Tours

Name: Woodworker and craftsman Mark Maček, his lovely wife Pamela Peltz and three adorable cats Location: Gullet Gardens — East Austin, Texas Size: 1500 square feet Years lived in: 7 1/2 years — owned Mark Maček’s first impression upon seeing a tiny photo of the exterior of this house in the MLS listing was that this looked like a “house.” An archetypal structure, with a gable roof and a homey feeling. Like what you think of when you think of “home.

Name: Adam Dunetz, Liz Karney, daughter Frida, and dogs Franks and Louie Location: Northampton, MA Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3.5; Owned When I first walked into Sticks and Bricks of Northampton Massachusetts, I immediately wondered what the owner’s home must look like. The shop was a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind-furniture made from old, under-used, and reclaimed materials.

Name: Danielle Suppa & Mark James Location: Toronto; Ontario, Canada Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned This loft is home to Danielle and Mark, a creative and sporty duo, and is located in Toronto’s emerging West End. The building was originally the manufacturing portion of an early 19th century train factory and was converted into a residential space in 2008.

Name: Ann Mack Designer: Christina Love Location: East Village — New York, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 7 — rented Call it the six-ish year itch. After as many years in one place, Ann wanted a clean slate, to banish the shadows and let in the light.

Name: Jenia and Sergey Location: Bloomingdale; Washington, D.C. Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Jenia and Sergey bought this Victorian row house in D.C.’s Bloomingdale neighborhood five years ago. They’ve spent the intervening years giving it love: tearing up carpet, painting the walls, gutting the kitchen and bathrooms, and documenting it all on their home renovation blog, Victorian in Bloom.

Name: Yigit Pura Location: Nob Hill — San Francisco, CA Size: 570 square feet Years lived in: 8 months — own When Yigit decided to take the leap and buy an apartment in the city, he wanted a home that intrigued him every time he walked through the door. Clocking in at just 570 square feet, this one bedroom has a small kitchen, a cool modern bathroom, and a nice view of downtown San Francisco.

Name: Michelle and Stephen Taussig Location: Garden Oaks; Houston, Texas Size: 2,632 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Owned Michelle’s home is big, warm, and very beautiful, but it also tells a story — or rather, several. With its mixture of heirlooms, thrifted items, impressive art, and smart design, Michelle’s home is elegant, cozy, and endlessly interesting.

This 100-year-old Craftsman-style home and opened up the living room, dining room, and kitchen to create one comfortable, communal space.

Name: Amy, Noah, River, Darby, and Isaiah Location: Portland, Maine Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 9 years; Owned Far away from white and empty spaces, Amy and Noah celebrate the art of uniqueness, embracing blasts from the past, dramatic patterns and a modern era. The result is so refreshing that it left me speechless. Amy and Noah are the founders of Picnic, an indie music and art festival, and owners of Pinecone+Chickadee, a boutique full of quirky finds and old-time surprises.

Name: Linzi Clary and Spencer Tubbs Location: Providence, RI Size: 1,150 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Linzi Clary and her boyfriend Spencer Tubbs have an eye for interiors and share a passion for mid-century design. Linzi, a fine arts graduate and designer at Speidel, and Spencer, a shopkeeper and musician, moved to Providence two years ago, combining their styles and passions to create one seriously mod and beautiful space that truly reflects their personalities.

Name: Christina Clark Location: South Austin, TX Size: 400 square feet Years lived in: Almost 1 year; Rented While definitely qualifying as a small space, this newly-renovated apartment makes great use of its natural light and nice flow, making it seem much larger than it is. Tried and true elements including large windows, white walls, dark wood floors, and rich cabinet colors allow for a modern, yet classic appeal. Christina grew up in Vermont and spent some time studying abroad in London.

Name: Leila Younis and Ike the Pug Location: Ottawa, Ontario Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned Leila’s 110 year-old house is spacious, welcoming, and filled to the brim with personality. Since she bought the home four years ago, Leila has taken the time to make the space her own with both large renovation projects such as the kitchen or smaller touches like the accent walls in the living room and craft room.

Name: Edith, husband Ole, and 2-year-old daughter Ebba Location: Holtet — Oslo, Norway Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals.

Name: Jenny and Jim O’Connor (with children Lily, 3 and James, 7 months) Location: State Streets; Livonia, Michigan Size: 1,088 square feet Years lived in: 4 years; Owned Jenny and her family live in Livonia’s State Streets, a neighborhood where most streets are named after U.S. states. The neighborhood is adjacent to Old Rosedale, where Jenny’s parents Sue and Doug live.

Name: Eloïse and Jose Location: Verdun; Montreal, Canada Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It’s always impressive to enter a big, open, high-ceilinged living space, filled with huge windows, abundant natural light, and a massive brick wall. Despite these delightful architectural features, it could be quite challenging to make this type of room feel cozy, balanced, and comfortable, but Jose and Eloïse achieved it by simply using a few helpful tricks.

Name: Matthew Herbert Location: Downtown Phoenix, AZ Size: 468 square feet Years lived in: 6 Months; Rented When Matt first toured White Stone Studios, he was immediately drawn to the aesthetic; he knew it would highlight his personal style and design choices. His previous apartment was about twice the size of the studio, and downsizing his possessions, he says, has been a refreshing experience.

Siire and Jean Francois have lived and travelled all over the world, and they recently settled down to raise their young sonin a Haussman-style building in Paris.

Name: Libby Gravatt and Tim Caws Location: 4th arrondissement (Le Marais); Paris, France Size: 60 square m (645 square feet) plus 14 square m terrace (150 square feet) Years lived in: 6 months This mid-sized apartment merges Old World French and modern aesthetics perfectly. It’s hard not to fall in love with this space, with its big French windows, marble fireplaces, and hard woods.

Name: Erick Millan Location: Burbank, California Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented When Erick hired me to shoot his home for his new interior design portfolio, I immediately wanted to share it as a house tour because it exemplifies how easy it is to bring beautiful organic style to maximize a modest-sized home. It is his first completed design project and it is very, very special.

Name: Chris and Madgi Del Moro Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 2 1/2 years; Rented Soulmates Chris and Madgi live to explore Mother Earth. Both artists, they find their inspiration in their travels around the world, and they bring that creativity back home to Los Angeles. Chris is an artist, musician, and professional surfer and his handiwork is abundant in the newlyweds’ home, from the paintings on the wall to the studio he built.

The couple’s vast collection of folk art covers the interior walls like a modern day version of the storied Parisian salons. “We like to pile it on thick,” Emily says with a laugh.

Name: Sweatson Klank Location: Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA Size: 900 square feet Years lived in: 10 years; Rented As soon as you walk into Sweatson’s home, the living area is spacious, inviting and warm. My first observation is that Sweatson is an artist who has a knack for collecting things.

Name: Mark and Emily (and Kally the cat) Location: East Village; New York, New York Size: 330 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Emily and Mark’s East Village apartment may be small, but it’s bursting with light and color. They make small space living look easy — somehow they’ve managed to squeeze all the things that two people need to live (and work!) into 330 square feet, and still create a cozy, beautiful home.

Name: Gregory Keith Metcalf Location: Downtown Arts District; Los Angeles, CA Size: 1,500 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year; Rented Fellow photographer Greg Metcalf and I have been friends for years. A move from the suburbs of Silver Lake to the Arts District of Downtown LA has offered Greg quite a contrast in architecture, neighborhood, and lifestyle. I jumped at the chance to shoot his new place; I love a good loft and this home exemplifies the true meaning of live/work space.

Name: James and Shanna Location: Durham, NC Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: Renting less than one year James is a production manager for Merge Records (you may know some of their artists – She & Him, Arcade Fire and Caribou, to name a few) and Cleveland Browns enthusiast. Shanna is the Director of Marketing for InMotionNow, a work management solutions company for creatives.

Name: Tiffany Napper Location: Uptown; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned When Tiffany Napper was house hunting in New Orleans five years ago, she couldn’t get her mind off the first place she saw. The little white shotgun, located near the Mississippi River, was previously owned by a 93-year-old woman who had been born in the house and lived there until she died. It had drop ceilings, faux wood paneling, and dirty wall-to-wall carpeting.

Two sisters, native New Yorkers and close in age, share this apartment.

Name: Melissa and Kevin; children Elle, Harper and Beckham; and Ally the cat Location: Old Rosedale Gardens; Livonia, Michigan Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Owned Melissa and Kevin are raising their family in the Detroit suburb of Livonia. They live in the historic Old Rosedale Gardens neighborhood, which was modeled after Detroit’s Rosedale Park. Most homes in the neighborhood were built in the 1920s and 30s and each house looks different.

Name: Cristina, General, Najal & Rafia Judd Location: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; rental Cristina and General Judd are a husband and wife interior design duo based in Brooklyn and co-founders of Me and General Design. This dynamic couple’s apartment rental is a testament to what happens when two creatives join forces at home.

Name: Amanda and Matthew (and Severus the cat) Location: Ferndale, Michigan Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented While photographing Amanda and Matthew’s second-floor apartment, I tried to define the overall theme of their collection. I saw floral prints on oven mitts and furniture. I noticed animals – both stuffed and printed on textiles. There were bowls of Japanese candies and lots of colors. I finally asked, “What do you collect?

Name: Carl Seeno Location: Shaw; Washington, DC Size: 375 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented Carl lives in the carriage house that’s attached to Jonathan and Colleen’s place, and when I peeked into his clean, stylish and seemingly spacious 375 square feet, there was no question: we’d have to take a tour of the carriage house, too!

Name: Colleen and Jonathan Healey, daughter Parker, son Graham, and Tucker the dog Location: Shaw; Washington, D.C. Size: 1,700 square feet Years lived in: 5 years; Owned Jonathan was my thesis advisor in the interior design program at the Corcoran College of Art + Design, and while he guided me and my classmates through the design of our imaginary spaces, he and his wife, Colleen, were busy renovating this very real house in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood.

Name: Sarah Smith & Jeremy Ballard Location: Carrollton; New Orleans, Louisiana Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 7 years; Rented When Sarah and Jeremy met in Savannah, Georgia, they bonded over a shared love of collecting vintage toys, oddball objects and natural specimens. She was studying painting at Savannah College of Art and Design and he was a glassblower working at a new studio in town. Their dates consisted of hunting for treasures in thrift stores and junk shops.

Name: Kip & Saadia McConville Location: Park Slope; Brooklyn, New York Size: Approximately 500 sq ft Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rent Saadia and her husband Kip (not pictured) love to travel, whether it’s within the United States or internationally. They have a love of adventure and trying new things that is infectious. A look through their apartment demonstrates this through decor picked up along the way.

Name: John & Jo Ryan, and 3 kids (Erica [absent], Austin and Sophia) Location: Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia Size: 26 square meters Years lived in: 9.5 years owned With three growing kids to think about, Jo and John have put together a functional family home with different spaces to study, play music and relax. The neutral color palette makes it a calming space to be in, and its proximity to the ocean lends to the cruisy vibe.

Name: Savannah Farris-Gilbert Location: Los Angeles, CA Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; rent Interior Designer Savannah Farris-Gilbert grew up in Los Angeles, raised by designers and artists. She believes there is an ease about growing up in LA and in the way in which people here interact with space. “Shoes were always kicked off my the door, there were always rugs underfoot, sun streaming through windows, the outside was very much a part of the indoors.

Name: Paula Benson and Paul West Location: Islington; London, UK Years lived in: 8 years; Owned We first got a glimpse of Paula and Paul’s flat in their House Call not long after the completion of a project to turn their old bedroom into a great work/life balance studio. Since then the graphic designer couple have been busy attacking another major project on the upper floor.

Name: Ashley Gerou & Emily Drake Location: Lakeview; Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Cousins Ashley and Emily grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and attended college in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. After graduating from separate schools, they moved to Chicago. Now they rent a condo together in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The ladies’ personalities shine in their own rooms.

Name: Simran Winkelstern Location: West Hollywood; Los Angeles, California Size: 750 square feet- 1 bedroom + 1 bath Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rent Simran’s home is a one bedroom in a gorgeous triplex right in West Hollywood, filled with welcoming charm. She’s placed plenty of importance on comfort and livability, but her design talent and personal style are what bring this space to life. Simran believes that, when designing a home, you need to consider both practicality and style.

Name: Abby Greenawalt, photographer Location: Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Size: 550 square feet Years lived in: Rented 8 years We first got a peek at Abby’s style in her house call last year, where she showed off her bold use of color and her comfortable, cozy selection of furnishings in her third floor apartment. The extra bedroom of her tiny space had been serving as a sublet where friends and more helped share her apartment over the years.

Name: Matthew Milia and Anna Burch of Frontier Ruckus Location: Corktown; Detroit, Michiagn Size: 2-bedroom apartment Years lived in: 1 year; Rented Matthew keeps close watch over me while I photograph his apartment. He takes turns peering around corners and sliding out of view of the camera’s lens. He explains, “I like to do this thing where I make people uncomfortable, but also charm them at the same time.” I hesitate before responding.

Name: Shawn Merkel Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 849 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; Owned The adjective “eclectic” can be overused in interior design. But when thinking of how to describe Shawn’s condo, I kept coming back to the word “eclectic.” (The good eclectic.

Name: Karen Hollywood Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 9 years You may recognize Miss Hollywood’s home from Toby Keith’s Red Solo Cup video, or maybe Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton’s video for Heartbreakers Alibi, or maybe Miranda Lambert’s Dead Flowers video, or perhaps Martina McBride’s Teenage Daughters video.

Name: Tamar Levine Location: Chelsea, New York City Size: 270 square feet Years lived in: 4 While Tamar’s address has stayed the same, the decor has changed a few times. The challenge of keeping a one room apartment clean and functional, yet still uniquely styled is one she loves to tackle. But adding a fresh set of eyes to the process was a perfect formula with the most rewarding results.

Name: Laura Blythman and 4-year-old Alexander Location: Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, Australia Size: 3 bedrooms, living, and dining Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rental A darling of the thriving Melbourne art and design world, Laura Blythman is known for her bright, neon watercolor collages and playful illustrations and designs. So it’s no surprise her home is full of color, art and life, a real reflection of the explosion of color that must be in Laura’s head constantly.

Name: Audrey Location: Soho — London, United Kingdom Size: 1,152 square feet Years lived in: 6 months Located right in the heart of London’s bustling Soho district, this loft-style apartment is tucked away from the street, in a former warehouse building overlooking a courtyard. And once you’re inside, the large open-plan living and dining room, together with the light pouring through the vast windows that span the front walls, make this apartment a truly stunning space.

Name: Myriam Granger & Sebastien Burns Location: Villeray; Montreal, Canada Size: 650 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; Rented I’ve known Myriam & Sebastien, owners of the Boutique Archive, since the opening of their store in Villeray three years ago. The space is truly amazing and the products are of great quality.

Name: Alison, Trevor & Theodore Location: Vancouver, BC Mount Pleasant Size: 600 square feet Years lived in: 6 years; Owned I stumbled upon Alison’s Instagram not so long ago and fell in love with her blog 600SQFTANDABABY. For the past 5 years, Alison and Trevor made it work in their small apartment, but when baby Theodore came along, it was time to re-evaluate their living situation.

Name: Rob Maddox and Karie Reinertson, owners of Shelter Collective Location: Asheville, North Carolina Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years; rented Rob and Karie have created a home that beautifully recounts their lives through displays of unique treasures and layers of textiles, many of which have been collected from family and friends.

Name: Kathy McGee and Matt McGee, their two children, and two golden retrievers Location: Franklin, Tennessee Size: 3,900 square feet Years lived in: 8 1/2 years Kathy has been in love with design ever since she got to choose her bedroom’s paint color in the 7th grade. Surrounded by that lavender, she read magazines and dreamt of being a writer. Many years later, she started the blog My Interior Life. After that, her design business was the next step.

Name: Laura and James Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 920 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years; owned Laura and James’ home is a study in scale, balance, repetition and continuity. Artwork is carefully staggered on the gallery wall across from the kitchen. Even though the size, color and subject matter of the artwork vary, the presentation is kept clean and unified with black, white, birch and silver frames.

Name: Megan and Josh Miller Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 5 1/2 years Megan is a stay-at-home mom with two girls and a baby on the way. Stretching a dollar is sometimes a necessity, but it’s also fun. Scouring Craigslist, flea markets, discount stores, and garage sales are a way of life for her. In fact, she’s gotten so good at finding Craigslist deals she started Curating Craigslist to share her finds with people in the Nashville area.

Name: Tyler and Jack Location: Heritage Hill; Grand Rapids, Michigan Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Tyler and Jack have the best-smelling home I’ve toured so far. As I entered their apartment, the scent of pine trees and an Up North campfire hit me. The incense and candle fragrances floated from room to room as dreamy, lounge music from Neon Indian and Bonobo spun on the record player. I began counting the number of iconic chairs in the apartment: fourteen.

Name: Christine & Will Arcuri Location: Hoboken, New Jersey Size: 1,177 square feet Years lived in: 4 years Christine and Will didn’t know where to start when they purchased their Hoboken condo. Their pad boasted a mix of overstuffed bachelor furniture and other mis-matched items. In order to inject a dose of style and create a more grown-up home, they worked with Jessica Davis of Nest Studio (whom you might remember from Jessica & Scott’s East Coast Nest).

Name: Jess Viscarde, partner and Peg the rescue cat. Location: North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia Size: Two bedroom, two story townhouse (square feet unknown) Years lived in: 18 months, rented An interior stylist by trade, Jess also started and curates the popular #pocketofmyhome hashtag on Instagram. A sucker for a great vignette, she loves nothing more than changing up her living space to reflect her interests and aesthetic.

Name: Ty & Lynne McDaniel Location: Humboldt Park; Chicago, Illinois Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 Ty and Lynne McDaniel, owners and founders of the fantastic Chicago furniture store An Orange Moon, have created a hip and airy crash pad in the back of their shop. Located in the heart of Humbolt Park, the store/studio is brimming with history and charm. Lynne has been a pioneer in the advancement of the neighborhood, and has used those same skills in transforming their personal space.

Name: Brick + Mortar Location: Size: Years lived in: David Kowalski, the vintage curator/designer behind local Atlanta favorites such as Bell Street BurritosThe PinewoodLadybird Grove & Mess Hall David certainly keeps himself busy with new projects rolling in, and most recently, his pop-up shop in the Westside Provisions District. So, I was lucky enough to catch him on a rainy afternoon which happened to be the perfect vibe for his comfy 1930s bungalow.

Name: Alisa Rabinovich and Jared Thomson Location: Arlington, Virginia Size: 900 square feet Lived in: Seven months; Rented Alisa and Jared haven’t lived in their apartment very long, but nevertheless, the small space has years of history inside. Alisa, owner of Fleurs Boutique in Arlington, has collected art, textiles, antique furniture, and lots and lots of books from all over Europe and the United States.

Name: Stephanie and Ryan Sievert Location: Wicker Park; Chicago, Illinois Size: approx. 900 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, Rented Walking into Ryan and Stephanie’s top floor Chicago apartment, you are immediately greeted with a wealth of light and music. The stylish, tidily arranged furniture and decor is a direct result of the superb taste shared by the couple. For two years they have inhabited this artful space with their two cats, Meatloaf and Vom.

Name: Amanda Gluck Location: Flatiron, New York Size: 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year; Rented It might be easy to feel a tinge of jealousy entering a 3-bedroom apartment overlooking 5th Avenue in Manhattan, but Amanda’s personality will squash that immediately. As someone who makes her living by being hospitable as a Fashionable Hostess, visitors are comfortable and well taken care of in her beautiful abode.

Name: Cristina Colli Location: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom Size: 950 square feet Years lived in: 3 and a half years; Rented Cristina Colli’s home that she shares with husband Paolo, and cats Cleo and Sid, sits nestled just below the high street of bustling Cotswold market town Chipping Norton (or Chippy, as it’s known to the locals).

Name: Laura and Tyler Location: Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, British Columbia Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented This artists’ dwelling is filled to the brim with light that pours through the windows at every turn. It conjures a sense of space through dramatic restraint, a play on traditional minimalism.

Name: Duffy Stone, owner and designer at Studio Duffy + Cat, Gummo Location: East Austin; Austin, Texas Years lived in: 1.5 years; Rented After seeing her House Call from a few months back, I knew this home needed a full tour. Known for her work around town, Duffy Stone has a knack for creating eye-catching environments. Her home was certainly no exception. Filled with color and intriguing objects, my eyes were drawn to every inch of every room.

Name: Kelley Bozarth, an environmental graphic designer, + Matthew Deal, a digital marketer Location: Downtown Salisbury, North Carolina Size: 1250 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; rented Living with a significant other for the first time, Kelley and Matt were pleasantly surprised to see how well their thrifted finds and hand-me-downs blended together. With their wedding on the horizon, Kelley and Matt have made this downtown rental into a home.

Name: Dan, resident engineer at Vancouver’s The Space Studios; Tegan, co-creator of Treasures and Travels Location: Mount Pleasant; Vancouver, British Columbia Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Rented Located in the heart of Mount Pleasant, Tegan and Dan stumbled upon this tucked away corner unit in one of Vancouver’s finest heritage buildings.

Name: Henriette van der Does Location: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 3 years 9 months; owned This bright, inviting house, filled with sculpture, paintings and books, is home to Henriette, a painter, sculptress and art psychotherapist, her two teenage children and their two (extremely fluffy) cats. Having left her native Holland for London, Colombia and then Brazil twenty years ago, she now calls southern England home.

Name: Kelly, Al and Ava Milukas Location: Tiverton, Rhode Island Size: 2,600 + square feet Years lived in: 15 years; Owned Early in their courtship, Al asked Kelly to share her philosophy on life. Without hesitation she said, “live the live!” He cocked his head to the side, and with a puzzled expression, asked, “live the life?” “No,” Kelly explained, “Live the live is much simpler and more authentic.

Name: Jove Meyer, Owner of Jove Meyer Events and creator of “Totes Getting Married!” tote bags Location: Crown Heights; Brooklyn, New York Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years; owned Jove is a creator without boundaries. He lives for carrying out a vision—both in his life and in his work as an event planner—and his resourcefulness helps him achieve the result he’s after regardless of limitations.

Name: Mia Cefkin Location: Franklin, North Carolina Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 2 years; Owned A drive down (and up) windy mountain roads past farms, fields, and old country homesteads will bring you to an unexpectedly adorable log cabin; one that fortuitously persuaded Mia and her husband David to leave their urban Florida home of many years for the simple life in North Carolina.

Name: Jill Dudones & Chris Campbell Location: Berwyn; Chicago, IL Size: 3,225 square feet; 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2.80 lots Years lived in: 2 years; Owned The up-and-coming neighborhood of Berwyn, Illinois is filled with beautiful, historic Chicago-style bungalows. But among them is a special home, a Prairie-style Craftsman house designed by the famed architect George Grant Elmslie, that is unique in its beauty, scale and architectural detail.

Name: Gina and Michael Julian with Eric the Greyhound Location: Franklin, Tennessee Size: 2,300 square feet Years lived in: 1 year Gina has an eye for glamour and sophistication. She studies designers like Kelly Wearstler, Kelly McDonald, and Jonathan Adler. She mixes together fabrics and rugs and lighting like nobody’s business. Yet she has somehow made a home that isn’t stiff or formal. And have I mentioned she lives in a “builder’s special” home?