A “Polished Bohemian” San Francisco Studio
Name: Amanda Holstein and dog Auggie
Location: San Francisco, California
Size: 550 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year
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Amanda is the voice behind the blog Advice from a 20 Something. And seeing what a smart job she did designing her San Francisco studio apartment, it would seem she’s got great advice to give! The small space she shares with her dog Auggie is full of interesting furnishings, yet feels bright and airy.
This isn’t the first time Amanda’s style has been featured on Apartment Therapy; her New York apartment got a tour last year. The two homes feature some of the same accessories and furniture pieces, but you can see how she’s incorporated them differently for each space—finding the arrangement that functions best. And while both spaces “feel” like her personality, she worked with the architecture of each apartment to create homes that also complement their surroundings.
Get the look in your own home: Shoppers guide to the furniture and accessories found in this space.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
Our Style: Polished Bohemian
Inspiration: California coastal lifestyle
Favorite Element: How all the colors in each area of the apartment go together to create a relaxed vibe.
Biggest Challenge: Figuring out the layout! I’ve never lived in a studio apartment before so having fewer walls and creating separate spaces were my two biggest challenges.
What Friends Say: They’re always so surprised how much smaller it is in person!
Biggest Embarrassment: My closet and the kitchen cabinets—they are my only sources of storage so you can imagine they’re pretty jam packed!
Proudest DIY: My dresser! I found this old dresser on Craigslist and it was painted this green and tan. I took off the original knobs, gave it a good coat of white paint, and finished it with some gold knobs from Anthropologie. I love how it turned out!
Biggest Indulgence: My headboard. I’d been eyeing it from Urban Outfitters for too long. I couldn’t stop thinking about it! I knew I had to have it and even if I don’t end up using it as a headboard in the future, it still makes a great piece of art.
Best Advice: Buy the big things first. I started with my couch, rug, coffee table and headboard. Once those were in place, it was much easier to fill in the rest.
Dream Sources: Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie, West Elm, Amber Interiors
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