James is a maximalist and an avid collector. Here’s a tour of his fabulous 600 sq. ft. apt. in Ridgewood Queens, New York. This is in a pre-war, railroad room, (NYC’s answer to a shot gun house), apt. and he’s got a lot of style packed in here.

James says he was born & raised in NYC and is so over it, he wants to move down south. (I would stay just to not have to move all that stuff!)

James loves beautiful things and loves to have all the beautiful things he owns on display like a jewel box.

He wants people to come in and see something pretty in every corner they look. He also hates empty spaces.

Everything he owns has been carefully selected or collected over time and he loves everything.

James says he love Neoclassical, glammy Hollywood Regency, Chinoiserie.  He’s very traditional at heart but loves an eclectic mix of things and can really appreciate all styles of design.

A friend of his suggested that he starts an Instagram account and call it The Pretentious Home after he told her about the Gucci ice cube trays he bought.

Living in Queens, is a little less rent than living in Manhattan, so he can spend more on things for the home. 

Sometimes in New York the apts. are put together so strangely, that it actually helps to fill them up to camouflage a weird kitchen layout.

One nice thing about New York, is that you can usually decorate the walls. I wonder why that is. I guess the landlords just leave it and the next tenant has to redo it. 

Cute little bath. Look at the tiny sink.

Derek & Ashley’s cool Chicago apt. is full of Derek’s colorful art and a fair amount of unique decor.

The large watch Derek bought on eBay. “You can get them relatively affordably,” he says, “especially if they don’t work, like ours.”

Here’s an adorable upper floor apt. in Australia. 

This is such an unusual feature. Like how the large mirror gives the small area depth. 

Basic kitchen with a wooden backsplash and counter. Open shelving above gives it a modern look, but look at the unique plug-in lighting. I’ve never seen anything like that.

What this apt. lacks in kitchen cabinetry, it more than makes up for with the baby AGA stove. That tiny AGA costs around $9,170.00!

The coffee table look like a flower- very unusual. 

And, finally, there’s a lovely bedroom in the attic. 

Gee. This is the apt. of an artist who works in the haunted house industry, (props, acting, costumes, scenery), lost everything, including her partner, and had to downsize the complete works of a 5 bedroom farmhouse and a full sized art studio, plus 3 kids, to a 2 bdm. apt. 

Love this bright apt. in Madrid, Spain, combining old with new and all dressed up for the holiday.

Libby’s colorful apt. in Washington, D.C. She recently saw this term called 'Grandmillenial,' which is a 20 or 30 something person who shows an affinity for design trends considered to be stuffy or outdated, and she’s incorporated some of that.

She loves the work of this artist who did the AOC poster.

She has 55 plants and a rainbow style glassware collection.

Her room is the most inspired in the apartment. She calls it the “sexy coffin room.”

“I have horrible popcorn ceilings in my apartment that I wanted to cover up with velvet and it ended up giving the room a coffin-like feel, which of course, I love," says Libby.

The bedroom also has a disco ball, persimmon colored chair, and retro ottoman and this wonderful cabinet.

Blue and peach in the bathroom.

Jaime found an ideal 1900 building in Madrid to display his photos.  Green walls and aged woods serve as a backdrop to display of a lifetime of travel.

At the entrance, an iron console made from a ship, bought at a Parisian antique dealer.

In one corner of the living room, a fireplace made with Moroccan tiles, Swedish field chairs and a ceramic table. Behind, panels with mirrors from India and, as flower pots, old vintage vats.

In the hall that leads to the kitchen, an iron and rattan chair from the 70s and a white wicker and cane chair

n the kitchen, an iron system designed by Jaime, a Bosch oven and a pair of high stools.

In the kitchen, a recycled table from an Amsterdam laboratory.

The kitchen features an antique dark gray walnut shelving unit with heirloom dishes and white crockery.

In the reading room, benches and a customized table with a sheet metal top, all from a French convent. Jaime left the cast iron columns visible and chose a water-green tone for all the walls that gives it a light that is reminiscent of those of northern Europe.

In the main bedroom, as headboard, photography A rainy day.

In the hallway of the room, only separated by a glass enclosure, a reproduction of a photo by Mario Cravo Neto and a Tulip chair.

The ethnic and tribal touches are scattered throughout the house as in this corner.

Iron-lined guest bathroom with owner-designed marble sink and wall-mounted Crate and Barrel candle holders. The lamp is a light bulb bought at a local hardware store.

The main bathroom, a very bright space, fuses marble and wood.

Elitea’s amazing apt. in Seattle is like nothing you’ve ever seen.  “ I'm a little eccentric,” she says,  " And besides, I love to paint, cook, garden, fish, sail, dance, study, tattoos, music, wine and so many other things! “

One of her two cats goes with her almost everywhere and enjoys wearing clothes. It’s difficult to comment on her style- there’re lots of drapey fabrics. 

The tiny dark apt. has lots of artifacts. It’s hard to tell if she’s a bit of a witch or a collector of junk.

She has it listed on Airbnb, and one must wonder if she gets many takers.

She has little music area under the bed, next to the kitchen.

The bed is draped with all sorts of fabrics.

The bath looks just like the rest of the apt.

There’s a lot of stuff in this apt. and but it all ties into an earth-toned color scheme.

Lots of old books, art, and I just noticed a mannequin peering out from behind the plastic drawers. There certainly is a lot to see in such a small space.