Name: Alison and Joel
Location: Hayes Valley/Lower Haight, San Francisco
Size: 1000 sq. ft.
Years lived in: 1 (rented)
>>Enter Slideshow
We originally saw photos of Alison and Joel's apartment on flickr, and were immediately taken with their great use of color and the way they really worked with the architecture of their Victorian flat. It's astounding that they've only lived there a year, as everything seems both effortlessly comfortable and completely finished. And oh that light - we have to admit that we're jealous of all their big windows.
Photos by Elizabeth Clayton
>>Enter Slideshow
While Victorians are known for their great architecture, anyone who's actually spent time in one knows that it can be a challange as well as a good thing - Alison and Joel's place both shows off the great high ceilings and period details, while minimizing the high number of doors in each room and utilizing some of the oddly shaped spaces in brilliant ways. A nice mix of DIY, craigslist, and flea marketing make their place feel unique and anything but cheap.
AT Survey:
Inspiration: We didn’t set out with any intentional inspiration, but we pick up a little from everywhere, especially magazines (Domino, Blueprint, Dwell, ReadyMade) and online (AT of course).
Our Style: Our style could probably be called comfortable mid-century modern, with a bit of homey Midwestern, in a pre-1906 Victorian apartment. So…a mix.
Favorite Element: The skylights in the hallway and the bathroom.
Biggest Challenge in Designing Our Home: Doing it on a budget. This apartment is a lot bigger than our last, and we moved across the county, so we pretty much started from scratch here. We have bought the majority of our furniture and art within the last year, so we’ve had to stretch the budget a long way.
We’ve also worked very hard to incorporate all of our electronics and their many wires. All of the home theater equipment (5.1 receiver, DVR, Wii, PS3, Airport Express, and even a rather large subwoofer) are kept inside the IKEA cabinets behind frosted glass doors, which keeps them hidden but available via remote control. We also have a Logitech Harmony remote which keeps our coffee table clear of the many remotes we would otherwise be navigating. The wires for the 5.1 speakers are all painted to match the walls and pretty much disappear without any harm coming to the plaster (it is a rental). All of the living room lights are dimmer controlled by the touch-sensitive metal hand on the radio by the door. Also, each room has an Airport Express that allows us to play music from iTunes in any room or in all of them at the same time without having any visible wires.
What Friends Say About Our Home: It’s huge! We’re really lucky to have such a big 1-bedroom. And once: “I feel like I’m in the future” (The combination of all the music and home theater gadgets and our Roomba gives off a definite Jetsons vibe).
Biggest Embarrassment in Our Home: It’s hard to make it look clean, especially the floors and bathroom fixtures (they’re old). But being old gives them character, too. We think that the flooring is from the original apartment, and the bathtub and sink are definitely not recent. (The apartment was built sometime before the big earthquake—the records were lost in the fires. The floors are all slanted and no walls are straight, but the building stayed up!)
Proudest DIY: We’ve painted the whole place. Alison just recovered an ottoman, and Joel redid the old radio (both in living room). Our most recent project has been the office/guest room/music studio desk and shelving (the desk folds up to become a headboard with integrated bedside tables and lamps).
Biggest Indulgence With Respect to My Home: Probably the apartment itself. The monthly rent is more than anything we own. Other than that, it’s probably the TV.
Best Advice Given or Received: Don’t buy anything you don’t love. We’re working on that.
Dream Source for Stuff: Room and Board. Alameda flea market at 6 am (we have trouble getting there before 10). Peace Industry rugs.
Thanks, Alison and Joel!
>>Enter Slideshow
Resources:
Appliances: Came with the apartment
Hardware: Most of it is original to the apartment
Furniture:
Living room:
Couch—hand-me-down
Round table and chairs—Craigslist
Coffee table—Craigslist
End tables—Craigslist
Blue chair—Room and Board
Leather chair—Bedroom&more
Radio—flea market
Nesting tables—Craigslist
Cabinets—IKEA
Ottoman—Craigslist (recovered)
Bedroom:
All IKEA (Hopen bed and Malm dressers and nightstands)
Kitchen:
Table—Craigslist
Chairs—Craigslist and Alameda
Secretary’s desk—Alameda
Triangle-shaped table (folds out)—IKEA
Microwave shelf—hand-me-down
Rolling cart—Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Laundry room:
IKEA shelves
Closet/Vanity:
Shelf—IKEA
Chair—from living room table set
Bathroom:
Cabinet—Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Shelf on wall—Target
Accessories:
Eat sign in kitchen—store in Napa
Living room pillows—most made by Alison
Teapot (in kitchen hutch) and fruit bowl on kitchen table—Ray Bub, Alison’s uncle (matches our dishes set)
Metal hand in living room—Half to Have It Antiques in Half Moon Bay
Wood box in living room (holds Wii remotes!) by Umbra (from the now-closed Friend)
Lighting:
Living room:
Pendant lamp—Craigslist
Reading lamp—Craigslist
Alabaster table lamp—eBay
Uplights behind couch—IKEA
Bedroom:
Nightstand lamps—Target
Dresser lamp—by Alison’s uncle
Closet/Vanity:
Clamped to shelf—IKEA
Chandelier—antiques store in Plymouth, Mass. (lacquered white)
Paint:
All Aura by Benjamin Moore
Flooring:
Original to the apartment.
Rugs and Carpets:
Living room rug—Khyber Pass’s going out of business sale (thanks for the tip AT!)
Bedroom—Target
Bathroom mats—IKEA
Window Treatments:
Living room and office blinds—IKEA
Bedroom—fabric from Fabrix and Discount Fabrics
Artwork:
Living room: Both paintings by
Maryann Wakely
Hallway: Pre-production labels from Apple Records; Boat photograph—Mark Kanegis
Kitchen: Hot chocolate painting by Orangewillow; Stained glass—gallery in Rockport, MA; Framed doily—family heirloom
Laundry room: Laundromat gocco print by e50e
Bedroom: Samara mobile by Adrift Mobiles; Amy Butler fabric on wood stretchers
Bathroom: Storypeople print
>>Enter Slideshow
This is a gorgeous home. I really love the architecture.
view orangejuce's profile
Relaxed and comfortable, nice!
and ditto on the architecture....oh my.
view callbob's profile
I love it! It look like my place.
view EmmanuellePorlier's profile
unproportional size cabinet on the top of refrigerator and boxes to top that awkwardness off....really puzzling choice. The bedroom wall art off the balance with the furniture. The place itself has so much more potential, it just need to be respected.
view Astrid Vladi's profile
Wow I love your house so much! Especially your dressing area--Alison, you are a lucky girl!
This post basically embodies the best of AT, in my opinion. I love all the DIY projects and Craig's List scouring you did to make such a beautiful, comfortable, stylish home. It impresses me so much more than someone who spends a ton of money on a bunch of Eames furniture or marble columns.
And Astrid: sorry, but I disagree! I think the hat boxes in the kitchen are adorable, and I love the fabric panels in the bedroom.
Nice work you guys!
view mollybb's profile
^ Since this is a RENTAL I'm assuming you didn't have much choice over the cabinets.
Anywho. This is so. freaking. awesome. I want to move in right now! What a wonderful job and its so nice to see a home like this done on a budget. I would take this over some million dollar loft any day of the week. The vanity/dressing area is adorable! The paint color choices are great, I love that you have a game table and that reading chair is sooo lovely. Needless to say, I am very jealous. Bravo, guys :)
view suziegoombs's profile
I LOVE that place :).
view bloobrey's profile
I love it! It looks SO much bigger than 1000 sq ft!! Its cheerful and sunny, with some personality. I especially love the photo wall and sticking them up with velcro! Genuis!
view mrsemerald's profile
Dreamy House Tour! The combination of the light, paint choices and "the bones" of the place makes this apartment amazing. That kitchen. You could film a movie in there. I really loved the tour. Thanks.
view Sparkie's profile
What is the blue in your bedroom?
view minty03's profile
awesome awesome awesome. i especially love the skylight and the orange foot stool
view Jonny Full Pint's profile
I'm SO jealous of all the light you get in this place! You've done some wonderful things in this apartment. It's so cheery and calming. Well done! Love it!
view stoat's profile
the metal hand controls all of the lights in the living room....
um *blinks* HOW?
view my little apartment's profile
We have a touch-sensitive conductive dimmer thats wired to the hand. It sends a low voltage signal through the metal hand that when grounded (when you touch it) cycles through three levels of dimming. The table lamps, up-lights, and pendant are all wired through the dimmer so the whole room is controlled from that hand.
We used something similar to this...
http://www.TouchandGlow.com/product-p/t-300.htm
but I disconnected the included plate and attached the hand (which I believe is made of iron) instead.
It was pretty geeky when we first set it up but we've come to appreciate having the mood lighting control. On top of it all, I had never thought of a physical switch for lights as soulless but it definitely changes the sensation of walking in the room and turning on the lights.
view Joel's profile
Thanks for the nice comments everyone!
Minty03--the bedroom paint color is actually a greenish/tealish/grey. The paint color is atmospheric by Benjamin Moore in Aura matte.
view AlisonM's profile
I'm in love with the art hanging over the bed. This space has great bones and you've done a wonderful job bringing it to life and making it your own.
view petro's profile
What a beautiful home! Love it! Could you please tell me where the fabric on the ottoman is from?
view elizabethg's profile
Inspiring apartment. I like the way things come together by deliberately clashing styles and avoiding systematic matching techniques and relying more on colors to tie things together. It's an interesting approach (which can fail very easily) and executed with a lot of touch.
view joebelt's profile
ElizabethG: Thanks! The ottoman fabric is called Essence Sunset by Waverly. I believe I got it at JoAnne.
view AlisonM's profile
Is the a mobile of sorts hanging above your bed? If so, where'd you find it or how did you make it (whatever the case may be)?
view JenCoMo's profile
Your apartment is really gorgeous. And I love the hand/dimmer thing!
view jennifer in sf's profile
Hi JenCoMo
The mobile is from here: http://www.adriftmobiles.com/samara.html
view AlisonM's profile
Alison & Joe,
You've done a great job keeping a Victorian looking fresh and original....I am a location scout in the Bay Area. I am always looking for great decorating stories for Better Homes & Gardens, Decorating Magazine, Home Magazine, Creative Home, amongst others. I would love the opportunity to submit your home to a couple magazines. Might you be interested in possibly being published? Feel free to contact me if you would like to hear a little more about it.
Thanks! Sarah Alba albaworks@gmail.com
view Sarah Alba's profile