Canada

Rhea knows a thing or two about living in a small space; she’s made a stylish but functional home in this 420-square-foot studio apartment.

Grace loves her sofa. ”The end tables can become stools and there's a secret compartment in the corner.”

Esther has poured her soul into this little apartment by “planning, painting, and installing cabinets, shelves, and a finicky wall desk.”

Including wood floors with a patterned inlay, antique glass doors with brass hardware, arched doorways, intricate moldings, cast iron radiators, and a mauve-tiled fireplace.

See inside this teeny rental apartment that Ria has made feel cozy despite the small size.

At first glance, this home might appear to be maximalist, but the style is actually more of a reflection of the family. There’s a fry-themed room, a skateboard bedroom, and plenty of other personal touches.

This house came with all-white walls and no landscaping, but it’s now moody and has an incredible backyard after the couple “landscaped the crap out of the whole property.”

Angela described her condo’s former style as “typical modern American Psycho white walls,” but she’s transformed it with color and “quirky as F decor.”

Yvonne and Michael were undaunted by the amount of work needed to renovate this 1940s-era house that came with a bland palette of browns and beiges.

"Our house is a reflection of who we are and what we love," homeowner Jean Ross shares.

The homeowners admit that they DIYed quite "literally everything except for any electrical or plumbing needs."

“There isn’t a color absent across our entire main floor,” Jessica Russell says.

But Sasha and Andrew saw past the dated home’s quirks, bringing out all the home’s charm with their stunning remodel.

See inside this full-of-life Vancouver rental apartment that brings in character with thrifted furniture.

See inside this Ontario house that’s been renovated inside and out by the owners of the colorful vintage shop, Rainbows and Retro.

“It is the perfect size for living alone and is my happy place — I love coming home to the space,” Melissa Verdicchio writes of her home.

See inside a Vancouver rental apartment that’s a neutral, calming, organic, and eclectic mix and match of old and new.

Nine different wallpapers make this home pop!

Sanjana Ahid, her husband, and their cat babies have lived in this apartment for six years, and while nothing is too precious, everything was selected intentionally. It's a cozy, functional, lively, and soothing home.

Photographer Nikki Ross and her fiancé, photographer and director Matt Barnes, have completely renovated this old church, turning it into an incredibly unique home with a slide, trampoline, fun furniture, art, and more.

See behind the cabinet doors to learn valuable, small-space organizing tips.

"This process can be an emotional one, but also brings clarity and perspective through our attachment to certain objects, memories, and spaces," says photographer Lauren Kolyn.

Before Selma bought their condo two years ago, it had been a plain rental with popcorn ceilings, old appliances, and a dark kitchen. But after renovating, the condo is now fresh and bright.

Musician Mathew V has moved five times in the last six years in “search of a home that felt like just that: home.” He’s found it here in this polished condo he shares with his partner, Justin.

Julie and her fiancé fell in love with the original details of this house, like the original hardwood and arched doorways. And when it came to furnishing it, they got thrifty: "Our home is about 80% secondhand and 20% new items."

David and Mitzi spend their summers on Shuswap Lake. "We are foodies, book lovers, and travelers, and we enjoy hosting family and friends. We are active and outgoing; we love nature, and so a summer home on the lake is a dream come true," Mitzi writes.

Aude and her cat, Charlot, live in their triplex in Montreal. Focusing on keeping the original architecture with archways showing off the living room, Aude has kept the beauty of the space while adding in her own style.

Fiona's Downtown Toronto apartment isn't afraid to break every rule. With a shower featured prominently in the kitchen and cool vintage furniture and accessories everywhere, this home highlights its unique quirks.

Robin's Canadian home is a reflection of her time traveling around the world. She has expensive taste, but has learned how to DIY a lot of the decor in her home to make it look and feel expensive on a low budget.

Fairy tales, period dramas, and fantasy novels have all lent imagination to this space. "I feel inspired among rich jewel tones like emerald green and plum, and have put up a fairy light canopy in every place I’ve lived — I like to make my inner child happy!" exclaims Lauren Park, who shares this home with partner, Kevin, and their two cats.

Natalie Doef describes her style as bohemian, whimsical, modern, and fresh. "I tend to gravitate towards earthy features; I love incorporating natural materials like rattan, bamboo, clay, ceramic, and stone."

When Roanna Cochrane and Simon Phillips first viewed this turn-of-the-century loft, it was run-down with lime green walls in the kitchen, a shabby curtain dividing the bedroom from the living room, and no light fixtures to speak of.

Momina and her husband, Ali, moved into this Toronto townhouse at the start of the pandemic and spent A LOT of time at home. Since then, they have been spending their time slowly and intentionally customizing their space.

Janelle and Spencer's apartment is in an old Victorian house (built in 1883!) that’s been broken out into units. Their space has a ton of character, including original molding and ceiling medallions, chandeliers in every room (even the kitchen and bathrooms), a working fireplace, a large verandah, and big, lovely bay windows not overlooking someone else’s condo balcony.

Interior designer and TV host Camille Charland and husband Jeffrey did all the work themselves on their “English cottage meets Nordic countryside" 650-square-foot space they live in part time with their baby and two dogs.

Victoria Ashley is the founder and creative director of Laundry Day, a design-forward glassware and smoking accessories brand. She rents this historic life/work loft in Victoria that's filled with cool, stylish, and intentional furniture and decor objects.

Tessa started Tessa Ariane Design, which focuses on affordable design work, in "response to how out of touch the interior design industry can be with what most folks actually need. We are all impacted by our environments, and I really believe we need to prioritize providing solutions for renters, folks in small spaces, and within realistic budgets that don’t leave anyone behind," she says.

Misella and Angga run Lumalamp, a handmade origami lampshade business, out of their home, this 700-square-foot apartment they renovated themselves and share with their three young kids.

Content creator Luna Lindsay has DIYed and painted her rental apartment into a pastel palace... and recently launched a hand-poured pastel candle business called Moonwix.

Kevin and Sarah renovated and furnished this historic home using IKEA hacks, a mix of budget and splurge items, and a heavy amount of secondhand finds; they estimate they've acquired about $70,000 of furniture and decor for about $6,000!

Franco Cheng renovated this small Toronto studio apartment, completely upgrading the kitchen and bathroom, and creating a neat bed alcove where a built-in mirrored closet used to be.

Kristine Bélanger always dreamed of adding a ton of color to a home, so as soon as she and her husband bought this house, she finally started to paint... using nearly every color!

Amara and her roommate love music from the '60s/'70s, so there are nods to musicians around their home, including Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, and Freddie Mercury (to name a few).

If you imagine that being a furniture designer means you get to be surrounded by your own gorgeous modern work, you'd be right.

Anyone who's been captivated by the current checkerboard trend will fall head over heels for this Toronto rental apartment's original black and white checkered kitchen floor.

Like installing pink peel and stick backsplash tiles, replacing fixtures and hardware such as handles, light switches, faucets, and more!

Taking the renovation process room by room, Vanessa and Félix have transformed the space into a warm — and very pink! — abode that reflects their bright and fun-loving personalities.

This designer's rental apartment is FILLED with gorgeous vintage gems.

Léa purchased very few new things for her apartment. The owner left the couch, bedframe, and kitchen island, and she scored deals on Marketplace and items from her parents. But she also rented her entire dining set, leather chairs, and kitchen chairs through a furniture rental company called Pivot.

Melanie Núñez grew up in the Caribbean and it was extremely important that her home reflect her heritage.

This 1970s bungalow was transformed from top-to-bottom into a special getaway full of unusual details and personal touches, all on a very tight budget, using thrifty alternatives and vintage/salvage elements throughout.

This 1985 Dodge van still had the original 1980s fake wood paneling and red velour upholstery everywhere when Evelyn and her daughter bought this home-on-wheels to remodel!

It's also a masterclass in mixing mismatching secondhand finds BEAUTIFULLY.