Carina Romano

Nearly everything in Michaella Becker’s Philadelphia rental is thrifted, DIYed, or trash-picked.

Anna Ladd didn’t want a home with all the history renovated out of it. But she also wanted “something updated enough that I wouldn’t be totally in over my head with first-time-homeowner DIYs.”

This second-floor apartment in a grand Victorian has gorgeous bay windows, and that’s where Ashley placed her bed. “I love waking up in my bed nuzzled between all the windows,” she writes. “It’s heaven.”

Katherine repainted all of the downstairs rooms, added peel-and-stick wallpaper, installed peel-and-stick tiles in the kitchen (to cover up a beige backsplash,) and used fabric on unfinished walls to create a style she describes as "moody, exuberant, colorful, often messy."

The built-in planter in the entryway was a huge draw for Lauren and Mark, who got a friend to add a vintage mural, too.

See inside a rental that transformed from a “completely empty, all-gray, kinda crusty box” to a “Lisa Frank and Y2K vibe.”

Kevin Boyle and Mac Francis' townhome is filled with a collection of secondhand gems, and they needed the storage to display it all!

Mixed materials (inspired by Kelly Wearstler) blend seamlessly with the couple’s lush greenery.

Tour the Philadelphia rowhome of artist and designer Mitch Wiesen, who cleaned, caulked, and painted to update their home.

Cara and her dog, Sterling, share this small studio apartment in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood.

Heather Davis is the Design Director of Concept, Print & Color at Urban Outfitters, and her home is a mish-mashed, cluttercore mix of textiles, cool chairs, and thrifted finds.

The colorful, retro tiles in Sidney and Brandon's rental apartment's bathroom were taken from a train station in Philadelphia during the '80s... and the vibrant tiles were even used for the baseboards around the main space, too!

"Being a natural light photographer I have this strong appreciation for the conversation the sun has in a space," writes Taylor Baldwin of her 800-square-foot Philadelphia rental apartment.

Emma Chasen and fiancée Carolyn Chernous' home is a mix of eclectic, maximalist, Art Deco, retro-inspired styles, and a TON of hand-painted DIY colorful murals.

Photographer turned novelty chandelier maker, Adam Wallacavage, has completely transformed his South Philadelphia brownstone, filling it with Victorian style furniture, DIY plaster elements, funky art, oceanic sculptures, his own incredible octopus chandeliers, and more. This house is Halloween ready no matter the time of year.

After her divorce, Erin got rid of most of her belongings for a fresh start. Her Philadelphia cottage gives her the space to huddle with friends during cold months and maximize what's most important to her.

Crystal Wyatt owned a house in Philadelphia for more than 18 years before needing a change, going tiny in this 190-square-foot rental studio apartment in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood.

Photographer Kat Malo only had a few plants when she moved in, but when she saw how well they were doing in this light-filled space, she fully embraced being a plant parent and now has over 50.

Maddie Kulig, owner of Philadelphia-based lingerie brand Madalynne Intimates, purchased this cute cottage less than a year ago in Galena, Maryland with her husband, Ryan Kulig.

Amanda and Dan moved from California to Pennsylvania in April 2020, eventually buying this farmhouse with lots of architectural character.

Lots of furniture in Tiffany, Joseph, and Ashley's rental rowhome is salvaged, found, or antiqued.

This art teacher and museum educator draws inspiration from "estate sales in untouched time capsule houses, old magazines, and period movie and TV show sets" for decorating her own 1970s Philadelphia house.

Zach and Hugh are “interior design enthusiasts, home renovation-attempters, and backyard chicken dads” and run the popular blog and Instagram account This Yunky House.

Decorating her home is an outlet for her creative energy and most of the brightly colored paintings scattered throughout the space are her own.

Sue Eggen is an artist and creative director at Urban Jungle, shares this Philadelphia home with and writer and librarian Nathaniel Eddy.

And we bet you'll think so, too.

Valerie Green's house was renovated just before she bought it, but it wasn’t her style, so she's spent the past few years updating without undergoing too many major renovations.

There are smart storage ideas... as well as one of the cutest jewelry storage ideas maybe ever.

Chelsea and Warren's home—a two-story apartment in the Olde Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia—is perfectly reflective of the merging of their two lives.

This designer has created an utterly gorgeous minimal retreat in Philadelphia.

After buying the house, this couple had a 30-day remodel marathon putting in all new hardwood flooring, painting just about every surface, replacing light fixtures and more.

Digital and experiential brand designer Melissa Alam lives in an 1800-square-foot loft, where she also hosts events like the annual conference for women called FearlessCon.

Name: Jes and Caleb Plain Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania Size: 1600 square feet Years Lived In: 9 months, owned Though they both grew up in Central Pennsylvania, Caleb and Jes have spent their entire relationship elsewhere. Nashville, Philadelphia, Los Angeles…and even a year on the road in an 18-foot travel trailer. This 1950s brick home in Lancaster is the first roots they’ve put down close to their families.

Name: Deanna Leone, Jessie Mademann (and Thurston & Shermie the cats) Location: Fishtown, Philadelphia Size: Large Loft Studio (don’t know the square foot) Years Lived In: 2.5 years, renting Fishtown is one of Philadelphia’s many booming neighborhoods, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a unique (and affordable!) home in the area. When you’re as creative as Jessie and Deanna, settling for a typical white-wall one-bedroom isn’t the ideal.

Name: Amanda Jaffe, Kate McCann, Carina Romano Location: Fleischmanns, New York Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned Sometimes friends get together and profess their love of the same tall mountains and winding roads. For Amanda, Kate and Carina (me!), these confessions and conversations resulted in buying a dream getaway together in the ever-inspiring Catskill Mountains.

Name: Liz Sparacio Location: Northern Liberties — Philadelphia, Pennslyvania Size: 2,400 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting Liz resides in a natural-light filled loft space that was origionally part of an old textile factory in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia.