Love it! what a great space. well done, katie!

Something about the kitchen makes me smile. I love it. The apartment has a real special-ness to it. It looks lived in but not too overcrowded. I love the living room, even if it doubles as a closet ;-).

I love this whole space! Katie did a great job!

Could you give any more of the sources? Where are the fabrics from, I love all the yellows and oranges in the living room!

In my last apartment, my living room doubled as a pantry, so I know how you feel. :D

The pad is nice, but why is there a mary kate and ashley olsen book on display?

I really like it, and I think she's incredibly lucky with that lovely kitchen built-in. However, I don't like the unfinished wood IKEA shelving in the living room. I get that there's little storage, it just looks like a garage or basement setup to me, not even as nice as a closet system. Maybe they could be painted or stained? I realize that it would be extremely expensive and probably foolish to invest in more finished or higher style fitted shelving for a rented apartment, but I feel the living room isn't going to achieve what she wants unless the storage issue is resolved. But your mileage may vary.

Random question: your IKEA dresser - is it by chance several "Kullen" dressers side by side? Or is it a Malm dresser?

I've been thinking about getting several Kullen dressers and putting them side-by-side; the reason I'm looking at Kullen over Malm is that they're shallower, and even a few inches will make a big difference in the space. However, because the Kullen dressers are significantly cheaper than the Malm dressers, I'm worried that they're going to be total crap - no decent drawer glides, etc. I mean, Malm dressers aren't fabulous, but they're at least operable. (And yes, I know everything from IKEA is cheap crap, but in this case it will have to do for now.) So if those are Kullen dressers, how do you feel about them?

Also, I love your bed headboard and the purple pillows! Looks fantastic.

I love the style of your home. What a great place to live.
Where did you get the "sandwich" art?

Hi all, Beth here. I'm loving all the great feedback on Katie's place. The rug, chair & couch pillows in the living room are all from Pottery Barn. Katie's insider secret is that she buys outdoor pillows PB offers during the summer, which tend to be brighter, oversized, and more whimsical than the indoor pillows you find most places. Also, Katie loves to go to Britex Fabrics (www.britexfabrics.com) in SF to get fabric and have pillows made....or Etsy is a great resource, too.

LOVE this home, Katie!! Am bookmarking this so I'll remember what my dream apartment looks like.

Don't take the teasing about your makeshift closet - it's perfect!

What a great space! I'm in love with the lil doll sitting on your bed... Where did you get her??

I would have liked to have seen much more emphasis & elaboration - in the narrative as well as the photography & resources - on the Non-IKEA/PB/WestElm, etc. pieces.

There's gotta be a dozen interesting stories about the old console radio, the framed menu cards, the vintage catalog pages, the antique trunk, the mounted corals, the vintage mixer, etc etc. There was also mention made of an interesting front window mechanism - but I don't see them featured anywhere in the photography save for a glare behind some curtains...

I think alot of AT'ers would also be quite interested in knowing more what it's like/what's involved with being a buyer for a major retailer such as PB - even if just an interesting tidbit or two on a piece she has in her home that she may have helped select for the retailer - Another opportunity missed.

Hmm...what am I more jealous of: your apartment or your job? :)

Beth/Soco--

The info that you just gave about outdoor pillows, Britex, etc - That's exactly the type of interesting detail what needed to be in your original writeup.

Katie--your apartment and style inspire me to re-do my apartment. I love the way you put things together and work within small spaces! Can I hire you as my design consultant?

I agree with bepsf. How could Katie's job not have influenced this space? I applaud Beth's effort--it's perhaps my favorite of the potential contributors so far--but this seems like a missed opportunity for some real insight.

Very cool space. Eclecticly elegant.
Enjoyed the post, too.

Love the mirror over the dresser(s).

Thanks for the feedback! The incredible thing about Katie is that she is a perfect balance of sentimental and sifty. Sifty is a word I use to describe someone with the skill of successfully sifting through thrift store/flea market/attic items without being a pack-rat.

The vintage mixer belonged to one of Katie's family members -- Katie saved the aged appliance from getting replaced. It still works, and has been celebrated via multiple brunches hosted within Katie's wee 450 square foot.

The dressers in Katie's bedroom are IKEA malm dressers that she lined up side-by-side. She was looking for one long sideboard but couldn't stomach the price. Despite being from IKEA, Katie has actually never had a quality issue with them, and she's had them for over 4 years. Katie feels the wood is much sturdier than some other pieces from IKEA.

The sandwich art is from a local flea market in the Bay Area. It's a monthly flea market hosted in Alameda the first Sunday of every month - the Alameda Flea Market (www.antiquesbybay.com). You can get old signs like this from any flea market, local vintage furniture store, or on Ebay.

Looks like way more than 500 sq ft. Very cute.

Well said, bepsf.

Beth, those wonderful little bits of insight and advice are what make a house tour interesting. Next time, don't hold back!

OH! And about that doll... It's from Henri Bendel - one of the limited edition dolls that they offer every Christmas.

LOVE it! I have a tiny 500 sq ft apartment as well. I haven't put time the time or effort into it as I knew I'd only be here a short time, but I am definitely inspired to do more with my next, slightly bigger apartment.

Wahoowa, Katie! I love your style! I see a little of Mr. Jefferson's influence here.

Lots of details to spot in all of these pictures, which I love. She manages to make a crazy swan table blend with the rest of her decor and still look elegant. This is a house tour that could peel back to another layer of detail and still inspire a second time around. If this is the kind of work we'll see from her, I'm a big "yes" on Beth!

Technically, it's the Alameda Antique Fair, or maybe Faire. We fusty Alamedans wouldn't cotton to a flea market. ;-) Fantastic finds, and at $5 a head in the afternoon for access to amazing food, views and tons and tons of fun stuff, an incredible entertainment bargain. I went last week (on July 4) and didn't buy anything except falafel, but had a wonderful time.

Love the place, even the Olsen twins coffee table book and the shelving, which gives the style a very "yeah, I'm normal, and it fits right in!" component.

Nice space. Love the sea bits and menu cards. Love the bed. I know it's a rental, but a accent wall with a splash of color would really set off the space!

I was just going to say that the Olsen book is a perfectly normal thing to have. I think books are an interesting element to the home, and I'm glad that someone mentioned books. Sometimes I get the impression that people hide a ton of their books before their house tours which to me means that either
1) they are embarrassed by their library
or
2) that a library must impress.

I am a working artist so I have unconsciously collect a ton of monographs, books, magazines and different printed sources, and the rule that I live by is that for each book I purchase I must weed out one that I no longer need/want/think I'll read or reread. Own what you read and don't be afraid to put it on view for others too!

i love this apartment! probably one my favorites on AT! has such great style, combo of laidback coziness, sophisticated style, and organization!

LOVE!

I love the antique dishes. So pretty!

Yeah, Bebsf said a few things that are on point.
I fail to see the "style" of this place. I love the coffee table, but otherwise, where is the care, where is the umph? I know a less-than-glowing remark is taboo, but jeez, the "accent pillow" choices are terrible! Don't put steak knives on a magnet. It makes no sense. Might as well put your forks and spoons up there. @anniehong, I'm glad it was "one of your favorites" I see you are a first time poster.

I like the colors of the walls.

Loved this place. Well done! Those vintage menu cards are awesome.

Great work Beth! Welcome to Apartment Therapy and I would love to see more of your posts.

-Marcia, AT LA blogger

I really don't see any style here, and since Katie is being touted as a buyer I really expected to see more "oomph" in this tour. The living room shelving was a definite disappointment.

And I gotta say, for a moment there I was confused, wondering why Katie was referring to herself in third person, when I realized it was the AT poster.

Thanks for the shout out Marcia!

Thanks, Beth/Katie, for the feedback on the dressers!

Also, Beth, I love your word "sifty." If only I were siftier.

This space is just too cute! I have to agree with other's about the living room shelving though... it is a tad disappointing.

love several ideas, especially the swan... and the olsen twins book... but those knives... yikes!

From my years of living in SF, I know the challenge of living in such a small space yet making it your own. I love the feel of Katie's apartment - and how creative she got with storage. I do like the two racks for her hanging clothes in the bedroom. Was considering something similar in my current apartment and now may just go ahead and do it! Thanks, Katie!

this is one of my favorite apartments featured on this website. great job, katie!

I love the swan table and other odds and ends of that variety (the vintage mixer, the Anthropologie knobs), but I too would've preferred more insight into the more precious, unique details. I think the apartment has good bones and there is some sense of whimsy, but apart from the vignettes, the trunk-as-coffee table and the use of coral I'm not all that impressed. I find the living room shelving unit an eyesore and really takes away from the furniture set-up.

Dude, Katie, your style is incredible. Beth, awesome descriptions and pics! I can't wait to see this space in person during my next SF trip.

Love this. Looks like someplace I'd live (except for the Olsen twins book. Funny how we all picked up on that). I have a drop-leaf table that I used just as she did when I lived in a small rental. Now that I have a bigger house it's back to being a dining room table. I may have to save this house tour for a periodic on-line drive-by. It looks like it's worth many revisits.

One more note regarding some of the comments about the knife display in the kitchen. I personally wouldn't do this because I have cats and I wouldn't want them to impale themselves (although it might be a deterrent to them jumping on the counters), but I've seen this arrangement in a lot of cooks' homes and pictured on cooking blogs. I am going to assume most of these homes are child- and pet-free. In that case, I totally get wanting easy access to your knives.

We have a magnetic knife rack in our kitchen and somehow our two cats have managed not to impale themselves during the seven years we've lived here.

I thought there were plenty of thoughtful ideas here. Nice looking space. I more or less agree that this could have had more details on the items that aren't readily available. I have a feeling a good amount of the readers are familiar with the commercial elements here.

I have a problem with the knife rack too, but actually just because it seems unsanitary. The mirror above our bathroom vanity covers the entire wall above the counter. The sink is about the same distance away from the mirror as Katie's sink is from her knives. Our mirror has to be cleaned everyday because sink splatter ends up grossing it up. I cringed automatically when I saw that.

Oh how I love and miss Hayes Valley... all those wonderful home and design stores, I am sure my inspiration and creative juices would be busting at the seams if I walked by those windows everyday!

What I love most about this apartment is that it is so real-- not overly "designed" but a place that is carefully put together by the real person who lives there. My favorite kind of tour!

Katie, your place looks great!

Beth, my only comment on the post is that perhaps the photos on the main page could be swapped for some of the shots deeper in the house tour slide show--there are some great vignettes & full room shots in there that seemed like they might illustrate her style more thoroughly.

Knife racks, a special storage block or lined drawer, are all good. The key thing is to keep a sharp edge, so you don't want knifes loose in a drawer, where they will bang against each other when you open and close it.

I would have bought the swan table in a heartbeat! Let me know if you ever get tired of it.

I LOVE this space! Very much my style! Great job :)

Wow! Waaay too much STUFF in such a small place. It's like putting a house full of furniture in that small space. There's not one clear wall or corner without anything in it! It would make me claustrophobic! The trunk in the living room looks like its only about 12" away from the couch= no walking space,& the chairs are probably very comfortable, but they are too big for the space. Maybe move one to the bedroom. Take the glasses out of the living room, how many glasses does one person need? Put them in a box until you need to use them. I like the 2 lamps & mirror, but is that table ever used? I dont mean to be mean, just my opinion. But I do love the yellow walls in the bedroom, the black dresser and the huge mirror. Thats the best looking spot in the whole place to me. Baskets to hold things is a good thing.

This apartment feels so familiar and homey, without feeling weighed down and cluttered. Everything is 'just enough'. I love the small details, like the candle and matches on the table behind the couch; ready to be lit.

ArtsyGirl -- I agree. I am actually surprised that you are the first person to mention this. There are a ton of cute, unexpected details, but I think a major purge would allow all of those details to come to life.

A tiny space needs lighter, airier objects -- there seems to be a heavy emphasis on boxy, square, heavy things...and way too many of them.

The IKEA shelving system could work if you found a more cohesive way to unify all of the stuff on it -- either with color or pattern or something. And maybe a white pickled stain would give the whole unit a lighter feel.

I don't think the framed advertisements work behind the sofa. I think one large piece of artwork (a framed charcoal print or an abstract photo on canvas) would be so much better there. Maybe the large mirror from the bedroom? That would tie in the white in the room. It's a great mirror would work well with the chair and the pillows.

I love the rug...and I love the chair...but don't care for them together. I also think the rug is too small for that room. And the brown pillow detracts from the chair. The chair is so cute -- let it be!

As for a closet, I would search high and low for an antique armoire. Or purge some clothes and just keep everything in dressers.

Way too many photos on the dresser, in my opinion. If you put the white mirror behind the couch, you could get some matching black frames (in one size, ie: 11x14) with large, white, museum-style mats cut for each photo and create a gallery wall...which would fit the huge space above the dresser.

The area to the left of the bed feels off-balance to me...and not in an artsy way. It just feels lopsided. The trunk is crammed into the corner and overloaded with stuff. The picture shelves seem like an afterthought. I think I would narrow it down to just the trunk, the lamp on the right, the adorable clock. I would eliminate the nightstand, etc. on the right. You could take two of the framed advertisements and place them on either side of the bed...which would give the space some balance without being too matchy-matchy.

The picture shelves could replace the tall skinny mirror above the table in the living room...but with less stuff on them.

The lunch menu signs are adorable and they create a great vignette...but the beachy knick-knacks take away from them. I would take everything else off of the little stand and just put two small framed photos and a lamp there. Preferably a lamp in a bold color. Maybe the green lamp from the bedroom? Or an odd assortment of candlesticks? Something tall that won't interfere with the signs...but will lead your eye up.

I know you are going for flea-market-festive...but I think you need more symmetry, balance and air to make this work. I think tension is wonderful...unless it leads to chaos...and it is very difficult to achieve tension (without chaos) in a small space, imo.

I just recently learned about"themes" and that's the way to go. Things should relate to each other. Otherwise our bargain hunting/packrat tendencies can turn our small spaces into thrift shops!

How is this place "small"? There's a full size couch and two large armchairs in the living room, plus the ginormous Ivar/Ikea stand along at least two walls! And why no pix of the windows that turn on their axes? I was looking forward to it.

The public display of a book by or about the Olsen twins is ballsy.

Maybe I'm unclear as to the reason people allow their space to be posted. Are they looking for suggestions on how to "declutter" or whether they should display a book about the Olsen twins book. Because I thought the apartments are featured so that others maybe inspired with ideas for their own space?

Note to self, STOP reading the comments.

Oh, dear love. <3

Love it!

Really love this space. I'm a "landlord" and whenever my apartment comes available, I always screen by making sure that they are avid devotees of Apartment Therapy. Would you recommend that I do anything to the space before I re-rent it? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/apa/2133839557.html

Kaypee: Your rental looks great; good luck with the Open House. If your future tenant cares for the place as well as Katie does, you'll be in good shape.

Like! Very interesting details. I like that you have the shelves, I have a set-up something like that, but I would suggest painting them to match the walls. Really fun!

Cute kitchen. I like the living room carpet. the bedroom is unbalanced on one side.