Name: Mia
Location: Ashbury Heights — San Francisco, California
My 1941 rental apartment mixes art deco elements and the much simpler architecture that followed after the war. I fell in love with the flexible, large rooms, and the location on the hill. My landlord was adamant the walls were not to be painted, and so I set out to design my space around a sea of fog white, which seemed somewhat appropriate for a San Francisco home.
There are little vignettes throughout the home using Japanese and Scandinavian accessories in juxtaposition with my own and other people’s artwork. The scenes keep changing every so often to keep my A.D.D. heart content.
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-Mia Heiman






Stanley Console by ...
Where is your dining room table from? I like the legs.
Where did you get that lamp from? I am looking for a lamp like that but something a little softer (for the bedroom area of a studio). All suggestions welcome!
So awesome. Such a nice, clean, yet interesting space. We NEED a full house tour! (Are you listening AT?) Also, thank you Mia for listening to your landlord and not painting. We landlords really, really appreciate that.
lovely! i love the idea of the apartment as a series of vignettes.
Now this is how to mix iconic pieces of furniture into a home without it feeling like a catalog. The tchotchkes, trinkets, keepsakes, and other small hallmarks of one's own personal style that pepper the space make it inviting and intrigue a viewer or visitor to explore...
Certainly there's nice "stuff" in this apartment but none of it feels overwhelming or contrived, snide or haughty.
The only thing missing is a little cat sleeping on the foot of the bed...
I too am very curious as to what the rest of this home looks like.
I love how the art is displayed above the bed! I've always been one to have 1-3 larger pieces arranged symmetrically - but I think I'll have to try this!
Can someone provide a name of the PLANT for me that's atop the black bookcase? I've been seeing them in people's houses but no one seems to know its name. Botanical or common name.
Your place is lovely! The white is great, it feels open, airy and well lit. Your color pops aren't overdone, it's really pleasing and comforting.
"Where is your dining room table from?"
It's a Noguchi Cyclone Dining Table
http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/noguchi-replica-dining-table-pr-20094.html
I second the request for a FULL HOUSE TOUR!
I LOVE the photo layout over the bed. I never would've thought to do something like that. x
@katherine27, if you mean the dining room pendant, it's a George Nelson bubble lamp.
@veslabeachgirl, I think it's a ZZ plant.
Fog-white walls for the win. I'm currently agonizing over which whites to use in my place. Whites apparently work best with lots of light. I'm in the Mission, which gets more sun than Ashbury Heights... but said sun comes via a northern exposure, so I'm kinda f***ed. Still I persevere, because I reallyreallyreally want an all-white room.
I like how light in a city effects what colors people choose for their homes. For me this would be too stark where I live, but I imagine in San Francisco the light there would make it feel perfect.
I like how clean it is but its still warm and friendly. Nice job!
Gorgeous! More, please!
@katherine27; the lamp is indeed a George Nelson bubble lamp. I prefer the vintage ones to the new because the coloration is much softer and warmer. Have someone in the know look at the wiring as old wires are a potential fire-hazard. You may have to rewire, but I think you'll be much happier with the results because of the warmer glow.
@rosenatti; white is always suitable! You just need to bring a ton of paint samples home and see which white works better in your space. Try painting a sample- on foam core- save yourself the trouble of ruining your ACTUAL wall! Look at it on different walls at different times of the day. Generally in a very light room in California you want to go with a little softer, warmer hued white so that it isn't TOO stark. There's a right white for every place. Good luck & have fun!
This is gorgeous! It's always so nice to see a rental apartment that looks that put together! It give the rest of us tenants out there hope for a great space!
Love the juxtaposition of textures, shape and pattern of the nested bowls, subtle and beautiful. Great eye!
I'm the Program Manager for Unity Temple Restoration Foundation. We love the Marion Mahony Unity Temple poster in your dinning area! Beautiful home.
Serene, tasteful, inviting, sophisticated all at the same time. The white walls may have started as the default blank background, but here they are brought into the context as an integral part of the overall design. Beautifully done.
Beautiful! So serene and full of interesting detail. *Love* the mix of Scandinavian and Japanese...works so well together!
Love the wooden chair in the corner space. But the rooms in general seem to lack something that really brings it together. Maybe its the souvenir-ish figurines which seem out of place. Perhaps something more abstract would work better.
Beautifully done - exquisite, subtle choices throughout - def want to see more! This is so fitting for a San Francisco home of that era, and yet could be anywhere in the world...
I agree...a full house tour please. The pics are beautiful. Please share the shade of white on the walls in your dining area. Thanks.