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For more than 10 years, I’ve led Apartment Therapy’s real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
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Name: Kirsten Veng-Pedersen, daughter Isla, and Shi-poo Lucy
Location: Prairie Village, Kansas
Type of home: 1950s ranch
Size: 1315 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My daughter Isla and I live here with our dog Lucy. It’s a small house but it’s charming. I especially love the hardwood floors and large windows in the living room. When I bought it, I named it Hygge House and set out to create a place of coziness and calm here.
I like neutral colors like black, white, and beige but I also really love orangey-yellows, muted pinks, and dark green, all in small amounts. I haven’t painted since moving in (except in my kitchen) so I may still switch things up a bit. I love thrifting and have been fortunate to live in great places like Portland, Oregon and Scottsdale, Arizona, where in the early days, I scored some wonderful MCM finds like the Kofod Larsen chairs I refinished in my living room. Since moving to Kansas City, I’ve leaned a little more traditional with some of my design elements like the metal bed frame (which I bought online) for my daughter’s room and her Windsor-style desk chair, which I thrifted. Of course I like to mix those in with more modern elements to keep things clean and bright.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Minimal, naturalistic, eclectic, modern
What is your favorite room and why? My current favorite is my daughter’s bedroom since I just finished doing a “big girl” update to it. She’s six now so she got a thrifted big girl desk in place of her play kitchen (which is now in the basement) and a cozy swivel chair for reading in place of her mini table and chairs.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I bought the swivel lounge chair for my daughter’s room at Target. Stock can be low so there’s a PB Teen and West Elm version. In addition, I bought her new wool and cotton rug (which I was able to get in an odd 6’ x 6’ size) from Wayfair. For rug pads, I swear by the Rugs USA Cloud Comfort 7/16” version. It was out of stock and just became available again recently. It can be ordered to your exact size specifications and it’s so plush that it even makes my flat weave living room rug soft.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Mix textures and old with new. Pay attention to scale. Keep a sense of what you like while incorporating only what “serves” you and your style from the current trends. Also, don’t let trends dictate what you get rid of if it works for you. For example, I know blanket ladders had a big moment a while back and are probably a bit played out by now but hey, I love mine. I love to display my beautiful blankets and it’s the only form of accessible blanket storage that my dog hasn’t made into her own personal bed!
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Name: Theodora Melnik, partner, and two cats
Location: Berlin, Germany
Type of home: Apartment
Size: 688 square feet
Years lived in: 8 years, renting
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My partner and I have lived here for eight years. We took our time furnishing it and continue iterating on the design and feel of the flat.
I also collect a whole bunch of things so the more time progresses the more comprehensive all my collections become.
I identify as a collector. Sometimes I think of myself as a truffle pig and I think it does show in my flat. On the note of collections — my absolute favorite (yet more incomplete) is my collection of cats. I feel I need to get quite a few more!
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, warm, vintage, open, soft
What is your favorite room and why? The front room. That’s the room my partner told me I could do whatever I wanted to so I’ve essentially created my dream room where I work, I nap, and generally spend most of my time in when I’m at home.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? A set of beautiful Bruno Rey chairs that I need to upholster still. I’m actually off looking at a credenza that I want to rework into a kitchen as we speak. Wish me luck!
Any advice for creating a home you love? Take your time! Truly meaningful collections can’t be bought at once (unless one has ALL the money in the world of course).
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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Name: Albrica Tierra and an Italian Greyhound/Terrier mix named Honey
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Type of home: 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home
Size: 1164 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, 2 months, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My house is located in a predominately Black neighborhood in Southeast Atlanta. My home and neighborhood feels special because of the rich history and culture that blossoms here. There’s a little farm located at the elementary school down the street, both neighbors on each side of me have lived here for over 60 years, and the previous owner of my house even stopped by for a visit to thank me for taking care of the rose bushes she planted in the front garden. Little signs like this makes me feel proud to be a first-time homeowner!
As a Black queer woman, I try to make sure little aspects of my personality and identity are noticeable in my space. The majority of the art in my home come from Black artists, designers, photographers, and makers.
As a photographer myself, you can find a camera collectible in every room! I have an altar in my bedroom where I honor and pray to my ancestors. I always show gratitude by leaving fruit or wine for them! Without their guidance, I wouldn’t even be living here. I also love thrifting and sourcing great finds on a budget, so the entirety of my home was furnished through places like Letgo, Facebook Marketplace, and local secondhand shops.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Elegant, colorful, moody, earthy, cozy.
What is your favorite room and why? My bedroom! It’s so serene and cozy. I went with an earthy color palette to keep myself grounded and relaxed. You can find soft jazz playing, my oil diffuser on, and soft textures throughout. You might just wind down for a nap unintentionally! It’ll do that to you.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? The last thing I bought for my home was a couple of plants from Garden*Hood Atlanta. I think I buy a plant to add to my 50+ plant collection like once a week.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Take your time. Your style is always evolving and your home should be a testament to your journey. Don’t be afraid to mix it up from time to time! It will still be uniquely true to yourself.
This submission’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
Minimalism as a design concept is often jumbled along with terms like modern and contemporary, but there are differences between all three. A minimalist space focuses on function and religiously follows the phrase “less is more.” This doesn’t mean that decorative styles can’t be woven into the mix though, and a minimalist room can have a retro flair or traditional vibe, and vice versa. While neutral colors are typically used in these bedrooms, adding punches of bright or deep color to the palette can add visual interest.