Styles Trends

Name: Allison and her cats, Pooh Bear and LBA.Location: Cleveland Park, Washington, DCSize: One bedroom, about 850 square feet. The apartment is split into two levels, which helps it feel a bit roomier.Years lived in: 2.5, rented If there’s one thing I learned about Allison from visiting her lovely home, it’s that she is way too modest about her DIY skills. Walking in, my first impression was that her home felt very “put together,” in the best possible sense.

Name: Jess, Erio, Stella & Tiger Brown (& Shorty the dog)Location: West Petaluma — CASize: 1300 square feetYears lived in: 7 — Owned While some peoples homes speak pages about them, the Browns’ home is a vintage encyclopedia set. A set that is hued in the colors of the Sahara desert at sunset, with well worn tea stained pages that only the passage of time and care can create.

Name: Caitlin MurrayLocation: Beverly Hills — Los Angeles, CaliforniaSize: 700 square feet — 1 bed, 1 bathYears lived in: 6 months I met Caitlin a few quarters into design school and immediately knew she had an inherent talent for interior design. When apartment hunting, Caitlin scouted out units with strong architectural features, knowing it would be much easier to complement a well-designed rental space.

Name: Deborah Strauss, Lizzie the bird and Bentley the dogLocation: North Hyde Park — Austin, Texas Size: 1,570 square feetYears lived in: 5 — owned Who says you have to fill a modern architecture home with contemporary or Mid-Century Modern furnishings? We found an Austin resident who furnished her modern house with a medley of shabby chic, French-inspired decor and eclectic items in a careful mix that seems both exciting, relaxing and just perfect.

Name: Dragan & ElissaLocation: Dallas, TexasSize: 1,100 square feet — 2 bedrooms, 1 bathYears lived in: 4 years — rented The creative energy that flows through Dragan and Elissa’s home is invigorating. As your eyes dart from one piece to the next, they will tell you that many of the items in their home are original, handcrafted by them or members of their family. Then, the envy for their creative genes ensues.

Name: Laurel HarringtonLocation: Mill Valley — CaliforniaSize: 1,800 square foot cottage with guest barnYears lived in: 10 — owned From the first day Laurel Harrington moved into her hillside Mill Valley cottage, she had her mind set on one thing: creating a space that was cheerfully chic. Laurel, an interior designer by trade, started her company, Harrington Design, in 2002 and has been creating lovely interior spaces every since.

Name: Kassandra & Jon Sommerville along with Edgar (Boston Terrier), Jigsaw (Jack Russel) and Rico Suave (Papillon)Location: Concordia Neighborhood — Portland, OregonSize: 1250 square feetYears lived in: 2 — owned Jon and Kassandra have done an amazing job making their 1950s Portland home comfortable and efficient without giving up panache. They’ve converted one area of the house into a salon where Kassandra cuts hair and styles her clients to perfection.

Name: Rylie Beverly Scott, 7 weeks oldLocation: Los Angeles, CARoom Size: 12′ x 14′ Liz Scott is a Los Angeles based fabric designer, so it only makes sense that the nursery she created for her daughter, Rylie, is brimming with gorgeous, colorful prints on chairs, banners, and bedding. The beauty is certainly in the details in this space. From handmade plush animals to sweet vignettes carefully arranged on vintage wall shelves, Rylie’s nursery is a breezy mix of old and new.

Name: Tyke O’Brien and Jon LeaverLocation: Topanga Canyon, CaliforniaSize: 1,700 square feet — 2 bedrooms Years lived in: 3 — ownedWho else lives here? Our son, Monty (almost 2 year old) and our cat, Tiny. And there’s a coyote named Jeff who sometimes mills around outside. When we last saw Jon and Tyke in their Topanga Canyon Casa it was cozy and warm, filled with wood and deep rich colors and patterns.

Name: Alisha, Graham & Finley Irwin Location: Fairfax, CA Size: 320 square foot studio cottage with loft Years lived in: newly built guest cottage behind our home Rented or Owned: owned When Alisha and her husband were ready to renovate their tiny guest house they decided on two things: to keep it as low impact and green as possible and to infuse it with their happy, bright, vintage style.

Name: Emily Location: Ukrainian Village, ChicagoSize: 1,000 sfYears lived in: Just over one year When I wrote the post about Emily’s welcoming guest room earlier this month, I knew I had to see the rest of her apartment. Luckily, Emily was willing to have us all over for a House Tour! And just as I expected, the rest of her home is decorated with her cute, light, bright, and mostly DIY shabby chic style.

Welcome to Brandon & Leah from Portland; a blogging duo trying out for a place on the Apartment Therapy editorial team as House Tour Contributors. Enjoy their work!Name: Heather, Douglas, Gabrielle and ZoeLocation: Portland, OregonSize: 3500 square feetYears lived in: 6Heather’s cozy family ranch was custom built in 1960, in the historic Argay Terrace neighborhood of Portland.

Name: Nathan & Hannah (Foxy, our long-haired Chihuahua)Location: St. Louis, MissouriSize: 1362 square feetYears lived in: 5 Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch is the tip of the mid-century iceburg in the Saint Louis area. Case in point: Tucked in among more expected suburban homes, is the gem of Ridgewood, a time capsule of a subdivision, peppered with modern ranch homes built as affordable and efficient homes in the the 50s.

Name: Ken and Lynn-Anne Bruns (plus our 4 kids, 2 dogs & 2 bunnies)Location: Charlotte, North CarolinaSize: 4500 square feetYears lived in: 4 Lynn-Ann Bruns runs a successful design business and has the home of my dreams. It feels lived in, comfortable and is well designed through and through. The Bruns travel a great deal and have lived all over the world – their home reflects a combination of their adventures and great sense of style.

Name: Cameron Saless & Matthew AllardLocation: West Hollywood, CaliforniaSize: 1,600 square feetYears lived in: One year We vividly remember the day when we were forwarded pics of Matt and Cameron’s home. We were in the midst of a frenzied loop of Facebook, GoFugYourself and Dlisted, when we immediately stopped what we were doing. Our eyes were drawn to the blend of beautiful modern pieces mixed with playful colors and a cozy touch that can’t be beat.

Name: Debbie MillmanLocation: ChelseaSize: 1,600 square feet — 2 bedroom with backyardYears lived in: 16 Debbie was in the mood for a change but wasn’t sure how to go about it. As Debbie recalls, Susan replied, “Well, if we are going to get new furniture, maybe we should get new floors, and if we get new floors maybe we should get…an entire new everything!” When Debbie asked what she should do with all her old furniture, Susan replied, “Curbside!

Name: Tina, Matthew & Pablo Location: Port Douglas, QLD, Australia Size: 98 square meters [1060 square feet]Years lived in: 3 years, owned Artist Tina and her chef husband Matthew live in a beachside cottage in Port Douglas with their toddler Pablo. Living half the year in one of Australia’s most beautiful holiday destinations and the other half in Berlin, they make good use of their home by renting it out as a holiday rental when they’re not there.

Name: Tiffany and Jaan OrvetLocation: San Francisco, CASize: 800 square feetYears lived in: 2 years Tiffany met her Swedish husband Jaan while working abroad in the UK. While they now call San Francisco home, they’ve brought a bit of Jaan’s home country into their flat (Tiffany also runs From Sthlm so that you can as well).

Name: Stephen Ellwood and Todd CarrLocation: Cornwallville, New YorkSize: 1,600 square feetYears lived in: 1½ To Stephen and Todd this 1900 fieldstone farmhouse is not a labor of love — it’s just pure love. Sure they have doors that lead to nowhere, but they also have a wood burning stove, an outdoor tub and a barn for a pottery studio. Not to mention an incredibly cute Brussels Griffon named Vernon.

Name: Christine & Vijay ChitnisLocation: Providence, Rhode IslandSize: 1,684 square feet, 3 bedroomsYears lived in: 1 The home of Providence writer, blogger, crafter and Fall Colors finalist, Christine Chitnis and her husband, Vijay, does resemble a typical New England farmhouse: it’s over 100 years old and their fridge is filled with eggs freshly laid by the chickens that roam their backyard — the only thing missing is the rural setting.

Name: Samuel Barrett GenthnerLocation: Duboce Triangle/Mint Hill, San FranciscoSize: 2 bedrooms, 1500 square feetYears lived in: Almost 3 years If you’ve ever stepped foot inside Monument, the fabulous vintage and antiques shop in the Mission co-owned by Samuel Barrett Genthner, you won’t be surprised by the impeccable, interesting style that defines his home.

Name: CJ & Renee FolliniLocation: SoHo — NYCYears lived in: 3 CJ Follini and his wife, Renee, graciously invited us to tour their bright, Soho apartment shortly before moving uptown. CJ and Renee took a leap of faith in the purchase of the apartment three years ago: it was bought as part of a user deal from a developer who put a consortium of artists and filmmakers together to purchase the building. The catch?

Name: B, Joe & RachaelWhat We’re Into: B: Hold the Onions, Joe: Bookish Us, Rachael: Literature for All of UsLocation: Ukrainian Village, ChicagoSize/Type: Three bedroom, two bath apartmentYears lived in: B: two years. Joe: one year. Rachael: two months. It’s pretty incredible how B, Joe and Rachael (with the help of former roommates Dave and Matt) have transformed their rental apartment into a custom-made home.

Name: Pete and SandyLocation: East Washington, New HampshireSize: 1660 square feet (includes porch)Years lived in: 36 Years; Fully Restored 2006-2008 We first featured Peter and Sandy’s amazing minimal farmhouse last July. Since this quaint New Hampshire town is one of our favorite weekend escapes, we thought it would be a treat to revisit our good friends’ home.

Name: Frank & JillLocation: Mont Vernon, NHSize: 1200 square feet per floor, 2 floorsYears lived in: 35 years We’ve spent many family holidays at Frank & Jill’s farmhouse so we have a warm place in our hearts for this inviting space. Having extensively renovated the home — expanding and completely overhauling nearly every room — Jill and Frank have successfully injected their distinct personality into every nook.

Name: Matt Sams Location: HelMel (Heliotrope/Melrose) Los Angeles, CA Size: 900 sq/ft Years lived in: 1 year >> Matt’s sunfilled apartment with its mix of hollywood regency formality and boho accents had us at Hello.

Name: Summer and Josh ThorntonProfession: Summer – Owner, Summer Thornton Design, Josh – AdvertisingLocation: Lincoln ParkSize: 700 square feetYears lived in: A little over 1Type: 1 bedroom condo in 1890’s brick and greystone >> Those of you who joined as at our last Design Meetup know Summer. She was one of our guests, giving us the scoop on what it is like to run her own design business in Chicago.

Name: Amy (and Janis, her Maltese)Profession: Editor & Founder of Venus Zine and venuszine.comLocation: Humboldt Park, Chicago Size: About 500 square feetYears lived in: 1 year, ownedType: 1920s brick apartment building-turned-condos >> Amy is a wiz at working from the ground up. In college, she started a black-and-white stapled fanzine that evolved into Venus Zine, an internationally distributed full-sized glossy that covers women in pop culture.

Name: Anne Faith Nicholls & Jacob Arden McClure Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,200 Square Feet LoftYears lived in: 4 Months >> Built in 1905 in the Richardsonian Romanesque and Beaux Arts style, the Pacific Electric Building located at 6th and Main Street was LA’s first skyscraper, constructed for use as a terminal and office building for the downtown streetcar operations of The Pacific Electric Railway Company.

Name: Danielle & Lakshan, and Mortimer the Bulldog Location: Glebe, Inner City, Sydney Australia Size: a little over 800 square feet + deck and small roof terraceYears lived in: 5 months >> You might be wondering why this house tour looks so familiar. It’s because you’ve got a great memory and are recollecting the home of two folks who’ve recently entered our 2008 Smallest Coolest Apartment Contest, representing Sydney, Australia in our #7 International category.

Name: Lynn Goldfinger-Abram & Leif AbramLocation: San FranciscoSize: 1550 sq. ft.Years lived in: 10>> (Image credit: Apartment Therapy) Remember when we blogged about Paris Hotel Boutique? And we begged Lynn to let us do a house tour? Well, she graciously agreed, and here’s her beautiful home! >> AT Survey:Our style: Hollywood Glamour meets Paris Hotel with a modern twist!

Name: Jim & Kari (and Elsa & Henry) Location: Evanston, ILType: split-level ranch house, ownedSize: 2000 sq ftYears lived in: 1 After more than a year of house hunting and several months of updating and renovations, Jim and his family spread their Scandinavian style all over their 1950s split-level.

(Welcome to Kristin, Parisian resident, who is testing the waters with us of an AT: Europe and blogging all that’s good in Paris. Let us know what you think!) Betsy and Alon don’t have a guest room in their rented Paris apartment. A few years ago, they invested in two chambres de bonnes (maid’s rooms), tiny spaces that have long languished as storage sheds and makeshift off-campus dorms for college students.