Apartment

Name: Johnny Matcham Location: Tower District — Fresno, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Johnny grew up surrounded by vintage. His father collected vintage radios, cameras and old advertising signs. His mom had a large collection of cookie jars and vintage kitchen decor. His grandparents had a house full of kitsch treasures: tiki mugs, risqué lady figurines, and novelty bar ware. Growing up, Johnny’s bedroom was filled with vintage art and toys.

Name: Virginie Pichet and roommates Ada Kraszczynski and Mée Reed-Desjardins Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Virgine is the editor of a popular lifestyle blog based in Montreal, Le Cahier. Her home reflects her girly, romantic and fearless personality. Passionate about fashion, she even dedicated her bedroom as a walk-in closet!

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: Victoria Pater Location: Bucktown, Chicago Years lived in: 2 years Victoria, her husband Joe, and their cute pup live in a colorful apartment bubbling with mid-century modern energy. After a look around their home, it comes as no surprise that Victoria is the owner of a charming pin business, Mid Mod Pin. In her day job, she designs brands, experiences and digital products. And in this home, her Mid Mod Pin headquarters is housed in a delightful mint green home office.

Name: Nara, John, Halina and Lars Location: Bucktown — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1900 square feet Years lived in: 2 ½ years While house hunting, home designer Nara and her husband stumbled across a short sale home with a very neglected interior. Although hesitant to take the plunge, Nara could envision the potential under the questionable (and very red) cosmetic surface. Now, two years and a lot of work later, the family cozily lives in their Scandinavian-inspired home.

Name: Jordan Location: Capitol Hill — Seattle, Washington Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting A friend of Jordan’s once called her a professional appreciator, and that is just exactly the right title to give this creative force of a woman.

Name: Julieta Alvarez, her husband Bart, and daughter Olivia Location: West New York, New Jersey Size: 1065 square feet Years lived in: Almost 3 years, renting Julieta, of Julieta Alvarez Interiors, lives with her husband and daughter in a two-bedroom apartment in West New York, New Jersey — one quick, peaceful ferry ride away from the Manhattan peninsula. Julieta says it’s like “Battery Park City but much quieter and less commercial.

Name: Beatriz Traver Location: El Carmen — Valencia, Spain. Size: 1022 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting This splendid space was once owned by a Peruvian consul in the 1900s, and it features tall ceilings, gorgeous architectural details and one-of-a-kind elements — like painted-on floral designs on the bedroom floor. It’s the perfect space for an art historian like Beatriz.

Name: Devin VanderMaas, her boyfriend Ranga and Chelsea the cat Location: Murray Hill — New York City Size: 775 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, own When Devin first saw this apartment, it reminded her of The Great Gatsby. Full of charming Art Deco architectural details, this isn’t the dark and dramatic kind of Art Deco style you might be imagining, though. Big windows and Devin’s mastery of a soft, neutral color palette make the small space seem bigger than it is.

Name: Alex Kitain Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 527 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Alex’s light-filled Amsterdam apartment is an early riser’s dream come true. Filled with the scent of coffee brewing and sunlight streaming through the windows, mornings are something to be worshiped in this home! Decorated with eclectic but modern design, Alex’s apartment is both welcoming and stylish.

Name: Allison Shiman Location: The Mission — San Francisco, California Size: not sure about the square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting “I’m so excited about having my apartment memorialized on Apartment Therapy,” Allison tells us. She’ll be saying goodbye to her beloved apartment soon…to leave on a trip around the world. “I have put so much effort and love in my little space that having it somewhere captured forever makes me so happy!

Name: Chelsey Brown and roommate Location: Manhattan Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Chelsey is a fiery go-getter who lives in a small Manhattan apartment with a roommate. No bunk beds are needed here, though; Chelsey transformed this one-bedroom apartment into a two-bedroom home by having temporary faux walls built! An editor by day (for the Dr. Oz Show) and an interior designer by night, this New Yorker does it all.

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: 3 roommates (plus their cats Boogie and Sammie) Location: California Size: ~600 square feet Years lived in: 5 years These three roommates live in a two-bedroom attic apartment in a historic mansion that was converted to apartments. The space has its perks, such as the walls painted yellow and its convenience to downtown Oakland and public transit. But the awkward attic space also has its drawbacks: small windows resulting in low light, weird ceilings angles, and a tiny kitchen.

Name: Sadie Stein and Lorin Location: Upper West Side — New York, NY Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: Sadie: 5; together, 1.5, renting Sadie and Lorin joke that if their apartment were personified, she would be a 1970s feminist character named Valerie. She’s bold, she’s not afraid of color (or the patriarchy), and she doesn’t take herself too seriously. After all, she does have a “baby pink” kitchen. As Sadie says, “It is a happy place.

Name: Judy Ross Location: Union Square — New York City, New York Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 18 years, renting It’s no wonder Judy’s apartment is flawless; the accomplished textile designer’s space is a stage for her art. Located in the buzzing Union Square area in Manhattan, Judy manages to keep a cool, chic and totally under-control apartment that works for her busy family.

Name: Pui Lee Location: Turnpike Lane — London, UK Size: Roughly 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting London-based illustrator Pui Lee is the founder of lifestyle brand Scout Editions, and lives in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace flat in North London.

Name: Maggie and Lucas Vocos Location: Alphabet City, Manhattan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting Maggie and Lucas Vocos met and fell in love in Chicago, moved to Los Angeles for work, and then moved to Brooklyn for work again. After living in relatively peaceful neighborhoods in the aforementioned cities, they decided it was time to try out the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.

Name: Dina Epstein and Michael “Frosti” Zernow Location: Century City, Los Angeles Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Bi-coastal and bold, Dina and Frosti wear many hats. The duo started Clark and Madison together, a locally sourced, hand-crafted, heritage leather goods company based in Los Angeles.

Name: Rebecca Buenik and Bruno Tysh Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles Size: 1050 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, renting Both creatives in their own right, Rebecca, a prop stylist, and Bruno, a television and movie writer, have created a home that also doubles as their creative workspace. The pair met at a school in Chicago, moved to LA after graduation and made a home for themselves in the Echo Park area before it became the popular area it is today.

Name: Tolga and Tomi Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Tolga and Tomi’s colorful apartment is a starter home dream-come-true. Located in a fun Amsterdam neighborhood that is filled with many restaurants and bars, it’s just what the couple had dreamed of; a space that they could return to and relax from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Name: Darren DeWitt and Adrian Ohmer Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years Darren hasn’t stayed in one home or job for very long in the past 20 years. “I’ve been an instrumentalist, a dancer, a Shakespearean actor, a photographer, a waiter, a concierge, and the Easter Bunny, (a position I one day hope to leverage into a gig as Press Secretary.

Name: Ashley Zohar Location: West Hollywood – Los Angeles, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Stylist Ashley Zohar’s eye for design and style was influenced by her mother, who has a vintage shop in LA. As she grew up, her interest in fashion naturally progressed her toward a career as a stylist. Friends began knocking on her door for design advice, and from those jobs came more opportunities, eventually leading to her signing with an agency.

Name: Michelle and Barry Location: Tai Hang, Hong Kong Size: 1800 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting Having made London their home for seven years, Michelle and Barry had the opportunity to relocate to Hong Kong with work a year ago. It wasn’t an easy decision, as they had just bought and lovingly renovated their Victorian home in East London (with every wall painted in carefully chosen colors).

Name: Melissa and James Lawrence Location: Vredehoek, Cape Town, South Africa Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Cape Town-based interior designer Melissa and her husband James didn’t want to invest a ton of money in this home since they are renting it. But because Melissa is in the interior design field, they knew exactly what could to be done to enhance the space and in a cost effective way.

Name: Bridget McCullagh Location: Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting If Mary Tyler Moore moved in with the Golden Girls, their home might look something like Bridget’s vintage-inspired Chicago apartment. “I love the natural wood and plant-heavy look of the 1970s,” she says. Luckily, Bridget inherited a lot of decor and furniture from her mother and grandmother.

Name: Kate Reid and Joff Reid Location: Southsea — Portsmouth, United Kingdom Size: 580 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Creative couple Kate and Joff Reid have been together for eleven years, and living in this small two-bedroom apartment for two years. Their goal with this space was to create a reflection of both their creative careers — Kate is a designer and Joff an artist — as well as surround themselves with memories they’ve made together.

Name: Charlotte, Nicolas, and little Louison Location: 14th arrondissement — Paris, France Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Charlotte and Nicolas share their cozy and playful Parisian apartment with their soon-to-be-two-year-old daughter, Louison. Their interior design style is geometric with bits of childhood magic and graphic novel thrown in. The space is light and colorful, but equally as functional.

Name: Melanie Branam, husband Scott and brand new baby Molly Location: Myers Park — Charlotte, North Carolina Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 4 1/2 years, renting You can immediately smell the flowers when you walk into Melanie’s home, which is only natural given she is one of Charlotte’s premier florists. Melanie is the talented woman behind New Creations Flowers and her 1,600 square foot home is not only where she lives, it also serves as her floral studio.

Name: Jimmy Brower, Damien Merino, and their dog Joey Location: Gaskill — Oakland, California Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Jimmy and Damien instantly fell in love with their Oakland apartment. The bond was so strong that they signed the lease before they even looked inside. Risky — yes — but they don’t regret a thing about the decision, as they find themselves drawn to the natural energy of the space more and more each day.

Name: Natasha Harden Location: Bella Vista — Oakland, California Size: 725 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Natasha—a Virgo—credits her Zodiac sign for her heightened sense of detail. “I can spend hours thrifting, and trust me, I always find something cute,” she proudly says. “I usually just walk around in a thrift store and I let patterns and textures speak to me.

Name: Peter Venuto Location: The Plateau — Montreal, Quebec Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Peter Venuto’s apartment was originally an Airbnb rental — which Peter himself once rented — but after the landlord grew tired of that setup, Peter managed to work out a deal with him and rent it as a “normal” living space. Today, the apartment showcases bright pink colors, metallic walls, and lots and lots of synthesizers.

Name: Anna Saffer and Clementine the cat Location: Mt. Vernon — Baltimore, Maryland Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting At only 450 square feet, it takes some flexibility to make this small space (an apartment carved from a historical Mt. Vernon townhouse) work. Somehow, Anna has managed to do that, despite several space challenges — like the kitchen being too small for the refrigerator.

Name: Sarah Schwie Location: South Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Though Sarah has lived in her south Minneapolis rental for two years, she’s taken her time to fill the space. Just the perfect size for her and her cat — and filled with lots of natural light — it has plenty of whimsical vintage features to keep you peering around the corners the entire time you’re there.

Name: Jade Goulding of Style + Space Location: Auchenflower — Brisbane, Australia Size: Approximately 85m squared Years lived in: 2 years, renting Jade, an interior stylist and founder of Style + Space, lives in this inner city apartment with her husband and two young daughters. While the apartment only has two bedrooms, the living space has a great layout, allowing a lovely flow through the apartment. Windows on three sides of the apartment allow their place to get great natural light.

Name: Mynhardt Joubert and Ian Engelmohr Location: Paarl, South Africa Size: Roughly 1776 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting This quirky and colorful loft space in Paarl is home to a well-known chef and his partner. No one had lived here before — it was previously an open gallery space that belonged to the shop downstairs. And when Mynhardt moved in three years ago, much needed to be done.

Name: Ron Kelly and Emily Goodstein Location: Petworth — Washington, DC Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: Ron has lived here for 4.5 years, Emily moved in last year; owned Colorful, comfortable, and warm, Emily and Ron’s home is full of treasures with a tale. They’ve decorated with a combination of modern and bohemian elements that give a global feel to their Washington, D.C. apartment.

Name: Terra Loire Location: Toronto, Ontario Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting After living in nine different spaces over the past eight years, Terra finally feels like she has found a home in her mid-town Toronto apartment. She’s definitely had her tour of living all over the city—east to west, centrally and along the lakeshore—experiencing many of Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods.

Small isn't an excuse; it's an opportunity.

Name: Jessica Henry Location: Duboce Triangle — San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Jessica likes to collect things that remind her of a specific time and place, like the leather butterfly chair she got in Argentina, or the bedroom mirror she found at a San Diego thrift store. All of those mementos combined with eclectic accents — and lots and lots of greenery — are what makes her place special.

Name: Eduardo Valadez Arenas Location: Fruitvale — Oakland, California Size: 400 square feet (plus adjacent work studio) Years lived in: 4 years, renting After coming to the U.S. from Mexico city, Eduardo settled in Thousand Palms, California, a small desert town just east of Palm Springs. This upbringing in small desert towns throughout California continues to influence his personal style, art aesthetic and home design.

Name: Michael Berger Location: Hamilton — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,100 square feet Years Lived In: 2 months, renting When it comes to making the most of a new space with a small budget, Michael is a master. He completely transformed a dingy old rental apartment into an ’80s-inspired boho glam space for very little money! How was he able to pull off such a stylish feat? Patience, creative thinking, and killer thrift shopping skills.

Name: Flora Tsapovsky and Tom Kolinski, plus Theo the cat Location: Berkeley — California Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented “Every morning I stand here with my cup of coffee and soak in the views, even if it’s for a minute,” describes Flora of the view from her home’s large glass corner wall that looks over Berkeley and the sparkling San Francisco Bay.

Name: Magalie René-Hayes, her husband Mike Hayes and Prince the pup Location: Los Angeles Size: 1500 square feet Years Lived In: 4 years, renting Interior designer Magalie also goes by the title Conscious Designer. “I’m on a mission to create beautiful spaces for a better world and I apply a unique approach that combines holistic ideas, science, and design principles for smarter, happier, healthier living.

Name: Elizabeth and Rac Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Having lived in Brooklyn for over a decade, Elizabeth and Rac decided to buy a place of their own after getting married two and a half years ago. They purchased a home in the historic Bedford- Stuyvesant neighborhood and immediately set to renovating it to match their personalities. The couple spent eight months renovating their home before they moved in.

Name: Con and Miep Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Con and Miep got married thirteen years ago, they both sold their apartments and moved together to one of the high-rises in Eindhoven’s city center. Con loves color, and Miep’s furniture before she was married mostly consisted of black and white. Thankfully, they both love modern design, and were pleasantly surprised by how great their furniture merged.

Name: Katherine McEachern, Ian Tse and Gracie (the dog) Location: Berkeley, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, renting “As an editor at Rue, I’m constantly looking at inspiring spaces and filing away ideas. For me, personal style is an ever-evolving challenge,” says Kat McEachern, the Lifestyle Editor for the stylish magazine.

Name: Ashley and Terry Reth, and their two cats, Boy and Girl. Location: Portland, Maine Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Ashley and Terry celebrated their first six months as a married couple this April and have been together for over ten years…but they originally met all the way back in kindergarten! New to marriage, but not to each other, they are happy to now have a place their family can grow into.

Name: Robert Ingraham Location: Eagle Rock — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting When Robert, a passionate filmmaker and director from the Midwest, found himself caught between who he was and who he wanted to be, he knew he needed an apartment that did more than just house personal objects. He realized his largest sources of inspiration — music, film, literature — were missing from his daily routine and his surroundings.

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: Jean Mortlock Location: Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa Size: 947 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Jean bought this apartment three years ago, not much needed to be done at all. Unfortunately, just one year later the apartment flooded — not once but twice — and all within two months! All the floors, cabinets and carpets had to be ripped out and replaced.

Name: Timothy Scheel Location: Humboldt Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting If you told Tim his apartment reminds you of your grandma’s apartment, he’d likely take it as a compliment. Over the years, he’s inherited a ton of pieces from his family and bought from many estate sales, so the space exudes a comfortable, lived-in feeling.

Name: Kenyatta Forbes Location: Bronzeville — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,450 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Kenyatta is inspired by patterns in nature, textures, and bold and bright colors, all of which can be found in her Chicago apartment. “I think the thing I love most about my home is the elements of history, memories, and design,” Kenyatta says. “I love how they all come together and couldn’t exist without each other.

Name: Caroline Z Hurley Location: West Village, NYC Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 13 years Caroline Z Hurley has lived in her apartment for 13 years, but has known the space even longer. Both of her sisters each lived in the apartment before her, and at one point, Caroline shared the 420-square-foot studio with one of them! Originally, the apartment was just an open studio with a half-wall separating the bedroom area.

Name: Emily DeRosa and Matthew Pugliese Location: Upper West Side, NYC Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years Emily and Matt’s pre-war apartment building (built in 1925) is located on a quiet block on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The couple has resided in their 800-square-foot apartment for two-and-a-half years, and during this time, have filled it with treasures from their travels and art made by dear friends. Emily works in an art gallery and Matt is a physical therapist.

Name: Julie Morel Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Julie’s apartment love story all started with a radiator. No one moves to Shanghai — or spends even a night there — without hearing grave warnings from residents about the damp, drafty homes that skimp on central heating. Tenants in century-old flats depend on space heaters and electric blankets, or take solace in trips a little farther south.

Name: Darcy Young & Mike Putizger with dog Moose Location: West Town — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Darcy and Mike arrived at a building in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago for a condo showing two years ago, another unit owner in the building happened to be moving out at the same time. The door was open and they popped their heads in.

Name: Kalyn and Todd Chandler Location: Tribeca — New York, NY Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned When Kalyn moved into her now-husband Todd’s apartment, the two were practicing lawyers. Kalyn was unhappy with her busy career, so Todd encouraged her to pursue her passion for design. With that extra push, Kalyn’s brand Effie’s Paper—a fun and feminine stationery and gift company — was born.

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: Kate, her husband and their dog, Millie, Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,830 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Kate Goethe, like most military spouses, didn’t picture herself living in an Italian villa five years ago when she was living in a small suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. But like all military members and their families, you go where duty calls — and well, sometimes that comes with perks that include a jasmine-filled veranda and a villa.

Alex and Sean refuse to leave any walls bare in their Oakland apartment and share a love for mid-century furniture, classic TV, and cheesy movies.

Name: Thomas Dobrowolski and Ben Ezrick Location: West Village, New York Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When you only have 400 square feet to work with, every inch of your home has to be considered during a remodel. Not just for aesthetics, but for also for function. Which is precisely what Thomas and Ben did with their West Village home when they set about renovating the small space: There are sleek, smart, built-in storage solutions in every room of the apartment.

Name: Deanna Leone, Jessie Mademann (and Thurston & Shermie the cats) Location: Fishtown, Philadelphia Size: Large Loft Studio (don’t know the square foot) Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Fishtown is one of Philadelphia’s many booming neighborhoods, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique (and affordable!) home in the area. When you’re as creative as Jessie and Deanna, settling for a typical white-wall one-bedroom isn’t the ideal.

He's a programmer; she's a designer. And they both live and work in this big and bright LA loft.

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: Kerry Lockwood, her husband Justin, kids Alfie and Jersey, and Chester the dog. Location: Northumberland, UK Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting While some renters might shy away from making any dramatic changes to their home, interior stylist and lifestyle blogger Kerry Lockwood jumped right in. The rental home she shares with her family is in the center of town, walking distance from schools, shops, cafes and a local park.

Name: Grace Location: Washington, DC Size: 495 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned After a marvelous tour with Irwin, fate brought us Grace in the comments thread; she’s a resident of the same, beautiful Art Deco-style apartment building with precisely the same floor plan. Whereas Irwin’s studio was brimming with rich earthy colors, I was delighted to see Grace’s interpretation of the space—in top to bottom pink.

Name: Corine Deshaies and her partner Max Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Corine found her first McCoy planter under a table in a garage sale at only four years old; she’s always had an eye for spotting great deals and rare original goods. Because of her gift for thrift, nearly every furniture piece in the duplex she owns with her partner Max is vintage. She’s found it all at various garage sales and in second-hand shops.

Name: Angela and Wubbi the Bulldog Location: SE Portland, Oregon Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned When Angela purchased her turn-of-the-century home, the kitchen was literally falling off the back of the house. “After moving in, I learned the original 1906 kitchen was moved from the center of the house onto the BACK PORCH! That little tidbit explained the slope of the kitchen floor! I had myself a genuine indoor/outdoor kitchen.

Name: Olivia Mae Romano and her cats Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Sonia Sotomayor Location: Pilsen — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Inspired by her mother’s eye for design and skill at finding home decor gems in back alleys, Olivia has made her Pilsen loft an inspiring space. As a little girl, Olivia remembers being driven to school by her mother who would constantly pull off the road to pick up furniture she spotted.

Name: Starry Xiao Location: Guozijian — Beijing, China Size: 320 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, renting Starry Xiao’s hutong home is nestled among the throngs of mom and pop stores selling incense for visitors to Beijing’s famous Lama Temple. Within its blue walls, however, it radiates a completely different kind of aroma. A local chef, Starry is known to make use of every corner of his tiny kitchen to whip up elaborate brunches for his girlfriend.

Name: Stephanie Betant and Chace Vanderwolk Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 2,150 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Beijing and Shanghai dwellers often engage in friendly spats over which city is the better one. Stephanie Betant and her husband Chace Vanderwolk recently found themselves in the unique position of getting to know both.