Apartment

Name: Breeana (Bree) Dunbar and son Ari Location: Brunswick East — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: 2 months, renting I moved into this apartment after my son’s father and I separated earlier this year. I found the separation absolutely devastating; it feels like a death and in a way it is. It’s the death of your life as you know it, and the death of the future you imagined for your family.

Name: Troy Solomon and Ian Mofford Location: West Hollywood, California Size: 800 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years for Troy, 2 years for Ian, renting I first learned of Troy Solomon (aka ABearNamedTroy) from his Instagram, where his brazen feed strikes a colorful balance between fierce and playful, a strong aesthetic that is reflected in the apartment he shares with fiance Ian Mofford.

Name: Sunny Shokrae, Ryan Eugene Kelley and Leo Arya Kelley Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, NY Size: 1,183 square feet Years lived in: Less than 1 year, owned Sunny and her husband Ryan became homeowners just shy of a year ago. The longtime Williamsburg, Brooklyn, residents needed a change in anticipation of birth of their son Leo. And moving a few miles south to Bedford Stuyvesant offered the growing family more space and freedom in how they style their home.

Awaiting the arrival of a baby and unable to find another home they liked enough to move, they decided to stick with the home they already have, updating it for their new life.

Name: Mona Tavakoli, Beau Ritten, and cats Minnow and Sushi Location: Central District — Seattle, Washington Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Make your way up the stairs to Mona and Beau’s converted top-floor apartment in the heart of the Emerald City, and you can feel the eclectic vibes seeping into the landing. The elongated cat statue staring at you on your way in could be playing a large part. Needless to say, their pad is very cool.

Name: Amy and Andy Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,075 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Amy and her partner Andy are originally from the UK, and they met in London right when Andy had just accepted a job offer in Barcelona working in IT. They tried doing the long distance thing for a while… until Amy grew tired of London and decided to join Andy on the sunny Catalan coast.

Name: Maggie Williams Location: St-Henri, Montreal Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Maggie‘s old converted Montreal loft is visually striking and incredibly spacious, but in the wrong hands, its industrial elements could dominate. Thankfully, Maggie’s always loved thrifting and finding beauty in other people’s discarded items. She hunts for unwanted furniture pieces, repairing and refinishing them.

Name: Aurélie Desmas and her husband Location: Brooklyn, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting Originally from France, decorator and photographer Aurélie Desmas has lived in Paris, London, and now New York, where she’s currently the founder and lead decorator of Maison KoduZen. Though versed in plenty of styles, her focus is on what kind of energy you can create in a home through decor.

Name: Abeer and Aetesam, with their two sons, Hamza and Azaan Location: Donvale — Melbourne, Victoria Size: 1,600 square feet Years Lived In: 1 year, renting Having moved from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and most recently Melbourne, this is a family on the go. Abeer, a photographer/blogger and her engineer husband, Aetesam, started renting this bungalow in the suburbs of Melbourne a year ago, and have lovingly turned it into a home for them and their two little boys since.

Name: Brittaney Elise Minton Location: Manhattan, New York Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Almost 1 year, renting The celebrity interior designer and lifestyle expert who launched BE by Brittaney Elise Minton knows how to design a space that wows. She’s designed several of the new Bellami Beauty Bars and the Calabasas residence of Bellami Hair’s founder, Nikki Eslami (a house which was once owned by Kylie Jenner!

This couple's style is: "Cozy log cabin falls in love with a vintage schoolhouse and has a baby that sells books and ephemera and cameras and taxidermy."

Name: Hernan Location: Recoleta — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: Owned 6 years Six years ago, Hernan was fed up with where he was living. “It had many rooms but each of them was very small. I needed fewer rooms and more space,” he explains. He also yearned for more outdoor access. But after losing out on a nice flat with a big terrace in an exhaustive bidding war that lasted for months, he came across the home he lives in now.

Name: Barrett Wilbert Weed Location: Hell’s Kitchen — NYC Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Much of the gossip surrounding this year’s Tonys centers around the Mean Girls musical, inspired of course by the movie of the same name (a movie that was written by Tina Fey and has a devoted and quote-reciting cult following).

Name: Brett L. Leemkuil Location: Sunnyside, NY Size: 530 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting “One would assume, by all appearances, that I’m a maximalist,” writes interior designer Brett Leemkuil. His 500-square-foot Queens rental apartment features a floor-to-ceiling red living room, a curtained-off leopard-print bed closet, and hand-painted emerald green malachite wall finishes in the entryway… among much more. Maximalist seems like a very accurate descriptor.

Name: Victoria Bartlett, designer and stylist Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant — Brooklyn, New York Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year When I first spotted Victoria Bartlett‘s Brooklyn loft in a posting on Dezeen, I knew that it was a very beautiful space—and that I wanted to photograph it for Apartment Therapy. But I still wasn’t prepared for what I saw when I arrived.

Name: Jory Sutton and Alex Simon Location: Washington Heights, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Jory and Alex’s 650-square-foot NYC apartment is a feast for the eyes. So much so, the small sneak peek we shared with their house call last year just wasn’t a long enough look. With hand-me-downs from family members, vintage pieces purchased at thrift shops, DIY artwork, and different periods and styles of decor, every room has a conversation starter.

Name: Jasmine Waheed and cat Barney Location: Garment District — Montreal Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, 8 months, owned After traveling across—and falling in love with—Canada, Jasmine Waheed decided to move from London to Montreal 15 years ago. Her background is in graphic design, but upon arriving in Montreal, she decided to make the switch to photography.

Name: Emily Zirimis and Jesus Antoshka Location: Bushwick — Brooklyn, New York Size: Honestly unsure! Years lived in: Almost 2 years, renting Emily and her boyfriend Jesus must have felt like they won the lottery when they landed their Bushwick apartment. Their place has a lot going for it: It’s in an increasingly hip area, features original architectural details, and boasts a dressing room for Emily and a pottery room for Jesus. Oh, and the rent is reasonable.

Name: Shilpa Rajahamsa and Aditya Srivathsan Location: St-Henri — Montreal Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Shilpa and Aditya both grew up in India and moved to North America in their early twenties. Their taste is a mix of both worlds and their home’s style could be described as eclectic and contemporary… with a touch of Indian. Creativity and an appreciation for craftsmanship run deep for this couple.

Name: Rachael Bennett and cute puppy, Kuma Location: Crown Heights — Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Architect Rachael Bennett doesn’t think you should be scared of designing without color. “I find many people think that ‘neutrals’ or ‘black and white’ is either going to be boring (beige on beige on beige, or worse, sterile and cold),” she writes.

Name: Maria Branco, Bruno Sabino, and their puppy Kilo Location: Lindale Park — Houston, Texas Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Maria Branco is an interior designer, jewelry maker, and artist living in Houston, Texas with her husband Bruno. After moving to the U.S. from their native home of Lisbon, Portugal, they are renting an 800-square-foot garage apartment in an up-and-coming neighborhood just miles north of downtown Houston.

Name: Donna Henes Location: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn Size: 3,150 square feet Years lived in: 29 years, owned Donna Henes is an internationally-renowned urban shaman, contemporary ceremonialist, spiritual teacher, eco-artist, author, speaker, and workshop leader.

Name: Tove Fogelström, husband and two kids (3 and 5 years old) Location: Årsta — Stockholm, Sweden Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “The first thing that struck me as I walked into the apartment were the large windows and the big trees just outside; it is a very peaceful place,” explains architect Tove Fogelström.

Name: Kimothy Joy, her partner Gregory and their brand new baby girl, Luca Joy Location: Park Hill, Denver Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “I love the original wood paneling, glass block, built-in shelves, and architectural ceiling tiles that make it unique to the era,” explains Denver-based artist and illustrator Kimothy Joy, of the 1940s-era home she’s owned for a year and shares with her partner (and the baby girl they welcomed just last month!).

Name: Kristine Claghorn and Mark Harrison and SETI the cat (stands for “Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”, of course) Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Kristine and Mark knew they were meant to be together when they both bonded over their separate rock collections. She’s a creative producer and artist, he’s a documentary editor, and their cat, SETI, is an expert at being adorable.

Name: Brittany Shields, husband Brett, brown lab, Bear, and little tabby cat, Gus Location: Midtown — Atlanta, Georgia Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting From a creative family, Brittany started her interior design company, Penny Shields, in 2010. It’s named after her “quirky and edgy grandmother,” and she offers her design services on residential and commercial projects.

Name: Erica A. Jacobs and cat Luci Location: Uptown — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Erica Jacobs runs a nature-based, holistic home design company called Between Red & Violet, where she offers services ranging from space planning to landscaping. She defines holistic home design as an “intuitive and perceptual process rooted in physiology, sociology, and psychology designed to enhance well-being.

Erin Hung, the founder behind the London-based stationery company BerinMade, remodeled this small Hong Kong apartment with her husband Ben.

Name: Sadatu, Kareem, and their pup Llave Location: La Condesa — Mexico City, Mexico Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Though Sadatu and her husband Kareem moved back to the U.S. a few weeks ago, they spent the last three years living in Mexico City for his job. “Mexico City will forever be an important place for us. This is the first home we shared together and where we spent our newlywed years!” And what a first shared home this is.

Name: Daniel and Diego Location: Palermo — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 590 square feet Years lived in: Owned, 12 years After living in Spain for 15 years, Daniel wanted to move back to Argentina. During a visit he found this apartment, fell in love with it, and began a long-distance restoration relationship that would last almost a year. Luckily, Daniel’s experience as an interior designer helped him sail through the process with ease.

Architect Talia Braude went all out with her home's color scheme.

Name: Krista and Daniel Location: Little Italy — San Diego, California Size: 1400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Krista runs Hand Meets Sky, “an online boutique specializing in authentic turquoise jewelry and jewels for the modern, boheme bride.” She’s an Apartment Therapy reader who submitted the home she shares with her partner Daniel. In her own words: Daniel had been living in the building for over eight years or so.

Name: Rasmus Warnke Nørregaard, his wife Maria and four children (Alberte, Viggo, Vega and Arthur) Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Size: 1614 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned This is the home of serious furniture collectors. Rasmus Warnke Nørregaard is the CEO and founder of Everclassic, an “online marketplace for beautiful Scandinavian vintage furniture, ceramics, art and other design objects.

Name: Samantha Nobles and husband Daniel Location: Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting The Nobles’ Nest is our first home as a married couple, for this reason alone we have a special adoration for this basement apartment. The couple who lived in the space before us are coincidentally our friends, and when they were moving out we conveniently slid right in to fill their spot! The best part of living here?

Name: Peggy Wang Location: Ridgewood, Queens Size: 1100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned A few years ago, I kinda just woke up one day and decided that I didn’t want to live in a tiny apartment anymore. It was like a weird sudden existential outburst in my usual lazy put-everything-off-forever mindset. My boyfriend’s friend happened to be looking to buy a two-family house, which is what planted the idea in my head.

Name: Kate Reynolds with her husband Rem and their two sons Bobby and Oscar Location: Windsor Terrace — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 3,150 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Kate Reynolds really loves textiles. As one of the founding partners of Studio Four NYC, she—along with the rest of the company—”shine a light on the stories behind textile, wallpaper and rug design.

Name: Bailey Li of Bailey Li Interiors Location: The Valley Arts District — Orange, New Jersey Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting I love the idea of residing in a restored firehouse that is now used as a live/work art gallery that houses a group of creatives from different mediums! It’s like living in a piece of history that is birthing a new story.

Name: Tavi Gevinson Location: 300 Ashland — Fort Greene, Brooklyn Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Almost everything in Tavi Gevinson’s one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment has a story. “That’s really special,” the 21-year-old repeats often as I point something out or pick it up. I ask, for instance, about the fleece blanket splayed across her bed. Here’s how its story goes: she printed a customizable blanket from Walmart.

Name: Adam J. Kurtz and Mitchell Kuga Location: South Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: Literally not sure I think around 650 square feet ????

Name: Elizabeth Sutton and her kids Miro and Nora Location: Upper East Side — New York, NY Size: 1,370 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting For New York-based artist Elizabeth Sutton, leaving the first home she ever owned was the most difficult part of her divorce. “My ex and I purchased it together a year after we got married and we lived there for five years. It was the first home to both my children.

Project by: Lilian Weinreich of Lilian H Weinreich Architects Location: New York, New York The scramble for space is never ending in New York City and occasionally you have to get creative. Lilian Weinreich did exactly that when she combined two small studios to create one open and modern apartment. From the Lilian Weinreich Team: In New York, where real estate it at a premium, flexible space planning can help make minimal living a reality in a small space.

Designer Linda Cava's 525-square-foot Brooklyn apartment is sleek, simple and has just the right amount of Savannah-inspired Southern quirkiness.

Name: Lee Tilghman Location: Koreatown, Los Angeles Years lived in: 8 months, renting When Lee Tilghman moved from New York City to Los Angeles a little over two years ago, she initially rented another apartment. But the building this Koreatown apartment is located in had great bones, Art Deco details, “amazing light and was central to everything I wanted to get to in LA,” says Lee. So she made the move to where she lives now!

It seems like a constant challenge to find space for art supplies, music equipment, books and records, but this couple loves using their home to showcase their passions.

Name: Sam E., Stephanie Libanati and Lorena Jimenez Location: Lower Bottoms — Oakland, California Size: 1,610 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Rented When Sam E. was looking for an apartment earlier this year, she felt so lucky when she hit it off with Stephanie and Lorena on the day they met.

Minimal, modern style, a stunning must-see green kitchen, beautiful patterned tile and one cute kid.

Name: Eric Stauble and Patrick Maziarski Location: Mid-City — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Welcome to the very creative home of Eric Stauble and Patrick Maziarski, who are both immersed in the creative design world. With an eclectic mix of custom-designed, reupholstered and vintage pieces, this home offers the best of indoor and outdoor living.

Name: Olesya Ianovitch Location: Bywater; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 785 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented You Are Beautiful. These are the words boldly painted in white on the side of a century-old industrial converted rice mill in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood. The upbeat message, rumored to be the work of Banksy, mirrors Olesya Ivanovich’s approach to life.

Name: Alison Location: Redfern, Sydney Size: 527 square feet Years Lived In: 6 years; Owned Earlier this year, we got a glimpse into Alison’s ‘Eclectic and a Little Rough Around the Edges’ Sydney apartment. We’re back to take a deeper look into her 527-square-foot home built for life and creativity.

Name: Derek Erdman and Ashley Armitage Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1,500 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years This apartment is what happens when two vibrant—and cheeky!—artists make a home together.

Name: Ian and Nikki Fotheringham and their dog, BangBang Location: Ontario, Canada Size: 100 square meters (1,069 square feet) Years Lived In: 1 year; Rented It might be hard to imagine decorating your home solely with furniture that has a past life—upcycled, secondhand or DIY-ed into something new entirely. However, for Nikki and Ian, it comes easily, and this is exactly how they have approached designing their space.

Project by: Alexa Stevenson of Alexa Stevenson Interior Decoration Location: New York City, New York Small spaces sometimes need extra creative and smart space saving ideas. This colorful and small one-bedroom apartment in NYC’s West Village combines a few smart ideas with really bold decor choices for a smart and stylish space.

Name: Nikou and Travis McCarra, their sons, Kian and Zayn, and WIFI the Dog Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Nikou and Travis met in architecture school at the University of Houston many years ago—first came love of design, then came marriage. Now they co-own McCarra Creative, a “multi-disciplinary design studio focused on branding, web, print, and 3D.

Name: Jeni Wu Location: Nob Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 685 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented After years of roommates and carpeted studios, Jeni finally got the chance to move into her own apartment, and she couldn’t wait to add her personal style. She works as a home decor buyer and as an interior designer with her own styling business, Wunder Design, so it’s only natural that her space is as stylish as the homes she puts together for clients.

Name: Todd and Kate Novak Location: French Quarter — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 675 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned New Orleans is known as a city that loves color, and Kate and Todd Novak embraced that notion with a touch of “understated” bordello in their French Quarter getaway. Though they call Marin County, California, home, Kate and Todd’s love of New Orleans stems from their time at Tulane University.

Name: Lauren Pirie Location: Bloorcourt — Toronto, Ontario Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented When I first entered Lauren’s apartment, I was immediately captivated by all of the art that covers the wall of the long corridor; Lauren’s work is truly enigmatic and delicate. The corridor then led me to the kitchen/living room/studio space.

Name: Stephen di Renza Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 56 square meters (600 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned After years of dwelling in various locations — New York, Paris, London, Hanoi— it is in Morocco that American-born Stephen Di Renza came to a halt and settled.

Name: Genevieve Bandrowski and Ashley Campbell Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented When Genevieve moved back to Oakland nearly two years ago, she wanted her now-roommate Ashley to see the creative spirit that Oakland has to offer. Since then, they have created a lush sanctuary inspired by the many Bay Area makers they admire.

Name: Silvia Michielotto, Jean-Pierre Mongard and Valeria Concari Location: Old Medina — Marrakech, Morocco Size: 110 square meters (1,184 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Crises can sometimes turn out to be good; you can make new decisions, reboot the hard drive, explore new possibilities and do things you could not do before. Friends Silvia, Jean-Pierre, and Valeria did just that.

Home. It’s the supposed harbor of our hearts, and yours is probably affecting your overall well-being more than you think. Gary and Chelsey’s home gave us that good, old fashioned “happy home” feeling, and we were determined to figure out why. If you’re feeling stuck in your pursuit of a happy home, we’ve compiled a simple list of practices most of the happiest homes on Apartment Therapy—such as this one—share.

Name: Sarah & Lindsay Location: Humboldt Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Sarah and Lindsay haven’t even lived together for half a year, but their styles have already merged seamlessly. Sarah brought the cozy Southwestern elements while Lindsay brought the Mid-century modern, and all the colors and patterns work with the nature-inspired elements to create a space that is warm and inviting.

Name: Adam and Rachel Jones and their dog, Fraiser Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Rachel is a designer and Adam specializes in photography and video production, and new inspirations and ideas are always emerging in both their work and home life. Since they moved into this space a few years ago, the process of settling in has been one of constant evolution and change.

Name: Natalie Slyman and Nate Bethel Location: St. Louis, Missouri Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Natalie and Nate are one of those couples whose styles go together so effortlessly. They met while working at the same resale shop, and they’ve been together over six years.

Name: Melanie Abrantes (and her boyfriend Rick Gibb) Location: Potrero Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented We recently shared Melanie Abrantes’ fantastic Oakland studio, and today we’re getting a glimpse into her San Francisco apartment. Melanie’s playful personality is seen in every inch of the 500-square-foot home.

Name: Stephanie Fauerbach Location: Marina District — San Francisco, California Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years; Rented Though making a temporary space feel rooted isn’t easy, Stephanie Fauerbach has put together a collection of mementos and inspiring pieces that make her apartment feel like a home.

Name: Marie-Claude and Martin and 7-year-old Romane Location: Notre-Dame-de-Grâce — Montréal, Québec Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 8.5 years; Owned At the age of 17, Marie-Claude went to Venice, Italy on an exchange to study art and sculpture. This experience changed the way she saw the world around her and deepened her appreciation for art and design. Marie-Claude is a interior design fanatic, and it’s no surprise that the trade runs in her extended family.

Name: Jesse and Dan Moskowitz and their dog, Stormy Location: Roxbury — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 5.5 years; Rented When you enter Jesse and Dan Moskowitz’s comfy and colorful apartment in Boston’s historic Roxbury neighborhood, two things immediately stand out: the records and the pup. “It’s her apartment,” Dan states matter-of-factly, referring not to Jesse but to Stormy, the four-year-old Moskowitz dog.

Project by: J. Wheeler Designs Location: Atlanta, Georgia The 850 square foot apartment designed by James Wheeler of J. Wheeler Designs is located in Midtown Atlanta and is the homeowner’s first home. It was chosen based on its location and the amenities, including accessibility to entertainment options, security of a 24-hour concierge, and ease of maintenance.

Name: Paul and Katie Alexander and their daughter, Mabel Location: De Beauvoir — Shoreditch, London Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Katie and Paul searched for a flat in London that was close to both their work in the city and the nightlife of Shoreditch, and they ended up finding the perfect compromise: a lovely flat in the leafy De Beauvoir neighborhood a stone’s throw from the exciting city life.

Name: Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker and their son, Henry Location: Gospel Oak near Hampstead Heath — London, UK Size: 1,120 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When architects Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker first saw this late-Victorian flat, located just around the corner from Hampstead Heath, they were at once drawn to the layout and the sense of space and light.

Name: Anthea and Stuart, their daughters, Kate-Ruby and Rachel, and their dogs, Cameo and Pippa Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned This lovely family home is tucked away in a quiet, secluded corner of the Cape Town City Bowl and is home to Anthea and Stuart, their two young daughters, and their adorable Italian Greyhounds.