Vera was born and raised in Belgium, and is a graduate of the fashion department at the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She worked as a stylist, writer and photographer for a trend forecasting company in Paris. This was followed by a move to New York where she now spearhead the marketing initiatives of major home furnishings, textiles and interior design companies. In her spare time, she shops as many flea markets as humanly possible, and has at least a dozen craft projects going on in various stages of completion. Vera is the author of the book Scraps, a collection of sustainable stash fabric crafts and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two children, two cats, two birds and far too many textiles and craft supplies.

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John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon are the duo behind North Carolina-based interior design firm Madcap Cottage. Known for their whimsical use of color and pattern, the Madcap gents—along with their pound-rescue posse—scour the world for eclectic finds that capture their unique viewpoint. “If you are looking for beige and boring, bark up someone else’s tree,” quips Jason. “We live and breathe ‘whimsy,’ but our projects are bespoke, sophisticated, and perfectly catered to our clients’ sensibility. They are also spectacularly livable. John and I have dogs and nieces and nephews—we get it.” Standout Madcap Cottage interiors include a jewel-hued loft in lower Manhattan; a color-rich beach house in Southampton, New York; a sophisticated 1920s-era bungalow in Des Moines, Iowa; and a historic cottage in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

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Kristan Allen is the writer and stylist behind Farmhouse Redefined, a blog focused on modern farmhouse life and style. Living on her 7th-generation family farm, she always looks for ways to incorporate a vintage-modern feel into her interiors. For her, perfection exists right where style, function and personality come together. "Home design is an amazing opportunity to tell a story. When someone visits our home, I want them to leave knowing a little bit about the five quirky and fun personalities that live here." Some of Kristan's design faves? Navy blue, pattern-on-pattern, anything monogrammed, fun light fixtures and stacking books according to color. While she's not a professional designer by trade, she is passionate about beautiful design that can co-exist with her busy family, which includes her amazingly supportive and patient husband, two energetic kiddos and a big, slobbery pup named Maxine, who frequently lend their expertise in testing the true performance of stain-resistant fabrics and the durability of pretty much everything in their house.