House

Name: Laura Shaeffer, Andrew Nord, Jasper and Sebastian Location: Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Laura and Andrew’s modernist townhome is a part of a community near the University of Chicago campus. It has 2 floors, a basement, and a huge backyard accessible by the other houses in the community. Their house is HOME Gallery, an intersection between a living space, an art gallery, a community engagement center, a playground, and a school.

Name: Keith and Paige Location: Belmont Heights, Long Beach, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; Rented The day of Keith and Paige’s tour I am embarrassed to say I was running late, plenty late. Making my way from a shoot in Laguna to Long Beach, I called from the 405 (Hello, Californians!) to see if I needed to reschedule.

Name: Page Evans, daughters Peyton and Katherine, and Angus the Lab Location: Georgetown; Washington, DC Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Page and her two daughters moved into this two bedroom in the heart of Georgetown eight years ago — they were downsizing after a divorce. Upon moving, Page, an art consultant and writer, set out to bring the small, 19th-century house up to date.

Name: Joanne and Brian King Location: Bay Spring; Barrington, Rhode Island Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 35 years; owned It’s a perfect summer evening. There’s a mellow breeze and a blanket of soft golden light. The Kings are sitting on their deck with drinks and a cheese tray watching sailboats race in Narragansett Bay. A couple sitting in a parked car takes in the scenery from across the street.

Name: Kelsey and Mike Sheofsky (and Louella and Bird Sheofsky) Location: Mission; San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years; Rented Kelsey and Mike make their living by creating beautiful outdoor spaces for their pop-up lodging service Shelter Co. They bring the same effortless style, laid back attitude and appreciation for travel to their San Francisco home, which they share with their perpetually chatty 7 month old Louella and their dog Bird.

Name: Christina Nickerson, Owner of Olmay Home, and her husband, two daughters, and their dog Location: Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California Size: 5,000 square feet Years lived in: 15 years I’ve always been surprised that the classics, things like great jeans, a beautiful white mug, a plain dark chocolate bar, someone who makes a good martini — which you would think would be so easy to locate — can be so hard to find.

Name: Maria and Eric Location: Jordaan — Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 200 square meters Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Welcome to Maria and Eric’s historical Amsterdam home with a modern twist. The two purchased this four-story abode five years ago and renovated the whole structure from top to bottom. Maria put it lightly when she said that renovating is “not an easy task in a foreign country.

Name: Scotti Sitz, creator of GARDE (lifestyle, gift, and home accessories shop) Location: Hancock Park; Los Angeles, California Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 4 months Scotti’s home reminds me of the classic California Spanish-style interiors you find in Malibu or Santa Barbara. The home (and its inhabitant) carry such elegance and beauty without being overly fussy.

Name: Stiles and Lauren Christner Location: Englewood, Colorado Size: 624 Square Feet Years Lived In: 2 Texas born and bred, Lauren and Stiles embody the small town warmth and southern spunk so often found in the Lone Star state. Lucky for us, the same can be said about their beautiful starter home in Denver, Colorado. Stepping through the threshold of this home, one might initially find it hard to determine the age of its residents.

Name: Taylor and Isabella Crockett Location: Central Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 9 Months; Owned While the housing market in Phoenix was one of the first to crash, it’s also been the first to rebound. Before the first quarter of 2012, if you were quicker than the investors, you could snag a foreclosed home in an historic neighborhood for less than $100,000.

Name: Philip Oakley, his wife Olivia, and their two cocker spaniels, Joe and Jarvis Location: St Leonards; Sussex, UK Size: 6,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4.5 years, lived in 3 years Philip and Olivia’s home is a great hulk of a building painted top to toe in gunmetal grey. From the outside, it looks almost hermetically sealed. The front door blends in to the wall, and most the windows are shuttered.

I first saw Shira Gill’s home through an Airbnb link that my friend forwarded to me, and I was instantly smitten. Shira, the owner of a professional organizing business called Simply Sorted, keeps her home exactly how I would (and sorta do). Her decor is minimal and clutter-free without being boring, an impressive feat with two little girls.

Name: John and Liz Tavarez Location: Fairview Place; Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,004 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned Liz and John live in a Sears Craftsman assembled in 1926. Their neighborhood, Fairview Place, was granted Historic Designation in 1994. It’s the oldest house in their neighborhood by two years. In Phoenix, this is considered incredibly old. In fact, generally speaking, a home built before 1960 is considered old.

Name: Johanna Lowe, food and prop stylist, and Derek Richmond, food photographer; together, they are the co-founders of Richmond Lowe Studio. Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 3,000 square feet, with an additional 2,000 square feet of outdoor space Years lived in: 7 months; Rented Could there be a more perfect pairing than a food and prop stylist and a food photographer?

Name: Sarah Bernard, husband James, and stepson Edward (on weekends) Location: Notting Hill, London Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Sarah’s home has a modern, graphic style and a laid-back vibe that makes guests feel immediately at home in their colorful surroundings. Nothing is staged or forced.

Name: Lori and Jeromy Murphy, accesibility consultant with ACI, plus their two daughters Location: Heights Area; Houston, Texas Size: 2,480 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Lori and her husband Jeromy are both architects. These days, she looks after the kids and he’s an accessibility consultant, but the house they built together has every bit of the ingenuity and style you would expect from the home of two designers.

Name: Cori & Jake Roberts Location: West End; Glasgow, Scotland Size: Three story town house Years lived in: 3 years; owned I can only conclude that Cori, her husband Jake (a film editor) and their three beautiful boys, Milo, Jonah and Louis, have effortless style running through their veins. Cori was born in Sweden, and with a photographer for a mother and artist for a father; their home was a hive of creativity.

Name: Rachel, Zach & Skye Location: Little Italy, San Diego, California Size: You’d think that we would know that since Zach’s dad is the architect, but we have no clue. Big enough for the three of us! Years lived in: 11 years If you want to live in one of the coolest concrete lofts in San Diego, it doesn’t hurt to be related to the architect.

Name: Tyler and Lolly Lux Location: Kensington, London, United Kingdom Size: 560 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, rented The morning of my photo shoot at Tyler and Lolly’s west London mews home, the couple were visited by an unexpected guest, in the form of a pigeon who somehow managed to fall down their chimney into the living room. “We woke up and could hear this strange flapping noise” Lolly told me when I arrived several hours later.

Name: Dan, Jill, Grey and Taavi Ritacco and their dog Apple Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: almost 3 years; owned Written in chalk above the bathroom door are the words, “Artistry + Function + Simplicity = This Home.” It’s a fitting mission statement for Jill and Dan Ritacco’s small Rhode Island cape, which was gutted and revitalized by the couple themselves.

Name: Cyndi Coon Location: Tempe, Arizona Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; owned Cyndi’s home, a ranch-style house built in 1958, is a stunning ode to all things found, reclaimed, and vintage. It’s a home you can stare at for hours: peering into glass-fronted cases, admiring collections of ceramics, and wondering at the story behind each object. It’s about as far away from childproofed as you can get.

Name: Seth and Natalie Brookshire Location: Presidio Heights; San Francisco, California Size: 2,700 square feet Years lived in: Seth for 10 years, Natalie for 3.5; Owned Walking up to this residence you’ll be greeted by Seth, an architect, and Natalie, a floral designer. The modern, light filled space you step into feels like a hidden treasure, and for good reason. The place was designed from the ground up by Seth, and every detail was carefully considered, with flawless results.

Name: John Trefry and Laurel Watson Location: Lawrence, Kansas Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented When I first visited John and Laurel’s house less than a year after they’d moved in, I was struck by its warmth and homeyness, qualities that brought me back for a tour. John is an architecture instructor and founding partner of the work.

Name: Amy Haiar and Todd Donahue Location: Avondale/Logan Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned What happens when two creative directors have carte blanche to design a new home from the ground up? In the case of husband-and-wife duo Todd and Amy, colorful, interesting, and beautiful things happen. Amy and Todd purchased their newly-constructed Smart Tech home a little over a year ago.

Name: Marco Pecota & Ilse Gudino Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 2,700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Imagining what the combined efforts of an industrial furniture designer/horror magazine publisher/film maker and a professional flamenco dancer could do with a boxy mixed-use building couldn’t even come close to the dramatic reality that is Marco & Ilse’s multi-level loft.

Name: Chris MacDonald (tattoo artist) & Meg Tilston (furniture designer) Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; owned Tattoo artist Chris McDonald and furniture designer Meg Tilston knew they’d found the perfect home when they first saw this tiny cottage in Toronto.

Name: Mark Salvie, plus roommates Rob and Jeff and dog Bubs Location: The Heights; Houston, Texas Size: 2,188 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Mark is the guy with all the cool stuff. Everywhere you turn, there is something interesting to look at. The thing about Mark’s house, though, is that it doesn’t feel cluttered or crowded. It is, as Goldilocks would say, just right.

Name: Kristen Philipkoski, Kourosh Karimkhany, and daughter Frida Location: Pacifica, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; rented When Kristen Philipkoski, a science writer turned fashion blogger, spotted this 70s beach house in Pacifica, just 15 miles south of San Francisco, she knew she had to have it.

Name: Tim Eddy and Hannah Fuller Location: Tahoe, California Size: 196 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Hannah grew up in a home her parents built (her father is a boat builder), so it was only natural for her to follow in their footsteps. Tim, on the other hand, has never built anything but fires.

Name: Cinda & Mark Boomershine Location: Atlanta, Georgia Size: 3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Years lived in: 7 years An architecturally traditional home filled with bright color and bold contemporary art is just the first of many contrasts that make up Cinda and Mark’s style.

Name: Eva Schone Location: Hyde Park; Austin, Texas Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Eva Schone, the founder of Trophyology (and an architect on hiatus), describes her style as “light, cozy, and green with a sense of clarity.” It’s true. Upon entering her sun-drenched two bedroom garage apartment, Eva’s decisions and delights are perfectly clear, without the appearance of a lot of work or fuss.

Name: Taryn & Sanford Parker (and their dog Iris and cat Tron) Location: Logan Square; Chicago, Illinois Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; owned It’s almost unimaginable. You buy a house, and a few days before you’re slated to move in, some hooligans break in and burn the interior, and you are faced with a gut rehab of what you thought would be a virtually move-in-ready space.

Name: Eva & Jason Hume Location: Mt. Tabor; Portland, Oregon Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned It’s been four years since Eva, Jason and their French bulldog Santo settled into this perfect little nest in the heart of southeast Portland, Oregon. The neighborhood is made up of an array of eateries, jam-packed coffeehouses, vegan bars, offbeat clothing stores, and vintage oddity shops.

Name: Jim & Doris Location: Honolulu Size: 14,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned It’s always fun to get a sneak peek into really spectacular homes, and today’s tour certainly fits the bill. Tucked away on the island of Oahu, Jim and Doris created a retreat from everyday life that’s as remarkable as it is immersive. As you move through the rooms, it’s hard to believe this house is located in the USA.

Name: Hope & Pete Colling Location: Terra Linda, California Size: 1955 sq ft. Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Pulling up to Hope and Pete’s home I can’t help but notice that I’ve entered a place where all of the homes are perfectly landscaped in gravel and native plants and maintain a uniform sense of modern, minimalist design. It’s almost Stepford-ish in its perfection, if the Stepford wives took their cues from Dwell magazine.

Name: Karen LaShelle (nonprofit director) and Deborah Esquenazi (documentary filmmaker) Location: Cherrywood; Austin, Texas Size: 2,100 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; owned It’s been five years since we first toured Karen’s house in Austin. Since then, her 2 bedroom/1 bath house has undergone some big and meaningful changes.

Name: Nancy Sickbert-Wheeler, Andrew Wheeler, and their dog Bailey Location: Evanston, Illinois Size: 2 bedroom + finished basement Years lived in: 19 years; owned Metal, enamel, and film: all three media require a creative eye, a deft touch, and a sense of possibility.

Name: Stephen Turner Location: The Beaulieu River; Hampshire, UK Size: 6 meters long, 3.6 meters wide Years lived in: 9 months At the head of a creek somewhere in the South of England, a weird and wonderful structure bobs up and down on the tide. It is a giant wooden egg, polished smooth by the wind until it shines like silver. A round window on the top and a hatch on the side are the only clues that this may be something more than an otherworldly sculpture dropped down in a remote salt marsh.

Name: Nick Fanelle & Spiro Georgi Location: Andersonville; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented There’s no reason you can’t enjoy both the vibrancy of city life and the peacefulness of a rural retreat. Now, if you were to find an urban townhouse on a farm, it might strike you as a bit odd, but bringing the rustic, worn-in feel of the country into a Chicago apartment turned out to be just the thing for Nick Fanelle and Spiro Georgi.

Name: Dave Widmer, CB2 eCommerce Brand Director and Chad Ross, Crate and Barrel Visual Merchandising Team Lead Location: Andersonville; Chicago, IL Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Never hesitate to walk through a bright green front door: I promise you, only good things are waiting for you on the other side. In the home of Chad and Dave every last detail from the foundation to the roof and everything in between was meticulously thought about and designed.

Name: Meg, Joe, & Wells Piercy and their toy poodle Jack Location: Uptown; Chicago, IL Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; owned In Meg and Joe’s living room, there’s a blackboard with a family friend’s delicately drawn reminder to “live life in full bloom,” and the Piercys have certainly taken this advice to heart.

Name: Matt and Mel Location: Fairfax, Virginia Size: 816 square feet Years lived in: 10 mos; Renting Is it ever the case where you visit the home of designers and find that their space isn’t the coolest one on the block, filled with creative design and a beautiful harmony of eclectic trinkets? Never! And the graphic home of designer and animator Matt and Mel is thankfully no exception.

Name: Gigi Eligoloff, editor of Gransnet, her husband John and their children Kit and Delphi Location: Barnes; Southwest London, UK Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 and half years; owned When the money for Gigi’s kitchen fund was stolen, she didn’t despair. She got straight onto Gumtree (UK’s answer to Craiglist) and tracked down another kitchen at a fraction of the price.

Name: Beth Puscheck, owner of Blue Cottage Hill Location: Villa Park, Illinois Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; owned Who else lives here: Beth’s boyfriend & their dog, Aaron A professional beautician by day, Beth’s always had an eye for style. And from the moment she and her boyfriend bought their 1926 cottage in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park only 6 months ago, she’s been taking her talent home and completely transforming the formerly uninspired space.

Name: Jake Pedziwiatr and Bridget Mahoney Location: Whittier, Denver, CO Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned Around town, Bridget is know as one of Denver’s best barbers. To her friends and Instagram followers she is known as the queen of power tools, master of weekend DIY projects, and just a plain bad-ass.

Name: Abigail Ahern, her husband Graham Scott, Mungo the miniature schnauzer, and Maude the Welsh terrier Location: Dalston; London, UK Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 13 years Imagine if Vermeer and Rousseau got to share a canvas, the Dutchman filling it with his trademark dark interiors, soft light filtering in through a window, and the Frenchman adding lush ferns, copious flowers, birds and animals peeking through the foliage.

Name: Jim and Laura Nelson Location: College Hill, Providence, Rhode Island Size: 3,400 square feet Years lived in: 4 1/2 years; owned There had been no talk of moving in the Nelson family when a house in Providence caught Laura’s eye in the newspaper one Saturday in 2009. Pictures of the sun-drenched kitchen and unusually large backyard jumped off the page. And the charming College Hill colonial, built in 1772, was a mere two blocks from Laura’s childhood home.

Name: Caro Ritchie of Corita Rose, her husband Josh and their three children Blue, Tiger and Kit. Location: A village near Shaftsbury; Dorset, UK Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 21 years The Ritchie’s family home in a former-brewery in rural Dorset is a riot of color and pattern. You may remember Caro Ritchie from Corita Rose’s Vibrant and Colorful Studio, where she creates bold and brilliant fabrics under the name Corita Rose.

Name: Mike and Lea of The Casa Pino Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting Creative husband and wife duo Mike and Lea Pino met in New York several years ago, and have been working together and designing up beautiful modern textiles with their business The Casa Pino ever since. So it comes as no surprise the same fun aesthetic they put into their collection is reflected in their equally stylish home.

Name: Nikki Witherspoon-Whited, owner of East West Vintage Rentals (with husband Steve and children Atlas and Rosie) Location: West Asheville; Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; rented Artfully styled scenes of found objects can be discovered at every turn in Nikki’s delightful 1920s bungalow. The vintage treasures, once covered in dust, shine again as they join a new family of modern furnishings and accessories.

Name: Kristoffer Keul and Carrie Bloomston Location: Phoenix, Arizona Size: 1,750 square feet Years lived in: 14 years; Owned Kristoffer Keul and Carrie Bloomston are on a mission to enable creativity, and their home is the center of operations. Carrie has a book that helps people find their creative spark.

Name: Dena Fields and Punkin the English Bulldog Location: East Nashville; Nashville, TN Size: 570 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Dena’s home is her retreat, her sanctuary. It is filled with items that nourish her mind and spirit. From her vibrant paintings to her collected items, everything has a story. A story of family, travel, and friendship. The duplex Dena lives in has beautiful hardwood floors and thick plaster walls.

Name: Tanya Lacourse Location: New Hampshire Size: First floor of a two-family home; Tanya’s part is 1100 square feet, and there’s also a large yard. Years lived in: 5 years When Tanya purchased this little house in New Hampshire five years ago, she had no idea of the time, elbow grease, and persistence it would take to make it into a home. But persist she did. And after all the hard work, Tanya has a ton of renovating experience — and a beautiful place to call home.

Name: Marie-Lyne and Karlo Location: Villeray; Montreal, Canada Size: 575 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned We settled in an up-and-coming neighborhood where young families and first-time buyers choose to live for its affordability and convenience. Our condo is near Jean-Talon market and is surrounded by trendy coffee shops, fashionable restaurants and local boutiques.

Name: Darlene Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 23 years; owned Darlene lives in a ranch on the north side of Grand Rapids, within walking distance of Riverside Park. The neighborhood’s wide, winding streets are lined with unique houses – and Darlene’s home, with her collection of original art, is no exception.

Name: Becky and Jordan Location: Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; owned Becky and Jordan live in a 1986 tri-level in northeast Grand Rapids. Nestled in a quiet neighborhood about five miles from downtown, the location is a happy medium for a couple from the country who wanted to be close to downtown, but not in the middle of downtown. Becky, an interior designer, is always thinking of renovation projects.

Name: Beth-Anne Thomas & Arron Thomas Location: Parkdale; Toronto, Canada Size: 2100 square feet Years lived in: Owned for 1 year This gregarious couple is as well-known for their masterful ability to get the party started as they are for their frequent participation in charitable events.

Location: Austin, Texas Size: 960 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Candice is an amazing Austin-based stylist and sells a collection of her vintage finds on her online shop, Oh Fox Creative. Everything she salvages has a story and her home is filled with them, too! Her classic taste is showcased through her vintage hints and globe trotting finds. Keep an eye out for her one of a kind must-haves and take a peek at her ‘found’ rugs. They’re all works of art.

Name: Nyakinyua Gill, Ivan Iricanin, and Baby Vuk Location: Howard University-Shaw; Washington DC Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Nyakinya Gill (affectionately known as Nya) and her husband Ivan Iricanin are no strangers to the interior design industry. Ivan is an international restaurateur, with award-winning venues in Washington, DC, New York City, and Serbia, and Nya has played lead interior designer to some of these establishments.

Name: Elise Becker Location: Franklin, North Carolina Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; owned An old house with lots of original charm is now a groovy and colorful dreamboat filled with vintage objects and funky heirlooms. If you thought the days of orange, green, and yellow were long gone, a tour of this sweet sixties throwback will show you that they still live on, and are as fantastic as ever. Elise is a sunny and funny gal, and her spirit shines through in her whimsical home.

Name: Dee and Paul Location: Northville, Michigan Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Dee and Paul live in Northville, a western suburb of Detroit. Their traditional home is open, airy and layered with trinkets. Dee is drawn toward turquoise, sparkles, shiny surfaces, beach imagery, and a mix of old and new. Paul likes mementos from the couple’s travels (especially out west) and vintage clocks (which he restores).

Location: Little Italy; Toronto, Canada Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 months When these two idea-makers were preparing to move in together, their main mission was to find a space that could accommodate two home offices in an atmosphere that would inspire their work. Countless viewings of windowless basement dens & crowded corner set-ups helped this gorgeous loft-style apartment stand out among the misfits. My Style: Modern bones, vintage touches, and a lot of breathing room.

Name: Mark and Mariana of m2matiz, Josh [20], Madeleine [18], Charley [dog], Friday [cat] and six very generous chickens. Location: Thornbury, Victoria, Australia Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 10 years owned I’ve admired Mariana’s work since around 2007 when her creative images started to appear in my “flickr” stream (the choice of pre-Instagram hep-cats in the olden days).

Name: Kai Avent-deLeon and Dan Solomito Location: Bedford-Stuyvesant; Brooklyn, NY Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Kai Avent-deLeon (pronounced Kai-E) is no stranger to the homes that have put her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on the historical record of architecture and design. She was born and raised here, and the brownstone that her apartment is in, which she shares with her boyfriend Dan, has been in her family for nearly half a century.

Name: Esther Hahn, Brendan Cooney, and Timothy Hahn Location: Pacifica, California Size: 1,610 square feet Years lived in: 1 years; Owned The home that Esther and Brendan share (along with her brother Timothy) is colorful, vibrant and full of energy. Esther works as an editor for Racked, is an avid surfer and rides horses, and she and husband Brendan are often out together with their two (adorable) cattle dogs.

Name: Erin Kelsey Location: Oakland, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year With a career as a textile designer, you would expect no less than beautiful fabrics and finishes of all sorts—and Erin’s loft does not disappoint. From buttery leather and perfectly worn wood, to an abundance of richly patterned rugs and blankets the loft is a test lab for layered, textured perfection.

Name: Diana, Mik and baby Harper (15 months) Art director, Musician/lighting designer, Captain of playtime respectively Location: Thornbury; Melbourne, Australia Size: 2 bedroom, one study, living and dining Years lived in: 16 months Di is an art director in the advertising world, so it should come as no surprise that the home she’s made with musician/lighting designer Mik and their baby Harper is ornamented with treasures from the most whimsical of places.

Name: Christ Robart and Kate Bracksieck Location: Houston, Texas Size: 2,650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Own Kate and Chris recently traveled to Copenhagen where they picked out a full shipping container’s worth of mid century furniture, having recently begun importing amazing pieces for the launch of their online shop, Indre by Design. Last time I was in Houston, I stopped by and saw her beautiful pieces being unpacked in her downtown Houston warehouse.

Name: Oscar Beisert Location: Grant Circle (Petworth); Washington, DC Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Own When I first entered the home of Oscar Beisert, I thought for sure he had inherited it from an 90-year-old retired art historian who redecorated as a side hobby. Each wall in his sprawling two-story, three-bedroom home was chock full of carefully placed framed paintings, filled with portraits of historical characters both related and non-related to Oscar.

Name: Lenora Elizabeth Curbo Location: Northeast Los Angeles, California Size: 1,150 square feet; 2 bedroom/2 bath Years lived in: 2 years; Rented It’s hard to imagine a spot as serene as Elizabeth’s rustic bungalow existing mere minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. Her sweet 1920s home is nestled in the hills of El Sereno, an up-and-coming suburb of Los Angeles, and feels like a secret mountain retreat amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

Name: Felicity (interior designer) and Paul (architect), Jade (6) and Ella and Mia (twinnies, 18m) Location: Torrens Park, Adelaide, South Australia Size: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Years lived in: 2 years; Owned What an impact! Walking into Felicity & Pauls’ 1975 architect designed wundervault*, I am immediately reminded of a trip to Paris and being overwhelmed by the beauty of the Arts et Métiers station on the Paris Métro, a station clad in shining curved copper.

Name: Valentina and Alessandro Location: Princeton, New Jersey Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When walking into Valentina and Alessandro’s bright and inviting space, you immediately feel like sitting down for a glass of wine. Their home is both modern and comfortable, and full of treasures from their travels around the world. Valentina and Alessandro are originally from Italy, but have lived in Princeton for several years.