House Tours

We're going to be dating," is what Jarret tells his clients when they first meet. He wants them to understand that interior design is a process, and in order for it to be successful and feel organic, it has to be created over time. Jarret, an interior designer, took one year to transform Sarah and Dan's rental apartment into their home.

It’s almost a year ago when we moved in our apartment and we are pretty much settled. When we had to choose for furniture it was a hell of a job, because my love and I have a very different taste. A few years ago I found new interest in decorating and I was hooked on country-style, rustic furniture. But my love is more into the modern style. So I had to find a way to make these two styles work together.

Jeanine, also known as the voice behind Aphrochic, has been bringing her blend of "modern style with soul" to the blogosphere for years. We've been intrigued with the occasional shots of her house that have been featured on the blog, so it was with pleasure that we headed over to North Beach to meet Jeanine and tour her home.

My recent gut renovation of my kitchen was pulled together for less than $5000 (appliances included) proving that you don't have to spend a fortune to pull together a great looking kitchen. This philosophy extends to the rest of my (600 sq. ft.) 1 bedroom apartment as well...proving that there are no limits when it comes to mixing eBay finds with big box pieces — and all on small budget.

Can you imagine living at high school? While it may be every sixteen year old's nightmare, Chuck and Holly were able to fully embrace the unique character of their new home. It is located in an old high school building originally built in 1872 which was converted to condos in 2005. The conversion was done with an eye on the past as the space retains some of details from the original use - their wood floors are from the boys gymnasium!

If you think that this sunny San Francisco studio apartment looks familiar, congratulate yourself for having a keen memory -- Frances' bright and cozy Lower Pacific Heights apartment was a contestant in our Small Cool 2008 competition last April. We liked how comfortable and inviting it seemed, even for such a small space, so we were glad to take an in-person look at the studio and share what we saw.

As a little something different for our day away from regular posting, we put together a crash course in bedrooms, midwest-style. Ten interesting, well designed bedrooms pulled from our recent housetours, these are filled with inspiration and ideas for bedrooms of all sizes and styles...and you can click through to the original full tour for each in the links below the jump. Enjoy!

We're very happy to present our first house tour from India, compliments of architect, Rajiv Majumdar, whose modest sized 500 sq. ft. apartment is an amalgam of styles, components, textures and colours. Budget solutions like a near-free steel bucket sink compliment a nearby steel pipe framed bed, blending an industrial chic veneer with modernist solutions: sliding bathroom wall and a flush-mounted LCD television invisibly set within a large mirror wall. Despite the small space, Rajiv has managed to even incorporate a miniature art gallery with intention of letting elements of it to rust!

We heard from Lois, who rehabbed a tiny cottage into a cozy home. She writes, It is in St. Louis, MO and built in 1938 for the sum of 500 dollars! I found the original bid when I bought the property. It is 400 sq. feet but I really love it.

See that porch light there by the front door? It's a beacon. To a warm and cozy retreat at the end of a snow-filled walk. Home to Lena for 30 years, her house in downtown Montreal shelters a much-loved interior filled with art and collections from a lifetime of creation and travel. Hailing from Sweden with extensive travel in Vietnam and Africa, the home reflects her widespread roots while remaining a traditional Montreal residence...