The curvy, off-white sofa, which forms a perfect conversation pit, was purchased on Ebay (and cost as much as it did to buy).

Piet Hein Eek's wooden chairs add a touch of color to the monochromatic apartment. "I'm a fan of simple modern furniture, with a twist," says Carr. "I wanted to buy everything from Piet Hein Eek."

1. "Why is buying a home important to me?" Marie Hoffman, co-owner of The Hoffman Murphy Real Estate Team in Los Angeles, explains: "You should have two reasons for why it will support your happiness and two reasons for how it will support your short and long-term goals. This will help you navigate challenges later on. When things get tough, it's good to check in on the 'big why' of buying.”

While shopping for containers, Hill was instantly drawn to this one’s existing blue color and chose to buy it and leave it as is. Poteet added floor-to-ceiling sliding doors to allow light in, as well as a cantilevered overhang to shade a window on the left side, which houses a small garden storage area.

Architect Fareez Giga believes custom cabinetry and shelving was not substantially more expensive than buying quality furniture, and advised to solicit multiple bids before selecting a millwork provider.

"We wanted to have our storage open and visible, because I think the more visible something is, the tidier you keep it and you also don't buy loads of extra stuff,

The curving white wall in architect Jay Atherton’s bedroom is optimally sited to capture shadows from the redbud tree outside his window. The bed rests on a concrete floor. "It was important that the rooms be pure spaces," says Cy Keener, a carpenter, who helped design and construct the spartan home in Phoenix.

4. "Can I afford the payment if one of the buying parties can't?" "Sometimes homes are purchased with two incomes," Hoffman adds. "But then there are instances when one person wants to stay home to take care of children. You do want to think about the future."

Making the decision to buy a home is never easy; it’s hard to know what life will look like five or ten years down the line. But on the bright side, buying a home is exciting. The responsibility can be invigorating.

Deciding to buy a home comes with its own unique set of pressures. Oftentimes, it’s seen as a seal of adulthood, an acceptance of permanence, and perhaps most importantly, it also means that you’re about to spend a large sum of money; it makes sense that no one wants to go about it in a casual way.

A view of the light-filled kitchen. Due to a tiny budget, the duo couldn’t afford to buy furniture and instead used midcentury furnishings they collected in Germany and found on Bergmann’s grandparents’ property. All of the furnishings were measured beforehand, and the modular frames were designed around them to ensure the perfect fit.

Pellegrino bottles wrapped in twine become DIY diffusers. "This project takes advantage of the fact that you can buy little jars of essential oils for reed diffusers instead of buying the whole kit," writes Danny in the book.

Susanna Vento, pictured here with her daughter Varpu, is a Helsinki-based editor, stylist, and interior designer. Asked about her design approach in her own apartment, she says: “As an interior designer I choose new designs for my clients, but for my own home, I tend to prefer crafty or old stuff. If I buy something, I want to buy only things that stand the test of time. But even better is to buy nothing at all and do-it-yourself!”

The architects considered a number of different fire-resistant materials for the exterior cladding, including zinc and a special kind of pre-burnt wood. “It was my husband’s idea to do the copper,” says Cathie. “He said, copper is down, so buy all the copper you can buy!”

5. "What are the top 10 most important things I must have in a home?" "If there are two people buying the home, write your answers down separately, starting with your absolute must-haves," Hoffman explains. “Putting together a list separately can give both parties and the realtor a clear picture of what the perfect home will have for both of you."

“We didn’t go out and buy a living room collection,” Sofie explains. “In our home, we tried to avoid trends. The furniture we have are things we have collected over many, many years.” Vintage Eames for Herman Miller lounge chair; Isamu Nuguchi table; and Rocking elephant by Rocking Zoo.

Guests can buy fresh cheese, milk, and eggs from the neighbors.

Nive buys loads of fresh produce and wanted a place to store it that was accessible and uncluttered, so the team provided these open shelves.

Avoid unwanted surprises and dodge disappointment by following these six easy tips for buying furniture online.

This is the Unit A Kitchen - a fun mix of warm colors and textures. 10/10 would buy :)

It’s important to confirm that there are no rotten columns, beams, or other damaged supporting elements before you buy a home.

Buying a home can be an exciting milestone, but do you have all of the necessary paperwork (and patience)?

An iconic First chair by Michele de Lucchi for Memphis sits under Antonio’s Rorschach paintings in the bedroom. "They're twins, made from an inkblot process," he says. When it came to buying the furniture he didn’t make, the architect thought about an adage from fashion designer Vivienne Westwood: "Buy less, choose well, and make it last."

Neely has been buying Dansk pepper grinders at antique shops for the past ten years.

Architects Gerard Damiani and Debbie Battistone turned a budget buy into a condensed cabin getaway.

Antonio and Estela have been together since they were teenagers and today have two teenage children, a son and daughter. The couple built a business together and lived in rented accommodation but always dreamed of having their own home. As their company became increasingly successful, they had the opportunity to not just buy but create their dream home. Interestingly, for a home that values privacy, the front garden is conceived as a semi-public space.

It’s a good idea to read reviews about specific pieces before buying them, which can help prepare you for the unexpected.

When choosing an apartment to buy off-plan, one of the deciding factors for Jono was the size of the kitchen. "I noticed a lot of new apartments had extremely small kitchens,

After buying a worn-down, 244-square-foot apartment in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, the owner of Achille—a young bachelor—stripped away the wallpaper, hauled in his temporary furniture, and spent a couple months living in the small space to let it guide the design direction. After some time, he envisioned a renovation with space-saving solutions that would retain and celebrate the rough-hewn character of the original apartment. A "space cube," made of Fenix NTM's matte nanotech material combined with warm oak, serves as sleeping nook and storage.

Excluding a few select pieces, you can buy the home furnished.

“When we buy something new, it’s usually with the intent to replace something we are ready to part with. It’s a delicate balance of give-and-take.”

Van Dusen began making her own clothing as a teenager after convincing her mom to buy a sewing machine she'd use to reconstruct her closet full of thrift store garments. Color was her primary muse, often favoring bright hues in unexpected combinations and graphic patterns. What she couldn't find, she created, albeit inefficiently — the only way she knew how — by assembling her own printed textiles, one element at a time.

A white Alba armoire by Pinch stands next to the brand’s Iona cheval mirror in a second-floor bedroom. The Moroccan rug was found in Paris; the Malm bed from IKEA was a budget buy.

This classic owned by writer Susan Orlean and her husband John Gillespie was updated by architect Jeff Fink, who specializes in restoring homes by Austrian-born architect Rudolph W. Schindler. The couple has previously owned his Los Angeles Roth house, buying it even though they lived in New York. Then, they sold it for the Kallis-Sharlin House, known for its butterfly roof—which allowed Schindler to add clerestory windows, and more light to the home. For the exterior, they ordered a custom hue from Behr, channeling the grey-green of a Martini olive.

111 House kitchen. Heart coffee is only 2 blocks so it's easy to buy beans or just have them make your coffee for you!

Jono regularly restyles the apartment by swapping or moving around vases and other small objects, such as the nightstand and lamp in the bedroom. "It keeps the space feeling fresh without having to go out and buy new pieces,