Name: Samantha Klein and Aaron KleinLocation: Glendale, CASize: 1480 square feetType of home: Spanish ranchAfter an unhappy stint in the Bay Area, creative professionals Samantha and Aaron couldn’t wait to get back to Sam’s native LA, with its beautiful beaches and warmer weather. They were devoted Los Angelenos—and Sam’s colorful, playful style is 100-percent SoCal—but they thought that buying a home was a few more years down the line.
Name: Liz Kamarul and Tim KamarulLocation: Central City, New Orleans, LASize: 1,600 square feetType of home: Double shotgun converted to a single-family homeYears lived in: a little over one yearArtist and interior stylist Liz Kamarul and her husband, Tim, fell in love with New Orleans on a road trip from the West Coast: The stunning architecture, quirky charm, and friendly people inspired the couple to sell their Portland, OR, home and move to the Crescent City.
Name: Shavonda GardnerLocation: Sacramento, CASize: 1,200 square feetYears lived in: 4Having grown up in a family that moved a lot, designer Shavonda Gardner wanted to own a place that felt like home to her; her wife, Naomi; and their two children. As soon as she walked into this 1940s bungalow, she knew she was home. The best part? It was about half the size of their current digs. Yep, you read that right: Shavonda wanted to downsize.
Name: Andi Eaton & Ben Alleman Location: Gallatin, TNSize: 1,336 square feetYears lived in: 2.5 yearsAndi Eaton and partner Ben Alleman love their lives on the road—she’s a travel writer and founder of Oui We; he’s a musician—but they craved a permanent home base where they could reconnect and recharge. They’d been splitting time between their native New Orleans and a Nashville rental, but time on the road—and time apart—got to be too much.
Name: Nicole, Jerome, Jaxon, and Jaden ReidLocation: Sicklerville, NJSize: 4,230 square feet Years lived in: 1The Reids had been living in Nashville for nine years when Nicole’s husband Jerome landed his dream job: head trainer with the Philadelphia Eagles. Suddenly, this family of four found itself in a whirlwind move north. The whole process was swift as an all-star running back.
Name: Dana and Matthew, daughter Pia and pup MacLocation: Port Saint Lucie, FloridaSize: 2,000 square feetYears Lived In: 2 yearsBuying a house, getting a puppy, having a baby, and doing a major kitchen renovation is a lot to take on in one year. A whole lot. Dana and Matthew did it, though, and now they can say that they’ve created their dream home. But as happy as they are to have it—and as quickly as it happened—this wasn’t the original plan.
Name: Holly ConradLocation: SeattleSize: 1,150 square feetYears Lived In: 1Here at Apartment Therapy, we know how important it is to have a place where you feel at home. But for Holly Conrad, buying a new house wasn’t just about an investment or a change of location; it also meant a fresh start. Holly is an artist who sells her pieces through her Etsy store, Trash Witch Coven.
Name: Stacey Blake and family Location: Fayetteville, North Carolina Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 8 years There’s color, and then there’s color. Stacey Blake is a master of the latter. She mixes bold and bright oranges, greens, pinks, and more to ecstatic perfection in her Fayetteville, North Carolina, dream home. And we mean dream home: Stacey, who shares her colorful progress online as DesignAddictMom, designed the space herself.
