(Here is the final tryout post from Jessica, a look at her new SF home. You can check out her other two posts here and here. Enjoy the tour!)
Name: Jessica
Location: Mission/Bernal Heights
Size: ~200 square feet
Years lived in: ¼ (3 months)
I recently relocated to San Francisco from Austin, Texas. Coming from a state where "everything is bigger" I faced a serious downgrade in size, calling this 200 square foot studio in-law apartment my new home. In spite of the space crunch, I have tried let my style show through, while still making way for necessities. After only three months, I feel like my apartment is at once functional and designed. With a penchant for vintage, I have tried to blend antique collections with a modern aesthetic--all in a home the size of most people's guest bedroom!
AT Survey
My Style: My style is very much a fusion of vintage finds and modern lines. It was interesting to see how my style ended up when all of my furniture, artwork, and belongings were whittled down to the “bare necessities” and what would fit into 200 square feet! I probably still have some curating to do, it has only been 3 months
Inspiration: I am definitely inspired by my favorite publications and blogs, Domino, Dwell, apartment therapy, design*sponge and readymade, but also by contemporary art and photography, my best friends (who have all contributed to the things in my apartment) and my personal habits and hobbies.
Favorite Element: my picture frame wall—it changes often and with my moods and inspirations
Biggest Challenge: The size! My brother found it interesting that I chose to bring with me an old record player, a portable typewriter, and a vintage camera collection. He said he might have considered a television, stereo or microwave. I find it to be a matter of resourcefulness and priorities! I love having the typewriter, and I can watch TV and movies on my laptop.
What Friends Say: They have said that they’re very surprised that I was able to make such a small space useful and design conscious! That, and there has been overwhelming regard for the wall color!
Biggest Embarrassment: Having to make sure everything is put away all the time---with an apartment this small, there are few places to hide the things everyone has but no one talks about…I am learning to keep a tidier house.
Proudest DIY: The chair! I found it in a sad state of affairs on the side of the road, missing a seat, with two broken feet and a half-peeled-off veneer. With a little bit of love, a whole lot of white paint and some industriousness, I now have a great piece that I did all by myself!
Biggest Indulgence: My bed…I’m still working on a pretty small budget, but I love the Malm bed and just got a new, very luxurious mattress. It is even more indulgent considering I hauled it all the way from Austin, Texas in a tiny trailer pulled by my Honda Civic! It, the chair and the entertainment stand are the only furniture that made the cut.
Best Advice: Whatever the trends, whatever the style, and especially in regard to your artwork, display what you love!
Dream Source: I would have to say that my dream source would be a huge vintage furniture store with access to refinishing resources and a lot of extra free time! I currently have an amazing bench that needs some love (and a place to fit) stashed in my friend’s garage. If only I had the time and budget right now to reupholster it!
Resources
White Chair: This was a hunk of junk on the side of the road, refinished by yours truly. The fabric for the seat is from JoAnne’s fabric
Bed: Ikea Malm bed. This is still a favorite! The Orange graphic bedding is also from Ikea with a touch of (faux) fur at the end for a little luxury (Target!).
Entertainment stand: Also from Target—it’s not currently housing a television, but for such a small space it’s coming in pretty handy as a multi-purpose shelf/drawer/table/record player stand.
Desk: Alright, it’s not a desk, but the vintage green filing cabinet with a drawer houses all of my files and desk supplies (pens, tape, etc.) and can be pulled out to make a workspace on the bed or at my chair! I work with what I’ve got! Also makes a nice stand for the space heater.
Hanging wall shelves: Ikea as well. They were an inexpensive solution to my problem: no more floor space for a bookshelf! So, I went upwards.
Record player: General Electric Stereophonic from eBay.
Striped black and brown storage boxes: The Container Store. There are four small boxes, two medium and one large box which are stashed around the apartment housing various stationery, electronic and keepsake items. Cute, versatile storage that isn’t too bad when left out in the open.
Dresser: Craigslist. I searched for affordable drawers with some character at many retailers, but couldn’t beat the vintage style and small scale of this set for $25! It was sheer coincidence that the finish, albeit distressed, is a darker shade of my wall color.
Mirror: Ikea Husnes. There was no place to hide a full-length, so I found one with a little style, but no frame. I wanted to keep it simple, since I have so many other frames nearby.
Other frames nearby: Various thrift stores over time.
Typewriter silkscreened print: Orion Shepherd, Needles and Pens on 16th St.
Fleet Foxes silscreened print: Farley Pig, at the Fleet Foxes Show.
Vintage Starline suitcase: Goodwill. For $3 this is a great place to stash my scarves and gloves, and it works as a stylish carry-on, as well.
Curtains (over closet): Ikea
Taxidermied butterfly: Mercury Design Studio in Austin, TX (mercurydesignstudio.com). An amazing interior design store—I wish I could have brought them with me to San Francisco!
Black ceramic candlesticks (and white tall candlestick): Dauphine at Neiman Marcus Last Call.
Short white ceramic candlesticks: Various thrift stores.
Kitchenette shelves: Ikea, painted white.
Birds on tarp photograph next to kitchen: Hiroshi Watanabe, Oswald Gallery Jackson Hole, WY.
Monogrammed “J” mug: Anthropologie.
“Push” signs: Old signs from the doors of the Austin Museum of Art. They were upgraded and shoved in a drawer in a storage closet. Now they are mine!
-Jessica
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bravo, well done!
Love it, love your brindled dog...what kind? Austin rocks. We located to Boise 7 years ago and feel like it's like Austin was many years ago.
Impressive post, and even more impressive space. More Jessica please!
What is the wall color name and manufacturer? I love it! It is what I have been looking for to paint by bedroom!
It's little places like these that I would love to see a floor plan.
Thanks for sharing your space! You've done a great job with that tiny space.
when i moved to sf, i lived in an apartment that size...after living in pdx in an 800 sq ft apt. i really admire what you've done. looks like you're really enjoying it. good job!
The cups are beautiful. Are they antique?
I really don't like the wall color. It would drive me nuts if I had to look at it longer than 5 seconds.
what a cutie pup! also, i really like the bearded guy and bike bag on the chair.
More Jessica! And more posts like this for us vintage-loving budget-restrained creatives! and your dog is adorable
I once heard someone say that you can only be in one room at a time - great job you've done of organizing such a small space! I especially like the pleasing wall color, the floral-designed cups in the kitchen, the silhouette in the bathroom, the typewriter print and most of all, that you watch movies on your laptop so that you have room for your vintage treasures.
done great with a small space. some really beautiful details. i like the turquoise wall colour.
one piece of unsolicited advice - i think the dark brown floor rug in the bedroom is dragging the space down...i would rethink it.
Great job on your place. May I suggest replacing the main overhead light with a small chandelier or vintage ceiling fixture? Also, some well placed small table lamps might improve the lighting. Well done and enjoy your new home.
Excellent use of space! The wall color is lovely and I really like how you put this all together in such a tiny space. Your doggy is awesome too!
I need to kiss that dog. I need to.
Well, I love the brown rug and don't think it "brings down" the space at all. I could easily live in this cozy space! :)
More Jessica---representing 200sqft-and-less dwellers everywhere!!!
I dunno. I feel like she needs more closed storage. All that stuff is just out there in the open, willy-nilly, and it looks messy to me.
It was fun to look at these pictures while sitting in bed in my own tiny studio -- under the same orange and white Ikea sheets. The cactus and succulent in the glasses? Fab.
I love it. You've done a lot with a little. The space shows personality.
what a happy space... well done! the orange and turquoise are EXCELLENT!
I like Jessica. :)
You would actually think you have lived in Austin forever! I LOVE the color of the walls!
Yes I do have friends & co-workers - despite the fact I don't tell them exactly what they want to hear when they want to hear it - or maybe because of it.
Love the colors. Love that your dog has a teddy bear. Great use of such a tiny space, especially all the multi-functional pieces (i.e. Starline bag as visual storage travel accessory). Great job on the chair. Good luck finding a place for the bench, lol... (I'm being genuine and ironic at the same time.) Lots of fun packed into very little room.
I have the same record player as you! I've never seen that record player anywhere else.
Not many people can pull off 200 sq feet with so much style. I love how each collection seems meticulously curated. You can tell that everything in her space is there because she loves it!
Bravo Jessica! I hope we see much much more of you around here!
Nice place, but can I ask why almost all, or so it seems, of the try-outs include tours of the writers' homes instead of other people in their communities? They're all good-looking homes, but it seems sort of self-indulgent, and it doesn't help in knowing whether the writer can find, successfully interview and photograph another person's home.
I love this apartment - the wall color makes it so cozy - I second the comment asking what color that is?
I know it's not really my place to say this, but this post displays exactly the kind of blogger I would like to see on AT. This is apartment therapy-- most of us have more stuff than space and less time/cash flow than we'd like. Jessica shows how to downsize a huge place to a one room functional space, and keep it looking absolutely fab without breaking a budget. I love her style, how she manages her own small space (much like my own) and she clearly has a great sense of color-- so let's keep her please oh please oh please :)
what a gorgeous use of such small space! wonderful!
Very nice! I love the color, the coziness, and I wanna curl up with that pup!
In a small space, you've done a beautiful job editing your possessions.
Great job with your space! I think I have it rough some days with 440 sqft, but you are definitely inspiring!
wow...what a great use of space and color! I love it! Thanks for sharing! I have got to know the name of that wall color..what is it?
This place is great! I love the colors. It's bright and cheery and comfy.
A couple of suggestions (and these are just my $0.02, take it or leave it) - the curtain hanging over the closet seems a bit too "big" for the space. Maybe it's the pattern, or that it seems to go from ceiling to floor, or that there are so many "ruffles"...but it seems a little overwhelming. Maybe consider using smaller sheets (or cut the sheets down) so the fabric is flat when it's pulled across the closet. Also, maybe something in a bright, plain fabric might go better with the rest of your bright appartment.
Thanks for sharing your home with us!
I am always curious as to HOW people live in those small SF studios. You've done a good job showing us. However, I would like to see more of the kitchen area. Do you have a fridge? a stove? Guess I just like to cook too much to be able to make it in such a tiny kitchen.
It looks like you have nice hardwood floors! A slightly smaller rug would show them off.
I'm amazed at how well you've organized this space. I lived in a studio a little larger than this one, and it NEVER looked this good!
Thanks, Jessica.
Your new place is very, very impressive. Love the creativeness and the vintage stuff. Love the writing, too.
Note to AT: We need more of Jessica to balance all the minimalist/MCM which is not for everyone (and definitely not for me).
This is great and I wished I was in the head space to do something like this when I was living in 2 studios in my past but I made the best of what I had and one of the places the main space was essentially a square, thankfully the kitchen was a full, but separate room (original for the most part) and so was the bath and I had a walk in closet, thanks to the missing murphy bed (building was built in the mid to late 20's).
However, I had one great compliment from the guy who came to service the steam heating system in the first studio that my space was the most homey and lived in, in comparison to many of the others in the building.
Love the color combiniation and how you incorporated vintage electronics (the record player) into the decor. I hope to find and add a couple of the 70's era colorful electronics to my space too, such as a T handle 8 track player. :-)
Well done on 200 Sq Ft and BTW, how do you cook when I only see a small sink and tiny counter?
jessica, for such a small space you really make this feel cozy without being cluttered. we can see which pieces you love the most and i admire your ability to edit! (your new chair is adorable, i love the fabric!) anyway, good luck! :)
Good job with a small space.
Am I the only person, though, who's bothered by stuffed animals on an adult's bed?
What an incredible small space!! If I had the same apartment and the same stuff, there is no way it would look that cool and pulled together. I adore the wall color and the use of color throughout. Thanks for sharing!
If any of you could have seen what this space looked like before, you'd be amazed that it has been transformed so beautifully into what you see here!
The fact that Jessica has done such an amazing job at turning this place into something AT worthy is a testament to her design skills and consequently her blogging skills :)
@Lisa Hunter,
Those aren't stuffed animals. They're one stuffed animal and one pet dog! :)
That dog looks great in turquoise... good choice.
great wall color, I love how much you personalized the small space (art, books, plants). The mirror seems rather high but maybe that is just the angle of the photos. yeah for Polaroid, I still have my red/black one from 1989 with matching case.
The chair apholstery fabric is exactly the fabric I have made my curtains from -and I got it from Ikea. Small world?
Seconding (thirding? fourthing?) the request for the paint color on the walls -- it's exactly what I want for my kitchen!
Great place, Jessica -- looks lovely.
I also live in a 200 sq ft studio with identical wall color (patterned on one wall).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9876510@N03/3062792604/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9876510@N03/3062792680/
You're comforter/ wall color combo is great! I've wimped out and gone with a white comforter, but with brightly colored sheets.
whats the wall color!? I love it and have been looking for that color to paint my room!
Mine is Glidden Evermore Tempting Teal.
I'm not sure, but it looks like hers is a shade lighter.
wow! i am thoroughly impressed with how nice this apartment is. I am inspired to actually frame my own photographs to hang on the wall. I love the combination of vintage pieces with practical and inexpensive items she bought at ikea and target. I am exactly the same way! And I am a big fan of the color of the walls. And that she lives with her dog! Can't wait to decorate my next place like this!
Thank you for all of the comments! It has been a challenge working with such a small place, but I have enjoyed fine-tuning everything over the last few months.
The paint color is Behr Winter Surf. The website for Behr, behr.com, has a great color selection tool, although I noticed that it wasn't quite as vibrant on my screen--and I've color calibrated my screen! I always use paint chips from the store to decide on a color, anyhow, as the colors tend to shift in different lights. I usually try to get a sample and try that out on a small part of my wall, but I figured that 200 square feet was already just a sample, anyhow.
monarda, the cups are a mixture of antique and faux-antique. The daintier cups are antique, but I believe the short mugs with pink and red flowers are modern, but made to look antique. All are thrift store finds, regardless.
Jackson, my brindle boxer-pit bull, does go quite nicely with the turquoise color, I think! Just to assuage any disapproval that people might have about having a dog in such a small space, I thought I would mention that I do have a yard. The yard is one of the reasons I compromised on space---it's pretty priceless to have a great outdoor area in The Mission/Bernal Heights area!
amazonicon, I had a bit of the same feeling about the curtains, but haven't figured out exactly what to do. They are floor to ceiling, but my ceilings are only 7 feet, and the closet they are hiding takes up all of that 7 feet. I may take your advice and eliminate some of the ruffle by shortening them width-wise a bit.
dkzody, I actually don't have much more kitchen! There is a small bar sink, and a mini-fridge on the bedroom side of the half wall. That would be it! I actually "cook" without a stove or microwave (read: I make a lot of sandwiches).
I have some work to do, yet, but am pretty pleased with the preliminary results. I appreciate all of the feedback and positive comments!
Its posts like this that make me feel as though I can say "eff 7 roommates for rent that equals half of my earnings, i can live alone in this city and i can do it style, alls i need is a well-priced studio and some design sense."
and then i remember that i am incapable of such splendid vision, for i am but a simple boy.....
jessica, you seeing anyone? i hate my roommates.
Have you had a quake yet? I'm worried about your head at night.
Hi Jessica,
I live in Boston and have the same size room/set up. I would love to know where you purchased your shelving unit that is on your wall in the bedroom. I have been looking for something like that for 6 months and haven't found a THING. You're apartment is beautiful I love everything you have done:)
Very sweet and cozy. The burst of wall color really makes it. Love that the apt. is jam-packed with your Austin favorites AND it doesn't feel cluttered. Good going on making rather iconic Ikea pieces look personal too. Nice job.
Is that a signed Fleet Foxes print? I like it. The whole place is cute and doesn't look too cramped for such a small place. Nice job!
It is amazing what you've done with this small space. I'm about to move in with my boyfriend to the same amount of space I've been living in alone for 2 years. I've been nervous about not being able to showcase my style - but you are proof that editing doesn't have to equal minimalist and boring!
http://www.fthats.wordpress.com
I love the wall color and great job re-doing the chair. I think as for the curtain at the closet; I would personaly do the curtain wall to wall. :)
I love the PUSH signs x 4! I used to be a flight attendant and we constantly told people, "You must PUSH on the bathroom door to enter". ;)
Any girl who listens to vinyl has to be hot!