Michigan

After getting divorced, selling her house, and moving across the country, Elle was pretty much starting from scratch when it came to furniture, decor, and her "whole outlook on life! So I leaned into everything that makes me happy and feels like me."

After an MS diagnosis, Katy moved back home to Michigan. She and her husband settled into this East Lansing house, where they're slowly updating the rooms to match their personalities.

The couple behind Woodward Throwbacks focused on cosmetic projects like refinishing the original floors, fixing plaster walls, and modernizing the kitchen in their Corktown home.

Wes and Ben bought a dated, former rental cabin in Michigan, and transformed it into a “small space that lives big.”

"We were previously living in a modern high rise in Chicago but decided we wanted a slower pace of life," Alyssa writes. "We decided to buy a home in Michigan and feel like we are going back to our roots."

Shop owner Marissa Wege, who owns Au Sable store, says she had the colors for her gorgeous modern kitchen “decided before anything else.”

Emily Gershen and Dion Harris have owned this Detroit house — built in 1928 and featuring intricate plasterwork and original stained glass windows — for a year and a half. They share their home with their young son, Milo, and another baby on the way! (Along with two fur babies, Goose and Birdie.)

This envy-inducing modern house remodel showcases indoor-outdoor living at its finest.

Artist John Neary worked with design firm Parini Design to restore this house, built in 1960 and designed by Michigan-based architect Paul Moffett. The structure was stabilized and the interior was fully modernized with a nod to its mid-century past.

Mike and Courtney met at a birthday party in Michigan eleven years ago. Little did they know, it was in the exact neighborhood they would later buy a house and raise their family. Specifically in this A-frame that they brightened by painting the walls white and adding windows.

Daniel Parkington and husband Geof Parkington share this 670-square-foot apartment with their pup, Stella.

Hilary and Doug share a love of design, fashion, and art, and filled this large house in Detroit, built in the 1930s by George McKnight, with all three when they renovated it for themselves and their two kids, Haze and Sway.

Any advice for creating a home you love? "Fill it with things that are meaningful, sentimental, and just plain fun!"

Inspired by spaces within Europe like in France, Denmark, or Italy, Stephen and Christina's entire home has been gorgeously remodeled.

Colin Tury and Ellie Ingram have put A LOT of work into transforming this house into what you see today. “Every square inch of this house has been affected by us and we’re proud of it” he writes.

Musicians Jacki and Jacob Warren-Bullard, of the band Major Murphy, helped refresh this 1920s rental bungalow in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's full of renter-friendly ideas and inspiration.

When Andy Grant first moved in to this house, every single surface in the home needed repainting... and she's been renovating it and adding her own personality through tons of DIY projects since.

When COVID hit and ruined Mike Han's restaurant dream before it could open, he pivoted from sushi to art, transforming his small apartment into an art gallery.

Christian Doble and Alicia Gbur have spent the past seven years updating their coastal-inspired Craftsman house.

Kick off a week-long series of dream home tours with photographer and graphic designer Sheri Kowalski's STUNNING A-frame cabin in the woods of Michigan.

This young family lived abroad for a few years, just outside of Munich, Germany, and living in Europe turned them onto German architecture and timeless European home design.

This 250-square-foot RV got an update for this family of seven!

What a kitchen island!

Justin modernized this 1920s house while preserving its classic beauty.

Isabelle Weiss is the founder of NEXT:SPACE, a contemporary art space in Detroit. Her small studio apartment is absolutely filled with great furniture and art.

Two of the four walls throughout the entire house are all glass.

This 1924 brick bungalow is old and has character, and needed just a little work to fix it up. The kitchen remodel is a gorgeous improvement that keeps the vintage charm.

A couple of coats of hunter green paint and a once-gross attic space turned into a modern bohemian-inspired sanctuary.

"What if happiness came in a package?"

The time spent in this minimal Michigan home-away-from-home no doubt feeds a couple's creative spirits.

Kathy's a photographer and inspired by light. Thankfully, the remodeled house she shares with her husband has tons of windows!

Name: Leslie and Gilbert, kids, and pets Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Leslie and Gilbert moved to Michigan a couple of years ago and were excited to find a fun mid-century modern house next to some wooded land. They love music, learning, and nature and wanted to be able to bring all of those things together into their home.

Name: Jesse and Cali Green Location: New Center — Detroit, Michigan Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Jesse and Cali’s apartment building is inspiring, not only because they’ve created a beautiful modern and minimal home without splurging, but because of its deep history in Detroit. The building opened in 1926 as a home to graphic artists working in all of the nearby industries, General Motors in particular.

Name: Lori Location: Downtown — Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,195 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Lori’s downtown Detroit apartment is a good example of a space that appreciates functionality and modernism, but still manages to be a warm, welcoming home. She used her move to this space as a fresh start, and prioritized incorporating local designers’ work into the mix. From art to custom-made furniture, Lori’s love and support of her city is on full display.

Name: Christina and Matt Location: Novi, Michigan Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 3 years Just married, these newlyweds are both in creative fields: Christina is a talented wedding photographer and Matt is a copywriter. Their creativity is on full display in their apartment, like Christina’s photographs, which are sprinkled around each room. They also got creative to transform a plain, cookie cutter space into a bright, airy, romantic home.

Name: Debbie and Devin Location: Lansing, Michigan Size: Approximately 1600 square feet (including the studio space in the attic) Years lived in: 3.5 years, renting Debbie and Devin met on the East Coast before moving to Chicago, where we toured their apartment and first saw this creative couple’s home style. From photography, to jewelry making to music, their Chicago home displayed their handiwork, and so does their current home in Michigan.

Name: Salma and her husband Naghi Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan Size: 2,250 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Blending the new with the old and taking advantage of every vertical space in her house for displaying artwork, Salma, an interior designer, has created a colorful attention-grabbing home. “Our house was built in 1967, before it was built, the whole subdivision was a farming community. The land the house sits on was once a cow farm!

Name: Lauren Wilson Location: Farmington Hills, Michigan Size: 1,850 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Interior designer — and mom to three kids — Lauren Wilson says it’s hard to believe that she’s been in her family home for five years. When she moved in, she envisioned an open space that she and her husband could create and build on their own. However, the space was anything but the open-concept she dreamed about.

Name: Soogee, husband Tae and their three kids Location: Okemos, Michigan Size: 2376 square feet (including the basement) Years lived in: 3 years Soogee wears a lot of hats. The mom of three kids, she also helps her husband run a couple of family businesses. The couple are also avid foodies, and they enjoy making delicious Asian- and European-inspired cakes and pastries. She’s also a decorator and realtor!

Name: Jackie Blair Location: Lake Orion, Michigan Size: 882 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, rented Jackie is a photographer and social media creative who loves to travel. She lives in a townhouse condo with her son and her new puppy. By keeping her condo neutral and simple, she has turned it into a peaceful hangout spot where they can all play and relax. Though living in the rented space comes with its challenges, Jackie strives to add the family’s personality wherever possible.

Name: Meg and Joe plus Lady and Benny (Dachshunds) Location: Royal Oak, Michigan Size: 1,350 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Embracing the quirks — uneven floors, for instance — of an almost 100-year-old house is a challenge for people in the profession of precision. Like Meg and Joe, who are both graphic designers in the Metro Detroit area.

Name: Tracey Tilley Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,050 square feet Years lived in: 12 years, owned When Tracey is not working as a marketing project manager, she is obsessing over her house’s interior. She prefers furnishings that are old and built to last. She believes in supporting local artists. She really enjoys a good flea-market find. And she has been known to DIY a few things. Not surprisingly, her home in Michigan is a sophisticated mix.

Name: Patrick Thompson, his wife Courtney and their son Monty Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Patrick Thompson is an award winning interior designer residing in the suburbs of Detroit with his lovely wife, their energetic three-year-old son and their sweet dog. His design firm, Patrick Thompson Design, specializes in hospitality, commercial and retail spaces. Patrick grew up in a family that celebrated art.

Name: Diana Marsh Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 months! After living in New York for many years, Diana decided to go back home to Michigan. But that wasn’t the only big life change she made, she also purchased a house, fully renovated it AND opened a store in downtown Ann Arbor. Called Thistle and Bess, Diana’s store offers one-of-a-kind treasures and goods to those seeking a luxurious lifestyle.

Name: Darren DeWitt and Adrian Ohmer Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years Darren hasn’t stayed in one home or job for very long in the past 20 years. “I’ve been an instrumentalist, a dancer, a Shakespearean actor, a photographer, a waiter, a concierge, and the Easter Bunny, (a position I one day hope to leverage into a gig as Press Secretary.

Name: Rachael Barlock Location: Metro Detroit — Ferndale, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting There’s a duality to Rachael’s life: She’s a water engineer by day, but by night she runs a hand-lettering and paper goods business, Hazel + Dolly. She loves balancing the structured, math and science half of her life with the fun, creative half. And her home is a balanced mix, as well.

Name: Andrea Kerbuski and her dog James Location: Lansing, Michigan Size: 2,014 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, owned Andrea avoided home ownership for years, preferring the more flexible, mobile lifestyle of renting apartments. And, she always thought she’d wait until finding a life partner to buy a house. But after a brief stint in Chicago for work, she realized she loved her home state of Michigan and her community, and that she could absolutely buy a house on her own.

Name: Danielle, Michael, Enzo, and Ziggy Gutelli Location: Plymouth — Michigan Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Danielle and Michael were both born and raised in the Midwest (Metro Detroit and St. Louis, respectively) and met in Chicago, where they resided together for 10 years. After their first born, Enzo, came into the world, they decided to make the move to Michigan to be closer to family.

Name: Gretchen and Kevin Location: Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After spending four years in 800 square feet in New York City, Kevin and Gretchen were able to design their dream loft back in their home state of Michigan. They found a space in an old, industrial building in a mixed-use neighborhood that’s lively and vibrant.

Name: Brandon Bourdganis Location: Ferndale, Michigan Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned “My home is a snapshot of my life…I try to incorporate memories from my family, travels, city, state and friends while making it look very personal and uniquely me.

Name: Kim and Patrick + daughter Fiona + dog CeCe Location: Brighton, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Built in 1940 — with a mint green exterior and eggplant shutters — Kim and Patrick’s Cape Cod style house is steeped in history. “There has only been one owner prior to us and the land for the home was originally parceled from the lot belonging to the house next door.

Name: Lisa Palmer, husband Rob and son Quinn Location: Fenton, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) Size: 5,300 square feet (including basement) Years lived in: 16 years, owned Lisa Palmer is a seeker of all things vintage, lover of nostalgia, and fan of making her home a place where anyone can walk in and feel loved by it. On the professional side, Lisa is a serial entrepreneur (16 years in) who has a knack for developing products and building lifestyle brands such as her most recent Lillybee.

Name: Courtney, Paul, and (daughter) Redding Location: Corktown — Detroit, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned After living in Brooklyn for 10 years, Courtney and Paul relocated to Detroit in 2016 and took a chance on buying a house…without ever walking inside. The couple discovered the property through family: Paul’s cousin moved back to the Motor City a few years before them and found this duplex. Now they all currently live in it!

Name: Haley Lertola Location: True North — Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 1/2 year, renting Haley Lertola owns an event planning and design company, Detroit Cultivated, where she’s “committed to disrupting the Detroit event industry by creating inspired experiences that incorporate sustainable practices. One of the goals of each event is to transport guests to a truly original setting.

Name: Emily Berger-Crawford, husband Chris Crawford, daughter Edie, dog Lilly and cats Chester + Charlie Location: East English Village — Detroit, Michigan Size: 1,650 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, owned Our house is well loved and full of character, a perfect home base for our family to relax and enjoy watching our 4-month-old daughter grow up. Although it’s a constant project (and sometimes headache), we feel like we lucked out in finding it with so many details in tact.

Name: Leo + Jordan Miller + Alexander Lynch Location: West Village — Detroit, Michigan Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: 8 months, renting Jordan is an Ohio native who moved to Detroit on a whim in the summer of 2016 because of her love for the state of Michigan, particularly its lakes. Al grew up in a small town in the Upper Peninsula called Norway.

Name: Chris Murphy Location: Saugatuck, Michigan Size: 950 square feet Years Lived In: 3 years, owned I own a vintage (and new) home furnishings store in Chicago, District Chicago. Whenever I needed a break I found myself going up to Michigan to camp to de-stress and be in nature. A couple years into this routine, I started looking for a house that would help with my escape.

Name: Wes Trammel, Ben Cooper, (Dog) Duffy Location: Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Size: 1,870 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned An Alabama native and graphic designer, Wes relocated to Detroit three years ago with his fiancé, Ben. Having worked for 16 years as a graphic designer for a national home and lifestyle magazine, Wes has recently turned his attention to home renovation and interiors.

Name: Meagen and Mike Coburn and dog Dozer Location: Cherry Hill Historic District; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; owned I arrived on Meagen and Mike’s street on an unseasonably warm Sunday afternoon in mid-December. The forty-degree weather, mist and visible green grass didn’t feel like Christmas in Michigan.

Name: Laura Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 768 square feet Years lived in: 8.5 years; Rented Laura lives in a 102-unit apartment complex in Heritage Hill, the historic district east of Downtown Grand Rapids. Her two-bedroom rental is filled with plants, colors and animals. Guests will discover tiny deer in a winter-themed wreath, wall-mounted heads of a rhino and giraffe, lots of pugs and even a miniature Brachiosaurus roaming among succulents.