House

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.

Name: Kirsty and Noel Shorten Location: Hilton, Western Australia Size: 150 square meters (1614 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years Fremantle is well known for being a little quirky. People from all over Perth flock there, especially on the weekends, attracted to its laid back vibe and inviting atmosphere. Kirsty and Noel’s little home perched just above all the action, in the neighboring suburb of Hilton, fits right in.

Name: Alice and Lucy Oehr & Otto the cat Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Size: 75 square metres (807 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years When sisters Alice and Lucy Oehr first took possession of their single-fronted brick cottage in the inner north of Melbourne it was an absolute “renovator’s delight.” Bought in 2011, Alice and Lucy set to work on a three-month summer holiday building project.

Name: Lynn Pike Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 937 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned With her signature red lips and red glasses, Lynn is charismatic and has a strong sense of style. Lynn is the owner of a clothing boutique, Tallulah’s, and has been for almost 40 years. Her keen eye for design and understanding of color has flourished with many years of buying for her boutique. Both her boutique and her home reflect her vibrant personality and her eclectic style.

Name: Saskia Ericson, Tony Ericson, and their sons Louis and Sidney Location: Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia Size: 145 square meters (1560 square feet) Years lived in: 14 years, owned Saskia and Tony are graphic designers and run Hatch Creative in St Kilda in Melbourne. Saskia is also a food fanatic in the kitchen and online—she somehow finds the time to run her food blog 1=2. Tony loves to paint. They have two young boys, Louis and Sidney.

Name: Ashley Drost, pups Lazer + Leroy Location: Silver Lake; Los Angeles, California Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Enter Ashley’s sunny and revamped 1914 Craftsman home and it’s immediately clear that the saying is true, home is what you make of it. After years of renting on the West side and an exhaustive real estate search, she stumbled on this home in Silver Lake.

Name: Su Pang Location: Highland Terrace; Oakland, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned After spending some time in Sweden, Su fell in love not just with Swedish culture, but with the architecture. “I fell in love with the red wooden Swedish country homes,” she said. “Being a designer, I always wanted to design my own home.” So when she had an opportunity to build in her very own backyard, she jumped on it.

Name: Nacho and Lorena Location: Alicante, Spain Size: 2152 square feet (200 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 9 months Husband and wife Nacho and Lorena not only have a beautiful home, they also have a big heart. They’re both founders of Aprenent, a center that helps kids with autism, where they create training courses and use psychology as a resource to improve relationships.

Name: Lei and Dijon and their children, Lola and Harrison Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: +- 500 square meters (property size: 700 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 1 year Lei and Dijon had been house hunting for awhile when they came across this place; they knew it was the one at first sight. Lei is an interior designer and retail consultant and instantly saw the potential. They signed the deal within 24 hours!

Name: Stone Dow, Julia Goldstein, and their cat, Kiki Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Stone and Julia happened upon their 1960s duplex via Craigslist — it’s an unbelievable find that would make anyone want to start looking around in the off-season of the Boston rental market.

Name: Ashley, Dara, and their two daughters, Sage and Sophie; dog, Dylan, and cat, Luna. Location: Topanga Canyon, California Size: 3500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Nestled in the hills of Topanga Canyon, Ashley and Dara have created a home that honors their creative spirit and inspires their collaborative jewelry line, Alkemie Jewelry.

Name: Ashley, Dara, and their two daughters, Sage and Sophie; dog, Dylan, and cat, Luna. Location: Topanga Canyon, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years You may remember Dara and Ashley’s bohemian Topanga home tour, and if that wasn’t inspiring enough, check out their Moroccan-inspired guest home dubbed The Topanga Gypsy Hideaway. The guest home is freestanding with peaceful views of the Topanga mountains.

Name: Esther, Álvaro and Aníbal Location: Ruzafa — Valencia, Spain Size: 840 square feet (78 square meters) Years lived in: Owned 3 years Esther and Álvaro met seven years ago in London when Esther was working as a journalist. Soon after, they opened Gnomo, a hip retail store in the fashionable neighborhood of Ruzafa.

Name: Florence and Julien Location: Plateau Mt-Royal — Montreal Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Florence is the founder of Me Myself & Montreal, a blog that provides the best spots in Montreal to visit. She also organizes “discovery” events for its readers. The Montreal apartment she shares with Julien is bright and radiant and the large windows provide the best views of the city, like the Mount-Royal, the city center and the Olympic Stadium.

Name: Edmund Lam, Heidi Donnelly and Arthur (2 years old) Location: Montreal-West; Canada Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Sometimes it can be difficult to make the transition from downtown living to the suburbs, but when you luck out on a space to call home that screams your name (and meets your budget) you leave running! This is essentially what happened to Edmund and Heidi a little over two years ago.

Name: Abi James Location: Bo Kaap — Cape Town, South Africa Size: 130 square meters (1399 square feet) Years lived in: Owned 2 years Abi’s home is a treasure trove of unique finds collected on travels abroad and sourced lovingly over time. As soon as you step inside, you’re welcomed into a charming haven full of warmth and personality. Abi is an interior designer who works mainly with safari lodges and travels regularly for her work.

Name: Chris and Neil Bellamy Location: Bayside Melbourne — Victoria, Australia Years lived in: Owned 15 years Chris and Neil Bellamy with their two children Denie and Rhys live in a quiet bayside suburb of Melbourne. Chris is a full time artist who also dabbles in interior design and styling. Neil works in building and finance. They designed and built this house together—living in the home while they renovated, with small children in tow. A challenge in itself!

Name: Meghna Davé and Jake Williams and Lemmy (our pup!) Location: East Atlanta, Georgia Size: 1000 sq ft Years lived in: Owned 1 year Dive into a world of brilliant colors displayed through the ancient form of block printing by Maelu Designs, a sustainable textile company by local Atlanta entrepreneur, Meghna Davé. The bold patterns in the home she shares with Jake are highlighted by a minimal and natural aesthetic, making this space modern with a sense of familiarity.

Name: Sandra Eterovic Location: Inner-city Melbourne, Australia Size: 861 square feet Years lived in: Owned 20 years Sandra Eterovic is a talented visual artist whose work encompasses painting, illustration, textiles, knitting and all-round making of amazing things—as seen throughout her colourful and creative inner-city Melbourne home. Her home is situated in a narrow street and is an old single-fronted Victorian worker’s cottage that she bought 20 years ago.

Name: Lian and Fabien Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years The fresh white floors and puddled curtains were the first thing that made me sigh when I stepped into Lian and Fabien’s beautiful home in the City Bowl. Along with its high ceilings and lovely light, this home immediately draws you in. Lian is a brand strategist and personal style consultant and so creativity is definitely one of her fortes.

Name: Michelle, James, and their son Triston Location: Santa Fe — Oakland, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years When a family of creatives lives in one open space, creating nooks where each person can work and relax is challenging. But Michelle, James and their son Triston have successfully completed the difficult task of creating a functional live-work space utilizing pieces that are well-designed and beautiful.

Just outside of the Austin city limits is the Dickerson family homestead. 25 acres hold a lot of critters and a lot of style.

Name: Jennifer Emerling Location: Pasadena, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Jenn is a visual storyteller specializing in travel, editorial, and wedding photography. She considers herself a modern day explorer, particularly enchanted by her muse of the American West for its exaggerated folklore and whimsy. Jenn’s home base is a quiet back house in Pasadena, California that started as the perfect blank canvas for her to drench it color and effervescence.

Name: Genevieve Wearne Location: Kyneton, Victoria, Australia Size: 70 square metres Years lived in: Owned 5.5 years Genevieve and her husband Sonny made the move from Melbourne to Kyneton, in country Victoria (approx 1.15 hours from Melbourne), almost six years ago.