House

Name: Kathryn Elkins and Anthony dal Forno Location: Brunswick, Melbourne, Australia Size: 1800 square feet Years lived in: 15+ years; owned Kathryn and Anthony find themselves in Brunswick, the heart of one of Melbourne’s most eclectic spots, spoilt for choice with delicious food, some of the world’s best coffee, and boutique shops. Fierce supporters of Australian artists and crafters, they’ve have amassed an enviable collection of art and design objects made locally.

Tim Sheehan knew he was in for many years of hard work when he bought an abandoned New Orleans property six years ago. The grounds included a two-story 5,500 square-foot Greek Revival home and a ramshackle guest house, both in need of major renovations. The outdoor space started taking shape to become what it is today, a communal quad where Tim gathers regularly with friends, when he started using the yard as a staging ground for his many projects in 2012.

Name: Jennie Hoekstra, Luke Hoekstra, Jude (9), Neve (7), Wilder (4), Marmalade (the cat), Miki and Mandu (Australian Zebra Finches), and a flock of semi-retired hens. Location: Kemble — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,665 square feet Years Lived In: 6 months, owned In the spring of 2017 a lovely four-acre lot came up for sale in the rural village where we live. We knew the property well and loved it, but understood that it was on an unmaintained road with no hydro, so building would be tricky.

This family of six has turned an outdated, 100-year-old house into a beautiful, functional, and fun home.

And her home studio is like an explosion of pink and sparkles at the end of the dark hallway.

Name: Peggy Wong of Blue Pool RoadLocation: Downtown Los Angeles, CASize: 800 square feetI met Peggy a couple of months ago at a blogger meet up in Venice. She was introduced to me as a former art director at Martha Stewart and she gave me her card for the company she’s started on her own, Blue Pool Road. When I got home and looked up her work, I was amazed: Light, simple, graphically subdued but in no way boring. Then I saw her house.

High ceilings and large windows will make you fall for this floating home hook, line and sinker.

This Lakeview home needed major renovations, but while the couple wanted to modernize the space, they didn't want to change its architectural charm.

After buying the house, this couple had a 30-day remodel marathon putting in all new hardwood flooring, painting just about every surface, replacing light fixtures and more.

Name: Anna SpiroLocation: Brisbane, AustraliaSize: 2,370 square feetYears lived in: 1 year, ownedOver the past few weeks we’ve been getting a glimpse into some of Australia’s most exciting interior designers’ homes. This week we take a look at Brisbane based interior designer and blogger Anna Spiro’s home.

If you've ever dreamed of making olive oil from your own olive trees outside of a rustic but breathtakingly beautiful house in the Spanish countryside, well boy is this tour for you.

This home is an utter treasure trove of art and objects collected over time.

Entertaining is in this couple's DNA, and it's what inspired their home's renovation a year ago.

The ten-foot ceilings, original pocket doors, exposed brick, and amazing natural light make this 1900s charmer simply irresistible.

An adventurous family remodeled this 115-year-old Victorian house to have comfy, modern farmhouse vibes. And they did most of the work themselves!

Name: Risa Boyer Leritz, Nick Leritz, their 3-year-old daughter Harper, and two catsLocation: Alameda — Portland, OregonSize: 1720 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 — ownedThe process of buying a house is already tough on the nerves, let alone going into escrow on a serious fixer-upper — sight unseen — in a city almost 1,000 miles away from home.

They installed new hardwood flooring, totally renovated the kitchen, painted every wall and ceiling, and completely renovated this '50s Spokane house.

These self-proclaimed "crazy cat people" joke that their biggest home challenge is "remembering that we don't actually own it." Click for the DIY kitty porch.

This couple merged different styles, decades, and objects to create a place that fit with their personality.

A world-traveling pediatric doctor has filled her home with vibrant colors and collected treasures.

Lionel bought this property for himself, but met Ingrid a year later. They DIYed the entire renovation themselves, from painting furniture to a full kitchen makeover.

This home's inspired by earthy and colorful Mexico City style, '60s and '70s architecture books, and Abigail Ahern's dramatic and moody use of color.

This coastal cozy home has lots of bright whites, wood tones, natural and woven materials, and soft places to land after long days at the beach.

This home's style is: "eclectic, usually dusty, mostly reused/ pre-loved, makeshift, and sometimes dangerous (sit on old stools at your own risk)."

From giant mural wallpaper to layers of plants, bold romantic colors and multiple art galleries, this home has us swooning.

Name: Natasha Nyberg and Brad Sammut; children Lisette and Maxine; cats Matilda and Pickle; dogs Greta, Lotte, and Mr. Chips Location: Garfield Park; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Natasha and I met through Instagram. She began following my account and when I scrolled through her feed, I saw images of a very cool home: rich colors, objects with stories, and a refreshing indifference to trends.

Name: Christine and John and Gertie the dogProfessions: Christine is an art teacher and John, also an artist, is studying to be a nurse. They also run an Etsy shop, Poison IcebergLocation: Ann Arbor, MichiganSize: 960 square feet, ownedYears lived in: 2 1/2; owned While flipping through this year’s Small, Cool contest entries, I came across Christine’s Perfect Location.

Name: Elizabeth Bear and her husband Location: Denver, Colorado Size: Approx 4300 square feet Years Lived In: 8 years, owned My college sweetheart and I got married in July 2009, both second marriages; previously we had agreed to sell the homes we were each living in and purchase one together.

Name: Beth Brown and family Location: Buckhead — Atlanta, Georgia Size: 4,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years,owned Stepping into interior designer Beth Brown’s home is like walking into a luxurious boutique. Not surprising, considering she grew up visiting her mom’s chic Buckhead jewelry store, Tassells, which sells inspiring wearable objects.

Name: Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger, with dogs Winston and Blue Location: Noe Valley — San Francisco, California Size: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths Years lived in: 5.5 Susan and Eric Koger have come a long way from the cramped dorm room where they founded ModCloth in 2002. High school sweethearts turned college entrepreneurs turned retail power couple, their current home may be a bit bigger than their original digs, but the spirit behind things hasn’t changed.

Name: Erin Davis and Ben SmithsonLocation: Casa View — Dallas, TexasSize: 1,498 square feetYears lived in: 6 months — owned We first met Erin and Ben this past Fall when they submitted their “Peacock” living room in our Room for Color Contest and we wanted more! Erin, who is no stranger to the interior design world, shows us how she and Ben flexed their decorating muscles in their newly purchased Cliff May home.

Name: Allison Shaw Location: Denver, Colorado Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1 When I arrived to tour the fabulous Allison Shaw’s home last month, she was in the final stages of prepping her latest venture: Brick & Mortar, a traveling dry goods general store housed in a Vintage 1964 Aristocrat Trailer. Allison and her equally fabulous business partner, Tran Wills, are two of the biggest supporters of local design in Denver, making both their homes and business fun and enticing.

Name: Sara & Jason and 3 furry children: Ash, Ronin, and KumaLocation: Kansas City, MissouriSize: 1,700 square feetYears lived in: 3 — owned When it comes to displaying collections no one quite takes the job as seriously as the residents of this house. What started as a passion and a hobby of collecting vinyl toys and artwork from artists around the world has turned into a way of life for these folks in The Heartland.

Designer and paper artist Helen Ward shares this incredibly fun UK home with her family.

Names: Harry, Brenda and their two sonsLocation: Wicker Park — Chicago, IllinoisSize: 2000 square feetYears lived in: 11 total, 4 post-reno — owned Brenda and Harry have been friends of mine for a long time now which means I’ve been lucky enough to share in many of their “life events”. That translates to a busy decade or so, including a wedding (fantastic!), a first baby (joyous!), a second baby (doubly joyous!

He's basically trying to live in a tree house.

Location: Echo Park – Los Angeles, California Size: 2200 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Kathleen and Bradford live at the top of the hill in Echo Park. You drive up and up and up and then when you get to the very top you walk down a set of stairs to reach their front door. Their house is very private with an incredible view. I will admit I am a bit (ok a lot) jealous.

Name: Amy & David Butler Location: Granville, Ohio Size: 4,500 square feet – Post & Beam Modern Circa 1969 Years lived in: 8 Years What a wonderful treat! We’re thrilled to be able to share this peek inside the home and studio of textile designer, Amy Butler and her husband, David.

The tall ceilings and natural light make this already spacious and gorgeous house seem even bigger.

Not only did this couple do much of the house's renovation work themselves, the entire neighborhood pitched in. Their style? Reverent and resourceful!

Name: Sara Barge, Shelby Goodwin, and Stephanie Gutierrez of Foster ATX Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,344 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting After a five-week backpacking trip, Sara, Stephanie, and Shelby left Europe exhilarated by all they’d seen and done. At the time, they were convinced that kind of joy, excitement, passion for life—it was temporary.

Name: Audra White, a roommate, and a catLocation: Portland, OregonSize: 1200 square feetYears lived in: 1 year, renting My roommate and I live here with my cat, Baggy. We found the place through a friend of mine that was moving out after living there for years. She’s an interior designer as well and did a lot of work sprucing the place up while she lived there, so we can thank her for our hardwood floors and pastel paint colors.

Name: Kennesha Buycks, her husband, and children Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting To only call Kennesha Buycks a “designer” would be missing a lot of what she does. “I am an encourager. A storyteller. A life-breather. A creative. An influencer. A stylist. A gatherer. But, most of all? I am a woman who loves connecting with the hearts of others through home,” she writes on her popular blog, Restoration House.

Name: Katie Riddell, her husband Hamish, 9-year-old daughter Sophie, and Matilda their rescue dog. Location: South Eastern suburb of Melbourne, Australia Years lived in: 16 years Katie Riddell is a former lawyer-turned-interior decorator and lives in a three-bedroom, late 1960s renovated brick veneer home with her husband Hamish and daughter Sophie. Their home is filled with treasured items collected on travels, or created by their daughter or Katie.

Name: Abi Dare Location: Horfield, Bristol Size: 1000 square feet Years Lived In: 4 years, owned Minimalism isn’t exactly a new design concept these days, but there’s a really valid reason why stylist and blogger Abi Dare is drawn to neutral colors. “I have a condition called synaesthesia, which is when one sense merges with another rather than being experienced separately,” Abi says.

Name: Kate, Nick, Otis, and Zephyr, with dog Bucket Location: Frankston South — Melbourne, Australia Years lived in: 3 years, renting Kate—who runs the Instagram account The Little Beastie—has a love of interior design, decor, and craft, all of which can be seen throughout the rental home she shares with her family.

Name: Dan and Prue and 2 young children Location: Coburg, Melbourne, Australia Size: Around 1,075 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned Dan and Prue’s home is a work in progress. They purchased the house 10 years ago and have renovated over time slowly—room by room—when they have had the spare time. Impressive, as many parents know there isn’t a lot of spare time to work on big projects when there are two young children around!

Name: Leslie and Gilbert, kids, and pets Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Leslie and Gilbert moved to Michigan a couple of years ago and were excited to find a fun mid-century modern house next to some wooded land. They love music, learning, and nature and wanted to be able to bring all of those things together into their home.

Name: Bari and Kevin Ackerman (grown daughters Anna and Emily live here only part time). Pets include Kevin’s saltwater aquarium fish. Location: Scottsdale, Arizona Size: 3,400 square feet Years Lived In: 8 years, owned We moved to Arizona in December 2011 with our two daughters who were in 8th grade and sophomore year of high school at the time. Because we hadn’t sold our house in California yet, we stayed with my parents for a bit. When the house sold in January, we began hunting.

Apartment Therapy's Lifestyle Editor calls her style: Rock ‘n Roll Bohemian Goth!

Name: Cindy EppingLocation: Portland, OregonSize: 1,800 square feetYears lived in: 2 years We had the fortune of visiting Rip City during its most beautiful week this summer and this renovated midcentury vacation home/part-time residence owned by Cindy Epping of One Stop Modern (remember her Eichler tour?

Note: I’ve redone this great tour from last year to put all the text into the slideshow so that you can cruise through it in one go. I’ve added pics too. Let me know what you think.

Small or large, one room or ten, a home renovation is a big undertaking that often involves a few unavoidable hiccups along the way. When I visited Dustin & Maya’s Eclectic Silver Lake Home, I was surprised to learn that they had completely renovated and designed their spacious house in just six short months. I picked up a few tips for you renovating readers when I visited the busy hands-on couple.

There were just two things a young Kate Inglis wanted to be when she grew up: a professional roller skater and an author. “Only one so far has panned out,” reports the YA and children’s book author (If I Were a Zombie, Flight of the Griffons, and The Dread Crew) and the upcoming adult non-fiction book Notes for the Everlost: A Field Guide to Grief.

Kicker and Anne Kalozdi designed and built this house made out of shipping containers... despite having no real experience building a house before!

Name: Eileen Preston and Mark Cooper and kidsLocation:  Pleasantville, New YorkSize: 3,200 square feetYears Lived In:  Eileen Preston 1 year, Mark Cooper 11 years; ownedOur home is at the end of small wooded road. I love the privacy and land.  This house has lots of windows! As a nature lover, I bring lots of plants and natural elements in. It is sunny and bright and having a lot of green leaves indoors gets me through the winter.

Name: Nicole and Ben Ward and sons Kit and Sonny Location: Mount Helena, Western Australia Size: 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom Years lived in: 3.5 years; Owned By day, Nicole works as a florist for her company, Boss Flowers, and moonlights as a country singer with her band, Petticoat Junkyard. Ben similarly works as a carpenter for his business, Ward’s Carpentry, and plays in his punk band, LEECHES!

Name: Caz and Denis Leadbeater and their daughter, Cherry Location: Brunswick; Victoria, Australia Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned Denis and Caz recently sold this home, after spending four years renovating the Victorian double-fronted weatherboard house in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Brunswick. The home is spacious, with its open-plan living, dining and kitchen area in the back and three bedrooms at the front.

Name: Craig and Tessa Harding, Ted the dog, and Bear Grylls the cat Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 160 square meters (1,722 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Tessa and Craig’s down-to-earth home is full of warmth and character. Built in the 1940s, the semi-detached house has lovely original wooden floors and an interesting series of arches running down the central passage. The house was in a fairly good condition when they moved in, but they did renovate the kitchen.

Name: Rebecca and Jared Raskind Location: Glendale, California Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Rebecca reached out to me in an email, expressing interest in a possible House Tour, and when she sent over images of their recent renovations and before and afters, I knew I wanted to feature her home. This three-bedroom, two-bath house sits on a lovely block in Glendale complete with gorgeous landscaping and a pool.

Name: Melissa Miranda and Ulises Serret, their son Alex, and cats Tammy and Siddharta Location: Harrison Hill — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Nearly a decade ago, interior designer Melissa Miranda moved into her now-husband’s home in the Harrison Hill area of Dorchester in Boston.

Name: Kirsty Davey and Simon Taylor and their daughter, Mali Location: Victoria, Australia Size: 180 square meters (1,672 square feet) Years lived in: 7 years; Rented Kirsty and Simon moved to Victoria’s coast from Melbourne when they realized they were spending nearly every weekend there to feed Simon’s addiction to the Australian surf. It’s been a love affair ever since, with weekends spent cooking, surfing, gardening, and enjoying the relaxed coastal lifestyle.

Name: Bec and Tom Hutchinson and their daughters, Rubi Mae and Alice Location: Hamilton Hill, Western Australia Size: 156 square meters (1,679 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Bec, an interior decorator, and Tom, who owns his own landscaping business, are the perfect team to make a simple builder-grade house into something so much more.

Name: Charlie and Jill Bent and their two children Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Jill and Charlie Bent live with their two teenaged children in an 1899 Victorian house on a sleepy street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their home is a labor of love, thanks to high-impact renovations paired with carefully collected furnishings—from family heirlooms to found pieces and vintage textiles that have been transformed by Jill.

Name: Anne and Steve Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 2,152 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Owned Exploring the colorful and eclectic home of Anne and Steve is a real treat. Anne was born in South Africa, her husband, Steve, is British, and they spend their time between the two countries. So when it came to decorating their South African house, Anne knew that she wanted to create a very different look and feel from their UK home.

Name: Megan and Todd Walsh, one cat, and three dogs Location: West Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Applying a fresh coat of white paint on the walls in each room was the first thing Todd and Megan, owners of Atomic Furnishing, did to their new rental—a simple and inexpensive change that created the perfect backdrop to highlight the couple’s colorful collection of mid-century furnishings, rugs and art.

Name: Kelly Ransom and her dog Omelet Location: Faubourg Marigny; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned Kelly’s 1830s cottage, located on a quiet residential street in the Marigny, has the kind of charm for which New Orleans homes are known. Light blue shutters open to reveal four sets of French doors and classic wrought ironwork.

Name: Melinda Josie and Wesley Doerksen and their cat, Malkmus Location: The Junction; Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1 ¼ years; Rented Upon entering this home you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to a cabin in the woods. On a quiet street in Toronto just west of downtown, the couple have managed to cultivate a quaint and cozy environment inspired by their love for the outdoors.

Name: Mel and Ryan Tonkin and their daughters, Millie and Olivia Location: Bedfordale, Western Australia Size: 95 square meters (1,023 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned To begin this House Tour, I must tell you that this house is actually a shed — a standard shed you’d find in the backyard of many Australian homes. What Mel and Ryan have done to their shed though, is something entirely different from any shed you have ever seen. It is extraordinary.

Name: Ascher, Dylan & Hudson (13 months old) Lindsay with their two dogs Spencer and Alfie Location: Scarborough, Western Australia Size: 230 square metres (2475 square feet) Years lived in: 7 Years, Owned Set on a very busy road, just a short drive from Scarborough Beach—a popular tourist location—sits Ascher and Dylan’s home. Once you walk through their portico and step inside, the hectic outdoor world just falls away and you are left with a sense of peace and calm.