House Call

Tarah Baker shares a 1500-square-foot house in Louisville, Kentucky, with her partner and four dogs.

After living in this same rental apartment for 13 years, Dave says the place was starting to feel stale and not adult enough. But he spent a few months and a few thousand dollars elevating his rental's style.

Tamera Walters has been renting this townhouse for two-and-a-half years and shares it with her husband, Max, and four kids (ages 7, 5, 3, and 1). She tells us about her home: With four kids under seven, our home is loud, fun, and full of systems. Every inch needs to be child-safe and friendly, but also feel like two adults live here!Every closet has been converted into rooms or play space. And we have even changed the primary bathroom into a small office.

Veda Banerjee combined touches of her Indian background with her love of Paris apartments with some lucky mid-century modern scores on Facebook Marketplace, all to create this colorful and cozy home.

After Marilou's 40-year marriage ended, she wasn’t sure if she'd be able to afford to live alone, but with careful planning she was able to buy a little one-bedroom condo in a town in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Robert F Samuels Jr. (AKA "Bobby Trendz") refers to his home as "The Trendz Gallery," and it features a black-and-white minimalist but luxurious aesthetic with architectural elements, patterns, contemporary art, and mid-century design.

Tour this 880-square-foot rental apartment that's shared by two creatives; there are cool painted wall squiggles and a couple of fantastic secondhand scores.

During the pandemic Gillian Lyons moved to Savannah, Georgia, from NYC to be closer to her family, purchasing this 744-square-foot apartment.

Nicolas Lecoeur's rental apartment is a Haussmann-type space with moldings and parquet flooring, located in the historic district of Montmartre.

"I consider myself to be a fun person, and I want to be surrounded by stuff that makes me happy," explains Federico Duarte, an art director, of this two-bedroom Valencia, Spain, apartment he shares with his partner, Pilar.

Lifestyle and food blogger Camilla Hughes lives alone in this small London rental studio apartment, so she has the "freedom to make my home exactly how I like it."

While architect Keaton Cizek would love to own and renovate his own home one day when he has the means, as a renter he finds "so much joy in making an apartment feel like an extension of myself as much as I can."

One day Olivia Huffman was driving to work and saw something out of the corner of her eye in an alley: the "dreamiest, curved clamshell sofas" just sitting there, ready for the taking!

The kitchen in Courtney's SF studio apartment is no wider than her arms can spread out, but it is "character rich, with wood shelving painted pale blue."

Damini grew up in India and moved to the U.S. in 2016. "After four years of art school and three years into my graphic design career, this is the first place I've stayed at where I've run wild decorating and watched it transform into a space that feels like home (and part art studio)."

"Our home is a place for us to visually express ourselves. I like to think of it as one big canvas on which to design, taking inspiration from our lives together and telling little stories in different corners of our home."

Lee Newman lives in a time capsule home built in 1974 that has been "maintained by the original architect and his family. It was one of his first builds, and has some quirks."

Film, dance, and theater artist Brighid Greene has lived in this rental apartment in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood for five years, and her partner has rented here since 2012. They pay $1700 per month, and say their landlord has not raised the rent in over a decade.

Jenny and her husband hired plumbers and electricians, but did the rest of their home's renovation all on their own. "From demo, framing, drywall, installing tile, installing hardwood floors, painting, knocking down walls, and building out closets, we've done it all!"

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.

Jessica's rental house was built in the 1930s; she says it has a lot of "quirks, but also a lot of historic charm. It has original built-in cabinetry, windows, and tiling and a big backyard for us to all enjoy."

When Lindsey Kephart first arrived, the previous tenants (and friends) had painted the kitchen a color they loved: yellow. With a little paint and new hardware, Lindsey transformed the room — and the entire apartment — into a chic space more fitting to her personality.

Artist Mauro Baiocco loves a bargain, so most of the furniture in this rental apartment has been found on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or the street.

Bianca Tueretsky wrote a series of YA books called "The Time-Traveling Fashionista" about a girl who travels back in time through an enchanted vintage dress. Her small Prospect Heights apartment reflects her love of books, history, vintage pieces, and travel.

Aparna Jayaraman is Indian and has always been "inspired by the bold colors, patterns, and glitz of traditional saris." But while she says color is very important to her home, "neutrals provide it the foundation to really pop."

Alexander and Jesse avoid newer luxury buildings, "preferring brownstones and buildings with more historical character. So when we were looking in Charleston we prioritized spaces in old, classic Charleston homes. Our building was built in 1840."

Laura and Jason have designed the space to be like a "modern-day curiosity cabinet, and tried to evoke an overall style that blends mid-century, old British gentleman's club, and playful modernism to create a space that highlights all of our collections."

This $5500-a-month West Village rental apartment of herbalist and floral designer Emily Swarts is only 550 square feet, but feels a lot larger, thanks to it being spread across three floors — not to mention the huge windows and tons of light.

The colors in Nityasya and her partner's home are bright "and there's a lot of texture and patterns to not just take us back to India (our homeland), but also to make the feel space vibrant and full of energy — on even the coldest winter day in NYC."

"We wanted everything to feel super fun and happy to look at," Victoria Buckley says of the home she shares with her partner and dog. "We both try to be really positive and I think our home helps a lot with that! When we’re relaxing at home or even working during the day, the whole atmosphere feels very positive and motivating."

Elielle describes their home's style as "botanical, airy, eclectic, relaxed, traditional."

"We moved from a converted church to a converted school house," says Rachel Hill, who shares this home with her husband. "We both love the character that comes with an old building which is brought back to life and repurposed as a home."

Bronwyn, who rents this 800-square-foot Nob Hill apartment, advises: "Let things evolve slowly. Invest in antiques with soul."

Kate makes an effort to avoid buying new things for her Chicago rental apartment, instead sourcing "items from thrift stores, antique shops, and second-hand marketplaces. About 80% of the things I buy come from these places, and I love incorporating historic designs into a very modern building."

Name: Donna Wilson and husbandLocation: Belfast, Northern IrelandType of home: TownhouseSize: 1000 square feetYears lived in: 10 years; rentingTell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: It’s a rental but I’ve made it my home, adding colour, texture, and layers to make it feel warm, cosy, and homely.I identify as a woman who loves life!

Dana and Andy first fell in love with this condo's vintage charm, and have appreciated all the work they did to make the space a comfortable home for their family, which now includes a young son. "Our condo has been a wonderful, cozy refuge," Dana writes.

"Every piece on the wall contains a memory of either a place, a time, or an experience we don't want to forget," says Serene, of the apartment she shares with her husband, Jude, and daughter, Sophie.

"I'm Italian American, lived in Rome for 10 years, and studied Humanities and Classics at university; these attributes reflect everywhere in my world," explains LeAnne Smith. "I love stone sculpture, architecture, pencil sketches, and gardens."

Carole home's style is very colorful and eclectic. She's inherited centuries-old beautiful antiques from her family and added her own twist with some modernist furniture and great collectibles collected from travels across the world.

"I've just always been attracted to a lot of color and I love it loud and colorful," describes Kimiya Justus, a Berlin-based artist and illustrator.

Karie and Sean have been living in this 1922 bungalow in Norman, Oklahoma, for five years and "don't plan on moving as we love living small and are in an excellent neighborhood."

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."

New Zealand design editor Georgina McWhirter's Perth, Australia home is "modern-organic with an artsy twist."

As a Taurus, Reed's home is her castle and she spend a lot of time here, so she's made sure it's extremely cozy, has good lighting, and overall is a place that grounds her when she's in it.

"From DIY to beach finds, there are so many budget-friendly ways to make your space somewhere you're excited to be," explains Kelsey. Some of her favorite budget hacks in her rental apartment include: framing matchbooks for art, hacked IKEA console, custom desk, and more.

"The stained glass that borders my three gigantic windows is a gem in and of itself, and combined with the decorative fireplace, exposed brick, and massive wood sliding doors, the room feels like a historical experience of living in Brooklyn," writes Karys Rhea.

Dorshelle Guillaume is a Haitian American fashion designer and says aesthetics, style, and ambiance are really important. "My home is very cozy, clean, and elevated and I love how everything works well together."

"Living in a studio means that I see everything all the time, so I really need to like everything that's there," explains Upper East Side studio apartment dweller Jamie Mandel.

Lisa and Eddie slowly transformed this space, layering textures of lush rugs and velvet, an antique mirror kitchen backsplash, and moody blue French wash walls to create this 516-square-foot retreat. "The space is small so we had to be thoughtful about the placement of absolutely everything."

Olivia's apartment's interior structure is Craftsman style, with built-in features including a slide Murphy bed, wall shelves surrounding the living room, a stained glass cabinet, antique push-button-style light switches, and a bathroom with a deep tub.

Katharina fulfilled her dream of owning a home as a single woman. "I worked from finishing school until the day the papers were signed to give myself this security for retirement and to protect myself from rising rent costs," she writes.

Erik works from home, and needed a bright, airy space that "inspired me while keeping me in a good mood (happy colors) but relaxed."

"As a first-time homeowner I was excited to make my mark in a way that I was never able to do when renting. I love the simplicity and brightness of Scandinavian design, but also bright colors and pop art," writes Jen.

Danielle and her family searched Facebook Marketplace for almost all of the furniture for their small cabin, including a full dining set for only $100! "We also upcycled all of our lighting. We kept most of the lighting original to the cottage and just painted and rewired it," she explains.

Kate and her husband loved this small unit's natural light, original details (like molding and inlaid hardwood floors), and location, despite not having been updated in many years. "We knew we wanted to keep as much of the original charm as we could, while also updating it to bring in natural elements and modernize the space."

As a designer, collector, and artist, Darien Stokes was captivated by the unique architectural characteristics of this one-bedroom loft nestled off the bustling streets of West Hollywood, California.

"The natural woods, clean minimalism, and considered styling reflect Scandi themes, while the Feng Shui calls to my Chinese heritage," owner Emilie writes. "The neutral palette keeps the focus on the glorious nature vistas from every window and calms the mind."

Ana shares this tiny studio apartment with her boyfriend, and while there's technically only one actual room for the entire home, her simple but successful room-dividing solution helps make the space much more usable.

Most of the art in Julia's apartment is either of Black women or created by Black women. "I grew up surrounded by Black art so all of my art makes me feel at home," she writes.

Aaron's favorite "room" is the entire apartment, "because it is a studio that has been designed with intention to give each area a specific use and vibe. Although it is one open space, each section serves a different purpose."