I moved to San Francisco with a couple suitcases in July of 2014 and found a room that barely fit a bed and no closet. This was before my Marie Kondo phase which I've been a proud disciple of since last year. In San Francisco I knew I'd be living in petite spaces, so my stuff remained at my parents home or in my sister's closet. This room measured in around 7'x9'. However it had a large window facing a fragrant magnolia tree and a clear view of twin peaks beyond. The wind would role off the hills and coat my room with ocean fog. Life in SF brought a lot growing up challenges and trying to find my grounds in a city that wanted to change and stay the same all at once. I had this room for nine months before the building was sold from a family who had lived there since the sixties to the second generation of tech buyers. I wanted this small room to inspire me and be a refuge.
My friend once slept on the floor for a summer. Not because she had to, but because she felt like it was better for her back. That inspired me to live mattress-less and get a 4" Japanese futon. After steam cleaning the carpet, I laid my futon on the floor and dressed it with soft white cotton sheets. Then I did a long search for a closet alternative and selected and a souped up garment rack with wheels. The open garment rack served as my garden and held my edited closet. I painted the existing shiny beige walls and trim super white. The west facing room became soft blue in the morning and ivory in the afternoon. My remnant life items were stored in three white enamel boxes that I placed under the garment rack. Luckily I could keep my suitcase in a hall closet. I really enjoyed my time in this space and I think the futon was actually good for my back.
-Susan Kolber
A bouquet of Eucalyptus and Yarrow
Make this space: Benjamin Moore's Super White on the walls, CB2 white cotton curtain panels, vintage architectural lamp, boll and branch sheets, Container Store metro garment rack. Plants: Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata), Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum), Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum), Aloe Vera, Alocasia Polly
