International

Name: Missy Logan, Antony Shaw, Prudence (6), Lili (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, 2) Location: Harrow, London Size: Around 800 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, renting You may remember this warm and funky garden flat submitted by Missy last year; it felt so cozy that I wanted to come and see it in person! Since then, Missy and her partner Antony have been busy upgrading the flat, putting in wooden flooring, new wallpaper, and painting walls.

Name: Ruth Matthews, husband Dan and son Ted Location: Wallington — London, UK Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years “The right colour has such an impact on the way you feel about your home, and I like to think the colours we’ve used make ours a relaxed and happy home,” says Design Soda blogger and interior stylist Ruth Matthews of the London home she shares with her husband and their two-year-old son.

Name: Angela Henley and her dog, Tex Location: Lauriston; Victoria, Australia Size: 30 square meters (323 square feet) Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Earlier this year, a friend posted a few photos of her friend’s home in Lauriston, which is a cute, wee town about 1.15 hours from Melbourne.

Name: Rhonda Drakeford Location: Hackney, East London Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: Rented for 1 year Living in a rental flat can be very limiting. You usually have to live with pretty bland walls and remodeling isn’t really an option…unless you want to spend a lot of money upgrading someone else’s house. So what can you actually do to a rental to make it a bit more Pinterest-worthy? Come and take a look at this one-bedroom flat in Hackney, East London.

Name: Cynthia Zamaria and Graham Loughton Location: Keene — Ontario, Canada Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Cynthia possesses an incredible ability to see the potential for a space and then make it come to life. For years she has been exercising her creativity through interior design by transforming her family’s city and country homes.

Architect Andrea Serboli's Barcelona apartment was completely renovated, and it's now a sleek, bold, and modern home.

You may know Rachel Castle from her colorful instagram feed, her gorgeous bed linen range, or her witty artwork.

Name: Marnie and Ryan Hawson, their mini-Pinscher Dexter and Marnie’s parents’ cat. Location: Riddells Creek — Victoria, Australia Size: 1614 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years owned Photographer and vintage shop owner Marnie Hawson and her husband Ryan live in an 1890s weatherboard cottage in the tiny town of Riddells Creek, an hour out of Melbourne.

Name: Cluny Ferguson, husband Rowan, two teenage sons, and Ricky the dog! Location: Clifton Hill — Melbourne, Australia Years lived in: 10 years, owned Ten years ago when Cluny and her family first moved into their double-fronted weatherboard house in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, it looked a lot different. A lot.

Name: Ander and Lionel Location: Eixample — Barcelona, Spain Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned It’s not obvious at first glance, but this home has been through some extreme transformations. For many years, this space was simply the building’s rooftop. Later on, an additional floor was constructed so it became a teeny tiny apartment.

Name: Kyla Magrath Location: Bristol, United Kingdom Size: 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 14 years, owned I first came across designer Kyla on Instagram, where she regularly uploads snaps of her Victorian home she shares with her husband, two children, and a dog in St. Werburghs in Bristol. Kyla is certainly not afraid of colors, especially the darker tones.

Name: Natasha Webb, her husband Anthony, and their two sons Location: Canterbury — Melbourne, Australia Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 study Years lived in: 3 years, owned You cannot help but smile and be happy in the colorful 1980s-era house of Natasha Webb and family. While so many other people would have knocked down and redeveloped this home, Natasha and her husband Anthony have embraced all of the brown brick and other ’80s features.

Name: Yamine Gluchow Location: Downtown Montreal Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 1 year From an Eastern European family, Yamine Gluchow moved into his very own apartment just over a year ago. For him, living on his own is an extremely liberating experience. You’ll never feel as comfortable, nor will you ever have as much control over the decor, as when you live alone. Being surrounded by vintage finds, wood and art makes him as happy as he gets.

Name: Alicia Peiró Location: Sagunto — Valencia, Spain, Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: Owned 11 years I don’t know if was the amazing and bright light, the warm materials or the sensation of being next to the Mediterranean sea, but this place completely stole my heart. Alicia, is an amazing photographer and her work is full of light, amazing stories and beautiful color. Her love for design is palpable in all the places of her home.

Name: Sarah and Mike Location: Stoke Newington, London Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: Rented for a year Tucked behind the indie shops, vintage boutiques and artisan delis in Stoke Newington in London, is Sarah and Mike’s modern minimal home. The converted warehouse apartment has kept its original exposed brick wall, but is softened by lots of beautiful artwork and interesting objects, like vintage bows, handmade ceramic vases and hand-painted woodblocks.

Name: Isabelle Palmer, the Balcony Gardener Location: Hampstead; London, United Kingdom Size: 3 bedrooms Years lived in: 14 years; Owned Isabelle Palmer has made a career out of small space gardening, and it’s not hard to see how her home has inspired her business. Isabelle’s flat is a top-floor treasure inside of an old converted church in London’s leafy Hampstead neighborhood. Living in one place for the past 14 years, Isabelle has constantly reinvented the space.

Name: Beci Orpin, Author, Crafter, Designer, Probable Cringer of this introduction, with her talented family Raph, Tyke & Ari Location: Brunswick West, Victoria, Australia Size: 1,290 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned I felt instantly at home stepping into Beci & Raph’s home. Despite being a stranger, Beci left me alone in her front “ex-studio” while she popped down the street for milk.

Name: Dawn Lindsay Location: Bayside; Melbourne, Australia Size: 3 bedroom house (around 1300 square feet ) Years lived in: 17 yrs owned, with my husband. Dawn is a very talented lady of fabulous style and her home is a homage to an era she lives and breathes, be it as Dawn Lindsay, entrepreneur-around-town, or her alter-ego Dolores Daquiri, Queen of Burlesque! Dressed from her own vintage collection, Dawn welcomes me through the cherry red door and into her home.

Name: Sri Kettelhake Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; owned Born and raised in the Netherlands, Sri is an Amsterdam native who has lived in major cities like Sydney and London. She worked in advertising for many years up until having her first child. Her husband Nick is in the same industry, and because they both know how many hours their work requires, for now, Sri has decided to stay home to care for their lovely son Samuel.

Name: Anette, husband Barrett, and baby boy Elliot Location: Oslo, Norway Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; owned Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals.

Name: Javier Ferrer, Ana Lanfranco, Mina, and Fedra Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 13 years; Owned Javier and Ana are the entrepreneur powerhouse duo behind two of the trendiest cafés in Valencia as well as Simple, a charming downtown decoration store that specializes in vintage and artisanal products for the home.

Name: Robyn Rich, husband Jonathan, and daughter Abbey Location: Frankston, Australia Size: 145 square meters, (1,560 sqft) Years lived in: 11 Years I stumbled upon Robyn via her Facebook page one night when I was probably avoiding doing other things. I’d “liked” one of my artist friend’s newest pieces and old Zuckerberg and pals asked if perhaps I’d like Robyn’s work too? Well, I think I would, thankyouverymuch.

Name: Charlotte Evans & Tom Evans and their two children, Lola & Ted Location: Muswell Hill — London, UK Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Finding a property in London that still retains the charm, detail, and character from when it was created in the early 1900s and has been untouched for 25 years is like finding treasure.

Name: Gemma and Duncan Patford-Legge Location: Brunswick; Melbourne, Australia Size: 2 bedroom Years lived in: 3 years; Owned After buying their apartment in the inner-city suburb of Brunswick three years ago, rope vessel artist Gemma Patford and graphic designer Duncan Legge were determined to turn it from drab, rundown, dated disaster to something light, airy, welcoming, and altogether more modern—with a touch of nostalgia.

Name: Mariana and Manuel and their cat, Bamboo Location: Tøyen — Oslo, Norway Size: 525 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; renting Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals.

Name: Karen Racicot, actor and artist Location: Parkdale, Toronto Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 7 years, owned Flamboyant French actor/artist Karen Racicot emphasizes the use of bold colors in every aspect of her style, right down to her hot pink Brita water filter. As an extensive world traveller, jewelry designer and painter, she set out to create a vibrant “living jewelry box” with her Westside condo.

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: Will, Rebekah, & Liam Hasting Location: Paris, France Size: 1,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms Years lived in: 8 Months In Paris’ 14th arrondissement, not far from the Place Denfert-Rochereau, is a little family home with a lovely view.

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: Laurence Guilloud & Fabrice Le Dantec, photographer and journalist for the blog L’Instant Parisien Location: Paris, 9ème Size: 755 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented One minute you’re in a busy shopping district, and then you turn into a quiet side street and find yourself in front of Laurence and Fabrice’s building.

Name: Sophia Hansjacob Location: 11th arrondissement, Paris, France Size: 355 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Sophia Hansjacob lives in what might be the perfect Paris apartment. This little flat has it all: beautiful details, huge casement windows, wood floors (in the bedroom), and the very best part: a balcony with a view over the rooftops of Paris.

Name: Saara Helkala Location: Helsinki, Finland Size: 430 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rented Just beyond the small, shadowy entryway to Saara’s loft-style apartment, daylight beckons through two grand windows on the main wall of the living space. While the natural light in Saara’s apartment—during the months that the sun actually shines in Helsinki—is really remarkable, it’s just one of the many inviting things about her space.

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: Teresa Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1022 square feet (95 m2) Years lived in: Owned 3 years With a big smile and friendly attitude, Teresa is the kind of person you connect with immediately. The second she opened that door, I could see a reflection of who she is in every corner of this beautiful home. This creative and colorful place was created with a lot of care. Almost all the furniture pieces are inheritances from family, but she know’s how to mix everything in an original way.

Name: Paty Martínez Location: L’eixample — Valencia, Spain Size: 2152 square feet Years lived in: Owned 35 years The ocher color is the star of this house, defining edges and warming rooms. Paty is a painter and loves art so much, you can feel that passion the second you meet her. Her strong personality shows through in her home and in her beautiful art studio, where you can see all the amazing paintings she creates.

Name: Ana, Ximo and Blas Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 936 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years Anna is a social educator and Ximo works at a shipping company, and together they share this charming historic home in Valencia’s shopping district. They fell in love at first sight with this home, but some work was needed. It was dark and had no sense space, with lots of tiny rooms and a really low ceiling.

Name: Mina, Sumit, Alec, Louis & Léonie Location: Bromma, a suburb to Stockholm, Sweden Size: 168 square metros square feet Years lived in: 1 month In the suburban neighborhood of Bromma, outside the city of Stockholm, Mina and Sumit have created a beautiful space for their young family in their newly built home. Mina loves this home’s large windows and open concept floor plan, and her minimal, casual approach to design maximizes the airy feeling of this home.

Name: Cisco Merel and Barbara Cartier Location: Panama City, Panama Size: 3013 square feet Years lived in: Owned 1 year Cisco Merel and Barbara Cartier are two young artists living in Panama City. They met years ago in Germany when both were working there, and they love travels, adventures and learning from other cultures and countries. They decided to settle in Panama, where Cisco has roots.

Name: American Trade Hotel Location: Casco Viejo — Panama City, Panama. I had heard a lot of things about Panama, but when I’ve arrived I immediately knew this is a country full of contrasts. There are modern, cosmopolitan areas with views of the skyline and the ocean. Or you can get lost in the old neighborhood of Casco Viejo, where you can feel the history in the charming and colorful architecture. There a few things you can’t miss in Casco Viejo.

Name: Pilar Sinclair Location: Cinta Costera — Panama City, Panama Size: 1184 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Panama City is a place of contrasts. And the Cinta Costera neighborhood is very modern, with the best views in the city. The Pacific Ocean is right in front of your eyes (you can almost jump in and take a dip!). Pilar has the incredible luck of waking up everyday with these views—as well as living in the colorful, playful home she’s created.

Name: Suzanne of Decogirl Montreal Location: Downtown, Montreal Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 9 months Suzanne is an interior decorator working in Montreal who excels at creating luxurious decor where exuberance, drama, class, color and comfort all mix together to create intriguing and wonderful spaces. Suzanne finds inspiration for every project in Coco Chanel, Bunny Williams, and Jonathan Adler, to name a few.

Name: Laura and Roberto Location: Ciutat Vella — Valencia, Spain Size: 904 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 years. Laura and Roberto are a couple who likes it simple. For them, “less is more” is not just a phrase, it’s the way they built their home together. They are musicians with Uke, a band that plays soft and sweet music made with heart.

Name: Sandra Location: L’eixample — Valencia, Spain. Size: 3530 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years Sandra’s home is full of flowers. Incredible light and high ceilings frame floral patterns, shades of blue and elaborate tiles, which in turn add modernity to a space with stunning, classic architectural details. Sandra is a fashion designer and has her own brand, Kaif. She also has a beautiful store in Valencia where she sells all the pieces she creates.

Name: Hortense Giraud owner of My Barrio Location: Gracia — Barcelona, Spain. Size: 750 square feet. Years lived in: Rented, 1 year. A dynamic french girl named Hortense moved to Barcelona a year ago. She then decided to quit her job as a Design Studio Director for fashion brands and follow her heart to start her own business called My Barrio. With it, she’s created a community for design lovers who share her passion for the slow life and thoughtful products.

Name: Marie-Laure Daillut and Sébastien Zanella Location: Hossegor, France Size: 200 square meters Years lived in: 1 year In Hossegor, France, surrounded by forests of pine trees and the scent of the nearby ocean, is the spot where you will find the lovely home of Marie-Laure and Sebastien. It’s a creative gem put together by their common passions for nature, surf and the bohemian lifestyle à la francaise.

Name: Olga de la iglesia Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 1 year This is the home of a multi-talented creative woman living and working in Barcelona. Olga is an art director and photographer who heads up Refresco Caribe. She lives in both Spain and the Dominican Republic, which helps to explain the beautiful Caribbean atmosphere in her home.

Name: Sally “the decorator” Smallwood and Cameron “learning to love grey” Algie Location: Toronto, Canada Size: 958.2 square feet (approximately) Years lived in: Own 8.5 years (with a little help from the bank) As soon as you enter Sally and Cameron’s home you can immediately feel and understand their personalities—warm, friendly and most of all FUN! Neither of them are afraid to push the limits of design.

Name: Marina Senabre Location: Gracia — Barcelona, Spain Size: 536 square feet Years lived in: Renting 5 years Marina is an interior and graphic designer at La buhardi. She lives in the big city but her heart is in the island of Minorca, where she spends lots of time during the year. That’s why her home in the middle of Barcelona has a neutral, cozy Mediterranean look.

Name: Mercedes La Rosa Location: Mile End — Montréal, Québec Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: Rented 4 years Just steps away from the bustle of cafés and bookstores along rue Bernard, Mercedes’ 850 square foot apartment is a quiet gem in the heart of the Mile End. Standing at the threshold to her ground floor apartment, surrounded by green leafy plants, the New Yorker Radio Hour’s “Cat vs. Dog” podcast can be heard through her living room window.

Name: Mareka and Anders Stake with their 2-year-old daughter and 6-month-old son Location: Bethnal Green, East London Size: 98 square meters Years lived in: Owned over 5 years Set in the heart of the hustle and bustle of trendy East London is this Victorian terrace belonging to the Stake family. Mareka, an art director, together with her creative director husband Anders, have carefully designed everything in this beautiful house.

Name: Christina Lowry and family Location: Brisbane, Australia Years lived in: Owned for 4 years Christina is a jewelry maker living on the Southside of Brisbane, Australia. When looking to buy a home four years ago, the requirement was that she have space to have her workshop at home. As a result, she lives in a ’70s-built home with her husband and three children, in a quiet and leafy suburb. What is lovely about Christina’s home is that it doesn’t adhere to one style.

Name: Patricia, son and bunny (named Tim!) Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1291 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Patricia’s favorite color is turquoise. She loves it so much she filled her home with it, and the hue works perfectly with the beautiful light coming from windows. She’s a creative woman in love with crafts, and she traded in a previous career for her real passion; she created Saladas, a beautiful jewelry store inspired by the Mediterranean way of living.

Name: Chloe Gard and Joel Dwine Location: Brisbane, Australia Size: A cottage and backyard studio Years Lived In: Renting for 1.5 years Chloe and Joel’s home looks like a simple old timber cottage just on the Southside of Brisbane city. But if you take a look inside, you will find a quirky and nontraditional extension done by an architect, complete with a built-in attic-bedroom, corrugated iron walls and old French doors as windows.

Name: A-K Parker and Jeremy Gleeson Location: Stoke Newington, London Size: 628 square feet Years lived in: Rented for 3 years Light, airy and fun are my first impressions of this lovely one bed flat in Stoke Newington in London. A-K, a half-Danish art director in advertising, draws a lot of her inspiration from classic Danish design, which she likes to mix up with interesting objects she and her boyfriend Jeremy collected over the years while travelling.

Name: Edwin Nikkels Location: Amsterdam – The Netherlands Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 year Edwin played it smart when it came to furnishing his small space; he kept the design minimal, the colors neutral and found a unique way to carve out a bedroom (despite there not being an actual bedroom). He also invested in high-quality pieces of furniture and decor. The result is an airy, “feels bigger than its size” space.

Name: Anke and John Summerhill of Minotti London Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 120 square metres Years lived in: Owned 6 months This apartment in Barcelona features stunning architectural details, a soothing neutral color palette and an envious array of furniture and accessories from Minotti. Not surprisingly, considering the home’s occupants: Anke Summerhill, the Creative Director of Minotti London, and her husband John Summerhill, MD of Minotti London.

Name: Anna Hervera and her husband Location: L’eixample — Barcelona, Spain Size: 807 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years This simple but colorful home in the middle of Barcelona is sweet and genuine, like its owner. She loves uncomplicated things, but things that also feature a special detail. That’s why the entire house is calm and bright but each room has a je ne sais quoi element. Anna loves art, design and interiors, and you can feel that around the entire apartment.

Name: Shanade McAllister-Fisher Location: Little Venice — London, UK Years lived in: Owned 6 months Interior designer Shanade writes: “My husband and I bought this one bedroom apartment in leafy West London from our local authority. It was in a very sorry state and hadn’t been updated for many years but the magnificent Georgian sash windows and beautiful high ceilings won me over immediately and I knew I had to have it.

Name: Masquespacio Location: Valencia, Spain Size: 1,076 square feet Years worked in: 3 years This incredible space has all the color. Masquespacio is an award winning creative consultancy created in 2010 by Ana Milena Hernández Palacios and Christophe Penasse. Combining the two disciplines of their founders, interior design and marketing, this Spanish design agency creates branding and interior projects through a unique approach that results in fresh and innovative concepts.

Name: Noemi, Cristian and her dog Mel Location: Barcelona, Spain Size: 539 square feet Years lived in: Renting 1 year A few years ago Noemi and Christian moved to Belgium for a new life. But they missed the pace and the light of Barcelona, so they came back. Though they started with nothing when they moved into this small rental apartment, sometimes new beginnings inspire you to create beautiful things. Christian is a lawyer and Noemi has her own business as a graphic designer.

Name: A. J. Berne Location: Village of Swansea — Toronto, Canada Size: 645 square feet Years lived in: Owned 5 years What can be better than a view of Lake Ontario and the chance to take in a few moments each day, to gaze out at the water and watch the sailboats wander and tides change? For A.J. — not much. A.J. lives in a waterfront condominium in the city’s West End.

Name: Mylène Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 2 years It’s not surprising to learn that Mylène works as a visual merchandiser for a decor boutique; her apartment reflects someone who’s both interested in and really talented at design and home decor. Lots of stylish second-hand furniture and a variety of small elements and objects animate a space where a soft color palette mixes well with natural wood tones.

Name: Robyn and Sam, plus their two Dachshunds Carl and Prune Location: The Junction — Toronto, Canada Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Owned 3 years There is much debate when it comes to minimal design and living. It seems to be a lifestyle that draws polarizing views — you either love it or you really don’t!

Name: Eva Morell Location: Raval Quarter — Barcelona, Spain. Size: 538 square feet Years lived in: Rented since February 2016 Eva’s aesthetic is a fast indicator that she works in art direction. Her current home isn’t very big, but it’s full of good design and lovely things. Having lived in Madrid, Gijon, Mallorca and Barcelona, her home also reflects her free-spirit.

Name: Nisha Stevens, Tim Stevens (husband) and Kester Stevens (son, age 3) Location: Deptford, South East London Size: 1160 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years When I stepped into this flat-fronted Victorian terrace in South East London, it was as if I was magically thrown back in time to the ’70s. Nisha, an interior designer, and film producer husband Tim, are clearly big fans of the decade and it shows.

Name: Danny and Zac Location: Rome, Italy Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Owned. Lived in since April, but it’s been in the family for over 60 years! Danny writes: “This apartment used to belong to my grandparents, and then my parents took over the rent, and now my husband and I are living in it with our mini dachshund. Three generations (and counting)! It’s a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment on the third floor of a residential building in the center of Rome.

Name: Emily Murray, husband and two young sons Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Size: Four-bedroom Victorian terraced house Years lived in: Owned 6 years Lifestyle journalist Emily Murray, who’s also behind the fabulous interior blog The Pink House, doesn’t shy away from color. Or pattern mixing. Or pretty much any daring design element at all.

Name: Tom Foakes and Tom Bowen Location: Dalston, East London Size: 700 square feet Years Lived In: Owned for 16 years It seems as though we’re obsessed with decluttering at the moment. Last year it was all about the KonMari method and this year we’re seeing Danish Hygge everywhere. Both of these concepts are about creating a space that is calm, serene, peaceful and free of clutter, which are my first impressions when I stepped into this two bedroom flat in Dalston, London.

Name: Svenja Bruecker Location: Vienna, Austria Size: 1300 square feet Years lived in: Renting 6 months Svenja is an interior design blogger and her boyfriend Jonas is a professional poker player, and they share a 1300 square foot airy apartment in a big old building in the heart of Vienna. It’s also the kind of all-white, Scandinavian-inspired dream holiday home that’s just perfect for kicking off this holiday season!

Name: Aleks and Clay Location: Montreal, Canada Size: 1000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1 year Over the years, Aleks and Clay have acquired a lot of treasures from their travels. They moved into their apartment last February, and already, the space is decorated with objects and souvenirs from all over the world. For them, setting up their home is all about surrounding themselves with meaningful things. It is what contributes to their happiness.

Name: Mary and Brandon Location: Plateau Mont-Royal — Montreal, Canada Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: Rented, 2 years Mary, a cook and artist who grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, shares this rental with Brandon, a software developer who grew up in Florida and moved to Montreal in 2011. Though they’ve both called Montreal home for years, they consider this apartment their true first home.