CLEAN CONTEMPORARY for Young Bachelor Apartment in San Francisco - Finished Photos and a Word About Budgets

 

Entrance to Apartment with View of Alta Plaza Park

You may recall my blog post from a year ago May, when I was working with my retired art collector client (see IKEA posts), and my son (twenty-something) in San Francisco.  Last year we were in the initial planning of my son's apartment, located just off Fillmore Street.  To view the planning process and vision boards, click here:   http://swestdesign.blogspot.com/2011/06/where-have-i-been.html

In this post, I'll show you the photos as the apartment stands right now - almost finished.  My son is currently in the founding stages of his own start-up in Silicon Valley, and when you found a start-up, everything else temporarily stops! 

When you enter the apartment, you are immediately drawn in to the spectacular view of the park.  In the photo above, we use his collection of small travel photos to draw your eye in to the view.  You get this view for the entire width of the apartment, as you can see in the 2 photos below: 

 

 

A Word About Budgets

Whether it's a home project, a wardrobe, or a vacation to Europe, it always helps to have your budget defined.  It serves as a guide.  You're not locked in to the numbers, but it gives you perspective. To see all the expected expenses helps you analyze where you want to allocate your primary dollars.

When my son first told me his budget, I quickly calculated in my head the number of items we were going to need, and saw that we would need to economize in some areas.  (Designers do this budget analysis all the time.  We're good at it!)

My advice was to spend the bulk of the budget on a really good quality sofa. (There is no point in designing a room around a cheap sofa - it invariably falls apart, looks and feels like junk, and you end up giving it away after a short period of time.)

Since we were working long distance at that time, I recommended Pottery Barn, because there was a store here in North Carolina, near Cary, and one near him.  He researched the look and feel of the sofa, and I checked the quality and the fabrics. We decided on the Pearce model below. http://www.potterybarn.com/shop/furniture-upholstery/sofas/pearce-sofas/?cm_type=lnav   I scaled it in to his floor plan, and we ordered it.  He loves it!  The chaise is especially nice for working on his laptop.  And the microfiber suede is extremely durable, practical, and comfortable:  

 

Pottery Barn Pearce Sectional, CB2 Coffee Table, Walmart End Table, Ikea Table Lamp

We saw some great tables from Restoration Hardware ($$$) and Crate and Barrel ($$), and we also looked at antique trunks in the Mission District on Valencia Street.  But we were able to achieve a satisfactory look by going to CB2 for this solid wood coffee table ($400), where he can put his laptop and have room for his legs underneath.  We finished up with Walmart online for the simple wood end table ($30), and the glass table lamp from Ikea ($50).

 

Above the sofa we hung an arrangement of his travel photos:  Machu Picchu (center and right), Tasmania - Hour Glass Bay (top center), Cinque Terre and Switzerland (left).  In the previous post on planning, you can see how my software enables me to plan exactly how far apart to hang a custom photo arrangement like this one.  The way this one is designed, we have room to add more photos on either side when he has the opportunity to travel again. (Or - he and my artist daughter have been experimenting with large canvases...we may move the photos to the bedroom and place original art over the sofa...)

Capel Rug, Ikea Entertainment Center, CB2 Coffee Table

There are lots of inexpensive rugs available today from places like Home Depot, but these did not appeal to us, so we settled on this beautiful braided wool rug from Capel.   http://www.capelrugs.com/hampton-denim-rugs    We saw some really cool artsy very-thick-stranded wool rugs that we loved, but they were twice the price of the Capel.  Since he wanted a large TV (his new start-up is about TV), we put that money into the media rather than onto the floor.  The color of the rug was selected to enhance the colors in his photo collection, and relate to the Mondrian in the dining area.

We shopped several stores in search of the entertainment center, and found this solid wood piece from Ikea to be the best value ($200):  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80176298/



 

As I mentioned in last year's blog post on the planning, we began our Design Concept around my son's Mondrian artwork, placing it above the dining table. I originally had selected a Pier One table base in the concept stages, but when I shopped around in San Francisco (Studio D), I found this curved wood base, which we liked better, because it gave a softer line to the room.  The matching chairs look great, and are comfortable.  They would not hold up to children or pets, but since he doesn't have either, these will do fine for now.

After completing the space planning and product selection, we moved on to creating the right balance of art on the walls:

 

Mondrian, Josef Albers, Square in Milan

This Albers poster was one of the first pieces of art that I purchased when I started my own home years ago.  I still love it!  It symbolizes what I do:  create beauty, order and balance.  I was delighted to give it to my son, and thrilled to see how well it complemented his own photo of the square at the cathedral in Milan.  See closeups below:



 

 

My son shot this photo from the catwalk at the top of the cathedral. We had it custom-framed and matted.  As I mentioned about budget - it's a guide.  We spent more on the frame for this photo than the walmart table and ikea lamp combined.  But some things are worth the investment!

 

Leaving the living area, you again view the linear arrangement of the small travel photos.  These are framed in deep shadow box frames, which gives a nice dimension to the hallway.

 

So that's my interior design solution for this Project.  What we have is a simple, clean environment. This uncluttered design is restful for a young man who spends a lot of his time in algorithms and codes.  The shell is static by design, but the dynamic element is the park across the street, where there is always activity - trees rustling in the breeze, friends meeting in the park, and happy dogs bounding up the paths!  Activity is also experienced on the large TV screen.  And during the day, you can see the streets of San Francisco reflected in the screen.

As for the products we chose, the sofa will stay for years, and the other furnishings can be upgraded as the needs arise.  It's another "carefully edited space", in which "less is more"!!

TWO IMPORTANT TIPS for planning your Project:

1. PLAN IN ADVANCE.  Resist the urge to buy anything until you have a plan.  Interior Design is a complex, multi-faceted process, and you can waste thousands of dollars if you don't plan it properly.
2. CREATE A BUDGET, so you have some idea of what your costs are going to be.  Start by listing every item you are going to need to buy, as well as any construction costs like sheetrock repair and painting.  Then itemize the costs.  A Designer can help you figure out where to economize, and where to choose the best.

            It's good to have a customized budget worksheet.  I have several Excel sheets that I share with clients as we are working on their plans.  Contact me if you'd like to discuss it!  I can work by the hour, or on a project basis.

HOLIDAY DECORATING...HERE COME THE CATALOGS!!

A few weeks ago I got my first holiday catalog: Frontgate.





And last week, Target arrived. This week it is Restoration Hardware. Don’t pitch your catalogs! They are valuable resources. Here’s how you can use the catalogs to help you plan your holiday décor.

Want to have a beautifully decorated home for the holidays?
Use what you have!


The good news is that anyone can create a beautiful, AFFORDABLE holiday ambiance in their home. The key is PROPER PLANNING, and here’s my outline for how to do it. But be sure you have enough time to read this post, because it is very detailed!

First, begin collecting ideas in a file. This is fun, and the easiest part! Home catalogs, like Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel, clothing catalogs, food catalogs, you name it – every vendor will have some holiday ideas to showcase their products. Tear out pages of ideas that you like.

Look for things that use popular holiday elements like ornaments, candles, Christmas cards, and greenery, as well as more unusual ideas. Collect as many as you like, but when the time comes to choose ideas from your file, zero in on a few. It really is true that “Less is more.”

Second, identify the Project. (This is your Interior Designer talking. =) Identifying the spaces you want to feature will help focus your efforts, and eliminate scattering your time/energy/money on unnecessary areas. You don’t need to cover every square inch. A few lavish effects are more appealing than masses of tiny touches.

Inspect each room for a focal point as the starting place for the decoration. Most people like to concentrate on a special welcome in their entry, and make a warm statement in the dining room, family room, kitchen, and powder room. A foyer, for instance, frequently has a small table, a wall mirror, or a bench. Any of these are nice places to start. Other examples of focus areas for decoration are the dining table, and the fireplace mantel. You will find the catalogs are a great guideline here.

To complete the second step in the planning process, it is a good idea to list the areas that you want to showcase. This keeps you organized, and helps you avoid the temptation to buy every cute thing you see in the stores!

Third, inventory existing items. This is the most critical detail in keeping the project cost-effective. Almost every home already has something that can be used as a backdrop or prop for a holiday theme. Here are some examples:

· Greenery. Seasonal greenery always sets the tone for a warm, inviting atmosphere, and the most affordable greenery can usually be found in your own backyard! Evergreen shrubbery can be used indoors on a mantel, massed in a large vase, or tied to a chandelier with festive ribbons. Look for pine boughs, crabapple branches, holly, pyracanthas, and other red berries. Accent with natural pine cones or dress it up with inexpensive, colorful glass balls. Use ideas from your file to help you create an artistic arrangement.
Tip: Planning your greenery early enables you to postpone the fall pruning of these evergreens and berries so you have more material to work with in December.
· Containers. These can be beautifully transformed at holiday time:
-a crystal bowl,
-a cake stand,
-a three-tiered plate stand,
-tall cylinder vases.
These pieces have year-round appeal, and it’s worth shopping around at sales to get them, because you will use them for other occasions too.

Many exquisite ways can be found to dress these up for the Holidays. Some are simple and effortless, such as arranging apples and cinnamon sticks in the container. Others are more original and require extra effort, but are worth the trouble. Sugared fruit is an example that was featured in a magazine a few years ago. Pale green grapes, green apples, and pears, dipped in egg white and rolled in granulated sugar, are stunning displayed on a three-tiered plate stand, and they keep for several weeks. With planning (here is your Interior Designer again!), such a project can be turned into a family activity. Even the smallest fingers can help in this team effort, rolling the grapes in the sugar. Another beautiful effect is achieved with “glittered” pinecones stacked on a cake stand. There are countless ways to bring the festive feel of the holidays into your home without encountering great expense.

· Christmas or Hanukkah greeting cards. These are wonderful ingredients found in virtually every home during the holidays. These colorful expressions of the season are frequently used to create a focal point. Some possibilities are:
-They can be cheerfully strung across ribbons in the breakfast room window or on the fireplace mantel.
-Craft stores and home improvement centers often feature simple projects you can make yourself to showcase the cards.
-Catalogs like Pottery Barn often feature creative card trees which you can purchase.
-An idea I have used in my home is to start a tradition with the most beautiful cards. Each year I choose the most special ones to frame. With planning, you can shop the sales for frames that match your home’s décor. Creating a family collection of holiday greetings can be a special tradition that everyone enjoys year after year.

IMPORTANCE OF TIMING
Timing is a crucial factor to consider in your three steps of planning. Planning is best accomplished well in advance of the holiday season. One of the most common pitfalls in keeping your project affordable is the tendency to wait until the last minute. Often, people don’t feel like thinking about Christmas until late fall. However, an early analysis of your project leaves more time to research specific solutions and to find the necessary materials during routine shopping trips.

TIPS from a Designer
· Last year, I found the best prices for decorations at Michael’s. They were all reduced by 40-70%.
· Sam’s Club always has a great selection of wired ribbon. You get a huge roll – bigger than most craft stores, for under $7.
· Sam’s Club also has fresh 25 ft. pine/cedar garlands for about $13. That’s twice as much garland as Lowe’s for the same price. But with Sam’s, you have to act early, since they do run out of things.
· Dollar Store has lots of things, and yes they are all $1. However, you have to read the fine print. Sometimes the quantity of what you are getting prices out to be the same per unit as other stores like Target. With Dollar Store, some things are a really good buy and others are not. Wear your glasses to check the quality!
· Many designers are willing to help you organize your project for a small hourly fee. If you have already done my steps for planning the project, it shouldn’t take a lot of time for a designer to set you on the right track to completion.
· Or – if your budget allows for it – get the designer to do the whole thing!! Call me and ask!

Enjoy Your Project!