Our Home - Planning A Dining Area

There's no way to describe the main living area of Casa Seventeenth & Irving than awkwardly large. While I rejoice at the amount of square footage we have compared to the typical San Francisco apartment, the living area has been an impossible to solve puzzle since the day we moved in.

I drew up a little floor plan so you can get an idea of what I mean. It's a mind-boggling 20' long by 13'3" wide. But a good 3' of that 20' depth is virtually unusable, since it functions as the main traffic area to our dining room, kitchen, and entry hall that leads to the bedroom, bathroom, and front door.

When we first moved in, I had my desk area in the lower right corner of the living area, facing the wall. I quickly learned that I hated facing a wall while working. About 3 months of that, I turned my desk to face the entry hall, but left it in the same space. I continued working like that for a good 2 years.

One day, in the dead of our San Francisco "summer" which is actually a cold, foggy, miserable few months, I realized that corner of our apartment is not only the coldest it's also the darkest. No wonder I was hitting a slump daily, trying to keep myself awake! We have East facing windows in the living area, so while it's nice first thing in the morning, by midday it gets fairly dark in there. And, if it's foggy, the light is non-existent.

I took on a bigger job around that time, and I asked Mr. S&I if he would mind if I took over the dining area. We moved my desk and immediately, my work productivity increased. I have a giant window behind me (I face those two closets) and a large light fixture overhead providing bright light. I've been happily working in our former dining room ever since.

We pushed our existing dining table and chairs to that sad bottom right corner. It is still so dark, cramped, and awkward feeling that we barely use it. The table and chairs are just too large for the area, and the darkness wasn't working. Result? Binge watching House of Cards while eating at our coffee table far more often than I would like to admit.

The former designer in me couldn't let this go. I want a comfy space to eat and enjoy the meals we love making together. I want a solution to this awkward corner of my home. It is the first wall space you see when you walk into our place, and I want it to make an impact.

I came across the image at the top of this post in my inspiration files and suddenly, I had an idea. Why not build out a cozy dining corner?

I think it's important to begin every project with a plan - if you don't, you'll find yourself buying random things to fill the spot, that you'll never be happy with, and you end up replacing them. "Buy the best, and you'll only cry once" is now my motto (thanks Miles Redd) as even I'm guilty of purchasing filler pieces I end up regretting.

Armed with this plan, I'm determined to get this area built out in time for the holidays. We've put so many things around the house on hold while saving for the wedding, but afterwards, I'm looking forward to making some of these long awaited improvements.

Since that area is so dark, I'm on the lookout for a large fixture that is appropriate for low ceilings while still providing lots of light. Something like this to bring that sparkly brightness. I also want it to be transparent, so that it doesn't cover too much of the large piece of textile art we just purchased. I'm looking forward to having that reflective lucite to bounce light off of, and at 60" x 60" it will help take up a lot of real estate on an awkward wall.

I've been hoarding about 10 yards of charcoal velvet for the last year that I got at a warehouse sale, and I've finally found its perfect use. I plan to work with a local upholsterer to build out a banquette that we can anchor to that corner. I love the leggy look of the inspiration photo, but I want to add some extra storage and plan to panel out the front to match the original doors of our home.

Do you like banquette seating? I think it will feel cozy, and it's a great space saver if you don't have room for a proper dining area. I'm going to push a small round pedestal table up against the banquette, and add these two vintage chairs I just scored to the outside edges. 

One corner down, many more to go. I can't wait to share the finished photos with you.

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TOP IMAGE VIA BEST & COMPANY

AROUND HERE: OUR BATHROOM

When we moved to San Francisco nearly a year ago, we were so focused on just getting everything moved here from Atlanta, put away, and focused on our new life that we didn't do a ton of decorating. Now that I know we plan to stay in this apartment for a while, I'm going room by room and swapping things out, adding a bit of style to each space.

While our apartment is not old by San Francisco standards - we're 1950s versus many apartments built in the 20s - our bathroom is in need of a little TLC. Since we aren't allowed to paint, that forces me to focus on the actual pieces that go in to the space...both a blessing and a curse.

In the bathroom, my number one design tip is to treat the bathroom like you would any other room. It has to be functional, yes, but functional can also be beautiful. Shopping in the bathroom aisles won't necessarily get you there. When I looked for pieces for our bathroom, I looked at dining ware, living room rugs, and office supplies.

I started with this photograph from Vogue as a jumping off point. I wanted the small space to feel serene and the divers look peaceful and timeless. I decided to hide our glass shower doors that have seen better days with a shower curtain. You may have read that hanging your curtains high above your windows will make your room appear larger. This translates to the bathroom as well - but most shower curtains are sold at a 72" length. That's why I love these extra long shower curtains at an 84" length from Restoration Hardware. Hanging it higher than normal solves the ugly door problem and makes the ceilings look higher.

Most bath mats are really poorly designed but these jute rugs from West Elm come in a 2' x 3' size that's perfect in front of a tub or vanity. Or in the case of our super small bathroom, one rug serves both. These rugs still feel soft underfoot, clean up easily, and are more durable than their towel like counterparts. Better still, they don't get that matted look that normal bath mats get from moisture.

I finished off the vanity by gathering accessories that pull in our favorite colors while remaining functional. The large recycled glass jug can be used as a vase and the votive holder is perfect for relaxing with candles and a hot bath. The carafe can store mouthwash or bath salts and this tumbler is perfect for storing makeup brushes. I like the idea of putting photos in a bathroom and this frame can withstand the elements. This soap dish is perfect for by the sink or for holding jewelry.

If you're interested in following my inspiration for different rooms of our home, I keep an inspiration board here. You can see products I love, rooms that inspire me, and what we've got.