House

"We live in a mid-century home that was a bit of a blank slate when we moved in," begins Julie Mak. "It has been a wonderful palette for adding the lively fabrics, patterns, colors, and lines that I love."

When Arianna and her husband bought this house, it was "like a big sauna room — it had dark wood paneling walls, worn and stained carpet with musty smells, old-fashioned lighting fixtures, and dirty curtains." But look at it now!

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.

Jenny and her partner are New Yorkers that moved to the South of France with their 12-year-old daughter and bought a neglected stone house to renovate; it features exposed stone walls, wood ceiling beams, antique brick walls, and more.

When Mark and his wife purchased their home five years ago, they decided to go with a modern, minimalist approach with some bold choices. Extending their kitchen island into their dining table has become not only a cool style choice, but also a conversation piece.

Coming from Italy, white walls don't scare Anatolia. She loves to add bright pops of color to her neutral backgrounds to enhance her space.

Ruth and her 17-year-old son moved close to the beach in the pandemic, where they made it a priority to visit the beach every day and eat dinner together five nights a week. Their San Francisco home mixes bohemian styles with beachy vibes for a clean, welcoming aesthetic.

It's a 1950s cottage with original hardwood floors, plaster walls, arches, crystal doorknobs, wavy glass windows, built-ins, and chunky baseboards all nestled within a cozy two-bedroom, one-bathroom footprint.

When Brandon started working with designer Amber on his North Carolina home, he didn't let any traditional decorating "rules" get in his way. They worked together to create a space that is clean and modern but lets his personality shine.

LaToya Skinner, the owner and creative director of Lola Earl, a Sacramento-based interior design firm and retail home decor store selling sustainable, handmade, and vintage home decor and furniture, describes her home's style as cozy and soulful.

When Wendy and Fred Butterworth moved into their home, they knew updating everything would be out of their budget. So instead, they started to look at how they could embrace the style that already existed in the house.

When Noor moved in with her partner, they had to learn to combine styles. By blending pops of color with classy neutrals, they created a beautiful blend of their interests, which thankfully includes rainbow-colored stairs!

Linda and Marc painted rich colors on a few accent walls, incorporated a collection of fantastic furniture finds, and even added walls to some rooms, all to create personality and functionality to this new build house in The Netherlands.

Fenella and her family moved into their Melbourne home under a year ago, and they've been busy at work at colorful, unique pieces that give their house character. Fenella says she could spend hours scouring Etsy for items that bring their home together in an interesting way that speaks to her style.

Alexandra Rodriguez bought this single-story house built in the 1970s two years ago. Even though there was a major amount of gutting, updating, grading of the driveways, landscaping, and remodeling of the interior rooms, Alexandra has kept it true to its original ranch style form.

"The bare plaster walls in living room walls felt cozy with a fire on and I loved seeing the history of where a door was, or where the room had once been divided. We decided to leave the newly stripped original doors and upstairs floors and stairs raw wood as I never like the finish of oils or varnishes."

After losing their mother, Sarah decided to move closer to her sister in South Australia. When an old church went on the market, she and her family decided to convert it into a home featuring their eclectic tastes and warm, welcoming energy.

Emma Chasen and fiancée Carolyn Chernous' home is a mix of eclectic, maximalist, Art Deco, retro-inspired styles, and a TON of hand-painted DIY colorful murals.

Rachel and Ethan are a Texas couple living together for the first time in this duplex. With rent prices going up in Austin, Rachel and Ethan have saved money by scouring local vintage stores and Facebook Marketplace to make their home as unique and stylish as they are.

Tara's house isn't your typical Florida home. It's filled with gorgeous busts and colors that bring to life English and French style that will have you feeling like you've entered a museum.

Jo Dabrowski, a children’s book author and illustrator, shares this Melbourne home with her husband and two sons. Each room has its own distinct color that gives the house texture and life.