House Calls

Kate and her partner Levi are two grad students who filled their home with vintage items that they find at local antique shops. With massive windows that let in sunlight, their townhouse apartment is cozy all year round.

Jen and her husband are hands-on DIYer's and were very involved in their own home renovation, from the design to some of the work, like kitchen renovation (floors, tile wall, cabinetry, and range hood).

Tracy Bennett, a self-proclaimed interior decorator and avid DIYer, loves to have color, modern furniture mixed with vintage, and tons of art in her home, a 1977 Ranch house she shares with her family.

Nicollette and Magnus live in a condo in a renovated schoolhouse from the 1800s. "The way the building was constructed preserved the beauty of the old architecture while adding modern finishes."

"My color palette (lavenders, mauves, whites, and vintage wood tones) calms me down and puts me in a creative mindset," explains designer Kate DeWitt. "I also focused a lot on mood lighting in this space."

Eqbal and Ashleigh's home style is "cozy, artful, Greek-inspired, bohemian, and colorful."

"My apartment is an extension of how I feel, and wish to feel, all the time! I love home decorating because to me it's a way we can make permanent certain moods and states that are dear to us, that we can't in real life," says comic artist and graphic novelist Em Frank.

Sarah Jane Park and her fiancé, Steve, share this 686-square-foot London flat they describe as "rustic cottage meets boho."

Mackenzie Schell and her two roommates had to make this small apartment as functional as possible but also wanted it to be a really fun space that wouldn’t get boring to them.

Amanda Lowthian added a pink adhesive backsplash and adhesive checker flooring took the doors off the cabinets in the kitchen, installed shelves over radiators, and added lots of art and unique accents.

This apartment in France is teeny in size, but with high ceilings, lots of natural light, a cute balcony, and original features such as traditional limestone walls and 1930s encaustic tiles, it's also GORGEOUS.

With so many different generations and personalities having to share the same home, the family hired designers Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani of kaviar:collaborative to help them design this apartment to work for everyone.

Ben and Kyla love finding art and accessories during their travels and incorporating them into their home; nearly all of the art has been accumulated from local artists during their adventures.

Dale Aucoin's tiny studio apartment can transform into lots of different spaces, despite only being one room!

"My studio is both a museum and an altar to my family’s memories of partition, migration, and cultural richness, with indigenous art, sepia tone photos, and Indian block print textiles dotting every nook and cranny," Sonya Soni explains.

Sabina Chhetri's studio apartment in Chennai, India has a style she describes as "Contemporary Indian."

Irene describes her Barcelona apartment's style as "bright, hyggelig, personal."

When Ashley and her husband Max got married and moved into their first home, their house was in "rough shape" but through the power of DIY, they were able to transform their home into a space they love.

As a professional organizer, Sachiko has prioritized simplicity and balance in her home. She has turned her home into a space that expresses her happiness.

There's wallpaper on the dining room ceiling, a pink and green Art Deco-style bathroom, and TONS of other colorful and bold decor elements in this vibrant UK home.

Alisha named her bed and breakfast after her son Nicholas. She filled the place with pink and green as a nod to her sorority and has created a place of peace and fun that's a safe space for everyone, especially minorities groups to come and vacation.

This Edwardian farmhouse was originally a dairy farm, and the whole place needed renovating when Charlotte Clark and family moved in. "It had been let go to rack and ruin and we could not wait to bring back its charm and create our forever family home," she writes. "We have worked through the house renovating it one room at a time, knocking through a few walls along the way."

Bethanne updated her Victorian Home by painting the walls and fireplaces to add cheer to her house. She believes in only holding onto items that bring you joy and has surrounded herself with items that tell the story of her life.

"Your home is for you, and if you’re into kitsch or kooky or kinda out-there aesthetics, embrace it. A home filled with personality is easy to love," advises Australia-based graphic designer and typographer Sophie Elinor.

Spiro Georgi and his husband have always loved the countryside of New England, and five years ago they finally bought their dream house, transforming it with a modern farmhouse/English cottage style. "Plaid is our thing; every room in our house has something in a plaid pattern."

Eric is a lover of black coffee, bourbon, blues, jazz, architecture, and interior design. So when the pandemic offered him a discounted price of rent, he worked to make the apartment of his dreams.

Allison knew she could add character and color to her condo through the decor, and began with a few paint colors to set the tone, eventually layering in pattern and decor to create a home full of personality.

"I love light, color, and antiques," says Bria Randal, of her small studio apartment. "I also decorate with consistency, memorable pieces, and creams/whites."

As a Latina artist who's traveled the world, Olga Fermin says her home is a reflection of her roots, culture, and travels. "You can see my colorful paintings all throughout the house," she writes. "I love mixing patterns, colors, and styles."

Michaela Dupkanic's home style is "Colorful. Maximalist. Lived in. Evolving."

Kathleen Kowalski's best advice for creating a home you love? "If it's ugly, paint it! Paint is the most powerful DIY tool we have."

Krystle Perkins and her husband wanted to bring this 1980s basic builder grade home to a modern place... and they've done it!

There's an art-filled hallway, huge skylights, glass block windows, and a massive high-gloss black bathroom with mirrors on the ceiling, a heart-shaped two-person Jacuzzi tub, and black and white '90s pop art vinyl decals.

Sydney always dreamed of owning a historic home and when she and her husband went remote during the pandemic, they bought this bungalow, which will be 100 years old this year. "We're going to throw her a birthday party," Sydney explains.

"Encouraging people to take risks in their interiors in an effort to have a more authentic home is my goal," explains Jen Moffat. "You don't have to follow rules or trends to create a space that feels like you belong there."

There were times when Suiki questioned whether or not the "juice was worth the squeeze" when it came to giving this neglected ranch-style home a total gut renovation, but it's been worth it. "This house has been my passion, pride, and joy over the years."

As an interior designer, Mylene Raspado layers in color, culture, and creativity in all her designs, including this home she shares with her family.

Rich textures like plush velvet, supple leather, and woven jacquard cotton, plus saturated jewel-tones of malachite and azurite, all helped give Ben the sensory dose of dopamine they needed to get through lockdown.

Originally from Ireland, Sara and Peter have decorated their colorful home with finds from local Swap Meet pages, estate sales, online auctions, and vintage stores.

Krista's 100-year-old heritage house is actually her husband's childhood home. "When his parents decided to retire in 2018 and go on an adventure, we purchased it from them and have spent the past few years transforming and updating it," she writes.

Abby and Ian's home style came down to a "compromise between the two of us. Ian likes moody colors and lots of rustic touches, and while I like these features too, I'm also really into mid-century modern antiques and style."

Hilda's one-bedroom bungalow was originally built as a granny flat in 1999. "Stylistically, I aspire to be a layered minimalist but in reality I land closer to being a pared-back maximalist," she says.

Designer Rebecca Summer and her husband, Sam, have lived in this 1930s building on Lake Merritt in Oakland for 10 years. "I was drawn to this building for all its architectural and ornate details like the arched doorways, 10-foot-high ceilings, and original crystal chandeliers," she writes.

Laura Moore decided to save money by finding a one-bedroom rental apartment and creating a “bedroom space” for her son to use when he is home part-time from college.

Tiffany Gholar's home is a space where she experiments "with ideas that I might end up using in projects for clients one day."

This San Jose studio apartment has separate spaces for living, sleeping, working, and cooking. "I'm amazed at what the right layout can do in such a small space," explains studio dweller Brett.

Katarzyna Tabath-Sklorz and her family live in this gorgeous "eclectic, farmhouse, boho" style house.

Desiree and her wife didn't want shy away from their Black and Hispanic heritage when it came to their intentional, cozy, and eclectic Harlem studio apartment that boasts as much small-space function as it does style.

Britt downsized to this 773-square-foot apartment after living in a larger home, but found enjoyment and freedom in paring down. "I’m far from a minimalist, but it feels good to have a home that’s truly only filled with items I’m passionate about ⁠— even my toilet brush is pretty!"

This small cabin's interior style is mid-century modern meets vintage camp fusion.

Mitali Gupta intentionally selected colors, furniture, accessories, and lighting to create the atmosphere she and her partner wanted in each room of the apartment they rent.

Leslie and her partner, Amy, have a rainbow media cabinet, a pink neon sign that says "queer," a candle in the shape of a plus-sized woman's figure, and more in their "Sapphic, feminist, cerebral, sensual, Venusian" rental apartment.

Juliana Sarria and her husband are originally from Colombia, their sons were born in Mexico, and after moving around for awhile, the family of four has settled down in this beautiful Barcelona rental apartment.

Jeff and Tim aren't allowed to paint since they're renting, so to bring warmth and color into a sterile, concrete space, they've incorporated warm and organic textures of leather, wood, vintage rugs, and faux furs.

Jeff and Emily Daws have combined their creative fields — textile design and woodworking — to create a one-of-a-kind home out of a blank slate new build.

This small studio apartment's style is serene, minimal, dreamy, peaceful, functional, and the view from the balcony overlooking the marina/bay is stunning!

Law student Madi's studio is the first time she's lived without roommates and so her first time with total freedom to decorate however she wanted. "Naturally, this meant pink, plants, and disco balls!"

Lisa has always been drawn to East Coast beach style, and was inspired by Nantucket for this home — hence why it's been dubbed "The Grey Lady."

The backdrop of Cindy Zhang's rental apartment is very minimal, but there are lot of decorations that give off pops of fun color.

Kelsey Bush's home is a direct reflection of her personality. "I love to be creative and get my hands dirty. So having the ability to design my own space has been very rewarding. I love mixing patterns and style and old with the new. Color is my comfort zone."

Hannah Conklin is a teaching assistant on a budget, and when it came to decorating her rental apartment, she incorporated items that were thrifted, handed down from a family member, or rescued from the side of the road.

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.

Equana Davis is passionate about historic architecture and the whimsical consumer brand, Anthropologie, and both passions are on full display in her gorgeous Atlanta condo she's owned for over three years.

Most of the art on the walls of this rental apartment is by Frances herself, and scattered throughout are dozens of ceramic hands, rocks, and other “treasures” her diver husband brings back from dives.

The morning light that shines through the living room and hits the disco balls on the couch is such a beautiful sight to see!

The home's style is modern, vintage, eclectic, boho, and classic.

The credenza under the TV holds board games, Play Doh and art supplies, as well as napkins and placemats. The sideboard in the dining area is actually a dresser that holds clothes.

This penthouse loft is in a famous old factory building that has been renovated, so Gwendolyn and Ron are surrounded by exposed brick walls and beautiful wooden beams that give the whole space a charming feel.

“Growing up I spent Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and so many other holidays in this house,” April describes of this house, which was once owned by her grandparents! Now she and her husband Joe are making this house their own.

It's mid-century Boho meets Palm Springs in this small but cute home-away-from-home.

Annie is an avid deal hunter and never pays full price. "All of my items in my house were purchased secondhand from Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Offer Up, or thrift stores," she writes.

Aurora Yim has used smart layout and small-space ideas in her Brooklyn studio apartment, like using a rug to visually define the living room area, creating the coziest sleeping nook with storage shelves and a very cool plant stand, and wielding mirrors to bounce light around the space, making it feel larger and brighter.