House Calls

Name: Sarah and Max Location: Miami, Florida The basics: 4 months rented, 750 square feet Sarah’s Miami apartment is colorful and fun and full of little surprises. Every picture has a fun detail, full of cool art and funky patterns. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Max and I actually just moved from Indianapolis, Indiana to Miami four months ago.

Name: Vincent Location: West Village — New York, New York The basics: 2 years, rented — 700 square feet Vincent’s West Village home is classically urban and warmly welcoming, perfect for his supper club, Mr. Jones. His home is both personal and public, well curated with plenty to look at without feeling staged. And with the exposed brick and natural light, he hit the apartment jackpot!

Name: Jessica Location: Eastside — Milwaukee, Wisconsin The basics: 3 months, rented —450 square feet Jessica’s apartment looks much larger than its 450 square feet. Since hosting was a priority for her, and she didn’t want folks playing Apples to Apples on her bed, she decided to divide up her studio to carve out a specific spot for entertaining. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a public accountant and photographer.

Name: Hannah Location: Raleigh, North Carolina The basics: 2.5 years, rented — 385 square feet Hannah’s adorable apartment comes complete with an enviable amount of sunlight, which she in turn uses to grow a ton of plants. Green mixes with pops of color and funky finds to create a totally winsome little space.

Name: Sarah, her husband, their daughter and cat Location: New York, New York The basics: Owned, 5 months — 1,100 square feet Sarah and her family have created a sleek, minimalist family home in New York. Full of smartly hidden storage and light maximizing colors, the space feels airy and bright.

Name: Cori Location: San Francisco, California The basics: 3 years, rented — 235 square feet Cori’s San Francisco studio is so full of sunlight and whimsical finds that it seems much bigger than its 235 square feet. Decorated carefully over time, Cori mixes small space-saving furniture with funky art and accessories.

Name: Beth and Jake Location: Dallas, Texas The basics: 1 year, rented — 900 square feet Newlyweds Beth and Jake have created a cozy cocoon of a home that is warm, welcoming and perfect for entertaining. Layering textures and eclectic finds, their space is full of funky organic vibes. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Jake and I recently got married, so this is our first space together as newlyweds, and it has been such an oasis for us.

Name: Alicia Lombardini Location: Bowery —Manhattan, New York The basics: 10 years, owned — 1,500 square feet Alicia, a stylist, has created a home that is so mind bogglingly cool it’s unreal. It still remains approachable and welcoming in all of its funky glory, however, inviting you to grab a cocktail and plop down on that incredible couch. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: The loft has played a special part in my life.

Name: Oksana, her husband and their children Zion and Chloe Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota The basics: 9 years, owned — 1,200 square feet Oksana’s home is a mix of white and wood which keeps the space warm and inviting and maximizes the natural light, a big plus during South Dakota winters. Her philosophy is to take designing her space one corner at a time, and you can tell by the smartly collected moments sprinkled throughout the house.

Name: Diana, her husband and their two kids Location: Logan Square — Chicago, Illinois The basics: 5 years, owned — 1,000 square feet Diana and her husband decided that while their home was totally fine, it wasn’t really them. Being on a budget and humans with jobs and children they opted to do smaller fixes when they could find the money and time. The result is an airy home, perfect for a fun young family.

Name: Emily Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia The basics: 2 years, rented — 900 square feet Emily’s on her own for the first time, so she decided to create the most uniquely “her” space she could. Filling her home with quirky finds, heirlooms and unique collections her space is homey and warm. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: For as long as I can remember my favorite activity has been decorating.

Name: Marta, Tadeu and Spock the cat Location: Lisbon, Portugal The basics: 1 year, rented Marta and Tadeu’s apartment is full of tiny bright surprises. It seems to be about 80% a super stylish neutral apartment with 20% colorful and quirky and delightful finds — perfect for a game of interior eye spy. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a fashion designer and my boyfriend Tadeu is a photographer.

Name: Heather, Jeff and their son, Reeve Location: Point Breeze —Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The basics: Owned — 1,693 square feet Heather and her husband have created an utterly enchanting, totally individual space. Heather purchased the home in her 20s and has since made updates to turn the space into a creative and colorful home for a family of three.

Name: Blandine, her husband, their 3 daughters, 2 dogs, 3 cats and 2 horses Location: Saint Germain au Mont d’or, France The basics: 20 years, owned — 400 square meters/4,305 square feet Blandine’s home is immaculately bohemian. Like pulled straight from the set design of your dreams. With a ton of color and amazing textiles, her farmhouse is spacious yet warm with bold pieces balanced against expansive walls.

Name: Diana, James and their chichuahua Herman Location: Edmonton — Alberta, Canada The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,800 square feet Diana and her partner James blended their somewhat divergent tastes to create an awesomely chic home. With one minimalist and one maximalist it wasn’t always easy, but their first shared home is a stylish labor of love.

Name: Rose, her husband, their two daughters and a puppy Location: Seattle, Washington The basics: 12 years, owned —2,200 square feet Rose’s Seattle home is light, airy and warm, perfectly designed to combat the city’s famous gloom. Blending iconic mid-century shapes with personal touches, the home looks of the moment yet lived in and personal.

Name: Zane Location: Woodley Park — Washington, DC The basics: 5 weeks, rented — 1,170 square feet As popular CBS sitcom wisdom dictates, a building occupied by three brothers of a certain age should be a mess full of recliners and light-up beer signs. Zane’s crisp and well thought out apartment stands in direct opposition to that particular stereotype, with its muted color scheme and purposeful blend of textures.

Name: Angela, her husband, daughter, and their dog, Ollie Location: Luxembourg The basics: 6 years, rented — 4,000 square feet When Angela and her family moved to Luxembourg from the States, they weren’t entirely sure what to expect. Prioritizing the things that soften the blow of an international move on a family, Angela wanted a home with a great location, access to schools and outdoor space.

Name: Mark Location: Hudson Valley, New York The basics: 6 months, owned — 440 square feet Mark was looking for studio space and in order to get more bang for his buck he decide to look outside of New York City. He found a barn with a long artistic history and new it was the place for him. He renovated a studio apartment underneath the barn, creating a bright and warm home base while tackling larger renovations on the property.

Name: Emily and Gigi the dog Location: Norwood, Ohio The basics: 5 months, owned — 1,067 square feet Emily and her adorable dog roommate Gigi settled into this cute craftsman after a decade of renting. It was love at first site for Emily and after the ink dried on her contracts she set about turning the house into her ideal first home.

Name: Amber & Joe Location: Toluca Lake — Los Angeles, California The basics: Just over 2 years, owned — 1,200 square feet Amber and Joe are big travelers and bargain hunters so their space is a fun eclectic mix of treasures. Keeping things neutral and peaceful through paint choices and lighting, they’ve also filled the house with one of a kind items.

Name: Nithin Ismail Location: Hyderabad — Telangana, India The basics: One year, owned — 1,500 square feet Nithin, a design manager, carries his passion for design out of the office and into the home. He brings his trained eye to every aspect of his space, curating a home with clean lines and elegant simplicity. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a Senior Design Manager for Studio SAGA, the team behind Microsoft Edge on Windows.

Name: Allie Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, New York The basics: 4 years, rented — about 900 square feet Allie’s super-stylish Williamsburg apartment has a ton of cool-girl character. Filled with souvenirs, cookbooks and DIY small space hacks, it has a well-lived earthiness to it, which for a frequent traveler like Allie, is always nice to come home to. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I moved here from LA about 4 1/2 years ago.

Name: Mary Jane, her husband Julian, their son Roman and their English Bulldog Vito Location: Vancouver, British Columbia The basics: 2 years, owned — 2,000 square feet Mary Jane’s home is filled with earthy warmth thanks to the fantastic combo of honey-toned wood and white paint. The home’s high ceilings and big windows flood the space with light, while the small accents around the home lend it an air of curated homeyness to help combat all of that Vancouver rain.

Name: Lauren, Phil and their daughters Indigo and Coco Location: Parkdale, Australia The basics: 3.5 years, owned — 68 square meters/731 square feet Lauren and her husband Phil, interior designers by trade, have updated their apartment to create a stylish and functional home for a family of four. As you might imagine, they’ve become storage and organization masters, but that doesn’t mean the space is lacking in fun. Bright and colorful, their apartment feels tastefully homey.

Name: Lisa, her husband and their two kids Location: Wilmington, North Carolina The basics: 4 years, owned — 3,100 square feet Lisa and her husband purchased, what sounds like a pretty busted foreclosure property but you certainly wouldn’t know that from the current state of things. Their home is full of vintage and global finds, and the space is bright, breezy and casual, yet pretty.

Name: Kelly and Nick Location: Iowa City, Iowa The basics: 14 months, rented — 798 square feet Kelly, a speech pathologist and interior designer, and her husband Nick left the South for the Midwest and landed in this charming 1940s home. With Kelly’s eye for design they turned the space into a welcoming haven for two-legged and four-legged guests alike.

Name: Jory & Alex Location: Washington Heights — New York, New York The basics: 3 years, owned — 650 square feet Jory and Alex are a young creative couple who blended their tastes to create a welcoming and polished home on a budget. They’ve learned how to maximize their space for entertaining, hosting a basically unheard of amount of folks for “Friendsgiving”, without sacrificing coziness for when its just the two of them.

Name: Sara, Daniel their children August, Astrid and 4 cats Location: Lakewood, Colorado The basics: 3 years, owned — 3,800 Sara may have a house full of young kids, but she wasn’t going to let that put a damper on her style nor was she interested in removing all signs of tiny folks from her home. The result is an eclectic, lived-in space full of thrift shop treasures and the occasional LEGO.

Name: Adeline Location: Glasgow, Scotland UK The basics: 8 months, owned — 754 square feet Adeline is living the dream in this chic and light-filled former factory. After renovating it to create better flow and sleeker space, she’s filled it with Scandi inspired finds and the occasional DIY project. And not only is her kitchen a candy pink dream, it’s got heated floors (cue jealous screaming).

Name: Brian and cats Moses, Henry, and Tillie Location: Chestnut Hill — Lancaster, Pennsylvania The basics: 7 years, rented — 1,200 square feet Brian and his gorgeous apartment came together in an act of real estate fate, and it has been domestic bliss ever since. Not one to settle for a room that’s just ok, he has explored and rearranged his space to make sure everything is just right. The result is a colorful and smart space that still feels homey and approachable.

Name: Lissa and her two cats, Cleo and Miley Location: Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids — Michigan The basics: 3.5 years, owned — 1,600 square feet Lissa has filled in the square footage of her home in a way only those deprived of space for years (aka former New Yorkers) can. A station bench here, a camel statue there, she’s started to fill her historic home with funky finds.

Name: Ariel and Ruby the dog Location: Simsbury, Connecticut The basics: 5 months, owned — 1,200 square feet Sometimes what you’ve been looking for has been right under your nose the entire time. In true rom-com fashion, Ariel realized after looking elsewhere that her hometown was in fact the perfect place in which to settle down.

Name: Katie Location: San Francisco, California The basics: 4 months, rented — 1,100 square feet Katie managed to find her dream apartment in the notoriously competitive San Francisco rental market. With plenty of space, light and a killer neighborhood, all her apartment was missing was her personal touch. Mixing heirlooms with souvenirs, old favorites with new pieces, she crafted a space that feels classic and welcoming.

Name: Justine, her husband Ian and their bulldog, Miss Waffles Location: Edmonton, Alberta — Canada The basics: 3 years, owned — 1,950 square feet Justine and her husband jumped at the opportunity to breath life back into this historic home, affectionately known as The Madame. It took three labor heavy years, but they wanted to do the renovation right, preserving as much of the charm and history of the home as they could.

Name: Shaune, Greg and their daughters Faye and Charlotte Location: Just outside of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada The basics: Just over a year, owned — 1,400 square feet Shaune and her family found the perfect weekend getaway in this farmhouse and barn. Filled with vintage and local finds, the decor of the home feels rooted in the history of the land and house itself.

Name: Pierre Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada The basics: 1 year, rented — 650 square feet Pierre and his roommate are making the most of their slightly unconventional space. While there is the occasional (electrical outlet-related) drawback, living in a formerly commercial space has provided them with high ceilings, lots of light and a blank canvas on which to get thriftily creative.

Name: Leticia and her husband Location: Belltown — Seattle, Washington The basics: 3 months, rented — 990 square feet Leticia and her husband moved to Seattle without a ton of furniture. They chose to see it as a golden opportunity to invest in pieces they loved with an eye towards minimalism. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband and I are L.A. transplants and we share the 990 Square foot apartment in Belltown, Seattle.

Name: Cynthia, her husband Graham, their three children Ben, Ruby Mae and Theo, and black lab George Location: Keene, Ontario, Canada The basics: 7 years, owned — 2,400 square feet Cynthia and her family can escape to their historic farmhouse slash flower farm for a quick weekend getaway. Having preserved and updated many a historic property, Cynthia and her husband turned their eyes towards this house and its large parcel of land.

Name: Stephanie Location: Raleigh, North Carolina The basics: 1 year, rented — 750 square feet Stephanie is putting down roots, figuratively and literally, in her plant filled North Carolina home. She has created a space full of thrift store treasures, DIY pieces and art that helps her feel truly at home. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’ve lived in Raleigh for four years and this is the first place that truly feels 100% me.

Name: Julia Location: Perth, Australia The basics: 2 years, owned — 807 square feet Julia is taking her time settling into her apartment in a historic Art Deco building. Mixing IKEA with art, plants and a reviving coat of white paint, she has created an adorable, breezy space.

Name: Daniel, his partner, and Eloise the cat Location: Lower Queen Anne — Seattle, Washington The basics: Under a month, rented — 490 square feet Daniel’s deco-y studio packs a lot of punch for a small space. His tastefully restrained design plays well with the historical charm of the apartment, giving the studio a clean look that is well thought out and welcoming.

Name: Trish Location: Preston — Melbourne, Australia The basics: 3 weeks, owned — 50 square meters/ 538 square feet Trish knew that with her love of color and collecting she could turn her cookie cutter apartment into a bright and eclectic home, full of endlessly fascinating pieces. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I just purchased my tiny (TINYYY) apartment.

Name: Karen, her husband, their son and overweight cat. Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire The basics: 5 years, owned — 90 square meters/ 968 square feet Karen’s home is an excellent example of how bold choices can still make a space feel homey and warm. After overhauling basically every part of the space, it now feels like a curated space the family can grow in together. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We (me, my husband and our 4.

Name: Leigh, her husband and (occasionally) their college aged children Location: Woodinville, Washington The basics: 4 years, owned — 1,700 square feet Leigh and her husband snatched up this home and gave it a much needed facelift. Despite the less than stellar choices of the previous owner, Leah saw that the home had a ton of potential and set about carefully updating it to create a home that not only meets the needs of her family, but is fun and attractive.

Name: Fernando, Roberta and their 1 year old son Location: Pasadena, California The basics: 1 year, owned — 2,200 square feet After time in Switzerland, the UK and Seattle, Fernando and Roberta found themselves in Pasadena hunting for a home. A design enthusiast, Fernando jumped at the opportunity to remodel a basically untouched Spanish Colonial home in a perfect location.

Name: Julia & Sasha Location: Melbourne, Australia The basics: Owned, sold after 6 months — 260 square meters, 2,798 square feet While competing on an Australian home reno show, The Block (side note: can we get this show on Netflix pretty please?!) Julia and Sasha updated this historic property with some old Hollywood inspired glam. Luxurious fixtures and rich fabrics give the space seriously sumptuous vibes.

Name: Mathieu Location: Paris, France The basics: 1o years, rented — 495 square feet Mathieu’s career and passion is film, so his charming Paris rental is basically a shrine to the cinema. With a little help from his design minded sister, he transformed his small rental space into a home that has more than enough room for the things he loves.

Name: Gimi and Steve Location: Portland, Oregon The basics: 2 years, owned — 672 square feet Wanting to give small space living a go, but not quite tiny house ready, Gimi and Steve decided to give this cute little cottage a try. After extensive renovations to bring the space back to its original glory, the space is adorable, functional and full of vintage vibes.

Name: Lindsay and Joey Location: Seattle, Washington The basics: 8 years, owned — 1,670 square feet Lindsay and Joey filled their townhome with so many personal touches and smart upgrades it’s hard to believe the space was ever anything but totally captivating. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband and I bought our new construction town home eight years ago.

Name: Amelia, Mark and their toddler Silas Location: Nashville, Tennessee The basics: 1 year ,owned — 1,800 square feet Amelia and Mark’s charming brick bungalow feels like the kind of spot New Yorkers dream of when they imagine moving out of the city. A home with actual space and a yard but still cool and funky and full of character.

Name: Nikki Location: Cape Town, South Africa The basics: 3 months, owned — 500 square feet Nikki’s studio-turned-one-bedroom is packed full of fun, urban-chic finds and a view to die for. Pops of purple and rich textures give the space an easy lived-in feel that balances the sleek fixtures of the apartment. We want to pour ourselves a glass of wine, plop down on the couch and escape city life in Nikki’s apartment.

Name: Coco and cats, Wolfie and Rosy Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, New York The basics: 3 year, rented — 600 square feet Coco’s black and white Brooklyn apartment is chic, warm and filled with tiny touches that it give it personality. An envy inducing amount of natural light helps the space feel expansive and bright.

Name: Erin and her husband Location: Shadyside — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The basics: 7 months (but in the same building for 3 years), rented — 700 square feet Erin’s home is full of truly excellent secondhand finds and tons of layered textures, giving the space an eclectic warmth. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I live here with my husband, who is a professional fly fisherman and a born and raised “Pittsburgher”.

Name: Meghan and Andy Location: Astoria — Queens, New York The basics: 6 years, rented —400 square feet Meghan and Andy have added so many bright (in every sense of the word) small space fixes to to their cute Queens apartment it will come as no surprise that they both have design backgrounds. Cute as it is clever, their home is well organized yet totally warm.

Name: Emily, Jon and their two children Lola and Otis Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK The basics: 2 years, owned — 1,400 square feet Emily’s home is not just carefully designed, it’s consciously designed as well. Filled with mostly second hand and handmade items from her own store, the home is full of pieces that have had previous lives or traceable origin stories.

Name: Alannah and Alex Location: Vancouver, British Colombia The basics: Two years, rented — 700 square feet Alannah and Alex moved to Vancouver and set about making their apartment a home. With a limited budget, they scoured Craigslist and thrift stores, finding individual pieces they loved and blending them together into one cozy home.

Name: Jeanie and Tater Tot the Bulldog Location: East Village — New York, New York The basics: 23 years, rented — 850 square feet There’s a perception out there that New Yorkers live and die by the color block. Jeanie has taken that idea and turned it completely on its head, filling her apartment with colors on colors on colors!

Name: Jane, Peter and their 3-year-old daughter Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia The basics: One year, owned — 147 square meters (1,582 square feet) Jane and her family live in a Brutalist-style building that they have been renovating and updating to fit their tastes. Fans of clean lines and funky art, the home is calm, curated, and toddler friendly.

Name: Shara and her husband Location: Hurricane, Utah — Zion National Park is our backyard! The basics: 3 months, owned — 900 square feet Fate brought Shara and her husband together. After abandoning his plans of buying a boat, the couple bought a building in Utah that has lived many lives. From a post office to a pool hall, it’s now stylish and minimal living spaces.

Name: Ali and Chip, their poodle Gigi and cat Dinah Location: Cobble Hill — Brooklyn, New York The basics: 3 years, owned — 475 square feet Ali and Chip’s Brooklyn condo has the sort of hazy cool that many aspire to. It comes from pouring yourself into the space like the pair has, tackling most of the updates and renovations themselves, and slowly filling it with personal pieces.

Name: Meleah Location: Old Fourth Ward/Virginia Highland — Atlanta, Georgia The basics: 2 years, rented — 1,000 square feet Meleah’s Atlanta home is full of light thanks to gigantic windows that also offer up a gorgeous view. She’s filled her home with art and trinkets from her travels, making the space totally unique and fantastically interesting. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My place is distinctly ‘Meleah.

Name: Ayanna and family Location: Woodstock, New York The basics: Under a year, owned — 2, 600 square feet Ayanna’s home is both timeless and contemporary. Well-chosen vintage pieces of different eras mingle against very of-the-moment paint colors. Also, get ready for some major bathroom envy. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’ve lived in Brooklyn since 2008. I’m originally from Westchester, New York.

Name: Jean and Jeff Location: Lower East Side — New York, New York The basics: 1 year, rented — 750 square feet Jean and Jeff’s apartment takes high ceilings to the next level. With an almost unheard of amount of New York sunlight, they’ve filled their apartment with plants and funky vintage finds, making the whole place feel like a swinging tree house.

Name: Maria Teresa Location: Siracusa, Ortigia, Italy The basics: Less than a year, owned — 80 meters (860 square feet) Maria Teresa’s apartment is a perfect sea side get away. With low key furnishings that blend old and new and keep the space feeling light, the whole apartment has a breezy feel to it that just invites you to relax.

Name: Lisa, Colin, their baby Eliot and two cats Location: Italian Village — Columbus, Ohio The basics: Six years, owned — 1,084 square feet Lisa and her family have rooted down into this eclectically furnished home. With soft colors and carefully collected pieces, it is a warm and welcoming space infused with plenty of charm.

Name: Kait, Dane and their two chocolate Labs Location: Central Oahu, Hawaii The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,400 square feet Kait and her husband had to hustle through the competitive Hawaiian housing market to find a home that met all of their needs AND the needs of their dogs (i.e. a yard). Settling on an adorable home, a quick ride from the beach, Kait has decided to take her time decorating, finding pieces that are right for the home and not just right for right now.

Name: Morgan, Sean, Cici the beagle mix and Bear the cat Location: Charleston, South Carolina The basics: 1 year, owned — 1,890 square feet Morgan and her husband put in an offer on their house with lightning speed, and once they got it, set out updating the ’90s kitchen and pulling in the peaceful outdoor feeling into their space. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Sean and I bought our home one year ago.

Name: Diecelis, Art and their dog Meatloaf Location: Providence, Rhode Island The basics: 4.5 months, rented — 975 square feet Diecelis and Art met while living in two different cities, New York and D.C., and after a quick stint in D.C. decided to build a new home together in Providence. Their apartment is largely black, white and gray but still feels cozy and interesting.

Name: Mario and Loki the Mini-Poodle Location: Singapore The basics: 5 years, owned— 1, 000 square feet Mario’s apartment is a mix of clean minimalism with a touch of curated mess, inspired by a trip to New York. With a neutral color scheme that uses black and white as an accent, the space is full of relaxed urban sophistication. It is also full of one very cute dog. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My name is Mario.

Name: Nikki, Josh and their cat Jonah Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The basics: 2 months, rented —1,500 square feet Nikki and Josh have struck an enviable balance between “styled” and “lived in” that keeps their space from feeling overly done, while still being very fashionable. Perfect for hosting, working and just hanging out, their home is expansive with intimate pockets of coziness.

Name: Victoria, her husband, two kids and their pets Location: Reno, Nevada The basics: 1 year, owned — 2,200 square feet We’d admire Victoria for her persistence alone, they made offers on their home four times before it became theirs, but the color and fun she’s added to the space is truly exciting. Patterns, textures, bright colors and plants make the space super fun, with just the right amounts of whimsy.