tears!). It was many a moment of fear, of thinking I wasn’t good enough, of thinking I didn’t know what I was doing, of thinking I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But guess what? I did it anyway.

Name: Lori Mooney, a TV producer who also runs the website TV Travels with Lori. She shares the apartment with her cat Prancer. Location: Bronx, New York Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, renting “I usually describe the decoration of my home as a ‘visual assault.’ I like a million colors coming at me as soon as I walk through the front door,” explains TV and entertainment superfan Lori Mooney, of the incredibly one-of-a-kind apartment she rents in the Bronx.

Name: Gaylene and Johnny Krajewski Location: Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District), Australia Size: Around 800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned Gaylene and Johnny’s apartment is situated smack bang in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD, located in one of the city’s first tall buildings built in 1924—as an office building in the Palazzo style. It’s even classified by the National Trust as a notable building.

Name: Thoey and Sutty Location: Jingletown—Oakland, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Thoey and Sutty’s spacious loft is filled with colorful, vintage items that create a happy home they and their friends love to spend time in.

Name: Lauren and Dylan Location: Cabbagetown — Toronto, Canada Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Lauren, Marketing Director at Spacing Magazine, and Dylan’s home is nestled on a small, tree-lined street in Toronto’s historic Cabbagetown neighborhood, an area known for having the largest collection of designated heritage homes in North America. Lauren, Dylan, and Dylan’s brother Chris have spent the past three years renovating this 1904 Victorian home.

Name: Vanessa Gauvin-Brodeur Location: Montreal; Quebec, Canada Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Vanessa’s Montreal apartment (aka “Chateau Fairmount“) is a bright, spacious gem in the heart of Mile End. The front rooms flow seamlessly into each other with a pattern of white walls and furniture and colourful, textured accents. The dining room boasts a generous, inviting table matched with elegant wallpaper.

Name: Tim Tripp and his dog, Sebastian Location: Toronto; Ontario, Canada Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned For as long as he can remember, Tim has had an interest in collecting things. His passion for the history of decor and design is present throughout his space, whether it’s embodied by an Art Deco piece of furniture, dinnerware from the mid-20th century, or vintage telephones.

Name: Philip Saul and his cat, Toby Location: South End; Boston, Massachusetts Years lived in: 8 years; Rented For Philip Saul, his South End apartment boasts two major advantages: the incredible amount of natural light his large south-facing windows offer, and the ridiculously short commute to his men’s clothing shop, SAULT New England. Much like his brick and mortar store, Philip’s apartment is easygoing, and reflective of his passion for sourcing New England-inflected decor.

Name: Chris Collie Location: Cabbagetown; Toronto, Canada Size: 600 square feet (but feels like 1000!) Years lived in: 2+ years; Owned We recently toured Lauren and Dylan’s Historic Split Apartment in Toronto’s east end. Lauren, Dylan, and Dylan’s brother, Chris, share this Victorian home, which they’ve split into two entirely distinct spaces.

Name: Tirsh Hunter and Minky Lew and their dog, Arnie Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Minky and Tirsh cite their family’s resourcefulness as their biggest inspiration, and their North Oakland loft is filled with vignettes demonstrating just that. Minky takes after her grandmother, who instilled such traits in her.

Name: Ineke Hutter and sons Leo and Arlo Location: Collingwood; Melbourne; Victoria, Australia Size: 139 square meters (1,496 square feet) Years lived in: 10 years; Owned For interior stylist and set decorator Ineke Hutter, living in a 100-year-old wool mill is something she still gets a kick out of, 10 years after she first moved in. She and her two sons share the space where many moons ago factory workers sorted the wool that came in from farms outside the city.

Name: Girolamo and Alex Location: Dogpatch — San Francisco, California Size: 871 square feet (1,200 square feet including the coffee shop) Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Very few people can roll out of bed and be at work in just a few steps. For Girolamo and Alex, getting to their coffee shop—La Stazione Coffee and Wine Bar—is just a quick commute down a spiral staircase.

Name: Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Molly Cranna and Andrew Rudmann have lived in their Silver Lake apartment for two years, but at first it’s hard to tell. The couple has taken their time making the space their own, filling it with only the most essential and desired pieces.

Name: Laurence and Alexandre Location: Petite-Patrie; Montreal Size: 940 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Alex and Laurence were looking for an unusual place. A merge of the functional “Batcave” and the artistic grandiloquence of the Mysore Palace in India. They found this apartment, with enough wall space to hang all of Alexandre’s artworks (from past exhibitions) and Laurence’s numerous travel souvenirs. The apartment is full of architecturally strange surprises.

Name: Natalie Jarvis, husband Scott and children Matilda (3) and Stella (8mo) Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 90 square metres (969 square feet) Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Natalie, her husband Scott and their two small children live in a leafy bayside pocket of Melbourne in a ground floor, three-bedroom apartment. Both are originally from New Zealand and they made the move to Australia just over nine years ago.

Name: Kirsty and Noel Shorten Location: Hilton, Western Australia Size: 150 square meters (1614 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years Fremantle is well known for being a little quirky. People from all over Perth flock there, especially on the weekends, attracted to its laid back vibe and inviting atmosphere. Kirsty and Noel’s little home perched just above all the action, in the neighboring suburb of Hilton, fits right in.

Name: Amanda, Brandon, and Gatsby Location: Los Feliz; Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; rented This is one of those apartments that never gets advertised, because it gets handed down from friend to friend. Architectural designers Amanda and Brandon knew they had to have this sunny, large unit with vintage tile and hardware and outdoor space for their first apartment together as soon as a mutual friend talked about moving out.

Name: Paige Bennett-Primke & Thorben Primke Location: Mission District; San Francisco, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Paige and Thorben’s Mission District apartment shows what good teamwork can create. When they were tired of looking at the white-walls in the living room, they brainstormed and decided to change it up, covering it with reclaimed wood they found in a near-by neighborhood.

Name: Morgane Location: Villeray; Montreal Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; rented Working in an art gallery and having a natural talent for decorating, Morgane’s apartment is a true reflection of herself and her love for art. The space is airy, well balanced, delicate, monochromatic, with a touch of natural tones, unique pieces and personal touches. For her, everything resides in the small details. She puts great care on choosing each piece that she brings into her home.

Name: Sonia Sabnani Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1076 square feet (100m2) Years lived in: Rented 3 months Sonia is a fashion photographer who creates bright, modern scenes. Images of style and a touch of rebelliousness inspire her work, as well as how she decorated her beautiful loft. Bright white walls are punctuated by accents of pink and green colors. Everything is in its place. All the incredible photographs in this loft? Taken by her.

Name: Mery and Mili, sisters and owners of Hinojo Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 220 square meters (2368 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years Mery and Mili are two sisters who love food and spend time together cooking healthy and creative meals. They are owners of Hinojo, a food blog they started a few years ago. They share a lot of recipes you can enjoy with family and friends (or just make and enjoy yourself.) They are from Argentina but came to Valencia looking for a change.

Name: Michael Fiset with pets Dog: Josephine; Cat: Leopold (orange one); Cat: Ouski (grey one) Location: Parc Extension; Montréal, Canada Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 1/2 years Mike’s home is filled with stories and intent; virtually every item he owns has significance, purpose or is connected to an adventure or inspiration.

Name: Irene Grishin Selzer and Peter Selzer Location: Victoria, Australia Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Irene, Peter and their two young children live in a bay-side suburb near Melbourne in an amazing Art Deco house, which they have restored and renovated into a spacious family home. Irene and Peter are the duo behind Iggy and Lou Lou—creating beautiful ceramic jewelry and homewares from their home studio.

Name: Kirsten Perry Location: Preston — Melbourne, Victoria Size: 140 square metres Years lived in: Owned 4 years Ceramic artist and educational designer Kirsten lives in a one floor apartment in a suburb of Melbourne. Built in 1979, the brick apartment is filled with quirky ceramic artwork, decorative objects and totems, as well as planters to house her amazing collection of indoor plants.

Name: Deborah J Stein, painter, designer and owner of Bonbon Oiseau Workshop and James Knudsen, lighting director, production lighting designer and owner of Quazar Productions. (With Maxine and Icky the cats and Pablo the pup) Location: Long Island City, New York Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4.5 years Like us, our homes have moods. On a sunny day, they’re cheerful and bright; at night, they can be quiet and contemplative.

Name: Alejandra Bennett and Oliver Katz Location: Beacon Hill — Boston, MA Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; rented Alejandra Bennett and Oliver Katz’s s light-filled Beacon Hill apartment in Boston is a convergence of new and old, near and far. The couple has filled the apartment with hand-me-downs and inherited family pieces, budget solutions and quality staples purchased for their first place together.

Name: Hopie Stockman and David Branson Smith and Otto the pup Location: Venice Beach — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting These California transplants have had to get resourceful in decorating their apartment in a 1920s Venice Beach house. Rose Bowl Flea finds, hand-me-downs and tons of books blend into an eclectic, East Coast-meets-California beach cottage vibe.

Name: Ruth Steadman Location: Crystal Palace, London Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 9 years, rented This high-ceilinged apartment in a large early-Victorian house is home to writer and psychotherapist Ruth Steadman and her cat Tallulah. Although it’s rented, in the nine years Ruth has lived here she’s managed to create a home that feels truly her own.

Name: Lulu Brud Zsebe and Justin Zsebe Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 2 Bedroom and 2 Bath Years lived in: 2.5 years – rent Lulu and her husband Justin are lucky to have found an apartment that suits their lifestyle—it’s a space that has been passed on though the hands of friends for the past 13 years. They love the coziness, and have created a dwelling that invites their guests to feel at home.

Name: Joan and Matt LeMay Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2.5 months We cannot get enough of Joan, Matt, and their consistently awesome style. We first met Joan in her Portland studio, and Matt later in New York once their lives merged. Now in their first new apartment together, this creative force has been gracious enough to let us chronicle their style evolution—and after living there for only two and a half months!

Name: Summer Rayne Oakes Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years When you walk into Summer’s top-floor Williamsburg apartment, the thing you’ll notice first is the plants. And then: the plants. Seriously, there are plants everywhere. Summer’s home exists in a kind of liminal state: neither outdoor nor indoor, it has all the lush richness of a jungle, with all the insouciant style of the most stylish Brooklyn apartment.

Name: Dana Haddad Location: Corktown, Toronto Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year For as long as she can remember, Dana has had a love for interiors and is known for decorating (and redecorating!) her space. Not expecting to move to Toronto’s East End or to purchase a condo, after walking into this space and seeing the trees in the distance she was sold!

When Maggie and Jose could no longer justify paying such high rent in San Francisco, they decided to pack up and cross the bridge to Oakland.

Name: Jacob Crafford-Burger Location: Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa Size: 860 square feet Years lived in: Rented 8 months In just over six months Jacob has created a home that is cozy and creative and that very much reflects his personal style. Filled with an abundance of art, plants and strong accent walls, this apartment is full of character. Jacob rents the apartment and luckily his landlord is happy for him to make improvements to the space.

Name: Bridget Schwartz Location: Adams Point — Oakland, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 7 years Bridget describes her apartment as “luxe bohemian, fairytale discotheque, and hippie princess”—all labels that are hard to define. But after touring Bridget’s bright and eccentric Oakland apartment, the descriptions start to make sense. Her apartment has so many distinct styles, and she is perfectly fine with that.

Name: Jennifer Emerling Location: Pasadena, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Jenn is a visual storyteller specializing in travel, editorial, and wedding photography. She considers herself a modern day explorer, particularly enchanted by her muse of the American West for its exaggerated folklore and whimsy. Jenn’s home base is a quiet back house in Pasadena, California that started as the perfect blank canvas for her to drench it color and effervescence.

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: Jamee Jones (and his six housemates) Location: Oak Tree — Oakland, California Size: 1,691 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years When Jamee greeted me at his doorstep before his Apartment Therapy photoshoot, he had just finished his daily commute from San Francisco, where he works at Urban Outfitters as a social media manager.

Name: Anna and Zan Winchell, and mini-labradoodle, Pennylane Location: Waltham, Massachusetts Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years Anna and Zan’s apartment is one you walk into and immediately know they have had fun designing it and making it their own.

Bridget’s best advice is to buy vintage whenever possible so that the stuff in your home is unique. Because of that, it’s hard to find the original sources for many of the items in her eccentric, vibrant Oakland apartment. However, it’s easy to find a modern take on some of these vintage pieces using the shopping sources below.

Maven Collection founder Laura Hebden has traveled around the world looking for artisan textiles to sell in her shop...and put in her Chicago apartment.

Name: Bob and Heather Location: Melrose — Oakland, California Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years Bob and Heather define their style as “eclectic weirdo”—something the couple takes pride in. It’s a space filled with odd decor, including a plush, faux-fur-covered chair in the living room, and stair handrails covered in LED lights—and there are plenty of other unconventional decor elements (this is their current living room projection).

Name: Liz, Andrew and pets Stella, Layla and Helen Location: Neuilly-Sur-Seine (border of 17th arrondissement, Paris) Size: 65 square meters (about 700 square feet) Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Finding an apartment in Paris is a dream for many. It’s easy in the process to get lost in the romance of parquet floors, french doors and views of Parisian rooftops. So easy, in fact, that many of us forget that day-to-day living needs sometimes trump those Parisian fantasies.

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.

Name: Alma Andreu Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 645,835 square feet Years lived in: Renting 6 Months Alma has a sparkling personality and a sweet, minimal home, and over the years she’s worked different gigs—but writing is her passion. While working as a teacher, she began writing stories for kids. Her tales proved so popular that she decided to write professionally. Her blog is Soy la Forte and her first book is coming out next October.

Name: Krysta Jabczenski and Joel Leshefka Location: Tucson, Arizona Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 2 years (We remodeled this property earlier this year.) For Krysta and Joel, Tucson is more than just home. The two artists and shop owners relocated to Krysta’s native Arizona from the Pacific Northwest, and planted roots in the blossoming creative community in the area.

Name: Max Shay, Emily Billings, and their cat, Snowboots Location: South End — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 655 square feet Years lived in: Rented 5 months As you may remember, a couple years ago, Max and I left our city life behind for rural New England where we moved into an old farmhouse with plenty of room to roam.

Name: Erika Brulé Location: Jingletown — Oakland, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years When Erika saw photos of the Oakland loft she now calls home, she immediately signed the lease without even looking at the space in person. She knew it would provide her with all she needed: a spacious area where she could indulge in crafts and DIY projects, expansive walls where she could hang art she loves, and industrial elements like exposed pipes and brick.

Name: Sydney Krause and Fabrice Bouty Location: Plateau — Montreal, Canada Size: 1,147 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years Sydney and Fabrice are a perfect example of how two people with very distinct personal styles can cultivate a harmonized and well-designed home. Fabrice is originally from France and gravitates towards more classic design while Sydney enjoys color, unique lighting and a good vintage find! When Sydney moved in a few years ago, the place was entirely different.

Name: Justin and Anna Spaller + Cat, Oscar Location: Savin Hill — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Two years ago, Justin and I had no idea we would end up living in an old Boston neighborhood, let alone in a beautiful 19th century Victorian home. At that time, we were Midwest natives turned Brooklynites, planning a big farewell to the city that never sleeps after four years.

Name: Meghan Bogden Shimek Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Meghan’s live-work Oakland loft is very personal and full of inspiration, found in her beautiful fiber weavings, work by her creative friends, or vintage furniture that brings her joy. Though she’s lived in the space for less than a year, Meghan is already enamored with the amount of space the loft provides her, both to create and share with her 5-year-old son.

Name: Kristen Coates and Michael Paddon Location: Historic Downtown — Newport, Rhode Island Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 3 years Kristen Coates wears many creative hats: gallery and store owner, artist and curator. When she is at work, her mind is focused on bringing art and beauty into the homes of her customers and clients. When she returns home to the apartment she shares with her boyfriend Michael, she isn’t interested in spending time decorating.

Name: Chad Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 968 square feet (90 square metres) Years lived in: 6 years, owned A quirky sense of decor (and bold color scheme) instantly draws you in and makes you want to explore this playful Cape Town home. Chad, a young freelance designer, director and entertainment consultant cleverly transformed his parents’ basement into a gorgeous apartment.

Name: Caitlyn Murphy Location: Trinity Bellwoods — Toronto, Canada Size: 600-ish square feet Years lived in: Rented 6.5 years Caitlyn is a visual artist living and working in Toronto. She moved to the city nearly a decade ago, landing herself a one-bedroom apartment within a short distance from the art school she was attending.

Name: Dawn Tan and Darren Lee Location: Yarraville — Melbourne, Australia Size: 2647 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2.5 years Dawn Tan is a Melbourne-based artist and school teacher who draws inspiration in art from her love of food and travel. Darren is a mostly desk-bound policy wonk but also photographer who is very fascinated by his travels with Dawn.

Name: Jan-Nicolas and Vincent Location: Plateau Mont-Royal — Montréal, Canada Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years As soon as you enter, Jan-Nicolas and Vincent’s home can’t help but leave an impression. The staircase leading up to their third-story flat is painted a bright, happy yellow. This is the first of many elements that bring a warmth and vitality to their 1000 square foot home.

Name: Adriana Sierra and Victor, plus their sun parakeet Fibi Location: El Monte Norte — San Juan, Puerto Rico Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years When your apartment is surrounded by the lush foliage of Puerto Rico, it’s only natural to bring the outdoors in. Adriana’s San Juan apartment does just that, showcasing thriving plants, natural wood elements, and even a parrot with bright and colorful plumage.

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: Juliana Ciccarelli Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 715 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years Within moments of first entering her loft, Juliana knew this space would be her first home. Conveniently located within a part of the city where she works and plays, Juliana has spent the past two years slowly and consciously designing her home. Undoubtedly, its selling feature is the over-20-foot windows that pour light into the space and offer a view of the city.

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: Rose Schreier Location: Rosehill—Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 years Six years ago, Rose was hunting for a cute and affordable vintage apartment in Chicago. When she drove by her current home with a “For Rent” sign outside, she jumped on the opportunity to check it out. She nearly flipped when she saw it: the owner of the property had left the interior virtually untouched since the 1960s.

Name: Mireya and Arnau Location: Collblanc — Barcelona, Spain Size: 753 square feet Years lived in: Rented for almost 2 years When a home’s door opens for the first time, it’s always a fantastic moment. When I came Mireya and Arnau’s home, the first to greet me effusively was Gustav, their white cat with one blue and one green eye. As soon as you arrive he either wants to give you kisses on your nose or gently bite your feet.