Apartment

Name: Heather Kane Location: Clerkenwell — London, UK Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When you live above Etsy’s London headquarters in one of the capital’s best-known design hubs, you might feel some pressure to ensure your flat is up to the high standards of your neighbors. Luckily for Heather, one of her passions is interior design.

Name: Sarah Ashley Schiear Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: 635 square feet Years Lived In: since May 2015; Rented Though the physical size of her apartment may be small, Sarah has created a multi-functional space where she lives, works and entertains. Sarah is a chef as well as the founder of Salt House, a New York-based lifestyle and events studio. Her experience in the food industry has heavily influenced her desire to entertain and bring people together around food.

Name: Anna Zajac and her cat, Isaiah Location: Lincoln Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Anna Zajac is a talented wedding photographer in Chicago with a background in design. Both she and her lovely studio apartment could not be more welcoming. The space is truly a reflection of her: warm, sweet, positive, and stylish. Delicate thrifted pieces are carefully juxtaposed with bold, dark walls and modern elements.

Name: Katie Rozycki and Patrick Moore Location: Plaza Midwood — Charlotte, North Carolina Size: 702 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Katie—a private school fundraiser, entrepreneur, and flower crown designer—and her audio engineer/tour manager boyfriend, Patrick Moore, completely overhauled this once-neglected one-bedroom loft in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Name: Sara and Rich Combs Location: Marina District — San Francisco, CA Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Having collected each piece in their apartment one-by-one over the last six years, Sara and Rich Combs have created a home with a distinctly colorful, eclectic feel. Gravitating towards sleek, Mid-century silhouettes and furniture design, the couple have designed each room to pay homage to the bygone era in its own way, all while maintaining a modern spin.

Name: Cate and Olivier Location: Bloomsbury —London, UK Size: 725 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Design writer Cate St Hill’s blog and Instagram feed are filled with beautiful images of effortlessly stylish, minimal-yet-cozy interiors (as well as London recommendations, travel features, and lifestyle pieces).

Name: Savannah Sher and Mike Wynands, Finn the cat, and Nori the dog Location: Verdun — Montreal, Canada Size: Approximately 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Rented Mike and Savannah, co-founders of The Quick Green Fox, are Montreal natives who grew up in the island’s west end. When they were searching for a new place earlier this year, an apartment close to downtown was on their wish list, as was a neighborhood with charm and a sense of community.

Name: Lindsey O’Donnell Location: West Hollywood — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned If one thing’s for sure, it’s that interior designer Lindsey O’Donnell is not afraid of color. From Blackberry Wine to Midnight Navy to Black, O’Donnell’s paint choices are pretty fearless. Inspired by the bold interiors of designer Mary McDonald, O’Donnell’s lavish lair is anything but modest.

Name: David Jameson (with Treasure Hance) Location: Downtown — Houston, Texas Size: 817 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Working with 817 square feet of space can be a challenge, especially if you are a collector. David, however, manages to pull off the seemingly impossible by arranging years worth of procurements in an ingenious way, making every inch of his apartment interesting and beautiful.

Name: Jeanette Moncada and Mikul Eriksson Location: Emeryville, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 Months; Rented Jeanette and Mikul have lived in their Emeryville open factory loft for a mere four months, but they sure have nailed down their own rhythm and routine. The two creatives run Sugar Sugar Studio, a rental space for video and still shoots, just off of the apartment’s kitchen area.

Name: Robbie and Dan Location: Brooklyn, NY Size: 635 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Robbie and Dan have lived in their apartment for a little over two years. Since this is their first home together, they wanted to find a place that matched both of their lifestyles and tastes. After persevering through the rat-race of apartment hunting in New York, the couple finally landed this fantastic place in Brooklyn.

Name: Lynn Serulla and Adam Kuehl and their dog, Oscar Location: St. Joseph, Michigan Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Lynn and Adam’s home is a gathering place for people and things. When the second-story apartment isn’t filled with friends, reminders of them are still evident. Artwork from friends is on display in each room. Lynn and Adam have a personal connection to each piece of furniture, every trinket and even the plants. Everything has a story.

Name: Jenni and Esai Location: Heritage Hill — Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented Jenni and Esai’s apartment is a loop. The living room leads into the kitchen/dining room, which flows into the bedroom/office/nook, which is open to the living room. While photographing the space, I notice chevron curtains, art pieces featuring triangles, a striped blanket, a striped rug, a parallelogram rug, a diamond rug, and lots of circles.

Name: India Mafi, Joe Gray and their dog, Scout Location: Oakland, California Size: 730 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented When I asked India to tell me about some of her favorite thrift stores, she jokingly refused to tell me some of her best-kept secrets.

Name: Joyce Pickens and her dog, Mouse Location: Mid-City — Los Angeles, California Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When interior designer Joyce of JDP Interiors sent in her House Call, I knew we had to see more of this lovely layered space. The green path to her doorstep is an oasis in the middle of the city, as is the warm, welcoming home that she has created.

Name: Joanna and Kevin Miller Location: Toronto, Ontario Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Joanna and Kevin met through their passion for swing dancing. Kevin is a musician (you will see his instruments displayed throughout the apartment) and Joanna is a designer and decorator. When she’s not dreaming up new ideas for her own space, Joanna works at Home Smith, a local interior design boutique in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighborhood.

Name: Alison and Jay Carroll and dog Lefty Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Alison and Jay are a creative husband and wife team who find inspiration from around the globe. As recent Los Angeles transplants from San Francisco, the couple and their dog, Lefty, enjoy soaking up the Southern California sunshine in their cozy Franklin Hills apartment.

Name: Delila and Nexus, and their dog, Amanda Location: Hayes Valley; San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Nexus and Delila’s personal styles extend deep into their apartment’s aesthetic — he describes his style as relaxed, and she finds inspiration and comfort in wearing a white T-shirt with vintage jeans and high heels.

Name: Jessica, her dog, Bhalu, and her cats, Chutney, Norma, and Feynman Location: Atlanta, Georgia Size: 624 square feet Years lived in: 4 years In a small space, it’s important to surround yourself with things that serve a purpose but also have meaning. With a treasure trove of collected items, Jessica’s cozy quarters tell a story from every angle. On a rainy afternoon I meet up with Jessica, a talented local potter and blacksmith, to scope out her studio and home.

Name: Nuria Montblanch and Ricardo Duque Location: Little Portugal — Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented After meeting in Europe and living in the UK for a several years, Nuria and Ricardo decided to move to Canada. They first landed in Nuria’s hometown of Montreal and stayed just long enough to begin collecting furniture from local estate sales and markets.

Name: Luke and Sophie Doyle and their dog, Chester Location: Melville, Western Australia Size: 450 square meters (4,843 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Sophie is a marketing adviser for an agricultural company by day, but it is her role as Creative Director for her business, Design Horde, that is her true passion.

Name: Ben and Heidi Yardley and their cat, Nico Location: North Melbourne; Victoria, Australia Size: 2500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Heidi and Ben’s home is located down a quaint cobblestone lane that’s slightly overgrown with trees and shrubs. As you enter through the gate, it’s like stepping back in time or traveling to Europe.

Name: Alice Saunders and her pup, Maisey Location: Jamaica Plain; Boston, Massachusetts Size: Approximately 800 square feet Years lived in: 5 1/2 years; Rented Alice Saunders is a prominent figure in the world of artists and makers. A native of New Hampshire, this New England gal is the owner of Forestbound, where she designs and crafts beautiful leather and canvas totes out of vintage materials sourced at flea markets, estate sales, and military shows.

Name: Katherine Hysmith and Josh Gantt and their cats, Eleanor and Maxwell Location: Belmont, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented When Katherine Hysmith, The Boston Globe contributor and founder of the food blog The Young Austinian, left her native Texas to pursue a graduate degree in gastronomy from Boston University, she brought her Southern roots with her.

Name: Samara Vise Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Hello, my name is Samara Vise and I’m a recent contributor to Apartment Therapy. After sharing a few homes in the Boston area with you, I decided I would open up my own apartment to a House Tour. My home speaks a lot to who I am, where I’m from, and the people and places that have been in my life.

Names: Alexandra Piotrowski and Max Ostrove Location: Venice, California Size: 576 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented From the moment you enter Alex and Max’s bright, un-fussy home, it’s evident that every item has a story. The beautiful wood shelving and furniture becomes all the more warm to the touch when you learn that much of it was handcrafted by the inhabitants.

Name: Heidi Unkefer (left), Brittany Meyer (right) & Jess Manning Location: Wicker Park/East Village; Chicago, Illinois Years lived in: 3 years (Brittany), 1.5 years (Heidi), 0.5 years (Jess) This is no brand-new condo made to look like an industrial space with high ceilings and exposed ducts; this is a paint-on-the-floor, full of history, open and raw, ever-evolving space, one that has changed in size and configuration over the years depending on whomever was living there at the moment.

Name: Kati Location: Rice Village — Houston, Texas One year ago, I packed my cat Boots and everything I owned into a minivan and moved from New York City to Houston, Texas to be with my boyfriend. We rented a great apartment in Rice Village – near a host of boutiques, restaurants, and bars. This was our first time living together, and we were excited to curate an apartment that reflected both of our personalities. We wanted a combination of clean lines and comfort.

Name: Justin and Madison Power and their schnoodle, Sylvia Location: Roslindale; Boston, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 Months; Rented Justin Power of Pioneer Goods Co. has a bent for good old rustic Americana. The son of an interior designer, Justin spent a great deal of his childhood developing his eye at flea markets and estate sales with his mother. Some twenty years later, Justin curates his own home goods shop in one of Boston’s most popular neighborhoods.

Name: Amandine Isnard & Mihalis Gripiotis and Aristos Location: Williamsburg; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented Amandine is the Head of Product Development for Eve Lom, a European niche luxury beauty brand, and Mihalis is a journalist and the founder of the art-house film production company IFFI Productions. Their Brooklyn house was decorated to look like a film set, and as a result, has been used as a studio for various film projects.

Name: Pierce Atkinson Location: St. Henri; Montréal, Canada Size: Approximately 900 square feet Years lived in: Almost 2 years; Rented Pierce is someone who is not afraid to take risks in life, especially when it comes to style and design. Following the best design advice he’s ever received—decorate for “You Do You”—Pierce has filled his apartment with what he is attracted to the most: color, patterns, and quirk.

Name: Randi and Joe Location: Wyoming, Michigan Size: 770 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented Randi and Joe live in a sprawling, 430-unit complex in Wyoming, Michigan a suburb of Grand Rapids. The rental units have the usual beige carpet, white walls, and wall-mounted air conditioners, but those items aren’t noticeable in Randi and Joe’s home.

Name: Kory DeClark and Lindsey Cordova Location: New Haven, Connecticut Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented When Kory and Lindsey moved to New Haven from Los Angeles, they had a tight budget and only a few items with which to furnish their new apartment. Even with those constraints, they were able to create a refreshing, inviting space. Their home is simple and spartan, but there is always an abundance of good company and delicious food.

Name: Jen Patryn Location: Nolita; New York City Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented When she’s not working on fashion shoots, creating visual stories, and advising major labels, Jen Patryn, a New York-based fashion editor, is traveling the world and wandering the mountains of Central America.

Name: Josie and Jules Location: South East London, UK Size: 677 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned The phrase “that rug really tied the room together” is bandied about a lot these days, and with all due respect to The Dude, it’s become a bit of a cliche. Having said that, can we talk about that rug for a second? Beautiful!

Name: Emmy and Andreas Location: Providence, RI Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Andreas, a financial coaching fellow, and Emmy relocated from the windy city of Chicago to the creative capital of Providence three years ago when Emmy began her studies as an art history PhD candidate at Brown University.

Name: Kristen Tola Hettich Location: Burbank, CA Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented When my friend Kristen decided to redecorate her bedroom last year, she enlisted a professional interior designer to help her out. That project lit a fire under her to tackle the remainder of the entire home on her own. Kristen is a food, fashion, and interior prop stylist who is very good at mixing patterns and is not afraid of color!

Name: Becca Kannapell Location: Noble Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: Approximately 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When Becca and her boyfriend moved from New York City to Chicago a year ago, they were amazed by their new-found apartment options. Both of them lived in tiny 400-square-foot apartments in Manhattan, and now they have all this space to create in — and Becca has been taking full advantage.

Name: Signy Roland Location: Yorkville; Toronto, Canada Size: 712 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented After spending nearly a decade living in the great cities of Montreal and New York, Signy recent returned home to Toronto. Condo development has skyrocketed in the city, making it one of the more popular residential options in Canada. At first hesitant to make the move, Signy came around to the idea and really enjoys living in her one-bedroom condo.

Name: Erica Feldmann and Dave Wells Location: Somerville, MA Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Like many millennials, Erica and Dave were drawn to Boston by grad school, and their life path is similar to that of current and past generations: move to a new place, meet somebody, start putting down roots. What is different is this: their apartment doesn’t feel like it belongs to a couple in their first place together.

Name: Jo Walker Location: Coburg; Melbourne, Australia Size: 75 square meters (807 square feet) Years lived in: 1 year; Owned I was so excited when Jo Walker, the editor of the award-winning Australian magazine Frankie, said I could photograph her home and share it on Apartment Therapy! I had fairly high expectations of her at-home style, and it seriously did not disappoint.

Name: Danielle Location: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve; Montreal, Canada Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned When I first entered Danielle’s condo, I immediately noticed the calm and peaceful ambiance. Maybe the cooled air inside had something to do with it, on a can’t stand the heat and humidity sort of day! But regardless of temperature, Danielle’s place is seriously awesome. Although the condo is a garden level unit, it remains lit all day by the large windows.

Name: Danielle Levy Location: Mile End; Montreal, Quebec Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented A born and raised Montrealer, Danielle is an avid supporter of her local community which is a defining feature of her lifestyle from food to home design. Much of the artwork and décor Danielle owns has a personal connection, either having been created by a friend or local artist, found at a thrift shop or collected from her travels abroad.

Name: David Location: Echo Park/Angelino Heights; Los Angeles, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented On a street filled with beautiful old homes, David has filled one unit of a beautiful old fourplex with every trinket, memento, and piece of quirky art that can fit under one roof.

Name: Joe & Rachael Ringenberg, daughters Lux & Joan Location: Beacon Hill; Boston, MA Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Rachael, of Erstwhile Dear, and Joe Ringenberg, a product designer for Wistia, live in this intimate Beacon Hill apartment with their daughters, Lux and Joan. The couple has honed in on a sleepy-minimalist scheme that reflects the abundance of natural light, transforming the attic space into an airy, lived-in nest.

Name: James Burial and his adorable dog, Penny Location: Highland Park; Los Angeles, California Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 9 months; Rented I met James a couple years ago at SHOPCLASS, where he runs the show in all things vintage. I figured he had a fond appreciation and awe for mid-century furnishings and details from decades past, and once I heard that he’d handmade his own dining table and chairs, I knew I had to invite myself over for a tour. I’m so happy he said yes.

Name: Lara Linn Location: Newport, Rhode Island Size: 320 square feet Years lived in: 4 months; Rented Lara knew it was time to find a space outside of her Warm, Welcoming Newport Apartment to tackle her many creative projects when she found herself surrounded by over 300 marshmallows in her small one-bedroom home. She was using them to construct a whimsical curtain for a winter white event, and they took over the counters, floors, and even her bed for two weeks.

Name: Danielle Suppa & Mark James Location: Toronto; Ontario, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned This loft is home to Danielle and Mark, a creative and sporty duo, and is located in Toronto’s emerging West End. The building was originally the manufacturing portion of an early 19th century train factory and was converted into a residential space in 2008.

Name: Ann Mack Designer: Christina Love Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 7 — rented Call it the six-ish year itch. After as many years in one place, Ann wanted a clean slate, to banish the shadows and let in the light.

Name: Yigit Pura Location: Nob Hill — San Francisco, CA Size: 570 square feet Years lived in: 8 months — own When Yigit decided to take the leap and buy an apartment in the city, he wanted a home that intrigued him every time he walked through the door. Clocking in at just 570 square feet, this one bedroom has a small kitchen, a cool modern bathroom, and a nice view of downtown San Francisco.

Name: Linzi Clary and Spencer Tubbs Location: Providence, RI Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Linzi Clary and her boyfriend Spencer Tubbs have an eye for interiors and share a passion for mid-century design. Linzi, a fine arts graduate and designer at Speidel, and Spencer, a shopkeeper and musician, moved to Providence two years ago, combining their styles and passions to create one seriously mod and beautiful space that truly reflects their personalities.

Name: Christina Clark Location: South Austin, TX Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: Almost 1 year; Rented While definitely qualifying as a small space, this newly-renovated apartment makes great use of its natural light and nice flow, making it seem much larger than it is. Tried and true elements including large windows, white walls, dark wood floors, and rich cabinet colors allow for a modern, yet classic appeal. Christina grew up in Vermont and spent some time studying abroad in London.

Name: Eloïse and Jose Location: Verdun; Montreal, Canada Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It’s always impressive to enter a big, open, high-ceilinged living space, filled with huge windows, abundant natural light, and a massive brick wall. Despite these delightful architectural features, it could be quite challenging to make this type of room feel cozy, balanced, and comfortable, but Jose and Eloïse achieved it by simply using a few helpful tricks.

Siire and Jean Francois have lived and travelled all over the world, and they recently settled down to raise their young sonin a Haussman-style building in Paris.

Name: Libby Gravatt and Tim Caws Location: 4th arrondissement (Le Marais); Paris, France Size: 60 square m (645 square feet) plus 14 square m terrace (150 square feet) Years lived in: 6 months This mid-sized apartment merges Old World French and modern aesthetics perfectly. It’s hard not to fall in love with this space, with its big French windows, marble fireplaces, and hard woods.

Name: Erick Millan Location: Burbank, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Erick hired me to shoot his home for his new interior design portfolio, I immediately wanted to share it as a house tour because it exemplifies how easy it is to bring beautiful organic style to maximize a modest-sized home. It is his first completed design project and it is very, very special.

Name: Mark and Emily (and Kally the cat) Location: East Village; New York, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Emily and Mark’s East Village apartment may be small, but it’s bursting with light and color. They make small space living look easy — somehow they’ve managed to squeeze all the things that two people need to live (and work!) into 330 square feet, and still create a cozy, beautiful home.

Name: Gregory Keith Metcalf Location: Downtown Arts District; Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year; Rented Fellow photographer Greg Metcalf and I have been friends for years. A move from the suburbs of Silver Lake to the Arts District of Downtown LA has offered Greg quite a contrast in architecture, neighborhood, and lifestyle. I jumped at the chance to shoot his new place; I love a good loft and this home exemplifies the true meaning of live/work space.

Two sisters, native New Yorkers and close in age, share this apartment.

Name: Cristina, General, Najal & Rafia Judd Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rental Cristina and General Judd are a husband and wife interior design duo based in Brooklyn and co-founders of Me and General Design. This dynamic couple’s apartment rental is a testament to what happens when two creatives join forces at home.

Name: Amanda and Matthew (and Severus the cat) Location: Ferndale, Michigan Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented While photographing Amanda and Matthew’s second-floor apartment, I tried to define the overall theme of their collection. I saw floral prints on oven mitts and furniture. I noticed animals – both stuffed and printed on textiles. There were bowls of Japanese candies and lots of colors. I finally asked, “What do you collect?

Name: Andy Crepeau & Andrew Arbaugh (plus Oliver & Scout) Location: Somerville, MA Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 4 — rented Just blocks from some of greater Boston’s best vintage furniture locales, Andy & Andrew’s home is curated with an endless array of cool and quirky finds.

Name: Sarah Smith & Jeremy Ballard Location: Carrollton; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented When Sarah and Jeremy met in Savannah, Georgia, they bonded over a shared love of collecting vintage toys, oddball objects and natural specimens. She was studying painting at Savannah College of Art and Design and he was a glassblower working at a new studio in town. Their dates consisted of hunting for treasures in thrift stores and junk shops.