Interior Design

Name: Aubrey Veva Smith of Aubrey Veva Design Location: Salt Lake City, Utah I want to welcome you to our quaint little home located in the Avenues near downtown Salt Lake City, UT. This is where my husband Bryan, our baby girl and I live. This 1,000 sq ft rental has comfortably been our place of home for 3 years now and I have just about design devoured every square inch of it.

Name: Michelle & Jeff Location: Upper West Side, NYC I am a journalist and my husband is a photographer, and we live with our two cats, Amélie and Lester. We bought this 650 square foot apartment in 2012. It is in a townhouse built in the 1890s, features a large living room and high ceilings, and is located right across the street from the beautiful Riverside Park. We always loved this part of town and were very happy when we found this place.

Name: Candace Location: Los Angeles, CA My boyfriend, Jason and I live in a 1920’s 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom apartment near Hancock Park in Los Angeles. We love our quiet, family-oriented, tree-lined, charming neighborhood built with so much character. As a full-time interior designer, I am constantly in decorating mode and it was important for me to focus on combining both of our styles, Old World charm mixed with French Art Deco accents.

Name: Christopher & Sara Location: Richmond, Virginia Christopher Hildebrand, an industrial designer, and his wife Sara Moriarty, after years of living in quirky but cramped older homes, decided to design and build a home to their own specifications. Originally planning to restore an early 20th-century cottage in Richmond, Virginia, the couple realized there was no hope of salvaging the existing structure on the hillside site.

Name: Heather & Matt Location: Sante Fe, New Mexico We live in the tiny village of Madrid, NM, just south of Santa Fe. It’s a community of 400 people with over 50 art galleries, so, our friends are artists, and the house that my husband Matt and I built with our own 4 hands, while growing our family over the past 5 years is full of our friends’ art. We live on a mountain top, overlooking our village and Santa Fe on 8 acres.

Name: Alex Geriner of Doorman Designs Location: New Orleans, Louisiana I’m a furniture designer, craftsman, and entrepreneur who lives in the quaint bustling neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans. My one bedroom apartment is an 1,100 square foot “shotgun” style layout nestled on the second floor of a bright and sunny Victorian home. The place was a diamond in the rough that needed some work when I moved in two years ago but it was love at first site!

Name: Dominic Location: West Hollywood, California I always wanted to have my own place and after having the roommate experience, I’ve decided to get a place of my own. I wanted to be close to work and also in the neighborhood with interior design resources so I chose West Hollywood, California. After seeing many one bedrooms and studios, I found a decent size, large studio apartment. I wanted to showcase my design eye and express my creative insights.

Name: Jaime Kowal, The Amado Location: Palm Springs, California Size: 3,200 square feet interior space, 11,200 square feet exterior space Years lived in: Purchased and renovated in 2013; opened as a desert chic boutique hotel in 2014. I was heading out to Palm Springs for the weekend with friends; we were nine adults and a half dozen children all in. We wanted some of the amenities of a hotel with the isolation and privacy of a house. The answer to where to stay?

Name: Kevin Location: Singapore Living in an urban concrete jungle the likes of Singapore means it is unlikely one can experience a slice of nature close to home. Yes, perhaps man made greenery abounds in the city, but natural landscapes are lacking in our space constrained island nation. I have always been fascinated about the idea of lumberjacks and mountain lodges. And I am a huge fan of the mid-century era, where fashion and design were at its purest.

Name: Kristin Sears Location: Bushwick Neighborhood, Brooklyn, NYC Bushwick was recently on Vogue‘s list of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, and I’m lucky enough to call it my new home. I am from Kentucky and recently graduated from school in Savannah, Georgia… needless to say it was going to be a big adjustment moving to New York City. That’s the main reason why I chose Bushwick and my apartment in particular: It feels like home… all 300 square feet of it.

Name: Duffy Stone Location: Austin, Texas This is a red barn-style, 1930s home located in East Austin, Texas. I rent the home and have loved mixing in bright colors and modern found objects into the old bones and architecture of the home. I love the old wood floors and high ceilings that make the small home feel bright and open. There are two large porches I love to hang out on with friends and a hammock pavilion!

Name: Britain Spinney Location: Logan Square, Chicago, Illinois My boyfriend and I live in a one-bedroom apartment in the heart of Logan square that is about 600 square feet. We didn’t have much time to find an apartment and we had been traveling back and forth from Minnesota to find one. We already loved the location of this place and once we learned the building was a converted old hotel, we both decided this was the one!

Name: Lauren Diane Svenstrup Location: Andersonville, Chicago, Illinois This apartment is in a vintage courtyard building and is around 700 square feet. I have lived here almost two years. As an interior designer, my space is an ever-changing canvas. Just when I think I am done, I find another project. Deep down at the core, I have an affinity for vintage finds. I love the hunt, I love the history. Up until this past year, I would say about 90% of my furniture was either inherited or found.

Name: Sara Sjorgen Location: Brooklyn, New York My home in downtown Brooklyn is used as a second home for myself, friends and family who consider New York their home for part of the year. I personally spend a few weeks every year in the city for business, and chose this location because of the interesting neighborhoods and its proximity to Manhattan and the rest of the city.

Name: Baiyina Hughley Location: Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California I live in an 800 square foot 1930s apartment in Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. I love how sunny the space is, the great views and the sound of birds chirping and lawns being mowed — it’s my own private oasis of calm in the city. My style is elegant eclectic minimalism, influenced by a long-time passion of flea market shopping yet refined by ability to finally restrain myself from impulse buying.

Name: Mattias Wikman Location: Birkastan, Stockholm, Sweden This old store front is a townhouse-like apartment with a private entrance at the center of Birkastan, a trendy area in Stockholm. We fell in love with the space by accident when looking at another apartment on the same street. This was not really what we needed, but we could not resist the open and large space. We got the chance to buy it and fixed it into a great family home that feels like a townhouse.

Name: Melissa Location: Cole Valley, San Francisco, California Before we lived in Cole Valley we lived six blocks north in the Upper Haight neighborhood. Like a lot of San Francisco homes our apartment was vulnerable to the dampness of living in the western part of the city and we incurred a horrific mold outbreak. It’s hard for a home to feel like a home when you can’t even hang pictures on the walls.

Name: Faye Location: New York City, New York My home is decorated very bohemian like. It’s very cozy and tiny! It’s a studio in Manhattan — 200 square feet. Most of my furniture is from Urban Outfitters, the garbage, or hand-me-downs. My favorite item is my rocking chair. I love to read books while sitting on it and I placed it by the window to get natural light while reading. Thanks, Faye! • Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy?

Name: Laura Paul Location: Ottawa, Ontario My home is an 850 square foot, two-bedroom condo in Old Ottawa South, which I purchased when moving back ‘home’ after living in Toronto. Sustainability is my passion, and Buildings are my canvas (I obtained a Bachelors in Civil Engineering). I went to work renovating the dated condo to be more sustainable, and inline with my personal aesthetics.

Name: Mandi Smethells Location: St. Paul, Minnesota Our home is a 1920s bungalow in the Como Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is a stretch to say it is 1400 square feet (it has a half story with low ceilings, and a finished basement.) My husband and I purchased it early last summer and share it with our 2 and a half year old daughter Madeline, our two cats, and our dog. We were definitely looking for a home with character, and St. Paul is not short on them.

Name: Jennifer Location: San Francisco, California My apartment in San Francisco is located in a 1903 Pacific Heights Victorian. I found it unique because it has a nice mix of old Victorian details, but also has the feel of a modern loft. It is about 1,500 square feet, with a garden and views over the city. I am a graphic designer [see her work at Paper Plane Studio], and love the 15-foot ceilings to showcase a lot of art.

Name: Jill Smith Location: Silverlake, California I bought my Silverlake, California cottage almost two years ago. At a little over 800 square feet it was perfect for me, my dog and my cat. Cut to a few months after moving in when I acquired one large boyfriend and his small dog…and shortly thereafter another cat and another dog. See more photos of this great place here. Thanks, Jill ! • Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy?

Name: Alexandra Location: Santa Monica, California When I was finally able to afford to move out of my parents house at the grand old age of 28 (law school tuition and incredibly benevolent parents are a surefire way to keep a girl at home) I scoured the earth to find what is now my perfect first apartment and in all honesty, my sanctuary. It is a 1930’s bungalow/cottage located in the heart of Santa Monica (my hometown).

Name: Sandra Location: Seattle, Washington Last June, my husband Ezra and I purchased a fixer upper in the Queen Anne neighborhood in Seattle. Although the home was pretty outdated and in need of some major help, we saw potential in the home. So, we purchased it and gut renovated the place from top to bottom on a limited budget, finding inexpensive materials without sacrificing on our desired aesthetic and doing all of the design work on our own to save on costs.

Name: Bianca Location: Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Seattle, Washington I moved into this lovely classic building back in October. It’s the smallest place I’ve lived in, at 520 square feet. But I love it. The size forces me to edit and be conscious of how much stuff I own. I’m really enjoying the simplicity. My bedroom doesn’t receive much light.

Name: Penelope, Zack and pup Milli Location: Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York When my boyfriend and I decided to take the plunge last summer and apartment hunt together, our only absolutes were that we find a two bedroom (Zack is a photographer, and needed the extra room to use as his studio) with subway proximity. After a week of searching, our dream apartment — two bedroom, spacious, rooftop access, modern, airy — popped up on Craigslist. The only catch?

Name: Jennie Cain Location: Athens, Georgia My home is in Athens, Georgia and is 900 square feet. It is a small brick house on one level with an attic. I chose to live here because it is a home built in the 1930s and is in the Athens “Normaltown” neighborhood. It is also very close to a park. My inspiration are Wes Anderson films, vintage decor books and bright, poppy colors. Bright colors rock my world!

Name: Noelle Shumer Location: Toledo, Ohio Our home is a one story, 824 square foot, built in the mid 1950s, total labor of L-O-V-E. We purchased it nine years ago (and it’s currently for sale) and have spent that time updating and making it ours. I don’t think I have a specific “style” when it comes to decor, but I tend to find myself drawn towards modern + clean lined furnishings yet eclectic, vintage accessories.

Name: Kate Location: San Francisco, California I’ve taken a long time to furnish our place on a budget. Flea markets, craigslist, and the occasional splurge. The challenges I’ve overcome include budget, small spaces, and a husband who is minimal (I’m maximal!). I’m proudest of the nursery which features wallpaper from the Beverly Hills Hotel (not visible in the photo I’m sending, but it’s there!), among other things.

Name: Martijn & Melissa Location: Mauritius We live currently in a small apartment in Mauritius, after a year in living in Martijn’s home country, Netherlands. The apartment was first just a “big” room with its own bathroom, but we decided to move in and make it a cozy apartment and save money till we are done building our next home. The size of the apartment was challenging, specially after we adopted Auggie our dog.

Name: Emily & Kevin Location: Reston, VA We bought this condo one year ago in March, and minutes after settling and receiving the key, we came in and began gutting the place. We bought it for one reason: it had an exposed brick wall. After a year of searching and five failed contracts on other properties, I had realized I was going to have to buy a place I was prepared to fix up. And I considering I am quite particular, I can’t imagine doing it any other way.

Name: Anna Reser Location: Norman, Oklahoma One of the best things about moving for graduate school was the opportunity to have my own place since I’ve always lived with roommates. My little apartment has some issues (those cracks along the windows, yikes) but I like it quite a lot and I’m slowly making it my own. I’d like to paint soon, as it’s a bit like living inside a jar of peanut butter at the moment.

Name: Lauren Ebedes Location: Toronto, Canada My fiancee Jordan and I have been living in our 900 square foot apartment in midtown Toronto for 1.5 years and our apartment is a constant evolution. As an interior designer and lover of design blogs and DIY projects, I am continually looking for ways to improve our pad on our modest budget. Do I think I’ll ever be done decorating our apartment? Definitely not…because what’s the fun in that?

Name: Christina of The Redesign Company Location: Charlotte, North Carolina Our home is our happy place. We downsized 10 years ago and use every square inch of this notsobig house. Even the garage, which we turned into a teen cave for our ohsobig boys. We want the whole wide world to know that it doesn’t have to cost a lot to be beautiful and bigger is not always better. sometimes… but not always. Hehehe… Thanks, Christina!