Tiny-Ass Apartment

Behind door number one: Closet and cabinet door storage

2012-01-26T15:12:00.000-08:00

I'm really too young for a Monty Hall / "Let's Make a Deal" reference, but here I go anyway. I understand that contestants would wear crazy costumes, and get groped by the host, then choose one door out of three. If you picked the right door, you'd get a car or something, and if you chose the wrong door, you'd get a goat. (Did they get to keep the goat? I would totally like a goat as a pet.)

But even though they might not want to bring back the show (maybe the host was too handsy), you can still play at home! And in the home version, EVERY door is a winner. The prize is… more storage space!

Well, it's a good prize if you live in a tiny-ass apartment, anyway. Here's a collection of all the different storage ideas that are hidden behind your closet and cabinet doors. (And one note before you try this at home: make sure you can close the door with your new rack or organizer on the back of the door BEFORE you install it, duh.)

This floor-to-ceiling closet door rack from Ana White, Homemaker has the added support of rolling casters at the bottom. It helps distribute the weight of the rack and its contents, while still gliding along and making it easy to open the closet door.

If you find your cleaning supply closet in need of cleaning, sort your various bottles and cans by type of cleaning job in racks mounted to the door of your closet. From Better Homes and Gardens.

Keep reading for more ideas for the kitchen and bathroom...

Rattling those pots and pans is only fun when you're doing it on a 1950s rock n' roll tune. Keep your pot and pan lids from rolling around your cabinet by sliding them into a towel rack mounted on the inside of the door. From Martha Stewart via Apartment Therapy.

Dog owners everywhere can sympathize with the sight of under-sink cabinets overflowing with plastic bags to keep handy if Buster has to do his business. To keep them under control, Family Handyman shows you that all you gotta do is mount an empty rectangular tissue box to the inside of a cabinet door, and stuff the bags inside.

For the less handy, Better Homes and Gardens simply mounted a memo board to the inside of a cabinet, allowing pushpins, clips, and even magnets to be used to hang mini-containers.

As an avid baker, I really love this one. Beckie at Infarrantly Creative mounted hooks to the inside of a kitchen cabinet for all her measuring spoons and cups, with each neatly labeled. Even better, just above it she put a volume/weight conversion chart just above it with a vinyl sticker. Totally genius.

Instead of awkwardly cramming your cutting boards into a cabinet, trying to get them at the exact right angle where they fit without taking up the entire space, Family Handyman shows you how to make a cabinet door rack, where you can slide them in neatly.

Daniel of Manhattan Nest and I have the same dream 1950s-inspired kitchen. ("Those ladies were organized, they had cute stuff, and between sneaked sips of the cooking sherry, they really seemed to have their shit together," he says. He and I should totally dress up and play Mad Men sometime.) He also installed this neat and practical spice rack on the inside of one of his kitchen cabinets. He used a Rationell Variera spice rack from IKEA (which no longer appears to be online), with printable labels from Paper Source.

Why is it that junk drawers always collect packets of ketchup and soy sauce? One inevitably leaks, and the next thing you know everything else inside is covered in a layer of sticky goo with another layer of dust on top. Yeah, I really want to put that on my fries. Instead, organize all your little food odds n' ends with a pocket shoe organizer hung on the inside of a pantry door. If you use a plastic one, you can just wipe down any errant condiments that have escaped their packets. From Money Saving Queen via Lifehacker.

Moving on to the bathroom, we've got another clever IKEA hack in the form of using a KNUFF wooden magazine rack to store your beauty tools out of sight -- because after all, while they make you look pretty, they ain't pretty when they're strewn all over your bathroom counter. From The Suels' Blog.

Similarly, Family Handyman (which is killin' it on the organization front -- so many good ideas!) has a curling iron holster made out of PVC pipe that's mounted to the inside of your cabinet door. This one is a little more tool-specific, so be sure to measure your trusty irons before hitting Home Depot. Don't forget to let your irons cool before putting them away, though!

This ready-made bathroom cabinet rack works just like your showerhead rack -- except it stores those tools that'll electrocute you if you tried to use them in the shower. From HSN via Unplggd.

And finally, we finish up with another tip from Martha. Her idea to mount a piece of galvanized metal to the inside of your medicine cabinet can be used either on the very back of the cabinet, or on the inside of the door. Once in place, you can glue magnets to things like your tweezers, bottles, or even toothbrush, and keep them safely tucked out of sight.

They see me rollin': "Drop-top" furniture

2012-01-24T18:31:00.000-08:00

I am far from what you call a "car girl." I have the most basic car maintenance down (i.e., "Ask Dad."), but other than that things with engines mystify me. In fact, my coworker Freda recently pointed out something about my own car that I felt silly for not knowing. We both have Ford Focuses (Focii?), and she showed me how I can flip up my back seat in order to completely flatten and expand the cargo area of my hatchback. I had no idea! All that cargo space, just hiding there!

But while I may not be rollin' in a drop-top with gold-plated spinners (or "blades." I heard someone use blades once, so I guess those are a thing), these two pieces of furniture certainly qualify as "drop-tops" in my book. And once you lift the hood, there's tons of storage space underneath.

Via Pinterest, this bed with storage under the mattress almost looks like a reverse-Murphy bed.

A "beachy" storage sofa from Ana White, Homemaker. The site contains incredibly detailed construction notes, plus other readers' submitted examples of finished projects.

Up a ladder: Even more loft beds

2012-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

My party-planning lady-boss, Sophie, has a thing for ladders. You can often find her up one, either in our giant, freezing warehouse, or hanging a bit of decor at an event. She feels as comfortable high up in the hair as she does with both feet planted on the ground, and has survived the most gasp-inducing falls with the grace of a cat. (Although not my cat Bubo. Bubo lands with the same thud a sack of potatoes would make.) Me, I'm not so carefree when I'm gripping the sides of a ladder for dear life, looking down at the ground that I'm so sure will soon rush up and smack me in the face. But then again, if I had a gorgeous loft bed like one of these below, it'd be worth the risk to luxuriate in the comfy covers high up in the air.

Laddered loft over closet in a bright, youthful studio from Thirty-Something Drama Queen.

The dark finish and ornate details make this dramatic loft with reading nook feel like something the Vampire Lestat would have… if he didn't sleep in a coffin and all. From Beacon Hill Studios.

Bleached and breezy Cabo Polonio, Uruguay home by Solange van Dorssen via Desire to Inspire.

Well proportioned loft bed with stairs from Furniture for Small Spaces via efeMereality.

Clean, white Stockholm vacation rental from HomeAway UK.

Very practical loft bed with shelf stairs from Minor Details via BldgSpace.

Dreamy French artist's loft vacation rental from VRBO.

Bold and modern studio from We Heart It.

From WoodGears. Includes detailed construction notes.

Shabby chic studio by Hannes Soderland, via Homebug's Flickr.

Remote control in the corner pocket: Bedside pockets and caddies

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

My bed's getting pretty full these days. No, not in any kind of sexy-exciting way. But I sleep with two cats, two stuffed animals (don't judge), a sleep mask, maybe a book, maybe my laptop, sometimes my iPod, definitely my phone, and when I'm feeling lazy (a.k.a. every single day), I just dump my laundry on top of my bed and sleep underneath my clothes instead of folding them and putting them away. Needless to say, I often end up rolling on top of something in my sleep and waking up with a weird indent on my skin in the shape of an electronic device.

What I probably need to do (besides my laundry) is get one of these bedside caddies. Previously on TAA we showed you how you can make your own caddy, but when IKEA's offering up one for $4.99, how do you say no?

The FLÖRT from IKEA has space for "4 remote controls [and a] pocket on back for newspapers, magazines, etc." Unplggd even suggests that smaller electronics, like notebooks and tablets, could fit into the "magazine" space -- perfect for those of us who like to get lost on Reddit or TV Tropes until we drift off.

Even more streamlined are NeatSheets, which have a storage pocket built right in. It's more subtle than a caddy, but that can be to your advantage if you're keeping certain, uh, adult items close at hand. NeatSheets run $64.99 for a queen, and have a full range of sizes at varying prices. They even have extra-long twin, which is often the size of school-issue dorm beds and a perfect back-to-school gift for a college student. (And if you're a particularly hip and with-it parent or relative, you'll tuck some of those "adult items" into the pocket. You'll creep your kid out so much you'll be guaranteed they won't have sex for at least their first semester.)

Via Lifehacker and Lifehacker.

Odds n' ends: Real-Life TAA search, friends' blogs, and gravity-defying bike storage

2011-08-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

Hear ye, hear ye!

Tiny-Ass Apartment is looking for some fresh new Real-Life TAAs! I'm particularly looking for Bay Area-based homes where I could come visit for a quick interview and in-home photo shoot, but all spaces from all parts of the world are welcome. And please don't think for a second that we're looking for magazine-perfect homes -- we keep it rill here at TAA. (Although yeah, maybe put away those dishes in the sink before taking pictures.) Check out the RLTAA guidelines here, and email me at simone (at) tinyassapartment.com!

I also wanted to take a moment to plug my friends' blogs. I love these ladies, and you will too!

Sasha's Hollywood Bites - My girl Sasha is an LA-based entertainment reporter and amazing chef, and has accomplishments like reporting for NBC and starring in the Food Network's "Private Chefs of Beverly Hills" under her belt. Her blog features her reporting on the latest in TV and film, as well as restaurant reviews and tasty recipes.

Queerie's Sinful Misadventures - L.M., a.k.a. Queerie Bradshaw, is a recent law school graduate who has spent most of her life pursuing her passion for passion. She loves "shoes, social justice, and sex" -- and her new site is dedicated to all that and more. (Some content might be NSFW.)

Megan's and Meghan's and Laurie's and Sara's Stellar Four - These four ladies write about the girly side of nerdy, with equal parts thoughtful analysis of gender roles within the genre and squee-ing over their latest Etsy finds.

Jamie's How Very Jamie - A self-styled fashionista, Jamie combines the classic and the fun in her blog dedicated to personal style.

Sophie's Sophie's World (obviously) - How I spend my 9-to-5! Sophie Maletsky is a Bay Area-based children's party planner with over 16 years of experience entertaining kids. While we work on getting our main site off the ground (due to launch in September), Sophie shares her knowledge about kids, crafts, games, activities, parties, and running a successful small business on her blog.

Speaking of friends, I finally convinced one of 'em to contribute to this here blog! Kwame is an industrial designer with an incredible eye for fashion and design. But just beneath his spot-on style is a kind of rugged mountain man; he's a cycling enthusiast who knows a thing or two about things with two wheels. If you're likewise bike-inclined, take a look at this find:

Check it out: The Michelangelo Storage Rack by Delta Cycles. This rack holds two bicycles off of the floor in a space-saving vertical configuration. The true brilliance of this product however is in its clever use of the Immutable Laws of Physics. [Note: Kwame's also a TOTAL NERD. -- Simone] The Michelangelo rack is balanced in such a way that your bicycles' own weight keeps it upright and against your wall; no drilling, screwing, or mounting required. [Note: That's what she said. -- Simone] The designers calculated the the center of gravity of the rack, and then made it so that's where you hang your bike. The weight of the bikes are then evenly distributed between the two legs and the one part that touches the wall. It's subtly ingenious.
It also features two "Easy Adjust Arms" that can be configured to cradle your precious bicycle frame securely, and soft rubber feet won't slide or damage hardwood floors. It's available from Amazon.com for $55.64 (kind of a random price, but okay).

Trapped in the closet: Organizing non-clothes items in your closet

2011-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

The other day we covered alternatives for storing clothes in closet-less rooms, the idea being that closets are for clothes, not people. But that's not entirely true -- closets are for much more than just clothes! (They're still not for people, though.) (Except for R. Kelly.)

There's your linen closet, your storage closet, your utilities closet, your shoe closet, your board game closet, your closet with a secret passage in the back, your closet for monsters -- although it's pretty likely that those are all the same closet, if you've got a small apartment. (At least the monster can occupy himself with Monopoly while waiting to jump out and scare you.) Let's take a look at some storage tips for all those other odds n' ends that end up inside.

From Pinterest (original source unknown), a clever hanger to neatly hang your scarves and pashminas. Edit!: sharp-eyed reader Nessabirdie let me know in the comments that this hanger is available from The Container Store. Well done, Nessa! Thank you!

Better Homes and Gardens has a good one: use shower curtain rings to hang your purses, making them easy to slide around to find the one that matches your outfit.

Keep all your sheet sets as organized as Martha's by folding them and putting them inside one of the set's pillowcases. (And if you need a tutorial on folding a fitted sheet, check out this video from Lifehacker.) (Via Storage and Glee.)

Finally, if your closet likes to fill up with old electronics and computer junk as much as mine does, take a look at this cord storage solution from Instructables (via Storage and Glee).

Carving out a closet: sectioning off space to serve as storage

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know anything about this fine young gentleman other than he was photographed at a demonstration just before New York voted to legalize gay marriage, and that I really want to be his friend.

He's also absolutely right -- closets are for clothes (fabulous, fabulous clothes), and not people who are made to feel different. But... what if you don't have a closet?

According to real estate law, a bedroom is a room that 1) has a door that closes, and 2) has a closet. But the reality is that sometimes we have odd-shaped apartments carved out of what used to be large old houses, or single-room studios that used to be part of a warehouse, and all sorts of weird situations that sometimes leave us without a proper closet. So, how's one to store their clothing collection?

There are a few options, like wardrobes, but try this on for size: section off a part of your room as a closet using a curtain. This takes installing a curtained door on a normal closet to the next level -- instead, you're essentially installing a curtain that runs the length of a wall, a few feet out from that wall. (I would suggest 2.5 - 3 feet to make sure it's deep enough for your hangers to fit properly.)

From This Is Glamourous via Re-Nest

From West Elm via Crafty Cook-Ups

If you don't want to bother covering up with a curtain, you can still designate a part of your room as closet space while leaving your clothes out and in the open. You'll have to take care to keep up with your hanging and sorting, 'cause there's no hiding your mess. But if you view your clothes as wearable art, then show 'em with pride!

From Jenny Shus

Found on Lovely Undergrad's Pinterest

Hack your way to superiority: Lifehacker's small-space tips

2011-08-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

Lifehacker is a regular stop on my Google Reader train. They have amazing tips and tricks for, well, life -- everything from productivity to work to your home. (Their photography articles have been invaluable as of late, since I'm finally learning how to use a camera that didn't come inside of a phone.)

And the best feeling in the whole wide world is reading Lifehacker and seeing an article on something I already do. That's when I like to get out my Smuggie and pat myself on the back.

But there is still much for me to learn, and Lifehacker's Top 10 Space-Saving Household Projects is chock full of good ideas. Observe:

7. Fold Your Clothes Efficiently for More Drawer and Suitcase Space

Whether you're trying to pack light for a trip or just fit as many clothes into your dresser as you can, proper folding technique is key. For packing a suitcase, you're best off rolling your clothes, stuffing your folds, or using the bundled packing method for a space-efficient, wrinkle-free suitcase. Suit wearers will want to brush up on folding and packing a suit coat the right way, too. At home, make sure you know how to fold a dress shirt effectively to save closet space, and fill your drawers from front to back instead of top to bottom for easy access.
3. Use Every Inch of Your Shelves

Shelves are a great way to store your stuff, but if you find even your shelves are cluttered, there are other ways to maximize your usable space. With the magic of magnets, you can store things on the underside of your shelves or on the wall behind them. You can also save a lot of shelf space by using collapsible items in your kitchen.

In addition to tricks like these, Lifehacker frequently features beautiful and organized workspaces to serve as inspiration. A particularly apropo example is Mnerd's tiny corner desk area; with only 274 square feet in his apartment, Mnerd (who has the best username ever) still carves out a neat yet inspiring space to GTD. (That's Lifehacker speak for "get things done!")

Be sure to check out Lifehacker regularly for more hacks and inspiration like this. Perhaps someday they'll have an article on how to make a Smuggie of your very own.

The Ottoman Empire (full of furniture, for some reason)

2011-08-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

Target is basically my favorite store. Here's how I roll: I walk in, grab one of their sleek red and gray carts, toss my purse in, walk past the accessories section, ogle the purses, wish they were real leather, swing by the cosmetics section, check out their Essie nailpolish colors (they never seem to have the most recent collection), then move along to the very exciting things I actually need. I inevitably end up at the checkout with cat litter, tampons, maybe a bottle of wine or pint of ice cream, and I wonder to myself what other items I should throw into my cart so that I don't look like the crazy cat lady that the cashier will surely think me to be.

On my most recent trip, these caught my eye. We've covered storage ottomans (over on Design*Sponge) and ottomans and trays before, but these are a bit of both.

The open wooden frame of these ottomans provides a small bit of storage -- perhaps a stack of magazines or a basket with your remote controls in it. With the flat side up, you've got yourself a tiny coffee table or side table. And presto-changeo, with the cushioned side up, you can put up your feet or create extra seating for a guest.

Perhaps next time I'll put one of these in my cart along with my Friskies, Tampax, and Ben n' Jerry's -- and a shovel, roll of duct tape, and handsaw. You know, just to make 'em wonder.

I choo-choo-choose you: A train caboose turned home

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you see a classified ad that says, "Cabooses for sale," I wouldn't blame you for thinking something... salacious. (Especially if the ad were in a paper like L.A. Xpress.) But in 1975, Marcia Weber saw that very ad in the back of the Wall Street Journal and it turned out to be actual cabooses -- the train kind.

Marcia and her then-husband purchased a wooden Soo Line train caboose, built in 1909, as a vacation home. Years later, Marcia decided to make the train car her primary residence.

The caboose is only 337 square feet, and sits on a piece of track on her property in Northwest Pennsylvania. Back in 1976 it cost $6,000 -- but it's required a bit of renovation since then. The caboose originally didn't have any heat or plumbing (they had installed electricity prior to Marcia's moving in, but it was obviously not original). These basic necessities, along with a bathroom, a front porch, and some other upgrades to make the place livable, were added. But outside of these renovations and a few cosmetic touches, everything is as it was in 1909.

Marcia had her doubts about moving from a 2,500 square foot house to a tiny caboose, but now absolutely adores living in her "36-year labor of love." “I sold 95 percent of my belongings and feel very free as a result,” Marcia told the Tiny House Blog. “Plus, I can clean the whole place in fifteen minutes. The area here is absolutely beautiful and I spend a lot of time sitting on the deck reading and just looking at my surroundings. It’s all mountains, ponds, and open space.”

Sure, it may not be a big caboose, but it certainly is a cute caboose.

From Tiny House Blog via Craft, and Dornob.

A safer book nook: DIY shelves in your fireplace

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

We've covered using nonfunctioning fireplaces here on Tiny-Ass Apartment before; the possibilities of what you can stuff into your fireplace are endless. But for some, storing books in your hearth is a lil' too close to book burning. At the very least, there's a concern about the lack of respect the tomes are afforded, and a worry about how dirty and sooty they'll get.

Now, as a book lover myself, I can understand. There's nothing like feeling a page between your fingers, hearing the binding crackle as you open it, smelling the paper and ink and... OH OKAY I WANT A NOOK. They're so bad-ass, with their e-ink and their wifi and touchscreens and magic gagetry. But still, I feel that paper books do deserve respect and a pride in their display. That's why this idea from Better Homes and Gardens appeals to me. It still utilizes the unused fireplace space, but shows you how to create a shelf inside to protect your paperbacks. It's the best of both worlds.

Via Better Homes and Gardens.

Square pegs: pegboards in the kitchen

2011-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Apartment Therapy: Chicago

We've already covered ad nauseum how I'm not the greatest cook. But there is still a way in which I might be able to emulate Julia Child, one where there's a low risk of my setting my stove on fire.

InteriorDesign.net

Child's considerable collection of kitchen accoutrement was displayed on huge pegboards in her kitchen, with the outline of each item drawn onto the board for quick and easy identification when putting those tools back in their proper places. One could immediately see and grab the thing that they needed, wasting no time when racking that lamb or filleting that fish or whatever it is that real chefs do.

More of Julia's impressive boards (InteriorDesign.net)

Pegboards can be a great way to increase your storage space in a small kitchen, and to keep yourself organized -- no more searching for that one whisk that seems to hide at the back of your drawer. Putting your tools up on the wall makes use of otherwise wasted vertical space, freeing up precious counter and cabinet space.

Apartment Therapy: Chicago

CafeMom's The Stir

Pegboards can also serve as a kind of decor. Colorful boards, like the ones below, can add a pop of bright color to your wall, tempered by the shiny brasses, silvery steels, and black irons of your cookware.

SassyRadish's Flickr

The Kitchn

Putting all of your pots and pans on the wall can lead to a cluttery feel, certainly. But as Thomas Jayne says in his piece for Interior Design, Julia Child was "hospitable to the point of flirtation," and that her pegboards "contrasted remarkably with modern style kitchens where all the equipment is hidden and all the surfaces too clean and stark (kitchens we used to laugh at and call Gropius-gone-wrong.) But, then her kitchen was radical too, because virtually every piece of cooking apparatus was displayed, certainly not the norm, but nonetheless a remarkable, welcoming gesture." After all, a kitchen should be a place where you can feel right at home amongst your tools, cooking food to share with loved ones.

Or in my case, microwaving leftover pizza.

A tiny island for a tiny budget: shopping the Treasure Island Flea Market

2011-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Even though I've spent my entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area (sans four or so years), until this weekend I had never set foot on Treasure Island. But after my coworker Freda came into the office gushing about how awesome the place was, I had to check it out.

Treasure Island is an entirely man-made island, attached to the naturally-occuring Yerba Buena Island by a narrow isthmus. It was built by the federal government in 1939 for the World's Fair, and later became an airport and then a Naval base. The Treasure Island base was decommissioned in 1996 (along with the Presidio Army Base in San Francisco proper), and was then opened up for public use. It's been a mixed bag; there's been some film production located there (like for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Matrix), housing for the Job Corps kids, and now several wineries make their home there. There've been even more recent efforts to develop more housing there and make it attractive to residents and businesses. But as Freda liked to point out, the entire island is full of toxic materials, and since it's made of landfill, it runs the risk of liquefying in an earthquake. There's also the problem that there's nothing there. No gas station. No grocery store. No nothin'. And the only way to access it is to take the Bay Bridge from either San Francisco or Oakland.

Yep, it's named after the Robert Louis Stevenson book, a fact not lost on its residents

But still, it's such a unique place I'm even thinking of exploring their housing options. The views are breathtaking, it's removed from the hustle of the city but still mere minutes away (depending on Bridge traffic), and it's just... neat.

Photo by Freda Maletsky

We started our day under an enormous statue of a woman that had been brought back from Burning Man. We then hit up the food trucks (Chairman Bao's steamed buns are delectable!) and wandered around the flea market. The Treasure Island Flea Market is still really new; its first show was this past May, so the one we attended was only their third time out. (And apparently they used to charge to get in -- don't worry, they scrapped that idea quickly!)

The flea market was pretty much what you'd expect from a Bay Area market. It was small (not nearly as huge as the Alameda Point Antiques Fair), and its booths ran the gamut from great vintage pieces, handmade hipster wear, and garage sale junk.

I almost almost bought one of these picnic baskets...

A crate of awesome vintage books -- green ghosts and crooked cats, oh my!

A whole booth of wire baskets and wooden shelves -- made me want to get my organization on!

Bambi McDonald's toys! OMG, I had these as a kid and they were the BEST HAPPY MEAL TOYS EVER!

I don't know what this is, and I'm not sure I want to know.

Vintage auditorium seats from a local school that was remodeled.

A twee, Etsy-ish booth with feather hair extensions and jewelry, photo booth props on sticks (like fake Brian Wilson beards), and handmade flower hair clips -- everything a San Francisco hipster could want.

I literally said out loud before we began that I was not allowed to buy My Little Ponies. Dangit...

How cool is this anchor? I'm not sure what I'd do with it, other than have it sit around my apartment, looking cool.

Freda bought a pin version of the bacon wrapped hot dog. Meanwhile, the poo is sorry that it stinks.

A bizarro recumbent bike

A tiny child's bike. I should have bought this; there's no way I would have cried at the thought of falling over on this...

Talking (and talking) with Clyde the ring guy! He makes rings out of coins like quarters and half-dollars. My work often books him for parties; I have a quarter ring with the Hawaiian state design on it.

Clyde's setup, with his ball bearings and nuts n' bolts.

Amazing details on the completed rings.

After finishing up at the market, the bunch of us went wine tasting. Our first stop, The Winery, was too crowded so we moved on to three of the others that make their home on the island. (My favorite was Fat Grape, which is located in the old brig.)

As we walked around the island to the different tasting rooms, I was caught up in the fantasy that we were in a post apocalyptic zombie movie. C'mon, doesn't it look like they could film The Walking Dead here? I'm in love with the abandoned, decaying buildings. I doubt anyone would notice if I just started squatting in one...

Don't open - dead inside

As we left the island, I was able to snap a picture of the billion-dollar view of San Francisco.

Yep, I think it might be worth living on a toxic, decaying Navy base just to get to see that every day.

On the hunt: Apartment searching tips and tricks

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

We have a new employee over at the party planning business, and I just love her. She and her boyfriend are from 'round these parts, but are moving back to the Bay Area after living in another part of the state, and her tales of searching for an apartment have been really... sad. Good apartments are hard to come by these days, and the few that do become available are descended upon by hordes of eager renters like buzzards on roadkill. There were apartments she saw that were snatched up by someone else within mere hours of their listing.

While this tough competition might be just a part of your usual San Francisco existence, it's becoming more common across the country as a result of the economic downturn. Says Phil Villarreal on The Consumerist, "Although the depressed housing market has made things easy for home buyers, it seems to have had an adverse effect on renters, who face more competition with perhaps fewer openings than ever. Thanks to former homeowners who suffered short sales or foreclosures and are forced into the rental market, there are more renters playing musical chairs."

Still, there are tools you tech-savvy readers can use to give yourselves a leg up. One of the coolest and most highly recommended is PadMapper.

PadMapper scours listings from places like Craigslist, Apartments.com, and Rent.com, and lays them out on a searchable Google Map. Pick your neighborhood to see all the listings, then use their filters to narrow down your search. They have your typical criteria, like maximum rent, number of bedrooms, and if pets are allowed, as well as the age of the listing (very useful when good homes go lightning-fast). They also have what they call their "Super-Secret Advanced Features" which allow you to view average commute times to your work or school, the neighborhood's walkability, even its crime stats. You can also show nearby amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, and gyms. Once you've got a few pins left on your map, you can click them to view the listing (along with their photos) on the spot. Finally, once you find the perfect pad, you can save it to your favorites.

Another tip to keep in mind when searching rentals is to do your due diligence and check on the background of your potential landlords. CasaSugar's Kristy Korcz used Yelp to read the reviews of a building she was considering. She "checked up on the rental agency that runs the building on Yelp, and found that they've recently been sued multiple times for withholding deposits, overcharging, and not responding to essential maintenance requests like a lack of water and heat, and locks being broken on the front gate (leaving the mail boxes totally exposed). Who would want to live in a place like that!?" Bullet. Dodged.

Via PadMapper, Consumerist, Lifehacker, and CasaSugar.

Working from home: desk and sofa combinations

2011-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Better Homes and Gardens

Working as the web admin for Sophie's World isn't all glamour, all the time. There's lots of typing. And clicking. And scrolling. And more clicking. And more typing.

But I do have the advantage of being able to work from home once in a while. I can't tell you how much I love not having to commute (or even brush my hair), but I lack a dedicated home office. When you're in a tiny-ass apartment, the space you have has to be multi-function, and your living space often doubles as your work space.

Dividing your living room by putting your desk against the back of your sofa is an idea that I love. It visually separates the two areas in such a way that if you're sitting down at your desk, it still feels like work time. And, if you're lounging on your couch, you can lazily put a drink on your new de facto sofa table without even getting up.

Check out some of the fab examples I've found online (yay Pinterest!).

Caymanian Compass Observer

Design*Sponge

Domino

Kimberly Seldon via Domestic Bliss

Room and Board via Apartment Therapy

Also from Room and Board

I'm sensing some tension...

2011-07-26T20:14:00.001-07:00

Have you ever walked into your apartment and felt the need to apologize to it? "Oh god, I'm so sorry. Yes, I know. I'll vacuum you soon. Aw, jeez, I know it's bad. I'll take care of those dishes as soon as I can. I've just been so busy! I'm sorry!"

Your home can't be your sanctuary if its messy state makes you feel guilty. Here are two quick ways to cut the tension with... tension rods.

In the kitchen, you can use small tension rods to help organize a few perpetually-frustrating areas: that drawer of pots, pans, and their lids, and that oxymoronic messy cabinet full of cleaning supplies.

Found on Pinterest (by the way, I'm finally on Pinterest! Come say hi!), this is a quick and clever way to bring your spray bottles up off the cabinet floor, clearing some room for more cleaning essentials.

And via Real Simple, you can use a rod to corral your lids, keeping them neatly upright against the drawer and allowing you to quickly see and grab the appropriate one.

All it takes is a quick trip to the Home Depot, and you and your apartment are on speaking terms again. It's also a lot cheaper than couple's therapy.

Via Pinterest and Real Simple.

Grill 'em all!

2011-07-20T15:14:00.001-07:00

I'll allow those of you in the Midwest, South, and parts of the East Coast, all of you under the "heat dome," to get out your tiny violins. I'll wait.

Ready? Okay.

It is sooo cold in San Francisco this summer! Cold, gray, wind, fog, tiny droplets of moisture hanging in the air and sticking to my hair as I walk outside. Last month was the rainiest June on record, so I'd heard. Definitely not ideal barbecue weather.

But despite the fact that it's not a great time to fire up the grill in San Francisco, and that it's probably too hot to cook over an open flame in most other parts of the country, I was still so taken with this tiny grill (and herb garden) that I thought I'd share it here, ready to be used when the sun comes out (or goes away).

Featured on Remodelista and available for sale at A + R, this "Hot Pot Barbecue Grill" from Black + Blum is a terracotta pot with a secret identity. The top portion contains a planter, but lift it up and underneath is a little grill. The whole thing is perfect for a tiny balcony or terrace, or even just your front stoop. Clever cooks will use the top portion to plant a mini-herb garden, so that all you need to flavor your food is right at your fingertips.

But with the Bay Area weather being so chilly, I might use this grill for yet another purpose -- to keep me toasty warm. Happy summer, everyone!

The Little Apple

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last year I saw Sex and the City 2. It was only partially voluntary: I hadn't seen a good friend in a long time and she wanted to make a big event out of seeing the movie and getting cosmos afterward or whatever with a gaggle of girls. So I went.

It was so bad another likewise cynical girlfriend and I couldn't stop giggling throughout the movie at its sheer ridiculousness. Really, Carrie, you're going to wear a face-crown for the gay wedding? Samantha, you're going to end up in jail or something the way you're carrying on in a well-known conservative country. And do not even get me started what they wore. It looked like someone with dissociative identity disorder pulled the clothes from the costume rack of a colorblind theatre troupe.

But the most unbelievable thing were, of course, the characters' New York apartments. The place Carrie shares with Mr. Big must have cost so much that I'm sure Sex and the City 3 features Mr. Big doing down for some Bernie Madoff-esque scheme he started just to afford it.

Now Felice Cohen is a real New Yorker -- and her 90-square foot apartment is much closer to your typical New York apartment than Carrie's digs.

Felice says she always wanted to live in Manhattan, and after finding her home through a friend, she's right at the heart of it all. With all of New York and Central Park "as her backyard," Felice is content in her 12' x 7' microstudio.

Felice and her kitchen area behind her (note the bananas stored in the toaster oven!)

It's lucky that Felice, in addition to being an author and artist (who specializes in Shrinky-Dink art, heh), is a professional organizer. And I must say her place looks great. She makes good use of vertical space, building storage all around and over her desk. (But oh, girl, please don't stand on a rolling chair to get to the top shelf! You're gonna crack your head open on that lovely brick wall behind you.) Next to her workspace is a cozy chair for reading, and on the opposite side of the room is a kitchen area with a mini-fridge.

There's only 23 inches of clearance above the bed -- sitting up in the middle of the night after a nightmare would lead to a whole new kind of pain...

Across from the kitchen is her closet, and above that, her lofted bed. Felice said she had a panic attack the first night she slept there, convinced she was going to fall out. Just next to the closet is her bathroom, which is full of awkward angles. She says she sometimes sits sideways on the toilet, and in the video she demonstrates how she gets out of the bathtub (very, very carefully).

But despite the extra effort she had to expend in setting up her home, and the effort it takes to live in it, Felice is happy in her tiny apartment. She had only intended to stay there for a year, but now she's going on three. And with a rent of only $700 for a place on the Upper West Side, I can see how it'd be hard to give up.

Maybe she can spend the money she saves on rent on face-crowns. I hear they're popular out there in New York City.

Via Gawker, The Daily Mail, Dornob, and Yahoo! Shine. Images from FairCompanies.com's Flickr. (Except the face-crown, obviously.)

Ship me off to France: shipping containers turned student housing in Le Havre

2011-07-14T15:36:00.001-07:00

My love for the French got three little boosts today, just in time for Bastille Day.

First, I learned that the French call flip-flop shoes "les clap claps." (Not that they would actually wear them, of course.)

Second, this free app from the Mac App store is a fun, easy way to brush up on your basic French vocab. It also makes me feel like a genius, the way I can whiz right through the lessons.

And third, these shipping container dorm rooms in Le Havre, France.

Called the Cité A Docks, this complex with 100 units was created by Cattani Architects. Each dorm is 24 square meters and includes a bathroom, a kitchen, free wifi, and the feeling like you just woke up at the beginning of Portal 2.

The building was raised from the ground so that even the first floor could have a bit of privacy, and the walls have been "coated with fire walls in reinforced concrete 40cm wide, and come within layers of rubber to dampen vibrations" in order to maximize heat and sound insulation, according to Contemporist. The exterior keeps the look of the separate containers, but unifies them by painting them all the same shade of metallic gray.

If I were a university student about to take up residence in these dorms, I'd be so excited I could barely contain myself. (Ugh, just awful, I know.) Still -- these little units are très cool, even if I'm not.

Via Reddit, Freshome, and Contemporist.

Your local delivery joint won't be happy: making the most of your itty bitty kitchen

2011-07-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

laziness threshold: noun \ˈlā-zē-ness thresh-ˌhōld\
definition
1: the point where a situation becomes so intolerable that one must finally overcome their own laziness to do something about it.
example
"I'm hungry, but my laziness threshold has not yet been met, so I'm not going to get off the couch to go to the kitchen."

That's a phrase that I came up with not long ago, mostly to describe my preference for whining about being hungry as opposed to my actually cooking. But I recently found a similar phrase that I think goes hand-in-hand with "laziness threshold." In the book, The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook, by Justin Spring, he describes the "shut-off point," where clutter and mess so overwhelm a workspace that it cannot be used for its primary function anymore. In the kitchen, "clutter stops most food preparation and the local takeout place gets a lot of business" -- that's how Tricia Postle eloquently sums it up in her review of the book on Kevin Kelly's site, KK.org.

The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook is full of tips and tricks like these for making the best use out of your tiny kitchen. And Spring should know from tiny: he grew up on a boat, with a kitchen so small it was little more than a camp stove and ice chest. In addition to small-space-specific lessons, Spring also discusses basics like cleaning and maintenance, appliances and tools, and even includes recipes aimed to use as little of your resources as possible. Though the book is no longer in print, Postle points out that it can be found on Amazon.

To go along with Spring's practical advice, Better Homes and Gardens has a collection of 11 Clever Kitchen Storage Solutions. While all are gorgeous, most of them seem to be permanent renovations that many renters couldn't get away with nor afford. However, this one caught my eye...

One of the realities about living in a small space is accepting what you have and making the best of it. I've lived in older apartments with some wacky drawers: drawers that were useless because someone installed an appliance that blocked it, teeny drawers that would maybe fit a couple of toothpicks and chopsticks. What about those who have no "utensil-sized" drawers, and only big, deep drawers? The solution above of storing your silver vertically is total genius.

And now that I've overcome my my laziness threshold, and with my kitchen not quite yet at the shut-off point, time to figure out what to do for dinner. But, um, is there a phrase that means "can't cook anything beyond a frozen pizza?"

I feel happy of these walls!

2011-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just to update you on something I brought up in a recent post: this past weekend I tried to re-learn how to ride a bike. It did not go well. The bike belonged to someone much, much taller than me, and teetering on the top of it, unable to reach the ground, scared the bejeezus out of me. There may have been tears. It certainly did not go as well as it did for this little dude:

But enough of my failures as a fully-functioning adult. Let's talk about not being able to afford wallpaper. (Oh, wait...)

Over at The Gloss, Jessica Ogilvie bemoans the fact that she's too poor to afford the adorable wallpaper she so desires. And who hasn't been there? Who hasn't browsed Graham & Brown with lust in their heart and nothing in their wallet? Still, Jessica's found a way to get at least a little taste of the delicious colors and patterns she wants at a fraction of the cost. Her solution: order samples, mount in picture frames, and hang on the wall. (It also helps get around the arduous task of actually putting up wallpaper, and gets around the no painting/papering problem many renters face.) Check out her full post for the details.

Now, if you're a little less industrious, and have slightly more cash, check out these amazing wallstickers from The Wallsticker Company. These ain't your average wallsticker -- these cover the entire wall. So, essentially, they're one-sheets of wallpaper that you can remove, adjust, take with you to a new space, and get around those pesky landlords holding onto your deposit. Babble's Family Style blog (yes, I read a lot of "mommy blogs" now for my day job at Sophie's World) featured some really cute ones. It's hard to believe that it's not paint or traditional wallpaper -- those stripes are amazing!

A little something for the kiddos

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of children is that they're small people. Really small. Like, toddlers are, what, two feet tall? They can fit into all kinds of spaces that most adults would say violate the Eighth Amendment. You could practically put them in a large dog crate and they'd be fine, although I seriously don't recommend it if you have real, living children in your care. (Aren't we all glad that I don't?) I mean, Harry Potter lived in a cupboard under the stairs and he turned out just fine. Besides, the little nooks below, courtesy of Babble, Apartment Therapy, Southern Living, and Lykke Og Lykkeliten are sooo much cuter than a crate or cupboard. Your own tiny people would love spaces like these, and you won't even have child protective services called on you!

Via Babble, Apartment Therapy, Southern Living, and Lykke Og Lykkeliten.

19 tiny houses - A photo gallery from Design Crave

2011-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Shhh. Let's not ruin this moment with too much talking. Just feast your eyes on this lovely photo gallery from Design Crave, "19 Pictures of Remarkably Tiny Houses." Though these pictures sadly don't appear to have sources, sharp-eyed readers are sure to recognize a Tumbleweed House or two, as well as our beloved Little House of Toronto. Check it out, and let these mini-homes speak for themselves. Via Design Crave.

The Bike Shelf

2011-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

After leaving Los Angeles, which roughly translates to "No One Walks, Everyone Drives," I've been thinking more and more about using a bike to get around. Sure, I haven't ridden one in maybe 15 years, but if riding a bike is the go-to example for things that you'll always remember once you've learned, maybe starting up again won't be so hard. However, in a tiny-ass apartment, a bike can take up a LOT of space. And when leaning it up against a wall or mounting an ugly metal rack are simply not enough, consider this beautiful solution. Chris Brigham is a designer and woodworker based right here in San Francisco. He says he created the "Bike Shelf" because "while visiting friends who live in small apartments here in San Francisco — and even more so in NYC — I noticed that there is a void when it comes to elegant bike management," he says. The Bike Shelf is available through Chris's studio, Knife and Saw, in walnut for $300 or in ash or maple for $275, with customization available for an additional fee. Not cheap, no, but it still keeps your bike safely put away while simultaneously turning it into a hanging work of art. Via Remodelista and Knife and Saw.

Sweet hidden alcoves

2011-03-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

(Image from Potatomato) While living in LA, whenever I had an out-of-town guest who wanted to go star watching, I'd take them to Alcove in Los Feliz. One of my two favorite restaurants in town (the other, There's No Place Like Home, was mere blocks away), Alcove had damn delicious pastries and a high likelihood of someone famous strolling by. Just offhand I can recall John Cho, Jason Bateman, Sonya Walger (during Lost's peak, too!), Yvette Nicole Brown... Sure, they're not Brad Pitt-status, but I never minded. I preferred to have the smaller thrill of seeing someone who I liked, on some of my favorite shows. Those sweet little moments while eating some sweet chocolate lava cake at Alcove with friends give me the same warm fuzzies that these alcove beds do. They're comfy, cozy, and cute -- I'd love to lounge around and drink a chai latte in them any day.
(From Chele McKee, via Desire to Inspire) These curtained alcove beds are perfect for small apartments, especially studios. They offer privacy and a way to block out the light if your bed would normally be open to the rest of your living space. If you're not lucky enough to have a lil' nook built into the architecture of your place, you can always create one by curtaining off all sides, instead of just the one.
(From Apartment Therapy: SF)
(From Apartment Therapy: NY)
(From Apartment Therapy: SF) The thing that separates these beds from your average curtained bed is the fact that they're more fully enclosed, as opposed to standing in the middle of a room. Typically, they have three sides closed in by a wall, with the open side covered with a curtain. All of them have a wonderful cozy-cave feeling that make them perfect for curling up with a yummy pastry and reading a book -- or watching an old episode of Lost or Community on DVD...