Featured Tour

Name: John and Wesley Yates-Parietti Location: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Size: 630 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years Before John and Wesley moved into this 1890s Brooklyn townhouse, they say they were each living in separate “windowless dumps.” It took lots of unpacking and plenty of painting, but this small shared space is filled with historic artifacts, collected treasures and the couple’s heart and soul. (No windowless dumps in sight.

Name: Des Ellis Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,440 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented and owned Some people have an effortless style, amazing taste and the gift of knowing how to put all the pieces of their life together perfectly. Des is one of those people. She’s the buyer and general manager at Manready Mercantile, a “one-stop shop” that sells American-made goods for the home and closet.

Name: Sara, Kyle, and Monty the dog Location: Forest Hill, Toronto Size: 750 square feet| Years lived in: Renting 10 months. (They lived in the one-bedroom unit directly next door for 5 years.) This space proves that we should never judge a home by its exterior. Built in the late 1960s by architect Uni Prii, this apartment building was described as “space age” by Spacing Toronto. However, Kyle and Sara have created a home that leans far more toward cozy vintage than futuristic.

Name: Kallie Seniff Location: Logan Circle in Washington, D.C. Size: 456 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Kallie’s colorful studio apartment couldn’t be more representative of her personality. She’s an energetic, thrifty person and she found a way to combine these traits into a home so stylish that it makes me wild with envy.

Name: Kaitie, Tyler + cats (Jolene, Bruce, and Robin) + dog (Trae) Location: East Nashville — Nashville, Tennessee Size: 1,540 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned California natives Kaitie and Tyler wanted a change of pace, and Music City fit the bill. So they put down roots in Nashville about two years ago. At the time they were house hunting, real estate in Nashville was selling quickly.

Name: Niki Azevedo and Bennett Harrell Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn— New York Size: 452 square feet Years lived in: Renting 6 years Niki’s 450 square foot Brooklyn apartment is a reflection of the years she’s lived as an artist in New York City. From DIY wallpaper, to rescued portraits of Jesus on the cross, to a mounted deer head, Niki’s personality shines throughout the space. “I am never giving up this apartment,” Niki says.

Name: Lisa Diederich and Samuel Stephenson Location: Inglewood — Nashville, Tennessee Size: 1,248 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Sam and I recently moved from Sydney, Australia to Nashville, Tennessee and have spent the past few months settling into our home and our businesses here in Music City. After five years in Sydney, we both felt it was time for a new adventure, and Nashville was calling!

Name: Kenny and Robbert Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands Size: 969 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, rented Robbert and Kenny are quite the complementary pair — Robbert’s practicality balances out Kenny’s flair for the dramatic — and their Utrecht attic apartment wonderfully reflects that balance. Located on one of the main canals of Utrecht, this building was once a warehouse and dates from the 15th century.

Name: Jory Dayne Location: Tenderloin — San Francisco, California Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented The bustle of the street scene just outside Jory’s doorstep is a contrast to the warm, serene studio apartment he calls home. A flood of light pours in through bay windows, reflecting off the cluster of plants in the corner.

Name: Vicki and Ross Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Years lived in: 8 years, owned Vicki and Ross moved into their home in the inner-city suburb of Carlton eight years ago. Their building was originally part of an adjoining hotel — and it housed a hand ball court sitting in the back. (The first Inter-colonial Hand Ball Competition was played there against New South Wales, in fact!) You can still see some of the original paint markings on the walls in their gorgeous courtyard.

Name: Sarah and Dan Location: Fort Greene — Brooklyn, New York Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4.5 years Sarah and Dan live in a beautifully preserved brownstone apartment in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. The pre-war space features an abundance of architectural charm, like high ceilings, a floral ceiling medallion, and a gorgeous fireplace. The couple describes their style as modern and minimal, but above all, they value comfort.

Every ounce of artist Hillery's place is dripping in warmth. There are stacks of cozy blankets to curl into and Mali the dog appears perpetually huggable.

Name: Tomoko and Michael Yates and cat Mochi Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: About 400 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Tomoko and Michael met in Austin (in fact, you might remember the Austin house tour we did of his old apartment), but moved into their Clinton Hill apartment about three and a half years ago. The couple, respectively from Japan and Texas, describe their home’s style as simple and cozy.

Name: Catherine Masi Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Designer Catherine Masi’s small studio apartment is in the historic Eastside of Downtown Santa Barbara. The area is beautiful and full of history — and so is the building she lives in.

Name: Cheyenne Cannon Location: West Oakland — Oakland, California Size: ~250 square feet (part of a 2-story, 4-bedroom house) Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Though Cheyenne doesn’t get to claim an entire apartment to herself, her small workspace and bedroom provide the bright light, privacy and inspiration she needs. She lucked out when the private second floor bedroom opened up.

Name: Elyse Location: Ville-Marie — Montreal Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 6 months Elyse’s apartment is a museum of small objects that are decorative rather than strictly functional. In fact, she calls it her “tchotchke heaven.” The bright light pouring in through big windows and the clean white walls prove to be the perfect gallery for her collection.

Name: Leo and Daniel Location: Dolores Heights — San Francisco, California Size: 1,250 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2.5 years Leo and Daniel consider themselves fortunate to live in a stunning, spacious San Francisco apartment overlooking the city’s skyline. Daniel’s parents own the building, so he and his sister (who lives in the unit above the couple) got first dibs.

Name: Jesse Roebuck and Alastair Emmett Location: Ipswich, Queensland Years Lived In: 1, owned Jesse and Alastair made the move from an inner-city Art Deco apartment to Ipswich when they purchased their first home. They found a beautiful “Queenslander” style cottage, and quickly made the house a home in just under a year. Choosing a house with character and charm was just the first step of this vintage luxe home.

Name: Christina and Matt Location: Novi, Michigan Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 3 years Just married, these newlyweds are both in creative fields: Christina is a talented wedding photographer and Matt is a copywriter. Their creativity is on full display in their apartment, like Christina’s photographs, which are sprinkled around each room. They also got creative to transform a plain, cookie cutter space into a bright, airy, romantic home.

Name: Tim and Ren Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Size: 1076 square feet Years lived in: Renting 2 years When you enter Ren and Tim’s light-filled Amsterdam apartment, you can physically feel yourself relax as the hustle and bustle of city life is shed at the door. Part Nordic, part mid-century, their apartment boasts clean, simple lines and minimalist aesthetics.

Name: Maaike Mekking and Michael Aveling (and Alma, Rosa) Location: Sydenham, London Size: 758 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned Art director/Photographer Maaike Mekking and her husband Michael Aveling live in this cute little Edwardian cottage in South East London with their two young daughters Alma and Rosa.

Name: Austin Carrier, Alex Mutter-Rottmayer, and their dog Ziggy Location: Sonoma, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Austin and Alex say their apartment is like the scene in Alice in Wonderland in which the Mad Hatter is calling for people to change seats. It’s very likely that the couple’s wine country apartment is already styled completely different than how it looked during this house tour.

Name: Jared Frank Location: Casa Larissa in Silverlake, Los Angeles Size: 1000 square foot apartment Years lived in: 7 years, renting Jared Frank is the interior designer behind Topsy Design, and floats between New York and Los Angeles transforming residential and commercial spaces. He chanced upon Casa Larissa — a one-of-a-kind apartment— when attending an estate sale. The previous tenant, fresco artist Lance Klemm, used the space as his canvas.

Name: Debbie and Devin Location: Lansing, Michigan Size: Approximately 1600 square feet (including the studio space in the attic) Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Debbie and Devin met on the East Coast before moving to Chicago, where we toured their apartment and first saw this creative couple’s home style. From photography, to jewelry making to music, their Chicago home displayed their handiwork, and so does their current home in Michigan.

Name: YC Chen, Kennie and Jami Location: Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong Size: 1,020 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned YC Chen is the Creative Director and founder of hoo, an interior design company in Hong Kong. YC and his wife Kennie moved into this two-bedroom apartment in Pok Fu Lam over two years ago with their son Jami, who was a toddler at the time. The most important thing for them was to create a space that is totally stylish and child-friendly.

Name: Nathan Lump and Charles Runnette Location: Park Slope — Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet plus terrace Years lived in: 1 year, 2 months, owned Where does Travel + Leisure magazine’s editor-in-chief Nathan Lump live when he’s not combing the world to find fabulous far-flung locales? In an airy, comfy Park Slope apartment he recently renovated with his husband Charles Runnette, a fellow killer content creator who works at the Mustache Agency (and a traveler, too).

Name: Erin Walsh Location: East Nashville — Nashville, TN Size: 724 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting “It’s not easy mastering the art of being minimal and warm, but I think Erin’s East Nashville rental apartment does it. And even more impressive, she did it in just four months! This is a tour greatest hit, but I think it’s worth another look.

A lot fits into this 550 square foot Philly rental: a drool-worthy fireplace, brick walls, hip furniture and tons of plants.

Name: Ruth Snell Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: Owned 6 years Ruth Snell and her family have lived in their bright, 1300 square foot home for almost six years. As you enter her organized entryway, you wouldn’t guess that controlling family clutter is her biggest challenge. Ruth’s best advice for a tidy home? Practice picking up daily, have a place for everything, and keep baskets around to collect items that need to go back to their homes.

Name: Teri Clar and Patrick Choquette, plus their dog, Nami Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 925 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, Rented (1 of them including Patrick!) Ombre bedroom accent walls in Crushed Velvet and a moody, modern den in Hale Navy? Check and check. Welcome to the home of interior designer and business owner Teri Clar. Teri resides in in Arlington, Virginia with her fiancé, Patrick and their dog, Nami.

Name: Paula-Jane Buckland, son Rocket (9 years old) and Dixon Location: Coburg North — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 3229 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Paula-Jane and her son Rocket moved to Melbourne from Adelaide about four years ago.

Name: Anne, Christian and dog Watson Location: Sant Gervasi – Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented Anne was studying in Amsterdam when she fell in love with her now husband Christian. When he asked her to move to Barcelona, she didn’t hesitate. But finding the perfect apartment didn’t come easy for the couple, who first squeezed themselves into a tiny rental while waiting for the right property.

Name: Salma and her husband Naghi Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan Size: 2,250 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Blending the new with the old and taking advantage of every vertical space in her house for displaying artwork, Salma, an interior designer, has created a colorful attention-grabbing home. “Our house was built in 1967, before it was built, the whole subdivision was a farming community. The land the house sits on was once a cow farm!

Name: Kelly and Colton Jarisch, baby Silas, and Shiner. Location: Tarrytown — Austin, Texas Size: 1,530 square feet Years lived in: Owned a little over 2.5 years Kelly and Colton’s small cottage home just west of downtown Austin is a case study for renovations done right. Their reno began as a series of DIY projects to remove the previous owner’s design decisions, but Kelly and Colton soon found themselves in the midst of a whole house renovation — for the first time.

Name: Lauren Wilson Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan Size: 1,850 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Interior designer — and mom to three kids — Lauren Wilson says it’s hard to believe that she’s been in her family home for five years. When she moved in, she envisioned an open space that she and her husband could create and build on their own. However, the space was anything but the open-concept she dreamed about.

Name: Courtney Webster and Brandon Aguiar Location: Providence, Rhode Island Size: 950 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, rent Courtney Webster (who’s behind the lifestyle blog jeune amour) and her artist husband Brandon Aguiar fell in love with this Providence apartment’s 15-foot high white walls, giant loft windows, exposed brick and the open living space.

Name: Philip, Amanda, Jasper and Boogers the cat Location: Downtown Nashville, Tenneessee Size: 1,400 Square Feet Years lived in: Own- 3 Years Constructed in the 1800s and the oldest building on the block, it was love at first sight when Philip, Amanda and Jasper moved to Nashville about three years ago. The Knoxville natives wanted all the perks of downtown living: the luxury of walking to work or to restaurants and stores, just steps away from their front door.

Name: Kym Pesola Location: Lower Pacific Heights — San Francisco, California Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting “I wouldn’t say ‘no’ to a real dining table and more space, but it’s actually cozy to gather around on the floor and the sofa when friends come to visit.” In one sentence, media relations manager Kym Pesola sums up big pros and cons of studio apartment living: the intimacy it can offer and the lack of space.

Name: Franca, Thom, and their dogs Herman and Truusje Location: Nuenen, The Netherlands Size: 1,775 square feet (including the third/attic floor, not shown) Years lived in: 23 years, owned The town of Nuenen in the south of the Netherlands may have a familiar ring to art lovers. It’s where Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh lived for a couple of years in the period when he created his famous “The Potato Eaters.

Name: Kota Kobayashi Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, New York Size: 575 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2.5 years Kota’s grandfather’s life hobby was Bonsai, the Japanese art of growing trees in containers. From him, Kota’s mother got a passion for gardening. Not surprisingly, Kota has a love of plants, as well. “The fondness for the green is in my blood. I could not help myself but to be surrounded by plants.

Name: Lindsay Hollinger, kitty Hewson Location: Joshua Tree, California Size: 1236 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, Owned Walking into Lindsay’s home is like walking into a desert landscape of whites and cacti and hues that just make you feel good. Lindsay felt these same good vibes when she first visited the desert, deciding to make it her home. The dreamy desert look came naturally once she moved in and began to decorate.

Name: Soogee, husband Tae and their three kids Location: Okemos, Michigan Size: 2376 square feet (including the basement) Years lived in: 3 years Soogee wears a lot of hats. The mom of three kids, she also helps her husband run a couple of family businesses. The couple are also avid foodies, and they enjoy making delicious Asian- and European-inspired cakes and pastries. She’s also a decorator and realtor!

Name: Shauna Glenn and Jeff Jones Location: Fort Worth, Texas Size: 4,111 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned If Alice (of Wonderland) had a house in the 21st century, this is what it would look like. With each room drenched in bright colors and bold patterns, you can’t help but feel happy walking around this home. Shauna and Jeff have picked up items from their travels around the world, adding statement pieces to each room to give them character.

Name: Joel and Jessica Nickerson and their two daughters Location: Denton, Texas Size: 2,000 square feet Years Lived In: 8 years, owned Jessica has filled each room of her home with unique finds, DIY elements, and vintage pieces to create a warm and welcoming environment. On her blog, House Homemade, she shares her passion for creating a cozy home and demonstrates how to recreate her favorite DIY pieces.

Name: Mallory Guraya Location: The Marina — San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting For over a year, Mallory has called this adorable little studio in the hip Marina neighborhood her home. The broadcast producer was born and raised in California and has East Indian roots. Her style gravitates toward bold colors, rustic trinkets, and dhurrie rugs, while adding touches of the Golden State through beach accents like seashells.

Name: Christine Knapp and Brooke Osecki Location: Maplewood — St. Louis, Missouri Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1.5 years Most university students facing a three-month lease in a summer sublet would barely bother tacking a poster to the wall. Not Christine Knapp. I have never known her to live in a place more than a week without thoughtfully making it her own, even if it meant working within a student budget.

Name: Raquel Lynn and Adam Korbesmeyer (plus Mango the Pomeranian ) Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Originally from Ohio (and after a short stint in New York), Raquel and her husband Adam found their way to Los Angeles two years ago. Situated in Silver Lake, this recently renovated apartment is in a great location, but the couple needed this space to be more than just a home base for exploring Los Angeles.

Name: Elle Ruhstaller and Alex Ristevski Location: Piedmont Avenue — Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Elle can’t really pinpoint a specific style for the Oakland apartment she shares with her partner Alex. “It’s a mash-up of what I like most from many different eras,” she said of her apartment’s decor.

Name: Liesel and Pieter Crafford and their children, Jack and Gabi Location: Vredehoek — Cape Town, South Africa Size: 315 square meters Years lived in: 13 years, owned Liesel and Pieter fell in love with this house the moment they saw it, although what you see today is very different to how it originally looked. It was once the home to a mosaic artist, and nearly every single wall was a different, vivid color.

Name: Sarah Bishop Location: Cape Town Size: 463 square feet Years lived in: Owned, 6 months Situated just off bustling Long Street in the heart of Cape Town, you’ll find a small Moroccan-inspired oasis. As an entrepreneur, Sarah travels between London and Cape Town for work and needed a comfortable place to live when in South Africa. So she purchased this apartment six months ago with her business partner; they take turns sharing the space between them.

Textures, clever DIYs and lovely macrame fill this modern home in the Netherlands.

Name: Anne, Dave, Pascale and Liam Lowell Location: Orinda, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned After living in San Francisco for 20 years, Anne, her husband and two children moved north over the Bay Bridge to Orinda — a small town in the lush hills of the East Bay. It was the better schools that convinced the couple to make the move over the bridge. They found and nestled down in a beautiful house surrounded by leafy trees.

Name: Danielle Walsh and Greg Brownstein Location: Laurel Heights — San Francisco, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Traveling is fun, but can also be hard work — especially when you’re a senior editor at a travel magazine. So your home needs to be something you love coming back to; a place you can take a vacation from vacation.

Name: Margot and Luc Location: Utrecht, Netherlands Size: 538 square feet Years lived in: 2 years (I moved in with Luc a year ago, he has lived here for 2 years) Margot and Luc’s travel-inspired apartment will fill you with wanderlust the second you step through the door!

Name: Nolan and Natalie Smith Location: Plaza Midwood — Charlotte, North Carolina Size: 1,136 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting In the times of meeting your mate online, Natalie and Nolan did it the old-fashioned way — through mutual friends in Nashville, Tennessee. The couple has now made a home in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a “plain” apartment they’ve added tons of color and life to.

Name: Kari Lopez and Vien Do Location: East Village, Manhattan Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Kari and Vien moved up a few floors recently. First, the couple lived in a studio apartment on the third floor of this building for about a year and half. But now they occupy a light-filled one-bedroom unit on the 12th floor (with a balcony!).

Name: Erin and Mike and their two kids (ages 6 and 3) Location: Riverdale — Toronto, Ontario Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned This three-story, century home in Toronto is filled to the brim with stylish thrift hauls, DIY projects, and chic details. The combination of all those fixings make this house a pleasure to visit. It’s clear that Erin and Mike have put their hearts into making this the perfect luxurious family home for their small family.

Name: Melissa Morgan Location: Pleasanton, California Size: 380 square feet Years lived in: Renting 4 years Melissa’s been renting this tiny 380-square-foot rental for four years — a long time to try and squeeze your life and stuff in just one room. Does she ever get sick of small space living? “All the time!” she admits. “At least a few times a week I crave more space to have a sofa, a bigger bathroom to take a bath, and a bigger kitchen to cook anything I want.

Name: Michelle and Alex Gage Location: Havertown, Pennsylvania Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “Everything needed to go!” That’s how interior designer Michelle Gage describes the Havertown house she and her husband bought three years ago. Because it’s in the suburbs, they were able to get more for their money — 2000 square feet — but Michelle reports that though large, it was, well, hideous. And she means all of it.

Name: Lisa Martin Location: Ville-Marie, Montreal Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Her travels in South America — seeing the colorful culture and world-renowned traditional crafts — have heavily influenced Lisa Martin’s Montreal apartment. Though small (just under 550 square feet), the space feels light and airy, thanks to clean white walls and a minimal aesthetic (and the small bits of color sprinkled throughout).

Name: Estefania and Chris Palomarez Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, rented Estefania says she had a plain looking apartment a few months before their house tour. But she and her partner Chris pushed themselves to work their way down each room, painting the walls and building pieces that suit their style (and are functional).

Name: Margherita Terrone Location: Montreal Size: 860 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years, owned Maggie is NOT a fan of the “dull modern beige and white interiors that dominate design blogs,” as she describes. As art director for Werkliv, she layers color and texture to create vibrant spaces on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, she applies this design philosophy to her own home. Here, she’s achieved a fresh contrast to dull beige — and without spending a lot of money.

Name: Jackie Blair Location: Lake Orion, Michigan Size: 882 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Jackie is a photographer and social media creative who loves to travel. She lives in a townhouse condo with her son and her new puppy. By keeping her condo neutral and simple, she has turned it into a peaceful hangout spot where they can all play and relax. Though living in the rented space comes with its challenges, Jackie strives to add the family’s personality wherever possible.

Name: Claire and Kasey Location: Mission District, San Francisco Size: 675 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Claire and Kasey chose this apartment because of the light; it’s warm and abundant. “When we came to look at the listing it was mid-day and I didn’t have to do more than open the front door to know that I wanted to live here.

Name: Pelin Binnet, Tim Kimball and their three cats Jiggy, Catherine Deneuve, and Henry Kittinger Location: Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Pelin (creator of the design, retail and beauty blog The Dapper Post) and Tim have a history with the building they currently live in. After arriving from Turkey, it was in this building that Pelin first lived.

Name: Fritha and Tom Quinn Location: Bristol, UK Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Lifestyle blogger Fritha Quinn — also known as Tigerlilly Quinn — lives in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace with her husband Tom and their two adorable children Wilf and Mabli. The couple bought this home seven years ago when it was in a bit of a state, and since then have slowly taken time to renovate and make it their own.

Name: Meg and Joe plus Lady and Benny (Dachshunds) Location: Royal Oak, Michigan Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Embracing the quirks — uneven floors, for instance — of an almost 100-year-old house is a challenge for people in the profession of precision. Like Meg and Joe, who are both graphic designers in the Metro Detroit area.

Carla is a shop owner, photography historian, writer and editor with a passion for art and her black roots.Her colorful Seventh Ward home is bursting with history.

Name: Carly Berlin Location: West Village, NYC Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Part home, part professional art studio, Carly’s long and narrow West Village apartment is outfitted minimally but filled with warmth and personality. Carly has a gift for seeing the beauty in the smallest of details, and her ability to set up her home from that perspective means she’s made a million small but successful decisions.

Name: Lisanne and Romy Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting (Romy moved in half a year ago) Lisanne and Romy share a tiny apartment — only 430 square feet! — in the heart of historic Utrecht. With space maximization in mind, these roommates purchased appropriately sized furniture. Elements that match the women’s personalities fill the cozy Dutch canal apartment.

Name: Meg Woodcheke and Conor Acomb Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 8 years by Conor (Meg moved in 2 years ago) Meg doesn’t find much fun in buying furniture sets for her apartment, which she shares with her boyfriend Conor. “I think the real joy is in finding pieces from here and there and making them work together,” she says.

Name: Suzanne Bryan and Peter Carlstrom Location: San Francisco, California Size: 258 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned The basement level of Suzanne and Peter’s San Francisco house is where their garage is located, but there was also a basement room when they purchased it three years ago. Well, the word “room” is a little too generous for what the space was before.