Newsletters

Jess Watson

    Make Your Own Felt Wall Planter
    Felt wall planters are everywhere these days. They provide an excellent way to add green to walls and small spaces, but if one wants to plant in multiple planters the cost be somewhat prohibitive. With a few modifications from the original, one can make a cost effective felt planter to add green to your outdoor space.Martha McQuade of Uniform Natural is an architect and clothing designer. Inspired by the ubiquitous Woolly Pocket, Martha decided to tackle her own felt planter.
    Jess Watson
    Sep 23, 2010
    Create a Collection of Cyanotypes Without Chemicals
    Remember when photography classes were taught with film. The first assignment in any Photo 101 class was almost always to create a cyanotype to understand how light sensitive paper works. Nowadays, using sunlight and chemicals to create an image feels like too much work, but that doesn’t mean you have to forgo the the look altogether.
    Jess Watson
    Sep 16, 2010
    Angela and John’s Eclectic Argentine Casa
    Name: Angela McCallum (of San Telmo Loft), John Brister and Indie the catLocation: San Telmo, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSize: 900 square feet with a terrace of 300 square feetYears lived in: one and half years — rented My husband and I spent two weeks in Buenos Aires earlier in the month. We rented a fabulous apartment and the owner was on vacation while we were supposed to check in. Serendipitously, Angela ended up getting us settled into our home away from home.
    Jess Watson
    Aug 31, 2010
    Borax and 25 Ways to Use It
    I’ll let you in on an embarrassing little secret…a few weeks ago my husband and I had a little problem with mice in our apartment. Our maintenance guy came to check for holes in the wall and set traps yet they kept coming back. When a friend recommended sprinkling borax near our walls, I was curious what other things I could do with borax.Borax, or sodium borate, is a naturally occurring substance that is also eco-friendly.
    Jess Watson
    Aug 23, 2010
    Anaglypta: Hard to Say, But It Looks Great on Walls
    Yesterday, we touched on two of our favorite character building details in homes — decorative plaster and beadboard. I’d like to add Anaglypta to that list! Its raised designs add subtle texture and detail not seen with typical wallpapers or wall treatments.Anaglypta was invented in the 1880s as an alternative to Lincrusta, a washable but rigid wallcovering. Made of wood pulp and cotton, Anaglypta was of a lighter weight and much more flexible.
    Jess Watson
    Jul 29, 2010
    Ellie’s Handmade First Home
    Name: Ed and Ellie GroverLocation: Roseville (near Sacramento), CaliforniaSize: 1,872 square feetYears lived in: 1 year Ellie and Ed bought their first house about a year ago. While they would have rather purchased a good ol’ fixer upper, market conditions meant a brand new house made more sense. Fearing that her home would fall into the tract home rut, Ellie quickly set out to “make the new look old and add a little character to the cookie cutter-ness.
    Jess Watson
    Jun 22, 2010
    Revisiting Beth’s Teeny Tiny Peek-a-boo View
    Name: Beth of Small Cool 2010 fameLocation: Sausalito, CaliforniaSize: 365 square feetYears lived in: 3 years There is no doubt that everyone remembers Beth’s Teeny Tiny Peek-a-boo from this year’s Small Cool Contest. As winner of the Teeny Tiny division, we were all impressed by how much Beth was able to do in such a small footprint. Still, five images were not enough and left us all wanting to see more.
    Jess Watson
    Jun 10, 2010
    Lanz, Michael and Brent’s Evolving History House (Part 2)
    Name: Lanz Brooks with roommates Michael and BrentLocation: Hayes Valley, San FranciscoSize: 4,000 square feetYears lived in: Lanz for 4½ years (Michael since 1994) Last Thursday, we had a glimpse into half of Lanz, Michael and Brent’s amazing Hayes Valley home with Part 1 of their House Tour. The first part focused on the first floor of their two story Hayes Valley apartment and many of the common areas.
    Jess Watson
    May 27, 2010
    Lanz, Michael and Brent’s Evolving History House (Part I)
    Name: Lanz Brooks with roommates Michael and BrentLocation: Hayes Valley, San FranciscoSize: 4,000 square feetYears lived in: Lanz for 4½ years (Michael since 1994) The home of roommates Lanz, Michael and Brent is one of those rare San Francisco apartments that actually predates the earthquake and fire of 1906 that nearly destroyed the entire city.
    Jess Watson
    May 20, 2010
    Spruce Up Your Fence with Hanging Pots
    Hanging gardens seem to be everywhere these days thanks to Woolly Pockets. If you like the idea of a wall garden, but perhaps want something a bit more colorful this is an adorable alternative. Using terra-cotta pots, this garden can house herbs or flowers. And each pot can easily be brought indoors if needed.For outdoor spaces that lack a decent yard or for walls that need some decorating, this is great, easy project to add a small garden to your space.
    Jess Watson
    May 12, 2010
    Jennifer’s Bright and Airy Mish Mash
    Name: Jennifer (of The Little Things), James, Laine and Harley Johner (plus 2 dogs, a cat and a bunny)Location: Acreage (30 minutes north of Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada)Size: 1,544 square feet (main floor)Years lived in: almost 4 years You might remember Jennifer’s lovely turquoise and yellow kitchen we posted a couple of months ago. After seeing this room in the house, we couldn’t wait to see more and Jen was happy to oblige.
    Jess Watson
    May 6, 2010
    Tiffany and Jaan’s Scandinavian Inspired Flat
    Name: Tiffany and Jaan OrvetLocation: San Francisco, CASize: 800 square feetYears lived in: 2 years Tiffany met her Swedish husband Jaan while working abroad in the UK. While they now call San Francisco home, they’ve brought a bit of Jaan’s home country into their flat (Tiffany also runs From Sthlm so that you can as well).
    Jess Watson
    Apr 20, 2010
    An Unexpected Combo: Corrugated Metal in the Bathroom
    Most of you probably remember this fabulous Before & After: $1,000 Bathroom Makeover that we featured this summer. I, on the other hand (with my failing memory), forgot about it until I saw it again on Remodelista. What I was particularly drawn to on a second viewing of this bathroom was the corrugated tub surround and its $21 price tag.In theory, corrugated metal sounds like a rust disaster waiting to happen, it’s actually quite durable and corrosion resistant.
    Jess Watson
    Mar 19, 2010
    A Dish Rack Roundup for Those Without Dishwashers
    image:c84021f80fda910089179bddfbc543795157296c w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" If you are lucky enough to have a dishwasher, well, aren’t you spiffy. I, on the other hand, can’t remember the last time a machine did my dishes for me. I guess living in an old San Francisco apartment has its sacrifices.
    Jess Watson
    Mar 18, 2010
    Emily and Meeko’s Sunny First Apartment
    Name: Emily Baker & Meeko MendezLocation: North Beach, San FranciscoSize: 850 square feetYears lived in: almost 1 year Emily and Meeko, just married last October, moved into their first apartment together in North Beach about a year ago. As exciting as that was, combining lives, stuff and styles into a small apartment proved to be challenging as both were moving from much larger spaces they shared with roommates.
    Jess Watson
    Mar 4, 2010
    Dee’s Bright and Modern Oakland Loft
    Name: Dee AdamsLocation: Oakland, California You may have already seen images of the home of Oakland artist (and interiors consultant and senior producer at Yahoo!) Dee Adams, as it was featured on the Herman Miller blog. We contacted Dee about a house call and she shared with us more about her style as well as the unique challenges of living in a loft.I’ve been in the loft since June of 2009.
    Jess Watson
    Feb 23, 2010
    Before & After: Marie’s Budget Bathroom Makeover
    We recently came across this inexpensive bathroom makeover on our Apartment Therapy SF flickr Pool. Marie and her husband Aaron moved into their Menlo Park apartment about a year and a half ago. While their initial decorating tended toward neutral colors and traditional furnishings, Marie felt a need to brighten things up by making her bathroom a bit fresher and younger. See Marie’s less than $50 makeover after the jump.
    Jess Watson
    Feb 22, 2010
    Jenny and Cristina’s Rustic Modern Apartment
    Name: Jenny Rinzler and Cristina EspinosaLocation: Mission Dolores, San FranciscoSize: 1,000 square feetYears lived in: Cristina for 8 1/2 years, Jenny for 5 years (they had roommates until 3 years ago) It’s one thing to make a home out of your rental. It’s another to make a home out of your 100+ year old rental with poor wiring and insulation. Now that the years of roommates are over, Jenny and Cristina finally have their charming abode to themselves and have made it their own.
    Jess Watson
    Jan 26, 2010
    Tracey and Jason’s Light Filled Remodel
    Name: Tracey and JasonLocation: San FranciscoSize: 1,700 square feet total (1,200 SF main floor, 500 SF bottom floor)Years lived in: It’s complicated (see below). Tracey, a graphic designer, and Jason, a software engineer, bought their 100+ year old home about 5 years ago with plans to renovate it on their own. After some demolition with the help of friends, they realized the job was bigger than anticipated so they enlisted the help of professionals.
    Jess Watson
    Jan 14, 2010
    Melinda & David’s Unique & Artsy Home Revisited
    Name: Melinda Gorham, David Charles, Karson and Amelie the poochLocation: Glen Park, San FranciscoSize: Not sure, but it’s a good size for San FranciscoYears lived in: Melinda for 5 years, David for a year, rented Melinda and David invited me into their home for a tryout House Call post. After receiving such a great response, it seemed silly not to take more photographs for a full house tour. Enjoy!
    Jess Watson
    Nov 10, 2009