Tours

Name: Emily Location: Kansas City, Missouri Size: Living room/kitchen, 975 square feet I am sharing the living room and kitchen space of my loft apartment. I am 27 and moved into my one-bedroom apartment one year ago. The building was previously an industrial space and was converted into loft apartments within the last 15-20 years during the revival of Kansas City’s downtown Arts neighborhood, known as the Crossroads District.

When Elise and Ben bought their Mount Washington house, the kitchen looked like this. They used this sad kitchen for five years until they finally updated it. The end result is modernized, but still captures the spirit and integrity of the storied older house. Using IKEA cabinets to keep the costs down, they were able to upgrade and personalize the look with Calcutta marble and Schoolhouse Electric hardware for all the cabinets.

Project by: Ana Braunstajn Interior Design Location: London, Ontario, Canada This is a 1960s four level, side-split home that was very much out of date. The project encompassed two stories, and everything was to be updated, from the ceiling fixtures all the way to the baseboards. The idea here was to bring this out of date house into 2015. I started this project in January 2015. Inspiration: I would call this style “Florida beach house.

Project by: Jacqueline Palmer Location: Oakland, California With exposed beams, a spiral staircase and 1,200 square feet Jacqueline had a pretty fantastic starting point. She was able to mix really well chosen pieces of different styles to create a home that is welcoming and stylish.

Name: Margaret Sche and Gabe Belgara Location: Uptown — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Theirs is a Texas love story. Margaret can thank her mom for insisting she join her for some live country music and two-steppin’ on that fated Friday night when she met Gabe at Blanco’s. The beloved Houston dance hall—now closed—was one of Gabe’s favorite honky-tonks, and sparks flew when the two met.

Names: Finley (4-years-old) and Jackson (5 1/2 years old) Location: Seattle, Washington Room sizes: Bathroom – 47 square feet; Finley’s Room – 100 square feet; Jackson’s Room -130 square feet The adorable Finley and Jackson of Finley and Jackson’s “Modern Shabby-Chic” Bedrooms & Playrooms are back with new and improved big kid bedrooms and bathroom. Their mom, Emily, had been thinking about adding a bathroom to the upper level of their home for years.

Name: Katie (15) Location: Sumter, South Carolina This past summer we moved into a new house which means new rooms for the kids. This go round my daughter is fifteen and while I had some ideas for the room her plans were a little different, so I let her be the boss. Her original plans for the room had always been coral and aqua so when we spied some aqua Zebra sheets at Macy’s we had out inspiration.

Project by: Victoria Sass and Sarah Swanson Location: Kingfield — Minneapolis, Minnesota This stunning Kingfield neighborhood home will be celebrating its 100th birthday this year. It wowed us with unique arts and crafts details like stained glass, wood ceiling beams, and a bronze banister statue. The homeowners, Ben and Emily (they’ll let you call them Bemily, because they are adorable like that!) impressed us with their great taste and welcoming vibes.

Name: Eric Stauble and Patrick Maziarski Location: Mid-City — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Welcome to the very creative home of Eric Stauble and Patrick Maziarski, who are both immersed in the creative design world. With an eclectic mix of custom-designed, reupholstered and vintage pieces, this home offers the best of indoor and outdoor living.

Name: Olesya Ianovitch Location: Bywater; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 785 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented You Are Beautiful. These are the words boldly painted in white on the side of a century-old industrial converted rice mill in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood. The upbeat message, rumored to be the work of Banksy, mirrors Olesya Ivanovich’s approach to life.

Name: Susie Jones, housemates Bindy and Kerry, and Ruby the dog Location: Collingwood — Victoria, Australia Size: 94 square meters (1,012 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Owned by Susie Susie Jones bought her home in the inner north of Melbourne in Collingwood a few years ago, and it definitely reflects her personality and that of her housemates. While it showcases her love of vintage and nostalgia, Susie’s home is sprinkled with a little bit of fun and humor, too.

Name: Michel Biehn Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 150 square meters (1,614 square feet) Years lived in: 6 years; Owned “Eight years ago, I needed to refresh my life, before becoming too old,” says Michel, the larger-than-life French expatriate textile expert, author, chef, hotelier and owner of Le Jardin des Biehn, who has taken up residence in the Old Medina.

Name: Weronika (7) Location: Belfast, Ireland This room belongs to my 7 year old daughter Weronika. She is very creative, bubbly and outgoing. She Loves reading books, playing with her ponnies and dolls. Her favourite colors are pink, coral and gold. I have always had a massive admiration for a simplicity of Scandinavian style.

Name: Alison Location: Redfern, Sydney Size: 527 square feet Years Lived In: 6 years; Owned Earlier this year, we got a glimpse into Alison’s ‘Eclectic and a Little Rough Around the Edges’ Sydney apartment. We’re back to take a deeper look into her 527-square-foot home built for life and creativity.

Name: Alpavi and Utpal Patel Location: Ahmedabad, India Size: 6750 square feet Years lived in: 25 years; Owned Our stories are never our own; they are a mix of the people who came before us and of those who will come after. Alpavi and Utpal’s home is a perfect example of this threshold: a space between the past and the future, an intensely personal journey of bridging the two—with love.

Name: Derek Erdman and Ashley Armitage Location: Seattle, Washington Size: 1,500 square feet Years Lived In: 2 years This apartment is what happens when two vibrant—and cheeky!—artists make a home together.

Name: Andrea Crickmore Location: Byford, Western Australia Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 3 years; Owned I didn’t even have to get to the door of Andrea’s home to know that it was going to be something completely different from any other home I have photographed before.

Name: Ian and Nikki Fotheringham and their dog, BangBang Location: Ontario, Canada Size: 100 square meters (1,069 square feet) Years Lived In: 1 year; Rented It might be hard to imagine decorating your home solely with furniture that has a past life—upcycled, secondhand or DIY-ed into something new entirely. However, for Nikki and Ian, it comes easily, and this is exactly how they have approached designing their space.

Name: Michael and Courtney Glantz and sons Logan and Beckett Location: North Barrington, Illinois Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Owned The home that Courtney Glantz of A Life From Scratch shares with her husband and two sons is quite literally her dream home.

Name: Nikou and Travis McCarra, their sons, Kian and Zayn, and WIFI the Dog Location: Houston, Texas Size: 1,550 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Nikou and Travis met in architecture school at the University of Houston many years ago—first came love of design, then came marriage. Now they co-own McCarra Creative, a “multi-disciplinary design studio focused on branding, web, print, and 3D.

Name: Jeni Wu Location: Nob Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 685 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented After years of roommates and carpeted studios, Jeni finally got the chance to move into her own apartment, and she couldn’t wait to add her personal style. She works as a home decor buyer and as an interior designer with her own styling business, Wunder Design, so it’s only natural that her space is as stylish as the homes she puts together for clients.

Name: Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, Kibi the dog, and Denni the rabbit Location: Victoria, Australia Size: 72.51 square meters (780 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned I have been a longtime fan of the colorful, graphic prints and artwork created by Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd, the duo behind inaluxe. The couple originally met at art school in the ’90s and then both worked in the music industry in Melbourne.

Name: Holly and Ryan, daughters Stellan and Kinley, and German Shepherd Dublin Location: Peterborough — Ontario, Canada Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned When you walk into this family home, you are overcome by a sense of happiness. It’s one of those spaces where you can feel the amount of love and care that has been put into it. It also happens that the people who live in the home are just as warm and welcoming as the physical space itself.

Name: Todd and Kate Novak Location: French Quarter — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 675 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned New Orleans is known as a city that loves color, and Kate and Todd Novak embraced that notion with a touch of “understated” bordello in their French Quarter getaway. Though they call Marin County, California, home, Kate and Todd’s love of New Orleans stems from their time at Tulane University.

Name: Steve and Debbie Cotton and their dogs, Baxter and Kiko Location: Western Cape, South Africa Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Debbie and Steve have a keen eye for color and a unique style which is evident as soon as you enter their lovely house. Full of personality, warmth and quirky touches, the space makes one feel at home right away.

Name: Tara and Thierry Broucqsault, their son Henri, dogs Lola and Junebug, Maverick the cat, and Bobby the Gecko Location: Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 11 years; Owned Set high above the street, Tara and Thierry’s charming cottage is a place where family, pets and guests can truly feel at home.

Name: Lauren Pirie Location: Bloorcourt — Toronto, Ontario Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented When I first entered Lauren’s apartment, I was immediately captivated by all of the art that covers the wall of the long corridor; Lauren’s work is truly enigmatic and delicate. The corridor then led me to the kitchen/living room/studio space.

When Adrienne and Benjamin bought this old Parisian printing factory, the space was raw, dark, and badly in need of a renovation, but the volumes were beautiful and they knew there was potential. They took the challenge and after three months of renovations, an atypical, two-story open space was born. They changed the floor, brought in some light, built a stairway and did so much more.

Name: Stephen di Renza Location: Old Medina — Fes, Morocco Size: 56 square meters (600 square feet) Years lived in: 4 years; Owned After years of dwelling in various locations — New York, Paris, London, Hanoi— it is in Morocco that American-born Stephen Di Renza came to a halt and settled.

Name & Location: Vanessa in Lynchburg, Virginia My Favorite Room: Guest Bedroom Specs: 120 square feet We live in a ranch home in central Virginia and have made it our own in the last year and a half of marriage. The guest room was a huge priority to us but we did not have much in the way of a budget. That was no problem. If there is one thing I can do, it is to use my imagination to create things that I cannot afford. I eagerly took on the project for the guest room.

Name: Ida Floreak and partner, cats Chuck and Bruce, and Harry the dog Location: Uptown — New Orleans, LA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Rented Ida’s sunny house in Uptown New Orleans has a lot of great features: a mix of vintage and new furnishings, plenty of art and plants, DIY projects, and happy pets.

Name: Tom and Allison, their son, Gordon, and their dogs and tortoise Location: Culver City, California Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned One look inside the home of Tom and Allison of California Rediscovered and you quickly realize that you are in the presence of DIY masters.

Name: Adrienne and Benjamin and their children, Jeanne, Sacha and Rose Location: Belleville — Paris, France Size: 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) Years lived in: 12 years; Owned When they’re not playing electro-Balkan music with their band, Djam Orkestar, Adrienne, a passionate socio-anthropologist, and Benjamin, a fashion-loving lawyer, keep the magic and fanfare going in the old printing factory they revamped into a multifaceted duplex.

Name: Nick McPhail Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented With the price of rent quickly increasing every year in Los Angeles, artist Nick McPhail was lucky to grab this perfect little home all for himself. Complete with a backyard that houses an organic garden and a ceramics studio, this home embodies the ideal of a live/work space.

Name: Genevieve Bandrowski and Ashley Campbell Location: Cleveland Heights — Oakland, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented When Genevieve moved back to Oakland nearly two years ago, she wanted her now-roommate Ashley to see the creative spirit that Oakland has to offer. Since then, they have created a lush sanctuary inspired by the many Bay Area makers they admire.

Name: Silvia Michielotto, Jean-Pierre Mongard and Valeria Concari Location: Old Medina — Marrakech, Morocco Size: 110 square meters (1,184 square feet) Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Crises can sometimes turn out to be good; you can make new decisions, reboot the hard drive, explore new possibilities and do things you could not do before. Friends Silvia, Jean-Pierre, and Valeria did just that.

Home. It’s the supposed harbor of our hearts, and yours is probably affecting your overall well-being more than you think. Gary and Chelsey’s home gave us that good, old fashioned “happy home” feeling, and we were determined to figure out why. If you’re feeling stuck in your pursuit of a happy home, we’ve compiled a simple list of practices most of the happiest homes on Apartment Therapy—such as this one—share.

Name: Bradley Sabin and his dogs, Cooper and Romeo Location: Mid-City — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 720 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Artist Bradley Sabin may live alone, but he is always in the company of friends. His 720-square-foot shotgun home, located in Mid-City New Orleans, is filled with artwork. “The art is very personal,” he explains. “I’m surrounded by things people I know made, so I feel like I’m with my friends.

Name: Sarah & Lindsay Location: Humboldt Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 months; Rented Sarah and Lindsay haven’t even lived together for half a year, but their styles have already merged seamlessly. Sarah brought the cozy Southwestern elements while Lindsay brought the Mid-century modern, and all the colors and patterns work with the nature-inspired elements to create a space that is warm and inviting.

In order to chase dreams and golf balls, photographer/business coach Brittany and her husband, Jordan, an aspiring golf pro, mobilized their lives to go on tour for half a year. Months of searching for a camper with enough space and height (Jordan is 6’5″) for themselves and their pets led to this beauty of a camper. Though built in 2007, the house on wheels didn’t exactly scream “this century.

Name: Adam and Rachel Jones and their dog, Fraiser Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NYC Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented Rachel is a designer and Adam specializes in photography and video production, and new inspirations and ideas are always emerging in both their work and home life. Since they moved into this space a few years ago, the process of settling in has been one of constant evolution and change.

Name: Natalie Slyman and Nate Bethel Location: St. Louis, Missouri Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Natalie and Nate are one of those couples whose styles go together so effortlessly. They met while working at the same resale shop, and they’ve been together over six years.

Name: Melanie Abrantes (and her boyfriend Rick Gibb) Location: Potrero Hill — San Francisco, California Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Rented We recently shared Melanie Abrantes’ fantastic Oakland studio, and today we’re getting a glimpse into her San Francisco apartment. Melanie’s playful personality is seen in every inch of the 500-square-foot home.

Name: Renee Mouritz and Adrian Testa and their dog, Sammy Location: Yallingup, Western Australia Size: 128 square meters (1,378 square feet) Years lived in: 10 years; Owned Renee, a passionate Australian conservationist, and Adrian, a chiropractor from New York, built themselves a home near the coast of Western Australia to serve as a retreat from the busy-ness of the rest of the world.

Name: Romane, 7.5 years old Location: Notre-Dame-de-Grâce; Montreal, Canada Following a renovation of the entire home last year, which included the removal of a wall between the living room and (now) dining room, Marie-Claude moved her daughter’s room into what was the rarely used office. We saw Romane’s Romane’s first bedroom over four years ago, and it has been fun to follow along as her space matures with her.

Name: Emma Fineman Location: Oakland, California Size: 238 square feet Years lived in: 17 We recently shared artist Emma Fineman’s stylish Memphis-inspired studio, in which she paints as well as designs textiles and apparel for her women’s clothing brand, Weft + Hide. Today, we get a glimpse into her cozy, temporary living quarters in her childhood home, filled with plants, textiles, and mementos from her travels.

Name: Dustin Lancaster and Maya Brenner, kids Jack and Sadie, and dog Roxy Location: Silver Lake — Los Angeles, California Size: 2,700 square feet (house) Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Hard-working entrepreneurs Dustin and Maya can now add their beautiful six-month home renovation to the long list of productive ventures they’ve accomplished in the last year.

Name: Stephanie Fauerbach Location: Marina District — San Francisco, California Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 4.5 years; Rented Though making a temporary space feel rooted isn’t easy, Stephanie Fauerbach has put together a collection of mementos and inspiring pieces that make her apartment feel like a home.

Name: Marie-Claude and Martin and 7-year-old Romane Location: Notre-Dame-de-Grâce — Montréal, Québec Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 8.5 years; Owned At the age of 17, Marie-Claude went to Venice, Italy on an exchange to study art and sculpture. This experience changed the way she saw the world around her and deepened her appreciation for art and design. Marie-Claude is a interior design fanatic, and it’s no surprise that the trade runs in her extended family.

Name: Jesse and Dan Moskowitz and their dog, Stormy Location: Roxbury — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 5.5 years; Rented When you enter Jesse and Dan Moskowitz’s comfy and colorful apartment in Boston’s historic Roxbury neighborhood, two things immediately stand out: the records and the pup. “It’s her apartment,” Dan states matter-of-factly, referring not to Jesse but to Stormy, the four-year-old Moskowitz dog.

Project by: J. Wheeler Designs Location: Atlanta, Georgia The 850 square foot apartment designed by James Wheeler of J. Wheeler Designs is located in Midtown Atlanta and is the homeowner’s first home. It was chosen based on its location and the amenities, including accessibility to entertainment options, security of a 24-hour concierge, and ease of maintenance.

Name: Paul and Katie Alexander and their daughter, Mabel Location: De Beauvoir — Shoreditch, London Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Katie and Paul searched for a flat in London that was close to both their work in the city and the nightlife of Shoreditch, and they ended up finding the perfect compromise: a lovely flat in the leafy De Beauvoir neighborhood a stone’s throw from the exciting city life.

Name: Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker and their son, Henry Location: Gospel Oak near Hampstead Heath — London, UK Size: 1,120 square feet Years lived in: 18 months When architects Jane Heath and Jeremy Walker first saw this late-Victorian flat, located just around the corner from Hampstead Heath, they were at once drawn to the layout and the sense of space and light.

Name: Anthea and Stuart, their daughters, Kate-Ruby and Rachel, and their dogs, Cameo and Pippa Location: Cape Town, South Africa Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned This lovely family home is tucked away in a quiet, secluded corner of the Cape Town City Bowl and is home to Anthea and Stuart, their two young daughters, and their adorable Italian Greyhounds.

Name: Heather Kane Location: Clerkenwell — London, UK Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented When you live above Etsy’s London headquarters in one of the capital’s best-known design hubs, you might feel some pressure to ensure your flat is up to the high standards of your neighbors. Luckily for Heather, one of her passions is interior design.

Name: Sarah Ashley Schiear Location: Williamsburg — Brooklyn, NY Size: 635 square feet Years Lived In: since May 2015; Rented Though the physical size of her apartment may be small, Sarah has created a multi-functional space where she lives, works and entertains. Sarah is a chef as well as the founder of Salt House, a New York-based lifestyle and events studio. Her experience in the food industry has heavily influenced her desire to entertain and bring people together around food.

Name: Emma Fineman of Weft + Hide Location: Oakland, California Size: 600 square feet When painter Emma Fineman decided to merge two of her great passions, art and fashion, into her fantastic clothing and accessories line, Weft + Hide, she knew she would need a multipurpose creative space that would allow both endeavors to continue to evolve. She found exactly that in her family’s spacious old garage that she painted white and furnished with a few ingenious Memphis-inspired DIY pieces.

Name: Anna Zajac and her cat, Isaiah Location: Lincoln Square — Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Anna Zajac is a talented wedding photographer in Chicago with a background in design. Both she and her lovely studio apartment could not be more welcoming. The space is truly a reflection of her: warm, sweet, positive, and stylish. Delicate thrifted pieces are carefully juxtaposed with bold, dark walls and modern elements.

Name: Lauren Wells and Breeze Braunschweig Location: St. Roch — New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 months; Owned Lauren and Breeze are the kind of friends who only need each another to have a good time. On a Saturday afternoon in late November, the women, sitting together on a church pew in Breeze’s living room, are laughing so hard over inside jokes that Lauren has her hand over her mouth because she just can’t stop laughing.

Name: Jaclyn Johnson and David Kaul and their dog, Noah Wiley Location: Los Feliz — Los Angeles, California Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years; Rented It’s been well over a year since I last visited Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate, at her incredible little home in Los Feliz. Since then, her now-fiancé, David Kaul, has moved in, and they are enjoying their engagement in their home’s beautiful mix of feminine and masculine styles.

Name: Katie Rozycki and Patrick Moore Location: Plaza Midwood — Charlotte, North Carolina Size: 702 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned Katie—a private school fundraiser, entrepreneur, and flower crown designer—and her audio engineer/tour manager boyfriend, Patrick Moore, completely overhauled this once-neglected one-bedroom loft in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Name: Sara and Rich Combs Location: Marina District — San Francisco, CA Size: 850 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Rented Having collected each piece in their apartment one-by-one over the last six years, Sara and Rich Combs have created a home with a distinctly colorful, eclectic feel. Gravitating towards sleek, Mid-century silhouettes and furniture design, the couple have designed each room to pay homage to the bygone era in its own way, all while maintaining a modern spin.

Name: Cate and Olivier Location: Bloomsbury —London, UK Size: 725 square feet Years lived in: 8 years; Owned Design writer Cate St Hill’s blog and Instagram feed are filled with beautiful images of effortlessly stylish, minimal-yet-cozy interiors (as well as London recommendations, travel features, and lifestyle pieces).

Name: Savannah Sher and Mike Wynands, Finn the cat, and Nori the dog Location: Verdun — Montreal, Canada Size: Approximately 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 8 months; Rented Mike and Savannah, co-founders of The Quick Green Fox, are Montreal natives who grew up in the island’s west end. When they were searching for a new place earlier this year, an apartment close to downtown was on their wish list, as was a neighborhood with charm and a sense of community.

Name: Dave and Cathy Location: South West London; UK Size: 270 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting Editor’s note: This greatest hits tour of a teeny shared studio apartment is cleverly furnished and the commentary from the person who lived in it is hilarious! I always tell people that this studio was both the best and worst place I’ve ever lived.

Name: Melanie Abrantes Designs Location: Oakland, California Size: 900 square feet Years using space: 1.5 years Melanie Abrantes is a crafty Jane-of-all-trades. With her company, Melanie Abrantes Designs, she specializes in handcrafting a plethora of one-of-a-kind goods, ranging from cork planters to wood bowls and vessels. Her Oakland studio, located in what was a tomato factory at the turn of the 20th century, features exposed brick walls and big, bright windows.

Name: Kiana and Steve and their kids, Mathilda and Milo Location: Chelsea, Quebec Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned This beautifully renovated house in the woods is a playful and welcoming space brimming with its owners’ personalities.

Name: Gawie and Karen and their children, Mila and Gabriel Location: Cape Town City Bowl, South Africa Size: 600 square meters (6,458 square feet) Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Karen and Gawie share their beautiful two-story home with their two teenage children. Nestled on the slopes of Table Mountain, this magnificent home has a lush garden and incredible views across Cape Town to the sea. Architect Wynand Wilsenach designed their house and Karen took care of the decorating.

Name: John and Shauna Stanton and their daughter, Isla Location: Guildford — Surrey, UK Size: 1,064 square feet Years lived in: 17 years; Owned There’s something fascinating about the homes of artists—I love the way the style and character of their art is expressed in the way they decorate and inhabit their spaces. The home of Guildford-based artist Shauna Stanton and her family is every bit as colorful and quirky as her beautiful, vibrant paintings.