Apartment

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.

Name: Martha, her husband Daniel and son Nicolas Location: Gracia – Barcelona, Spain Size: 754 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, renting Though Martha loves the Barcelona neighborhood she lives in — she describes it as a small town with artists living in it — it’s her apartment that she considers an extension of herself. It’s the place where she goes when she needs to relax. But Martha almost missed out on renting this apartment!

Name: Michelle Paul Toney and James Toney III Location: Chinatown — Downtown Los Angeles Size: 1,115 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Michelle and James’ lives seem to revolve around downtown LA. After meeting in the Arts District one fated Tuesday night, the couple have since been married, started the Los Angeles-based company Morrow Soft Goods with two friends, and moved into the beautiful and brightly lit Chinatown apartment where they currently reside.

Name: Mary Kate Fitzpatrick Location: St. Louis Hills — St. Louis, Missouri Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Mary Kate Fitzpatrick’s St. Louis shotgun apartment boasts many delightful characteristics, but perhaps most tantalizing is the bedroom view: just feet away is Ted Drewes, serving the city’s famous frozen custard. But temptation begins to melt away as you make your way to the opposite end to a living room bathed in sunlight.

Name: Ashley Chu and Alex Acker Location: Beixinqiao — Beijing, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Beijing is famous for its centuries-old hutongs — the winding alleyways that once made up the main arteries of the city. They were filled with traditional courtyard homes until the spaces were divided or destroyed to make room for a swelling population.

Name: Tracy Young Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Pennsylvania native Tracy Young remembers helping her parents garden, ferment, and cook from a young age. Her Brooklyn apartment is an eclectic nod to her idyllic childhood, but also to the decade she spent as a chef cooking aboard yachts that sailed the Mediterranean, South Pacific, and Caribbean. Today, she co-owns the restaurant Kings Co Imperial in Williamsburg.

Name: Maria and her two children Location: Sant Gervasi — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Maria came to live in this apartment when she moved from Madrid with her two children two years ago. The apartment once belonged to her grandmother, so Maria remembers fondly coming to play here with her cousins when she was a toddler. The space looks quite different these days, though. When her grandmother lived here, it was heavy on dark wood.

Name: Steph Rager Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting On her personal website, A Dapper Line, Steph Rager describes herself as “50 percent muralist, 30 percent illustrator, 15 percent sign artist, and 5 percent champagne drinker.” It’s hardly a surprise that, like her art, her home is a brilliantly laid-back mix of color and crisp lines.

Name: John Sorensen-Jolink and Fabien Dubuet Location: Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 900 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, renting He once performed with contemporary choreographers like Twyla Tharp. Today, modern-dancer-turned furniture designer John Sorensen-Jolink is the founder and owner of Coil + Drift, a Brooklyn-based design studio that creates elegant, contemporary furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Name: Alex Riley and Laure-Anne Carré Location: Plateau — Montreal, Canada Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Alex and Laure-Anne are designers living and working in Montreal’s trendy and historic Plateau neighborhood. Originally from France, the pair made a move to Montreal last April to pursue new creative opportunities; they arrived in the city with nothing but suitcases of clothing.

Name: Sasha Fominskaya and Aaron F.L. Location: Fangjia Hutong — Beijing, China Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Living in Beijing as an expat often means working with what you have, usually pre-furnished apartments and roommates that never seem to stick around long enough to decorate. But when Sasha Fominskaya and her boyfriend Aaron moved into their first apartment together, they wanted to put more effort into making it a home.

Name: Coro Urdaneta and Marco Cortavitarte Location: Sanlitun — Beijing, China Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting It’s hard to find an expat in Beijing who doesn’t know about the Moka Bros, or the Venezuelan siblings behind it. When the restaurant first opened in 2013, it flipped the capital’s healthy café scene on its head, largely thanks to its refreshingly bold and trendy creative concept.

Name: Coni, Albert and Mia (plus their cat!) Location: Ciutat Vella — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,023 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Swiss fashion designer Coni met Albert in Barcelona years ago, their adventures as a couple were off to a good start. After a year of dating, they moved into a small apartment in Barcelona. However, they knew they’d have to upgrade to a bigger space when Coni became pregnant with their daughter.

Name: Céline Lamée and Heather Mowbray Location: Dongsishisantiao — Beijing, China Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting It’s hard to step into Céline Lamée and Heather Mowbray’s home and not be charmed by its sense of playfulness, starting so obviously with an extensive pillow collection that fills their dining nook and has started to take over their living room sofa.

Name: Marci and Carlos Cordero, with children Penelope and Mitchell Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 2,150 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Marci and Carlos have only lived in their Italian apartment for five months, but you’d never know it from looking around. There are photos and art hung (even with the stubborn concrete walls!) and every piece of furniture seems to fit into place and have a home.

Name: Jenny, Konstantin & Simone Peysin (plus their dog Murray) Location: Windsor Terrace — Brooklyn, NY Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Jenny and Konstantin were married in 2015, moved into their beautiful Brooklyn apartment in 2016, and recently welcomed baby Simone into their lives and the home they share with their quirky pup, Murray.

Name: Adam Wihlborg Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting When Adam Wihlborg tells the story, it’s hard to believe that six flights of dark and dusty stairs once nearly deterred him from signing a lease on his spacious, light-filled flat looking out over the trees in Shanghai’s French Concession.

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: Alexander Åhnebrink Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Alexander moved to China with his wife four years ago, he dreamed of a traditional courtyard home. He was met with reality: finding one that didn’t need serious renovations was next to impossible and they would be settling for a more modern serviced apartment in the city center.

Name: Jenny McCown Location: Brisbane, Australia Years lived in: 20 Months Some years ago I first met artist Jenny McCown when I photographed her home in East Brisbane — a five-bedroom Queenslander with a bright pink door. She has since moved into a more modern (and smaller) two-bedroom apartment on Brisbane River. It is in an enviable location, with a view off her balcony across Jacaranda trees with the river just beyond.

Name: Stefano Giacomello Location: Outremont, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Stefano is a 3D artist and designer with a great eye for home decor and spatial planning. And his style is influenced considerably by the ’80s and a love for graphic lines and vibrant colors. Although Stefano’s apartment is on the small side, every item has its own place.

Name: Lexie Comstock Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting For someone whose cookie baking skills have gained her countless fans in Shanghai, Lexie Comstock is very chill about not having a kitchen in her apartment.

Name: Mireia Location: Gracia — Barcelona, Spain Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned As a pattern designer, Mireia has an eye for mixing different textures and styles, and the beautiful Barcelona apartment she’s owned for over a decade has proven to be the perfect canvas for her to show off her styling skills.

Name: Gretchen and Kevin Location: Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After spending four years in 800 square feet in New York City, Kevin and Gretchen were able to design their dream loft back in their home state of Michigan. They found a space in an old, industrial building in a mixed-use neighborhood that’s lively and vibrant.

Name: Andrew Chappelle and his dog, Patti LuBone Location: Washington Heights — New York, New York Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Andrew Chappelle is part of the amazingly talented cast of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton, but aside from his performance skills, he has a great eye for design. This is quickly apparent when walking into his Washington Heights apartment, which he shares with his pup, Patti LuBone.

Name: Anh Tg Location: Petite Patrie, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Plants. Plants. Plants. White walls. Art and Design. This minimalist Montreal apartment is tastefully styled by the talented exhibition designer of the Canadian Centre of Architecture. Designer and co-founder of bureau sacha von der potter in Geneva, Anh definitely knows about the delicate balance between negative and positive space.

Name: Meghan Lorenz Location: Ukrainian Village — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, rented Meghan Lorenz is a jewelry maker and occasional prop stylist and her creative eye is on display all over her Chicago apartment. Her space is filled with pieces from her artist friends (and her artist boyfriend). She loves to go thrifting and antiquing, a skill she got from her mom. In fact, many of her awesome pieces were thrifted by her mother.

Name: Meg, Glenn, Maddie and Isabelle Hoburg, and dog, Piper Location: Capitol Hill — Washington, DC Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 14 years, owned Meg Hoburg is an interior designer with Southern roots, a true sense of Southern hospitality, and a fantastic eye for wallpaper. She and her family have been living in their Capitol Hill row house in Washington, DC for 14 years. Customizing the house throughout these years has been a steady work in progress.

Name: Darren Sandras Location: Tamboerskloof — Cape Town, South Africa Size: aprox. 1550 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Tucked away in the heart of Tamboerskloof is a row of semi-detached Victorian houses, each with a different colored door. And if you enter the blue door, a surprise awaits you: A beautiful and relaxed home that has come together over time. The fabulous location is what initially drew Darren to his home.

Name: Anne Yvonne Stoltze and her Ragdoll cats Teddy (who sadly passed away this summer) and Nigel Location: Treme — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Anne’s romance with New Orleans began three years ago during a visit for Jazz Fest, a familiar story here in the Crescent City. The unique architecture, lush landscape, and celebratory way-of-life felt just right for this Iowa-born bon vivant.

Name: Gloria, her husband and two children Location: Sabadell — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,615 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Being a fashion designer gave Gloria the opportunity to travel and find trends and styles from all over the world. A lover of color and texture — her passion is mixing them with the minimal and white design sensibilities of Scandinavia. A feeling of “This is it!” washed over Gloria when she found this 1930s apartment in Barcelona.

Name: Juan Velasquez Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 460 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, rented About five years ago, the house Juan shared with two friends in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood was sold, forcing him to move out. That’s when he stumbled upon this current apartment in Highland Park.

Name: Ali and Chip McEnhill Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 478 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Ali and Chip McEnhill moved into their apartment in Cobble Hill Towers — a Brooklyn landmark built in 1879 — they were inspired to reintroduce and recover some of its original character.

Name: Melinda McSpadden Location: Garden District — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 11 months; the apartment is one of the perks of being a live-in innkeeper The setting for Melinda McSpadden’s life is dripping with Southern charm — lush greenery and a canopy of century-old oaks surround a Queen Anne-style mansion built in 1890 in the heart of New Orleans’ picturesque Garden District.

Name: Jaimee Dormer + Adam Lodynsky Location: Pasadena, California Size: 672 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Jaimee Dormer and her husband, Adam, moved to LA three years ago in search of new opportunities (and better weather) and have since created not just a home — but a truly unique space to work and relax. Jaimee, the founder of Coast to Coast Vintage, allows her love for color and patterns to run free throughout the space.

Name: Sylvia Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 1722 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting After practicing as a lawyer for fifteen years, Sylvia found her true calling at the age of forty and became a stylist. She likes to call it “wardrobe art” because her job is not only following trends but also looking for special pieces with a story to tell. She loves Africa, especially Marrakesh, where she wants to live one day.

Name: Nicole Martinez and Ian Phipps Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting The word “loft” gets thrown about a bit these days, but Nicole and Ian’s apartment in Williamsburg is the real thing—an old factory building with soaring ceilings, exposed concrete floors, and genuine industrial character.

Name: Moorea Seal, her husband, and pup Lemon Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When I reached out to Seattle boutique owner, social media extraordinaire, and author Moorea Seal about doing a home tour, she was in the middle of writing her third book, Make Yourself at Home. (The 52 Lists Project was her first hit journal, and 52 Lists for Happiness has been featured by the likes of Oprah.com.

Name: Arnold Baumheiser Location: New York City Size: 1,328 square feet Earlier this year we got to see an in-depth look at Dev Shah’s New York apartment — he’s the main character of Netflix’s hit show Master of None. What a unique, comfortable, accessible space the apartment’s set design portrays. It doesn’t really matter if the apartment is “real” or not; Dev’s home is filled with inspiration anyone could use.

Name: Stephanie Whedbee Location: Raleigh, NC Size: 750 square feet Years Lived In: Less than 1 year, renting “I’ve lived in Raleigh for four years and this is the first place that truly feels 100% me,” confesses graphic designer Stephanie Whedbee. “Since moving in last fall, I have obsessed over styling and decorating my duplex.

Doilies, murals, fake cake and Victorian vibes...Cole Escola (Matthew on Hulu's Difficult People) lives in a 425-square-foot candy-colored Brooklyn apartment.

Name: Driss and Bettina daughters Tala (6) and Ziri (4) Location: Amsterdam (Spiegelkwartier), Netherlands Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Driss and Bettina, originally from Morocco and Germany, met (and fell in love) in Amsterdam at a small, creative advertising agency where they worked. They’ve both been passionate about interior design and beautiful, charming houses.

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: Jason and Colleen Wachob, of mindbodygreen Location: Dumbo — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,751 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, owned After back injuries left him in excruciating pain in 2009, Jason Wachob began his yoga practice…and was encouraged by the positive, powerful, life-improving effects. This change sparked an interest in living a more balanced, holistic lifestyle. “It was a real awakening for me,” he confesses.

Name: Mecca Williams and Ashley Isokpehi Location: Bed-Stuy — Brooklyn, New York Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Longtime friends Mecca and Ashley planned on living together well before Ashley moved to New York. After a long and tedious search, they found a perfect sun-filled spot in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The two creatives worked hard to develop an aesthetic that blends their tastes.

Name: Danica and Robin Location: Highland Park — Los Angeles, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, rented When Danica and Robin decided to move to Los Angeles from Oakland, their apartment search began with location in mind. Sure, it’d be nice to have a large space, but it wasn’t a priority — especially with a new baby and Los Angeles’ tight rental market.

Name: Laura Burkitt and Ben Sarner Location: Queen’s Park, London Size: 1,229 square feet Years Lived In: 18 months, owned Laura Burkitt, a lifestyle and event stylist, bought this two-bedroom flat in Queens Park, London with her boyfriend a year and a half ago. “We bought the apartment as we wanted a garden flat, and decided to do an extension and renovation to make more of the space.

Name: Ryan and Katie Royle Location: Dundas — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 Year, owned When Ryan and Katie first looked at this home, it was like a set on That ’70s Show. Nasty shag carpet, wood paneling, weird blocked off rooms. It had it all…and this couple didn’t want any of it. But after enlisting the help of local designer, Krista of KMSalter Design, they were able to have their dream home.

Name: Audrey Morissette her husband Francois and baby William Location: Blainville, Quebec Size: 2,380 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Audrey Morissette established her store Boutique Vestibule in 2014 in the Mile End of Montreal. Vestibule is an original lifestyle concept shop that offers decorative accessories, clothing brands, jewelry and many local products carefully chosen, all in a minimalist, feminine and timeless style.

Name: Violet Victoria Dent and Harry Dent Location: Notting Hill, London Size: 588 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Millennial pink, rose quartz — whatever you call it, pink is definitely having a moment. One designer in London loves it so much she’s surrounded herself with plenty of shades of pink in the maisonette she shares with her husband in Notting Hill, London.

Name: Melanie Power Location: Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal, Quebec Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting When Melanie Power, a poet from St. John’s, Newfoundland, first moved into this compact apartment, it was a neglected space. Over the years, she has collected items and furniture from thrift stores across the provinces to revive and restore it, creating a place full of magical whimsy and intrigue.

Name: Steph Waterman Location: Carroll Gardens — Brooklyn, NY Size: 600 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting Kaz and Steph are the “design obsessed duo” behind The Stylephiles. “We are oceans apart in Sydney and New York.

Name: Erik Kenneth Staalberg Location: Miracle Mile — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented After searching countless websites every day for months, Erik finally found his dream apartment: A charming, pre-war historic building in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile. Though it wasn’t perfect when he moved in, its been a complete passion project and continues to be everyday.

Name: Steven Miller Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, rented Everything in Steven’s apartment has a story behind it: He can recall the thrift store each piece of art came from and can tell you the lengths he went to find a unique piece of furniture. “It makes me so happy that I have a space for all of the things that I’ve thrifted or collected,” he says. For Steven, thrifting isn’t just a hobby.

Name: Whitney and Jordon Giancoli Location: Chelsea — New York City, New York Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Whitney Giancoli — native Texan, new mom and interior designer based in Chelsea — didn’t always work in design. But after transforming her fifth floor walk-up (hence her social media handle @5thfloorwalkup) on the Lower East Side, she unexpectedly kick-started her own design career.

Name: Tiffany Pratt Location: The Beaches — Toronto, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, renting For as long as she can remember, Tiffany has had a deep affinity for color. As a designer and stylist, she uses it to create bright and beautiful spaces. She loves evoking thought, inspiration and delight using bold hues that some might overlook.

Name: Marlène Deshaies Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, owned Marlène considers herself a decor magazine junkie. She lives in a 950-square-foot flat in a duplex she shares with her daughter Corine and her boyfriend Maxime, and it’s inspiring publications like Martha Stewart Living and IDEAT that helped her completely renovate the kitchen and bathroom, as well as decorate the entire space.

Name: Amy Kuntz Location: St. Louis, Missouri Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 18 months, renting Why stick with one living room when you can have ten? Amy Kuntz loves to change up her first-floor flat in St. Louis whenever she feels inspired, giving her Instagram followers a new, stylish look every few weeks.

They WON'T be renovating: Two art collectors bought a dated condo last renovated in the early '90s...and they love it just the way it is!

Name: Florencia Location: Villa Crespo — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 465 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Florencia was living in a studio apartment in Villa Crespo when she started the search for a home to buy. It was important to her to stay in the neighborhood, since many of her friends live here, too.

Name: Walter and Adam Ryon Location: San Leandro, California Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, rented Walter was working and living in Abu Dhabi when Adam first spotted the building they now call home. Finding a home from a distance was difficult, but when Adam drove by the building, Adam thought this one might be a good fit. It was a quintessential 1950s apartment building that was recently updated, and Adam felt their style was reflected both on the inside and outside.

Name: Alex Crabtree and her husband Adrian Location: London Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years A print in the bathroom declares: “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love.” And this exuberant, eclectic London apartment, lavishly filled with collections and curios, beautifully tells the story of property, kitchen and interiors public relations expert Alex Crabtree.

Name: Irmak Karayal and Spencer Ramsey Location: East Harlem — New York, New York Size: 550 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting “Everyone who steps into our apartment says something along the lines of, ‘This is the perfect little apartment for you guys!’ We hear the words ‘perfect little’ all the time,” says Irmak — one half of the couple that lives in this East Harlem apartment. This description couldn’t be more true.

Name: Alana and Kristopher Location: Upper West Side — New York City, NY Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Successfully pulling together a space that is a minimalist sanctuary, but also interesting (and one that still feels decorated), is surprisingly hard to do. Which is what makes this New York City couple’s Upper West Side apartment so impressive.

Name: Jeanie Engelbach and pup Tater Tot Location: East Village — New York, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 24 years, renting “I’ve been collecting since I was five years old,” admits Jeanie Engelbach, “and coupled with a design aesthetic based on my nine-year-old self — candy, comics and cartoons — the apartment feels like a tightly curated mini pop culture museum.

Name: Siobhán Gallagher & John F. Malta Location: Ridgewood, New York Size: 520 square foot Years Lived In: Siobhan: 3 years, John: 1 year, renting Imagine: world’s cutest couple of professional illustrators living together in a gallery-like home filled with their friends’ magnificent art! Siobhán Gallagher, senior designer at Abrams Books and author of IN A DAZE WORK, and John F.

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: Wendy Goodman Location: Greenwich Village — New York, New York Years lived in: 1997-present Wendy Goodman’s New York apartment feels particularly storied, and not just because it’s full of books. A born and raised New Yorker, she’s called this Greenwich Village apartment home for 20 years, and it shows — her place has that layered, easy feel that homes that have been lived in, and loved, for many years begin to take on.

A designer's colorful vision springs to life.

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: Tam-Anh and Ricky Location: Jack London Square — Oakland, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting At the end of 2016, Tam-Anh and Ricky decided to move in together, so they scoured Craigslist for apartments and began their search for a new home — an arduous task in the Bay Area’s competitive rental market. A few listings in, a description caught their attention: original loft, exposed brick, floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closet, fireplace.