House

Name: Taylor and Steph Location: Santa Cruz Mountains, California Size: 560 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Some people dream of living off the land, going off grid, building a home by hand — getting closer to nature and being more sustainable. Taylor and Steph (Find them on Instagram: @nomadic.roots) have done just that.

When Elise and Ben bought their Mount Washington house, the kitchen looked like this. They used this sad kitchen for five years until they finally updated it. The end result is modernized, but still captures the spirit and integrity of the storied older house. Using IKEA cabinets to keep the costs down, they were able to upgrade and personalize the look with Calcutta marble and Schoolhouse Electric hardware for all the cabinets.

Project by: Ana Braunstajn Interior Design Location: London, Ontario, Canada This is a 1960s four level, side-split home that was very much out of date. The project encompassed two stories, and everything was to be updated, from the ceiling fixtures all the way to the baseboards. The idea here was to bring this out of date house into 2015. I started this project in January 2015. Inspiration: I would call this style “Florida beach house.

Name: Margaret Sche and Gabe Belgara Location: Uptown — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Theirs is a Texas love story. Margaret can thank her mom for insisting she join her for some live country music and two-steppin’ on that fated Friday night when she met Gabe at Blanco’s. The beloved Houston dance hall—now closed—was one of Gabe’s favorite honky-tonks, and sparks flew when the two met.

Name: Katie (15) Location: Sumter, South Carolina This past summer we moved into a new house which means new rooms for the kids. This go round my daughter is fifteen and while I had some ideas for the room her plans were a little different, so I let her be the boss. Her original plans for the room had always been coral and aqua so when we spied some aqua Zebra sheets at Macy’s we had out inspiration.

Name: Susie Jones, housemates Bindy and Kerry, and Ruby the dog Location: Collingwood — Victoria, Australia Size: 94 square meters (1,012 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Owned by Susie Susie Jones bought her home in the inner north of Melbourne in Collingwood a few years ago, and it definitely reflects her personality and that of her housemates. While it showcases her love of vintage and nostalgia, Susie’s home is sprinkled with a little bit of fun and humor, too.

Name: Michel Biehn Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 150 square meters (1,614 square feet) Years lived in: 6 years; Owned “Eight years ago, I needed to refresh my life, before becoming too old,” says Michel, the larger-than-life French expatriate textile expert, author, chef, hotelier and owner of Le Jardin des Biehn, who has taken up residence in the Old Medina.

Name: Alpavi and Utpal Patel Location: Ahmedabad, India Size: 6750 square feet Years lived in: 25 years; Owned Our stories are never our own; they are a mix of the people who came before us and of those who will come after. Alpavi and Utpal’s home is a perfect example of this threshold: a space between the past and the future, an intensely personal journey of bridging the two—with love.

Name: Andrea Crickmore Location: Byford, Western Australia Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned I didn’t even have to get to the door of Andrea’s home to know that it was going to be something completely different from any other home I have photographed before.

Name: Michael and Courtney Glantz and sons Logan and Beckett Location: North Barrington, Illinois Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned The home that Courtney Glantz of A Life From Scratch shares with her husband and two sons is quite literally her dream home.

Name: Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, Kibi the dog, and Denni the rabbit Location: Victoria, Australia Size: 72.51 square meters (780 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned I have been a longtime fan of the colorful, graphic prints and artwork created by Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, the duo behind inaluxe. The couple originally met at art school in the ’90s and then both worked in the music industry in Melbourne.

Name: Holly and Ryan, daughters Stellan and Kinley, and German Shepherd Dublin Location: Peterborough — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned When you walk into this family home, you are overcome by a sense of happiness. It’s one of those spaces where you can feel the amount of love and care that has been put into it. It also happens that the people who live in the home are just as warm and welcoming as the physical space itself.

Name: Steve and Debbie Cotton and their dogs, Baxter and Kiko Location: Western Cape, South Africa Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Debbie and Steve have a keen eye for color and a unique style which is evident as soon as you enter their lovely house. Full of personality, warmth and quirky touches, the space makes one feel at home right away.

Name: Tara and Thierry Broucqsault, their son Henri, dogs Lola and Junebug, Maverick the cat, and Bobby the Gecko Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned Set high above the street, Tara and Thierry’s charming cottage is a place where family, pets and guests can truly feel at home.

Name: Stephen di Renza Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 56 square meters (600 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned After years of dwelling in various locations — New York, Paris, London, Hanoi— it is in Morocco that American-born Stephen Di Renza came to a halt and settled.

Name: Ida Floreak and partner, cats Chuck and Bruce, and Harry the dog Location: Uptown — New Orleans, LA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Ida’s sunny house in Uptown New Orleans has a lot of great features: a mix of vintage and new furnishings, plenty of art and plants, DIY projects, and happy pets.

Name: Tom and Allison, their son, Gordon, and their dogs and tortoise Location: Culver City, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned One look inside the home of Tom and Allison of California Rediscovered and you quickly realize that you are in the presence of DIY masters.

Name: Adrienne and Benjamin and their children, Jeanne, Sacha and Rose Location: Belleville — Paris, France Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 12 years; Owned When they’re not playing electro-Balkan music with their band, Djam Orkestar, Adrienne, a passionate socio-anthropologist, and Benjamin, a fashion-loving lawyer, keep the magic and fanfare going in the old printing factory they revamped into a multifaceted duplex.

Name: Nick McPhail Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented With the price of rent quickly increasing every year in Los Angeles, artist Nick McPhail was lucky to grab this perfect little home all for himself. Complete with a backyard that houses an organic garden and a ceramics studio, this home embodies the ideal of a live/work space.

Name: Silvia Michielotto, Jean-Pierre Mongard and Valeria Concari Location: Old Medina — Marrakech, Morocco Size: 110 square meters (1,184 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Crises can sometimes turn out to be good; you can make new decisions, reboot the hard drive, explore new possibilities and do things you could not do before. Friends Silvia, Jean-Pierre, and Valeria did just that.

Name: Bradley Sabin and his dogs, Cooper and Romeo Location: Mid-City — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Artist Bradley Sabin may live alone, but he is always in the company of friends. His 720-square-foot shotgun home, located in Mid-City New Orleans, is filled with artwork. “The art is very personal,” he explains. “I’m surrounded by things people I know made, so I feel like I’m with my friends.

Name: Natalie Slyman and Nate Bethel Location: St. Louis, Missouri Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Natalie and Nate are one of those couples whose styles go together so effortlessly. They met while working at the same resale shop, and they’ve been together over six years.

Name: Renee Mouritz and Adrian Testa and their dog, Sammy Location: Yallingup, Western Australia Size: 128 square meters (1,378 square feet) Years lived in: 10 years; Owned Renee, a passionate Australian conservationist, and Adrian, a chiropractor from New York, built themselves a home near the coast of Western Australia to serve as a retreat from the busy-ness of the rest of the world.

Name: Dustin Lancaster and Maya Brenner, kids Jack and Sadie, and dog Roxy Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 2,700 square feet (house) Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Hard-working entrepreneurs Dustin and Maya can now add their beautiful six-month home renovation to the long list of productive ventures they’ve accomplished in the last year.

Name: Paul and Katie Alexander and their daughter, Mabel Location: De Beauvoir — Shoreditch, London Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Katie and Paul searched for a flat in London that was close to both their work in the city and the nightlife of Shoreditch, and they ended up finding the perfect compromise: a lovely flat in the leafy De Beauvoir neighborhood a stone’s throw from the exciting city life.

Name: Lauren Wells and Breeze Braunschweig Location: St. Roch — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Lauren and Breeze are the kind of friends who only need each another to have a good time. On a Saturday afternoon in late November, the women, sitting together on a church pew in Breeze’s living room, are laughing so hard over inside jokes that Lauren has her hand over her mouth because she just can’t stop laughing.

Name: Jaclyn Johnson and David Kaul and their dog, Noah Wiley Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented It’s been well over a year since I last visited Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate, at her incredible little home in Los Feliz. Since then, her now-fiancé, David Kaul, has moved in, and they are enjoying their engagement in their home’s beautiful mix of feminine and masculine styles.

Name: Kiana and Steve and their kids, Mathilda and Milo Location: Chelsea, Quebec Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned This beautifully renovated house in the woods is a playful and welcoming space brimming with its owners’ personalities.

Name: Gawie and Karen and their children, Mila and Gabriel Location: Cape Town City Bowl, South Africa Size: 600 square meters (6,458 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Karen and Gawie share their beautiful two-story home with their two teenage children. Nestled on the slopes of Table Mountain, this magnificent home has a lush garden and incredible views across Cape Town to the sea. Architect Wynand Wilsenach designed their house and Karen took care of the decorating.

Name: John and Shauna Stanton and their daughter, Isla Location: Guildford — Surrey, UK Size: 1,064 square feet Years lived in: 17 years; Owned There’s something fascinating about the homes of artists—I love the way the style and character of their art is expressed in the way they decorate and inhabit their spaces. The home of Guildford-based artist Shauna Stanton and her family is every bit as colorful and quirky as her beautiful, vibrant paintings.

Raya is inspired by natural materials, classic colors, found objects, and timeless modern design.

Name: Alexander & Carla Zidarevich and their dogs, Sadie and Rocco Location: Willard-Homewood; North Minneapolis, Minnesota Size: 1600 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years; Owned After moving to Minneapolis from Michigan, Alex and Carla lived downtown in a modern space that they quickly outgrew. The couple discussed their home aspirations and agreed their ideal would be something historic with tons of personality. Not long after, they found it: a 1924 Dutch Colonial in need of some love.

Name: Kerstin and Andy, their children, Iggy and June, and Yella the dog Location: West Preston — Melbourne, Australia Size: 170 square meters (1,830 square feet) Years lived in: 8 years; Owned I recently stumbled across Kerstin via Instagram, thanks to a comment she left on a mutual friend’s photo.

Name: Seth Rodewald-Bates & Elisabeth Davies Location: Carrollton — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned Tucked into a long, narrow lot in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, not far from where the mighty Mississippi bends, is a sight you don’t expect to see among the shotguns, cottages, and bungalows: two giant steel boxes primed in Rust-Oleum orange-brown and stenciled with white numbers once used to identify cargo.

Name: Bec Smith and Kit Warhurst, their 3 1/2-year-old Alfie, and Peggy the cat Location: Preston — Melbourne, Australia Size: 122 square meters (1,313 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Bec and Kit moved slightly north of Melbourne five years ago after many years of renting in the inner-city. Their new location has afforded them a great family home filled with the treasures they’ve collected over their years together.

Name: Alison and Jay Carroll and dog Lefty Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Alison and Jay are a creative husband and wife team who find inspiration from around the globe. As recent Los Angeles transplants from San Francisco, the couple and their dog, Lefty, enjoy soaking up the Southern California sunshine in their cozy Franklin Hills apartment.

Name: Catherine Cachia and Lionel McDonald, their daughter, Winnie, and Griffey the dog Location: East Danforth — Toronto, Ontario Size: Approximately 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Instagram and mid-century modern couches brought Catherine and I together. Last summer, she left a comment on one of my pictures saying we had the exact same couch. I thought that was a big coincidence for a considerably vintage piece of furniture. Was she also in Ontario?

Name: Jen Clark and Kirstie Innes-Will, George and Bob the dogs, and Ruby the cat Location: Preston; Victoria, Australia Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented When I first entered the home of graphic designer Jen and her partner, Kirstie, a senior editor at Black Inc. Books, I was greeted by their two dogs: the photogenic and well-behaved greyhound, George, and a small, white terrier called Bob.

Name: Neryl Walker and Tim Haynes and daughter, Ivy Lee Location: Balaclava; Victoria, Australia Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Owned Neryl and Tim’s 1950s house is the perfect backdrop for their various collections of vintage nostalgia, magazines, packaging, furniture, flea market finds, and artwork created either by the couple or their friends. They have kept many of the original 1950s features plus some of those added in the 1970s.

Name: Luke and Sophie Doyle and their dog, Chester Location: Melville, Western Australia Size: 450 square meters (4,843 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Sophie is a marketing adviser for an agricultural company by day, but it is her role as Creative Director for her business, Design Horde, that is her true passion.

Name: Ben and Heidi Yardley and their cat, Nico Location: North Melbourne; Victoria, Australia Size: 2500 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Rented Heidi and Ben’s home is located down a quaint cobblestone lane that’s slightly overgrown with trees and shrubs. As you enter through the gate, it’s like stepping back in time or traveling to Europe.

Name: Tony and Sarah Howell and their sons, Oliver and Reeve Location: Gracetown, Western Australia Size: 320 square meters (3,444 square feet) Years lived in: 16; Owned Between the dense natural bush and one of the main surfing breaks in South Western Australia lies a home full of peace and serenity. Sarah, who owns a home decor business sourcing treasures from around the world, and Tony, regarded as one of Australia’s best chefs, have built a home that is as beautiful as it is inviting.

Name: Alana and Joe Hearn Location: Newport, Rhode Island Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned The first thing you see when you enter the living room of Joe and Alana’s 19th century Newport home is a dynamic multimedia painting of a woman. Head thrown back, pink mouth wide open, eyes crinkled shut—you can almost hear her laughing. Her hair, made of repurposed piano keys, sticks straight out as if an electric current is running through her.

Name: Elizabeth and Jeremy, their dog, Wally, and their cats, Milo and Patrick Location: West Los Angeles, California Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented If you wake up on an overcast Sunday morning in Los Angeles and are wondering where you can score a fresh slice of homemade pizza and a carefully crafted cappuccino, then please allow me to direct you to the home of Elizabeth Berger and Jeremy Roth. When I arrived at their West L.A.

Name: Julie and Michael Martino Location: Doubleview, Western Australia Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Years lived in: 17 Years; Owned Julie and Michael’s home is truly one-of-a-kind. Designed by a Swiss architect and built by a Polish migrant in the ’90s, it is full of quirky features—all of which Julie has embraced with her beautiful knack for mixing antiques and roadside junk finds with modern, handmade pieces. The result is a home brimming with soul and personality.

Name: Katherine Hysmith and Josh Gantt and their cats, Eleanor and Maxwell Location: Belmont, Massachusetts Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented When Katherine Hysmith, The Boston Globe contributor and founder of the food blog The Young Austinian, left her native Texas to pursue a graduate degree in gastronomy from Boston University, she brought her Southern roots with her.

Name: Amandine Isnard & Mihalis Gripiotis and Aristos Location: Williamsburg; Brooklyn, NY Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented Amandine is the Head of Product Development for Eve Lom, a European niche luxury beauty brand, and Mihalis is a journalist and the founder of the art-house film production company IFFI Productions. Their Brooklyn house was decorated to look like a film set, and as a result, has been used as a studio for various film projects.

Name: Kersten & Kim McFarland and their children, Christian and Grace Location: Maylands, Western Australia Size: 170 square meters (1,830 square feet) Years lived in: Two years; Owned When Kim and Kersten first stumbled upon their 1950s cottage, they could see its potential right away. The location was enviable, boasting both a nearby river and views of the city, and they knew with some careful planning, they could turn the small, dark house into the light, bright family home that it is today.

Name: Allie & Travis Hackett-Camacho and their dog, Brody Location: Lynn-Highland Park; Oakland, CA Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; Rented Allie may look familiar to Apartment Therapy readers, as her twin sister Caitlin’s home—Caitlin & Dave’s Oakland Apartment of Wonder & Oddities—was recently featured.

Name: Shena Troia & George Peake Location: Marigny; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Just three years ago, Shena and George’s New Orleans home was the embodiment of urban blight. The house, built in 1850 as guest quarters for the Masonic Lodge next door, was on the city’s list of neglected properties slated for demolition. Graffiti covered the exterior walls, weeds were growing out of the roof, and all but two sets of doors were missing.

Name: Miranda Lake Location: Uptown — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 2,400 square feet including the studio Years lived in: 15 years; owned Stepping onto the grounds of Miranda Lake’s New Orleans home feels like being transported into the whimsical world she depicts in her artwork.

Name: Jen & Dave Figueroa and their two rescue greyhounds, Ike and Louise Location: Austin, Texas Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned A little over a year ago, Jen and Dave bought a house that was in desperate need of some love. The house sits on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood in South Austin, and when they bought it, it had old carpet, beige walls, and all the hallmarks of a fixer-upper.

Name: Rebecca and Gareth Smith and their dog, Penny, and cat, Bobby Location: Etobicoke; Toronto, Ontario Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Rebecca and Gareth were a classic case of opposites attracting, but over the years they have learned to adapt to each other’s lifestyles and tastes—and it actually turns out that they have a lot more in common than they realized at first glance.

Name: Katie Vie & Loren Wooten and their dog, Mathy Location: Asheville, NC Size: 1,400 square feet, including an unheated garage Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Though Katie designed this house and Loren crafted many of its details, they maintain a fluid relationship with it, saying, “This home is not our ‘baby’ — it’s not precious to us in that way. Instead, it’s our creative project where it’s okay if things aren’t perfect.

Name: Emma and Cody and their dog, Chuck Location: Herne Hill — Geelong, Australia Size: Three-bedroom house Years lived in: 2.5 years; Owned As soon as Emma and Cody bought their home in Geelong, they immediately painted the walls white, and tore down the wall between the kitchen and living space, opening it right up. What they were left with was a perfect blank canvas.

Name: Laura Evans and Blaine Perry and their cat, Honey Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Historic divided-light windows, crystal door knobs, a brick fireplace, and picture rail molding are just some of the architectural details in Laura and Blaine’s all-white, all-natural 1920s-era home. Their edited decorating style leaves few layers to hide behind, imparting a meaningful weight to each element.

Name: René Mitchell, daughters Adeline (7) and Ruby (6), and puppy Lola Location: Bend, Oregon Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 12 years; Owned Bend is an idyllic town in Central Oregon, about a three-hour drive from Portland. The area is known for sunny weather, beautiful high desert scenery, active outdoor lifestyles, and craft brewing.

Name: Jessica and Andy Lubets Location: Acton, Massachusetts Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned Jess and Andy Lubets have lived all across the country, but it wasn’t until four years ago that they finally found home in a quiet Boston suburb on the outskirts of Walden Woods. Specifically, they found a 1969 Deck House, a two-story post-and-beam structure situated on a quiet street amongst a grove of white pine.

Name: Tanya, Duncan, their two sons, and Maisy, the family Labradoodle Location: Kensington, Western Australia Size: 220 square meters (2,368 square feet) Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Tanya and Duncan’s house is a perfect example of a renovated Australian cottage home. Set in a leafy suburb just 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) from the Perth central business district, it has a beautiful natural warmth about it.

Name: Phil and Ruth de Vos and their six children Location: Mount Richon, Western Australia Size: 340 square meters (3,660 square feet) Years lived in: 3 1/2 years; Owned Ruth, a textile artist, and Phil, an engineer, built their home with two things in mind: It had to be as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible, and there had to be plenty of room for the entire family.

Name: Peter & Amy Dorrien Traisci, sons Luca (4) and Theodore (2), and cat, Bigote (Spanish for “mustache”) Location: Newport, Rhode Island Size: 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms Years lived in: 2 years; Rented I often dream of living in a clutter-free, minimalist-style house, but one that still feels warm, inviting, and playful. It’s no wonder, then, that I fell hard for the Newport, Rhode Island abode that Amy and Peter call home.

Name: Erica Feldmann and Dave Wells Location: Somerville, MA Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Like many millennials, Erica and Dave were drawn to Boston by grad school, and their life path is similar to that of current and past generations: move to a new place, meet somebody, start putting down roots. What is different is this: their apartment doesn’t feel like it belongs to a couple in their first place together.

Name: Oliver and Molly Hatch and daughter Camilla Location: Florence, MA Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned I first came across Molly Hatch when I worked for Anthropologie. Known for her cheeky sense of humor that cleverly combines contemporary concepts with classic designs, Molly created ceramics for the retail chain that were distinctively whimsical.

Name: Shelly Klein, Curt Wozniak, twins Marty and Nora, dog Sugar and cat Ben Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; owned I arrive at Shelly and Curt’s house on a Sunday morning. Shelly greets me at the door and explains that Curt took the kids out for breakfast. She tours me through the house and I feel a calm, quiet easiness in each room. Perhaps it’s the white paint, white furniture and abundant natural light.

Name: Rachel (Peach) & Craig Woods and their three children Location: Dunsborough, Western Australia Size: 300 square metres (3230 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned When Peach and Craig first bought this house in the coastal town of Dunsborough, south of Perth, it had been seemingly untouched since the 1970s.

Name: Pamela Salzman Location: Manhattan Beach, California Size: 3,850 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Custom built, designed and own When I was invited to shoot Pamela Salzman’s gorgeous home in Manhattan Beach, I jumped at the opportunity. She and her family love living in this incredible two-story home equipped with a kitchen to die for! Pamela is an established food blogger who offers incredible recipes through cooking classes and custom-designed menus for one-on-one clients.

Name: Shelley Collins, Mali, Emile, and Barkley the Wonder-Dog Location: Clifton Hill; Melbourne, Australia Size: 90 square meters (968.7 square feet) Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Before we start a home tour inside Shelley’s light-filled home, we need to go back to a restaurant in San Francisco in 1996. It was here that Shelley and her then-partner Stephan first saw the large-scale, vintage French posters which have driven her decorating style and led her into a life of collecting.

Name: Woodworker and craftsman Mark Maček, his lovely wife Pamela Peltz and three adorable cats Location: Gullet Gardens — East Austin, Texas Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 7 1/2 years — owned Mark Maček’s first impression upon seeing a tiny photo of the exterior of this house in the MLS listing was that this looked like a “house.” An archetypal structure, with a gable roof and a homey feeling. Like what you think of when you think of “home.

Name: Adam Dunetz, Liz Karney, daughter Frida, and dogs Franks and Louie Location: Northampton, MA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3.5; Owned When I first walked into Sticks and Bricks of Northampton Massachusetts, I immediately wondered what the owner’s home must look like. The shop was a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind-furniture made from old, under-used, and reclaimed materials.

Name: Jenia and Sergey Location: Bloomingdale; Washington, D.C. Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Jenia and Sergey bought this Victorian row house in D.C.’s Bloomingdale neighborhood five years ago. They’ve spent the intervening years giving it love: tearing up carpet, painting the walls, gutting the kitchen and bathrooms, and documenting it all on their home renovation blog, Victorian in Bloom.

Name: Michelle and Stephen Taussig Location: Garden Oaks; Houston, Texas Size: 2,632 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Michelle’s home is big, warm, and very beautiful, but it also tells a story — or rather, several. With its mixture of heirlooms, thrifted items, impressive art, and smart design, Michelle’s home is elegant, cozy, and endlessly interesting.