Philadelphia

Anna Ladd didn’t want a home with all the history renovated out of it. But she also wanted “something updated enough that I wouldn’t be totally in over my head with first-time-homeowner DIYs.”

This second-floor apartment in a grand Victorian has gorgeous bay windows, and that’s where Ashley placed her bed. “I love waking up in my bed nuzzled between all the windows,” she writes. “It’s heaven.”

Katherine repainted all of the downstairs rooms, added peel-and-stick wallpaper, installed peel-and-stick tiles in the kitchen (to cover up a beige backsplash,) and used fabric on unfinished walls to create a style she describes as "moody, exuberant, colorful, often messy."

This rental apartment before Madeline Warshaw moved in was “sad, drab, landlord special.” Not anymore!

See inside a rental that transformed from a “completely empty, all-gray, kinda crusty box” to a “Lisa Frank and Y2K vibe.”

Kevin Boyle and Mac Francis' townhome is filled with a collection of secondhand gems, and they needed the storage to display it all!

Mixed materials (inspired by Kelly Wearstler) blend seamlessly with the couple’s lush greenery.

Tour the Philadelphia rowhome of artist and designer Mitch Wiesen, who cleaned, caulked, and painted to update their home.

Cara and her dog, Sterling, share this small studio apartment in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood.

It's a "creative homebody's safe space" for Chaereen Pak and her two cats.

With creative furniture placement and storage solutions, Ashley's place came together perfectly despite only being 450 square feet.

Heather Davis is the Design Director of Concept, Print & Color at Urban Outfitters, and her home is a mish-mashed, cluttercore mix of textiles, cool chairs, and thrifted finds.

The colorful, retro tiles in Sidney and Brandon's rental apartment's bathroom were taken from a train station in Philadelphia during the '80s... and the vibrant tiles were even used for the baseboards around the main space, too!

"Being a natural light photographer I have this strong appreciation for the conversation the sun has in a space," writes Taylor Baldwin of her 800-square-foot Philadelphia rental apartment.

Amanda Hicks says her two-level rental apartment is tiny, but just perfect for herself and her dog, Harlow. "I've surrounded us with books, plants, and positive vibes," she writes.

Emma Chasen and fiancée Carolyn Chernous' home is a mix of eclectic, maximalist, Art Deco, retro-inspired styles, and a TON of hand-painted DIY colorful murals.

Photographer turned novelty chandelier maker, Adam Wallacavage, has completely transformed his South Philadelphia brownstone, filling it with Victorian style furniture, DIY plaster elements, funky art, oceanic sculptures, his own incredible octopus chandeliers, and more. This house is Halloween ready no matter the time of year.

After her divorce, Erin got rid of most of her belongings for a fresh start. Her Philadelphia cottage gives her the space to huddle with friends during cold months and maximize what's most important to her.

Crystal Wyatt owned a house in Philadelphia for more than 18 years before needing a change, going tiny in this 190-square-foot rental studio apartment in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood.

Built in 1920, this rental rowhome's builder-grade renovation stripped it of its original character, but renters Bryce and Stefan have been on a mission to "inject some love and character back into the space."

Kelsey Bush's home is a direct reflection of her personality. "I love to be creative and get my hands dirty. So having the ability to design my own space has been very rewarding. I love mixing patterns and style and old with the new. Color is my comfort zone."

Photographer Kat Malo only had a few plants when she moved in, but when she saw how well they were doing in this light-filled space, she fully embraced being a plant parent and now has over 50.

Lots of furniture in Tiffany, Joseph, and Ashley's rental rowhome is salvaged, found, or antiqued.

Every room in this old Philadelphia house got an affordable upgrade, and the result is a bright, cheery home absolutely PACKED with home makeover inspiration!

This art teacher and museum educator draws inspiration from "estate sales in untouched time capsule houses, old magazines, and period movie and TV show sets" for decorating her own 1970s Philadelphia house.

Zach and Hugh are “interior design enthusiasts, home renovation-attempters, and backyard chicken dads” and run the popular blog and Instagram account This Yunky House.

Sourya has completely transformed the 600-square-foot Philadelphia rental apartment she shares with her husband, DIYing everything from the renter-friendly kitchen refresh to furniture that looks much more expensive that it actually is.

Decorating her home is an outlet for her creative energy and most of the brightly colored paintings scattered throughout the space are her own.

The apartment's building is about 100 years old and has lovely vintage features including tall ceilings, which make the small space feel even larger and luxurious.

Sue Eggen is an artist and creative director at Urban Jungle, shares this Philadelphia home with and writer and librarian Nathaniel Eddy.

And we bet you'll think so, too.

The unit’s arched windows, exposed beams, and rustic brick are charming, and the building’s location can't be beat—just steps away from art galleries, cozy cafes, and the nation’s oldest residential street.

Quelcy ripped out carpets and ceiling tiles, chipped away layers of paint to reveal original wood and tile, painted every other surface to make this “handyman special" rental her own.

Valerie Green's house was renovated just before she bought it, but it wasn’t her style, so she's spent the past few years updating without undergoing too many major renovations.

These two pathologists like big books, plants, natural light, Harry Potter, and more, and their home is like a museum--but the fun, "please touch" kind of museum.

It's small but mighty!

There are smart storage ideas... as well as one of the cutest jewelry storage ideas maybe ever.

Chelsea and Warren's home—a two-story apartment in the Olde Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia—is perfectly reflective of the merging of their two lives.

While Nicole and Josh were grateful to make it out of their apartment building's fire alive, they left behind all of their furniture, clothing, electronics, AND had to downsize when they find a new apartment a few weeks later.

This apartment's kitchen was given a renter-friendly makeover with white wood and subway tile contact paper. Marble contact paper in the living room makes a dated fireplace feel more modern and sleek.

This designer has created an utterly gorgeous minimal retreat in Philadelphia.

According to professional organizer Janet M. Taylor, one of the most common misconceptions about getting your home in order is that once you get organized, you're done.

This is one of the most successfully laid out, well-appointed tiny studio apartments we've ever seen.

This older house had fallen victim to the destruction of hoarders, water, neglect, and 10 to 12 cats, but the owner saw the potential. Also, the vintage bathroom is a must-see.

This studio loft apartment is located in a historic building, formerly an all girl's school called Miss Gordon's School for Girls.

After buying the house, this couple had a 30-day remodel marathon putting in all new hardwood flooring, painting just about every surface, replacing light fixtures and more.

Digital and experiential brand designer Melissa Alam lives in an 1800-square-foot loft, where she also hosts events like the annual conference for women called FearlessCon.

These renters built a custom storage bed "pod" to hide their past-life remnants and clothing for only $300 and a bit of labor.

A lot fits into this 550 square foot Philly rental: a drool-worthy fireplace, brick walls, hip furniture and tons of plants.

Name: Jen Nolan Location: Rittenhouse Square — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Size: Roughly 500 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting When Jen moved to Philadelphia from Washington, D.C., she didn’t have any connections in the real estate world. Like many young professionals, she turned to Craigslist. Thankfully, she stumbled across an ad for a beautiful studio apartment in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia.

This is a home full of VERY unique reclaimed and salvaged materials.

Name: Deanna Leone, Jessie Mademann (and Thurston & Shermie the cats) Location: Fishtown, Philadelphia Size: Large Loft Studio (don’t know the square foot) Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Fishtown is one of Philadelphia’s many booming neighborhoods, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique (and affordable!) home in the area. When you’re as creative as Jessie and Deanna, settling for a typical white-wall one-bedroom isn’t the ideal.

Name: Liz Sparacio Location: Northern Liberties — Philadelphia, Pennslyvania Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Liz resides in a natural-light filled loft space that was origionally part of an old textile factory in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Name: Maddie Flanigan Location: Old City, Philadelphia Size: 500 square feet (approximately – slightly less) Years Lived In: 4 years, owned What’s old is new—that’s a theme that plays throughout every facet of Maddie Flanigan’s life. She is the founder of Madalynne Intimates, a Philadelphia-based lingerie brand (featuring bras, bralettes, undies and bodysuits that are made in the USA!

Jody and Jon have turned this loft with tall ceilings into their hip, vintage-filled retreat.

Name: Gabrielle Silverlight, Brian Hamilton, and Miss Mabel the kitty Location: Kensington — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Size: Around 1,000 square feet Years Lived In: 1.5 years, renting and own After years of renting a home and separate workspace, ceramicist Gabrielle Silverlight and her guitar pedal designer husband Brian Hamilton of smallsound/bigsound decided to buy a house.