International

Name: Lisa Martin Location: Ville-Marie, Montreal Size: 540 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Her travels in South America — seeing the colorful culture and world-renowned traditional crafts — have heavily influenced Lisa Martin’s Montreal apartment. Though small (just under 550 square feet), the space feels light and airy, thanks to clean white walls and a minimal aesthetic (and the small bits of color sprinkled throughout).

Name: Margherita Terrone Location: Montreal Size: 860 square feet Years lived in: 6.5 years, owned Maggie is NOT a fan of the “dull modern beige and white interiors that dominate design blogs,” as she describes. As art director for Werkliv, she layers color and texture to create vibrant spaces on a daily basis. Not surprisingly, she applies this design philosophy to her own home. Here, she’s achieved a fresh contrast to dull beige — and without spending a lot of money.

Name: Fritha and Tom Quinn Location: Bristol, UK Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Lifestyle blogger Fritha Quinn — also known as Tigerlilly Quinn — lives in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace with her husband Tom and their two adorable children Wilf and Mabli. The couple bought this home seven years ago when it was in a bit of a state, and since then have slowly taken time to renovate and make it their own.

Name: Lisanne and Romy Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting (Romy moved in half a year ago) Lisanne and Romy share a tiny apartment — only 430 square feet! — in the heart of historic Utrecht. With space maximization in mind, these roommates purchased appropriately sized furniture. Elements that match the women’s personalities fill the cozy Dutch canal apartment.

Name: Jana, Mariano and their children Phadi and Christ Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned This tour deserves a long look because Jana is a fashion blogger and costume designer whose personal style and philosophies are inspiring.

Name: Andrew Griffiths Location: Borders of Crouch End — Islington, London Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned “Where you can, invest in some pieces that will always make you smile” says homeowner Andrew Griffiths, and it’s easy to see how he’s put this philosophy into practice in the North London apartment he shares with partner Luke.

Name: Sarah and San Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands Size: 699 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Sarah and San’s serene Utrecht apartment is a modern minimalist’s dream come true. Decorated mainly in black and whites, the space feels peaceful and uncomplicated. The apartment is located on the ground floor, so keeping the space as light as possible was very important to the couple.

Name: Joseph Luk Location: Downtown, Toronto Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Have you ever felt that your home has a dual personality depending on the time of day? The season? Joseph does. During the day, the space is bright, airy and open. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the city, giving the illusion that you’re in the clouds. Transitioning into the evening, the lighting is dim and moody — perfect for having a mellow night in.

Name: Raquel and Pedro Location: Ruzafa — Valencia, Spain. Size: 807 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Raquel and Pedro’s Spanish home is flooded with natural light, filled with luscious green plants and is the perfect showcase for their handmade wares. They’re the creative couple who founded Canoa Lab, a “ceramic, jewelry, photography and word laboratory.

Name: Virginie Pichet and roommates Ada Kraszczynski and Mée Reed-Desjardins Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Virgine is the editor of a popular lifestyle blog based in Montreal, Le Cahier. Her home reflects her girly, romantic and fearless personality. Passionate about fashion, she even dedicated her bedroom as a walk-in closet!

Name: Marta and Jordi Location: Sarrià – Barcelona, Spain Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned After having two kids — and living in a really small apartment — the time to move for Marta, Jordi and their family had arrived! With high design standards, searching for the perfect apartment can be stressful, especially when you want it all! Fortunately, Marta and Jordi feel lucky: they’ve found this perfect (larger!) home to stretch out in.

Name: Aliça and Antony + Teti (dog) + Claudia and Sybil (cats) Location: Thornbury — Melbourne, Australia Size: 2800 square feet Years lived in: 3 months! Rented Aliça and Antony have only quite recently moved into their cute rental home in the northern suburb of Thornbury in Melbourne. Unfortunately for them, their stay is short lived; the house is due to be demolished and the land redeveloped at the end of the year.

Name: Nicola Broughton Location: Leeds, UK Size: 3000 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned Dark charcoal grays, velvety emerald greens and rich, earthy browns enliven the walls and furnishings of the big Victorian just north of Leeds that Nicola Broughton shares with her husband and kids.

Name: Beatriz Traver Location: El Carmen — Valencia, Spain. Size: 1022 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting This splendid space was once owned by a Peruvian consul in the 1900s, and it features tall ceilings, gorgeous architectural details and one-of-a-kind elements — like painted-on floral designs on the bedroom floor. It’s the perfect space for an art historian like Beatriz.

Name: Josie and Jules Location: South East London — UK Size: 677 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year Seeing this home’s style might give you déjà vu. Josie and Jules first showed off their small space maximizing skills when we toured an Edwardian flat in South East London they remodeled in 2015. It was a top-to-bottom renovation — the layout was reconfigured, and light and function were added to a dated space.

Name: Alex Kitain Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 527 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Alex’s light-filled Amsterdam apartment is an early riser’s dream come true. Filled with the scent of coffee brewing and sunlight streaming through the windows, mornings are something to be worshiped in this home! Decorated with eclectic but modern design, Alex’s apartment is both welcoming and stylish.

Name: Ilse van Elleswijk and Jasper and their puppy Jackie Location: Arnhem, the Netherlands Size: 1,640 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned There’s a lot to see in Ilse’s home — not a shock, considering her profession as a stylist — but what is surprising is how uncluttered the space feels. Ilse’s a big fan of accessories; she feels they add coziness to any room. But she hasn’t gone overboard in her home.

Name: Irene and Rob Burg Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 19 years, owned As a girl, when Irene would visit her grandpa, she would always pass this quaint house built in 1934 and think to herself: “One could be so lucky to live in this home.” Years later she and her husband Rob moved into this very home — and it felt like a dream come true.

Name: Carina, her husband, and their daughters Isabel and Francisca Location: Nordelta — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 2580 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Carina and her family moved in to this house they built in the suburbs just one month before giving birth to their youngest daughter. While she’s paused her career as a journalist to devote herself to raising her children, she’s used her curiosity to seek inspiration for decorating her house, room by room.

Name: Marcial and Andrea Location: El Carmen — Valencia, Spain Size: 2045 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned While Marcial and Andrea’s beautiful home is a minimal and modern space today, that’s not how they found it. When they bought this home, it was in a dilapidated condition. Thankfully, Marcial’s brother runs a design firm, Boor Studio, and together he and the couple tackled the renovation.

Name: Ria and Piet Veld Location: Appingedam, the Netherlands Size: 1,722 square feet Years lived in: 18 years; owned In the most northern province of the Netherlands lies the quaint city of Appingedam. It’s such a charming place, that when Ria and Piet Veld sold their previous house there eighteen years ago, they didn’t want to leave.

Name: Martin Bustamante Location: Villa Crespo — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 530 square feet (plus patio and terrace) Years lived in: 7 years, owned Martin was struggling to find a decent place to buy within his modest budget, as often happens. He thought he had seen every house in the neighborhood until a friend told him about this place.

Name: Pui Lee Location: Turnpike Lane — London, UK Size: Roughly 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting London-based illustrator Pui Lee is the founder of lifestyle brand Scout Editions, and lives in a two-bedroom Victorian terrace flat in North London.

Name: Hetty Webbink, her son Noah and daughter Luna, Jip the cat Location: Deurne, the Netherlands Size: 1,431 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Although she was trained as a nurse, interiors and styling have always been in Hetty’s blood; she’s even had a subscription to vtwonen (the most popular interior magazine in the Netherlands) since she was 19. So it comes as no surprise that Hetty would eventually find her way to a career that involves home decor and styling.

Name: Tolga and Tomi Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Tolga and Tomi’s colorful apartment is a starter home dream-come-true. Located in a fun Amsterdam neighborhood that is filled with many restaurants and bars, it’s just what the couple had dreamed of; a space that they could return to and relax from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Name: Fer and dogs Deli and Wanda Location: Paiporta — Valencia, Spain. Size: 1,937 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Fer, the incredible furniture designer and owner of Lebrel Furniture, is a gifted craftsman and a master of DIY. Through his company he designs (and makes by hand) beautiful, minimal furniture, mixing different types of wood and iron in original creations. There’s really not much he can’t make.

Name: Michelle and Barry Location: Tai Hang, Hong Kong Size: 1800 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting Having made London their home for seven years, Michelle and Barry had the opportunity to relocate to Hong Kong with work a year ago. It wasn’t an easy decision, as they had just bought and lovingly renovated their Victorian home in East London (with every wall painted in carefully chosen colors).

Name: Ana, German and their children Antonio, Ramón, Salvador and Carmen. Location: Tigre — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Ana and German were taking a Sunday bike ride when they saw a small “SALE” sign on this house and decided to take a look. The structure was really run down; there were holes in the floor with plants growing up through them.

Name: Melissa and James Lawrence Location: Vredehoek, Cape Town, South Africa Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Cape Town-based interior designer Melissa and her husband James didn’t want to invest a ton of money in this home since they are renting it. But because Melissa is in the interior design field, they knew exactly what could to be done to enhance the space and in a cost effective way.

Name: Kate Reid and Joff Reid Location: Southsea — Portsmouth, United Kingdom Size: 580 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting Creative couple Kate and Joff Reid have been together for eleven years, and living in this small two-bedroom apartment for two years. Their goal with this space was to create a reflection of both their creative careers — Kate is a designer and Joff an artist — as well as surround themselves with memories they’ve made together.

Name: Charlotte, Nicolas, and little Louison Location: 14th arrondissement — Paris, France Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 5 months, renting Charlotte and Nicolas share their cozy and playful Parisian apartment with their soon-to-be-two-year-old daughter, Louison. Their interior design style is geometric with bits of childhood magic and graphic novel thrown in. The space is light and colorful, but equally as functional.

Name: Peter Venuto Location: The Plateau — Montreal, Quebec Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Peter Venuto’s apartment was originally an Airbnb rental — which Peter himself once rented — but after the landlord grew tired of that setup, Peter managed to work out a deal with him and rent it as a “normal” living space. Today, the apartment showcases bright pink colors, metallic walls, and lots and lots of synthesizers.

Name: Jade Goulding of Style + Space Location: Auchenflower — Brisbane, Australia Size: Approximately 85m squared Years lived in: 2 years, renting Jade, an interior stylist and founder of Style + Space, lives in this inner city apartment with her husband and two young daughters. While the apartment only has two bedrooms, the living space has a great layout, allowing a lovely flow through the apartment. Windows on three sides of the apartment allow their place to get great natural light.

Name: Mynhardt Joubert and Ian Engelmohr Location: Paarl, South Africa Size: Roughly 1776 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting This quirky and colorful loft space in Paarl is home to a well-known chef and his partner. No one had lived here before — it was previously an open gallery space that belonged to the shop downstairs. And when Mynhardt moved in three years ago, much needed to be done.

Name: Terra Loire Location: Toronto, Ontario Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting After living in nine different spaces over the past eight years, Terra finally feels like she has found a home in her mid-town Toronto apartment. She’s definitely had her tour of living all over the city—east to west, centrally and along the lakeshore—experiencing many of Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods.

Name: Con and Miep Location: Eindhoven, the Netherlands Size: 1,614 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned When Con and Miep got married thirteen years ago, they both sold their apartments and moved together to one of the high-rises in Eindhoven’s city center. Con loves color, and Miep’s furniture before she was married mostly consisted of black and white. Thankfully, they both love modern design, and were pleasantly surprised by how great their furniture merged.

Name: Ciara Elliott and family Location: Mistley, Colchester, Essex UK Years lived in: 2 years, owned “I do love big statement pieces — like our brightly coloured yellow sofa and the stand-out rug in our lounge — and I think if you have a few of these big-ticket items you can actually revolve a whole scheme around them,” smiles Ciara Elliott, editor of leading UK interior magazine Essential Kitchen Bathroom and Bedroom.

Name: Marta Location: Sant Cugat – Barcelona, Spain Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned Marta is a woman who knows what she wants and her Barcelona home is a beautiful blend of all her favorite things. She loves plants, illustrations and natural materials, and you’ll find all of those things and more in the home she’s owned for a year and a half.

Name: Jean Mortlock Location: Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa Size: 947 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned When Jean bought this apartment three years ago, not much needed to be done at all. Unfortunately, just one year later the apartment flooded — not once but twice — and all within two months! All the floors, cabinets and carpets had to be ripped out and replaced.

Name: Jaimy van Zwieten, husband Marcel, daughter Dalí, Klaas the cat, Hiphop the rabbit Location: Krimpen aan den IJssel, the Netherlands Size: 1,722 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Near Rotterdam (the Netherlands’ second-largest city), lies the small town of Krimpen aan den IJssel. It’s where Jaimy’s parents moved to when she was only four months old and it’s where she also grew up.

Name: Ute and Steven Faure and their two daughters Location: Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town Size: 150 square meters (not including the central courtyard) Years lived in: 3 years, rented At the foot of Signal Hill you’ll find Schotsche Kloof, a vibrant neighborhood that Ute, Steven and their two young daughters call home. Their Victorian-­era home was given an update by the well-known and award-winning Chilean architect, Antonio Zaninovic, who is based in Cape Town.

Name: Sarah Scott and her pugs, Lulu and Ozzy Location: Sea Point East, Cape Town Size: 1615 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned The beautiful house you see today is a far cry from how it looked when Sarah, a designer, purchased it two and a half years ago. She had chanced upon the property when it was totally derelict and still in the very beginning stages of a renovation.

Name: Julie Morel Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Julie’s apartment love story all started with a radiator. No one moves to Shanghai — or spends even a night there — without hearing grave warnings from residents about the damp, drafty homes that skimp on central heating. Tenants in century-old flats depend on space heaters and electric blankets, or take solace in trips a little farther south.

Name: Mery Garriga Location: Barcelona, Spain. Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting “Less is more” was the phrase Mies Van Der Rohe used to define a design ideal. It’s also the philosophy Mery, a Barcelona-based interior designer, focuses on in both her design business and her life at home. Soft colors, simple furniture and small details mark her style, and her home is the perfect showcase of her skills at elegant simplicity.

Name: Kate, her husband and their dog, Millie, Location: Vicenza, Italy Size: 1,830 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Kate Goethe, like most military spouses, didn’t picture herself living in an Italian villa five years ago when she was living in a small suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. But like all military members and their families, you go where duty calls — and well, sometimes that comes with perks that include a jasmine-filled veranda and a villa.

Name: Huberdine Verhoeven, Bertie, and their daughter Evy Location: Drunen, the Netherlands Size: 1,647 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, owned Huberdine was born and raised in Drunen, a small town in the southern Netherlands. Today, she still calls it home, along with her husband Bertie and their daughter Evy. Eleven years ago, they bought the house when it was newly-built and modernly design.

Name: Jenny Mountford, owner of Attic and Fable Location: Bridgetown, Western Australia Size: 1894 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned Jenny has always been drawn to color, the avant garde and items that have a history. To hold something in her hands that’s been held by many hands before her gives her such pleasure, allowing herself to wonder about the life both it, and its owner, may have led.

Name: Dee Campling, her husband, three children and cockapoo Ted Location: Cheltenham — Gloucestershire, UK Years lived in: 18 years, owned Cheltenham-based interior and event stylist Dee Campling has recently risen to Instagram fame with her fresh, eclectic, and highly accessible approach to interiors and her often wry and funny take on family life.

Name: Kerry Lockwood, her husband Justin, kids Alfie and Jersey, and Chester the dog. Location: Northumberland, UK Size: 2000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting While some renters might shy away from making any dramatic changes to their home, interior stylist and lifestyle blogger Kerry Lockwood jumped right in. The rental home she shares with her family is in the center of town, walking distance from schools, shops, cafes and a local park.

Name: Corine Deshaies and her partner Max Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Corine found her first McCoy planter under a table in a garage sale at only four years old; she’s always had an eye for spotting great deals and rare original goods. Because of her gift for thrift, nearly every furniture piece in the duplex she owns with her partner Max is vintage. She’s found it all at various garage sales and in second-hand shops.

Name: Starry Xiao Location: Guozijian — Beijing, China Size: 320 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, renting Starry Xiao’s hutong home is nestled among the throngs of mom and pop stores selling incense for visitors to Beijing’s famous Lama Temple. Within its blue walls, however, it radiates a completely different kind of aroma. A local chef, Starry is known to make use of every corner of his tiny kitchen to whip up elaborate brunches for his girlfriend.

Name: Stephanie Betant and Chace Vanderwolk Location: French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 2,150 square feet Years lived in: Rented 6 months Beijing and Shanghai dwellers often engage in friendly spats over which city is the better one. Stephanie Betant and her husband Chace Vanderwolk recently found themselves in the unique position of getting to know both.

Name: Gaby Suhr Location: ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands Size: 1,163 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned Several years ago Gaby spent a couple of months traveling around the world. Living from just a suitcase, she became conscious of just how little one actually needs on a day-to-day basis. Some time later, a friend told Gaby that he felt she had a distinct ability to see the essence of a situation. To focus on the bare necessities.

Name: Martha, her husband Daniel and son Nicolas Location: Gracia – Barcelona, Spain Size: 754 square feet Years lived in: 11 years, renting Though Martha loves the Barcelona neighborhood she lives in — she describes it as a small town with artists living in it — it’s her apartment that she considers an extension of herself. It’s the place where she goes when she needs to relax. But Martha almost missed out on renting this apartment!

Name: Ashley Chu and Alex Acker Location: Beixinqiao — Beijing, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Beijing is famous for its centuries-old hutongs — the winding alleyways that once made up the main arteries of the city. They were filled with traditional courtyard homes until the spaces were divided or destroyed to make room for a swelling population.

Name: Fernando and Maximiliano Location: La Boca — Buenos Aires, Argentina Size: 1,130 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned When Maximiliano and Fernando were looking for a place to live, they realized they could afford a bigger home if they were willing to give it some TLC before moving in. They found a house in this building of La Boca, a neighborhood known by its bright-colored dwellings, the first home of many immigrants, and the story of tango.

Name: Maria and her two children Location: Sant Gervasi — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,184 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Maria came to live in this apartment when she moved from Madrid with her two children two years ago. The apartment once belonged to her grandmother, so Maria remembers fondly coming to play here with her cousins when she was a toddler. The space looks quite different these days, though. When her grandmother lived here, it was heavy on dark wood.

Name: Alex Riley and Laure-Anne Carré Location: Plateau — Montreal, Canada Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting Alex and Laure-Anne are designers living and working in Montreal’s trendy and historic Plateau neighborhood. Originally from France, the pair made a move to Montreal last April to pursue new creative opportunities; they arrived in the city with nothing but suitcases of clothing.

Name: Anina, Deon and their daughter Marguerite Location: Bellville — Cape Town, South Africa Size: 3,229 square feet Years lived in: 6 years, owned From the outside Anina and Deon’s home still tells tales of its ’80s heritage. It was the location and view that initially attracted them to the house, and certainly not the interior, which was old fashioned.

Name: Sasha Fominskaya and Aaron F.L. Location: Fangjia Hutong — Beijing, China Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Living in Beijing as an expat often means working with what you have, usually pre-furnished apartments and roommates that never seem to stick around long enough to decorate. But when Sasha Fominskaya and her boyfriend Aaron moved into their first apartment together, they wanted to put more effort into making it a home.

Name: Coro Urdaneta and Marco Cortavitarte Location: Sanlitun — Beijing, China Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting It’s hard to find an expat in Beijing who doesn’t know about the Moka Bros, or the Venezuelan siblings behind it. When the restaurant first opened in 2013, it flipped the capital’s healthy café scene on its head, largely thanks to its refreshingly bold and trendy creative concept.

Name: Anouska Tamony and her partner Scott Location: East Dulwich — London, UK Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned Anouska shares a stunning London flat with her partner Scott. A light-filled home set in a turn-of-the-century terraced house (built in 1898), there are two bedrooms, a wonderfully wallpapered bathroom, a sitting room and a spare bedroom used as a study and guest room.

Name: Rachel Burke, her husband Thomas and their dachshunds, Daphne and Daisy Location: Brisbane, Australia Years lived in: 3 years, owned Rachel Burke has been on my radar since 2012 when she made a dress every day for a year. So it was certainly wonderful to step into her bright and colorful home that she shares with her kind husband Thomas and their two little dachshunds (who eventually warmed to me after a little coercing with some treats!).

Name: Coni, Albert and Mia (plus their cat!) Location: Ciutat Vella — Barcelona, Spain Size: 1,023 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned When Swiss fashion designer Coni met Albert in Barcelona years ago, their adventures as a couple were off to a good start. After a year of dating, they moved into a small apartment in Barcelona. However, they knew they’d have to upgrade to a bigger space when Coni became pregnant with their daughter.

Name: Gabriel Assouline, Sarah Marciano, and Levi Location: Outremont, Montreal Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Sarah and Gabriel’s Montreal home is on the second floor of a building located on a tree-lined street. The space itself could be described as “monochromatic tones meet a few pops of color.” In other words, it’s a space decorated with care and filled with a selection of rich materials, original pieces, and organic details.

Name: Juan Carlos, Coral, and their dog Apple Location: Manises — Valencia, Spain Size: 6,6673 square feet Years lived in: 25 years, owned In Spain, color is a big part of people’s life. The light is warm, the colors are strong, and the people are friendly and relaxed — and Juan Carlos and Coral’s Valencia home is a perfect example of this vibrant lifestyle.

Name: Céline Lamée and Heather Mowbray Location: Dongsishisantiao — Beijing, China Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting It’s hard to step into Céline Lamée and Heather Mowbray’s home and not be charmed by its sense of playfulness, starting so obviously with an extensive pillow collection that fills their dining nook and has started to take over their living room sofa.

Name: Adam Wihlborg Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting When Adam Wihlborg tells the story, it’s hard to believe that six flights of dark and dusty stairs once nearly deterred him from signing a lease on his spacious, light-filled flat looking out over the trees in Shanghai’s French Concession.

Name: Björn Holmenäs Location: El Poble-sec — Barcelona, Spain Size: 506 square feet (plus a 430 square foot terrace) Years lived in: 6 years, owned Björn’s apartment is located in the Barcelona neighborhood of El Poble-sec, a neighborhood with a history that can be traced back to ancient Rome. The streets in the neighborhood are small and narrow, yet filled with creativity and inspiration.

Name: Shari Pelkmans, Mike and Olle Location: Heeze, the Netherlands Size: 1,087 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Three years ago Shari and Mike bought a newly-built house in Heeze, a tiny town in the south of the Netherlands (and Mike’s hometown). The location is great: a short walk from the town center, but also lots of pretty nature just around the corner.

Name: Alexander Åhnebrink Location: Former French Concession — Shanghai, China Size: 3,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting When Alexander moved to China with his wife four years ago, he dreamed of a traditional courtyard home. He was met with reality: finding one that didn’t need serious renovations was next to impossible and they would be settling for a more modern serviced apartment in the city center.

Name: Jenny McCown Location: Brisbane, Australia Years lived in: 20 Months Some years ago I first met artist Jenny McCown when I photographed her home in East Brisbane — a five-bedroom Queenslander with a bright pink door. She has since moved into a more modern (and smaller) two-bedroom apartment on Brisbane River. It is in an enviable location, with a view off her balcony across Jacaranda trees with the river just beyond.