Montreal

Original (and stunning) plaster moldings, delightful Facebook Marketplace finds, and one very joyful kitchen make this Montreal home truly unforgettable.

Most of the renovation was DIY.

"This process can be an emotional one, but also brings clarity and perspective through our attachment to certain objects, memories, and spaces," says photographer Lauren Kolyn.

Aude and her cat, Charlot, live in their triplex in Montreal. Focusing on keeping the original architecture with archways showing off the living room, Aude has kept the beauty of the space while adding in her own style.

Sarah describes her studio apartment as a mini palace. "It has the regal feel of a a kingdom (very much inspired by Palace of Versailles), the allure of a Parisian apartment on a summer afternoon, with a rich and luxurious decadent decor."

This designer's rental apartment is FILLED with gorgeous vintage gems.

Despite the 499 square footage, its overall layout renders the space surprisingly open and comfortable.

Interior designer Michelle Martel remodeled this 1904 Victorian fixer-upper, and it's gorgeous!

When David and Ara bought this house in 2015, it was a duplex, and, more importantly, a complete disaster.

Honestly the whole home is pretty gorgeous.

This is Ariane's very first own home, so she decided to make it a reflection of who she is, what she's into, and of her favorite memories.

Her style: "Minimalism meets vibrant colors meets effervescent design." Also, "I've-never-met-a flea-market-I-didn't-like!"

This home's nickname is "The Pink Palazzo."

Originally built in 1885, when renovating this historic house, the homeowners had to change out the electricity, the plumbing, the lights and the flooring.

Name: Violaine, Gaëtan Havart & Hubert Location: Mile End; Montreal, Quebec Size: 825 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years; Owned Violaine and Gaëtan live in one of the most desired neighborhoods of Montreal, and their condo is stunning. As a Belgian architect now living in the city, Gaëtan designed the new kitchen and bathroom in his spare time. The result is unique and simply gorgeous.

Name: Eve MartelLocation: Montreal, QuebecSize: 1,167 sq ftYears lived in: Just over a year, Eve is a proud first time owner!>> Eve moved into her Hochelaga, Montreal loft just over a year ago. Her loft is in the La Biscuiterie Viau building: it used to be a candy and cookie factory and was owned by a famous local family. Built in 1906, the factory was transformed into loft units in 2007.

BUK & NOLA co-founder decorated her house with a mix of influences ranging from Scandinavian, minimalism, quirky, and boho designs.

Marie Letard is the owner of the Montreal-based decor shop Bouche Bée, and her apartment is a chic space filled with pops of cheery, pastel color.

Bright colors, textiles, and tons of art fill Joanna Anastasia's Montreal family home.

Name: Vanessa Gauvin-Brodeur Location: Montreal; Quebec, Canada Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Vanessa’s Montreal apartment (aka “Chateau Fairmount“) is a bright, spacious gem in the heart of Mile End. The front rooms flow seamlessly into each other with a pattern of white walls and furniture and colourful, textured accents. The dining room boasts a generous, inviting table matched with elegant wallpaper.

Name: Laurence and Alexandre Location: Petite-Patrie; Montreal Size: 940 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Alex and Laurence were looking for an unusual place. A merge of the functional “Batcave” and the artistic grandiloquence of the Mysore Palace in India. They found this apartment, with enough wall space to hang all of Alexandre’s artworks (from past exhibitions) and Laurence’s numerous travel souvenirs. The apartment is full of architecturally strange surprises.

Name: Morgane Location: Villeray; Montreal Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; rented Working in an art gallery and having a natural talent for decorating, Morgane’s apartment is a true reflection of herself and her love for art. The space is airy, well balanced, delicate, monochromatic, with a touch of natural tones, unique pieces and personal touches. For her, everything resides in the small details. She puts great care on choosing each piece that she brings into her home.

Name: Michael Fiset with pets Dog: Josephine; Cat: Leopold (orange one); Cat: Ouski (grey one) Location: Parc Extension; Montréal, Canada Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented 2 1/2 years Mike’s home is filled with stories and intent; virtually every item he owns has significance, purpose or is connected to an adventure or inspiration.

Name: Florence and Julien Location: Plateau Mt-Royal — Montreal Size: 980 square feet Years lived in: 8 months Florence is the founder of Me Myself & Montreal, a blog that provides the best spots in Montreal to visit. She also organizes “discovery” events for its readers. The Montreal apartment she shares with Julien is bright and radiant and the large windows provide the best views of the city, like the Mount-Royal, the city center and the Olympic Stadium.

Name: Edmund Lam, Heidi Donnelly and Arthur (2 years old) Location: Montreal-West; Canada Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned Sometimes it can be difficult to make the transition from downtown living to the suburbs, but when you luck out on a space to call home that screams your name (and meets your budget) you leave running! This is essentially what happened to Edmund and Heidi a little over two years ago.

Name: Gilles, Ismérie and Alexie Location: Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie, Montreal Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years Ismérie, founder of The Little Spot and owner at L’Atelier du coin de la rue (“The workshop around the corner” a creative space for DIY passionate Montrealers), opened up her family home for us and shared their little universe.

Name: Sydney Krause and Fabrice Bouty Location: Plateau — Montreal, Canada Size: 1,147 square feet Years lived in: Owned 4 years Sydney and Fabrice are a perfect example of how two people with very distinct personal styles can cultivate a harmonized and well-designed home. Fabrice is originally from France and gravitates towards more classic design while Sydney enjoys color, unique lighting and a good vintage find! When Sydney moved in a few years ago, the place was entirely different.

Name: Jan-Nicolas and Vincent Location: Plateau Mont-Royal — Montréal, Canada Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Owned 2 years As soon as you enter, Jan-Nicolas and Vincent’s home can’t help but leave an impression. The staircase leading up to their third-story flat is painted a bright, happy yellow. This is the first of many elements that bring a warmth and vitality to their 1000 square foot home.

Name: Mark Andrew Hamilton and Bergþóra Jónsdóttir Location: Montreal, Canada Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: Rented This Montreal rental is shared by two artists with a great eye for design and finding wonderful treasures in random thrift stores and pop-up flea markets. As housemates, they created a cozy home despite the limitations of the apartment — you’ll notice there’s no living room!

Name: Jonathan, graphic designer and founder of Pulp and Pixel Location: Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Montréal Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: Rented 1.5 years Graphic designer Jonathan has a great eye for design, and he’s carefully collected decor for his rental apartment that reflects his personality. His home is something like a Rainbow Chips-Ahoy! cookie: mostly plain with pops of color throughout.

Name: Elyse Location: Ville-Marie — Montreal Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 6 months Elyse’s apartment is a museum of small objects that are decorative rather than strictly functional. In fact, she calls it her “tchotchke heaven.” The bright light pouring in through big windows and the clean white walls prove to be the perfect gallery for her collection.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: Stefano Giacomello Location: Outremont, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Stefano is a 3D artist and designer with a great eye for home decor and spatial planning. And his style is influenced considerably by the ’80s and a love for graphic lines and vibrant colors. Although Stefano’s apartment is on the small side, every item has its own place.

Name: Anh Tg Location: Petite Patrie, Montreal Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Plants. Plants. Plants. White walls. Art and Design. This minimalist Montreal apartment is tastefully styled by the talented exhibition designer of the Canadian Centre of Architecture. Designer and co-founder of bureau sacha von der potter in Geneva, Anh definitely knows about the delicate balance between negative and positive space.

Name: Audrey Morissette her husband Francois and baby William Location: Blainville, Quebec Size: 2,380 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned Audrey Morissette established her store Boutique Vestibule in 2014 in the Mile End of Montreal. Vestibule is an original lifestyle concept shop that offers decorative accessories, clothing brands, jewelry and many local products carefully chosen, all in a minimalist, feminine and timeless style.

Name: Melanie Power Location: Plateau Mont-Royal, Montreal, Quebec Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting When Melanie Power, a poet from St. John’s, Newfoundland, first moved into this compact apartment, it was a neglected space. Over the years, she has collected items and furniture from thrift stores across the provinces to revive and restore it, creating a place full of magical whimsy and intrigue.

Name: Marlène Deshaies Location: Villeray, Montreal Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, owned Marlène considers herself a decor magazine junkie. She lives in a 950-square-foot flat in a duplex she shares with her daughter Corine and her boyfriend Maxime, and it’s inspiring publications like Martha Stewart Living and IDEAT that helped her completely renovate the kitchen and bathroom, as well as decorate the entire space.

Name: Mona Hamilton Location: Plateau Mont-Royal Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Mona is a 24-year-old retail florist by day and an aspiring web comic artist by night. And she had always lived with her parents in Toronto…until she decided to “kick-start her adult life” by moving to Montreal after visiting in the summer. For her, this apartment allows her to create and curate a space where she can foster her own growth.

Name: Sophie, Guillaume and baby Simone Location: Heart of the Plateau — Montreal Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, owned Avid travelers and a creative couple, Sophie and Guillaume live in their warm renovated flat in the heart of the Plateau with their young daughter Simone. The flat’s architecture is at once rich and minimal, and the couple loves to merge old, timeless design pieces with newly acquired ones.

Name: Trudy Crane Location: Old Montreal Size: 1250 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years, renting After working as an executive in the fashion industry for many years, Trudy decided to pursue her dream and switched to a career as a ceramicist. Inspired by nature and the many shades of white, she creates beautiful and organic ceramics under the name of Looks Like White.

Name: Roxanne Arsenault and Pascal Desjardins and Colette, 7 years old Location: Rosemont, Montreal Size: 2,500 square feet Years lived in: Owned, Roxanne: 13 years / Pascal: 2 years Roxanne and Pascal are both art lovers with very unique taste in home decor, and they live in an eccentric and colorful home in Montreal. Their space is a mix of rich patterns, textures, and comfy elements of the ’70s, along with vivid colors, styles and shapes of the ’80s.

Name: Cécile Gariépy, her boyfriend, and their lovely dog, Marjo Location: Rosemont La Petite-Patrie, Montreal Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned After her studies in cinema and working as a film director for five years, Cécile Gariépy moved to Paris to pursue a master’s degree. Her life in France was very academic, and creative Cécile started drawing illustrations.

Name: Lea Nguyen and Ugo Rioux Location: Ville-Marie, Montreal Size: 420 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting After an extensive search, Lea, a freelance writer and journalist, and her boyfriend Ugo, a science assistant in a college, left their respective beloved Montreal hoods of Little Italy and Villeray to move in together in Ville-Marie borough. The apartment did not look anything like it does now when signing the lease, but they saw the potential.

Name: Lysa Jordan, Sergio Castano and dog Walter Location: Montreal, Quebec Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, renting Artist Lysa Jordan and architect Sergio Castano live with their dog Walter in a working and living loft nestled in the Saint Henri neighborhood. Quite unconventional from typical Montreal apartments, their pad is a modern, minimal, and creative space for both of them. “It’s a stimulating and inspiring place.

Name: Lauren MacLean Location: Montreal, QC, Canada Size: 700 square ft Years lived in: 1 year, rent Born and raised in Ontario, a few years ago Lauren was ready for a change and looked to Montreal for a new adventure. Knowing little about the city, she was nonetheless drawn towards its culture and beauty. “I found a listing online for a tiny vacant studio, so I checked it out and loved it right away. It was one small room with zero closets,” she says.

Name: Naeme El-Zein and partner David Rousseau Location: Pointe-St-Charles, Quebec, Canada Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, renting Naeme is a creative director, strategist and writer who’s worked with a variety of brands like PULP magazine, British Vogue, WANT Les Essentiels, and ALDO Group, to name a few. She’s passionate about boundary-pushing ideas, visuals, words, and experiences that evoke an emotional reaction.

Gilles, Ismérie and Alexie’s Montreal home features graphic patterns, Scandinavian-style furniture, nautical themes, and a whole lot of DIY. If you’re looking for this wide range of styles for your home—and maybe some Star Wars art—check out the shopping sources below.

Natasha’s 450 square foot condo appears much bigger than it is, partly because she keeps a neutral palette of whites, grays and blues in each room. However, she sprinkles color into each vignette whenever possible, such as fresh, pink flowers as a coffee table accent or framed, colorful prints on the wall. The end result: a comfortable, classic space in Montreal that allows her to cook and entertain in peace. Use the sources below to shop some of the items in Natasha’s home.

Jan-Nicolas and Vincent’s Montreal home is beautiful and modern, yet functional and happy at the same time (just take a look at the bright yellow stairs leading to their third floor flat). You can find some of the custom pieces and unique art that fill their home using the sources below.

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: Anabelle, Edward and Fifi Location: Mile End; Montreal, Canada Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years; Owned Upon entering Anabelle and Edward’s apartment, I immediately noticed the numerous qualities that make this space a quiet, comfortable and very “homey” home. Brick walls, hardwood floors, moldings, wood elements, architectural details, and many books make this condo a place full of charm, character and style.

Name: Marc-Andre & Alexandre Location: Griffintown, Montreal, Canada Size: 710 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Have you ever dreamed of designing and building your own home? If you are not an architect nor a designer (or if you don’t plan on hiring one), you may rarely encounter the opportunity that Marc-André and Alex just had. They bought their condo from plans, so they were able to sit down with the interior designer of the builder’s company (three times!

Name: Julien Location: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve — Montréal, Canada Size: 466 square feet Years lived in: 4 months; Owned Newly-single Julien had to find a place that would meet his love for lofts and small spaces while integrating elements that appealed to him; he found this studio for sale and fell in love with it. He then had to make sure his vintage finds and every piece of furniture he owns would fit in 466 square feet—it was a challenge!

Name: Lily, Oli, and Chloé ( 5, 4, 2) Location: Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montreal — Canada Years ago, we shared our Lily and Oli’s shared room here on Apartment Therapy. Since then, we’ve added our third child, our daughter Chloé to the room. Now that we are officially crib-free, and still happily using one bedroom for our three little ones, I thought it was time to share the many changes we’ve made.