Bungalow in the City

August 6, 2020 Amber Guyton

This summer marked my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in the Bay a.k.a. my FIRST Bay-iversary! I celebrated by moving from Burlingame on the peninsula into San Francisco. During such a crazy time when many are fleeing SF to work remotely at a cheaper cost of living, I was overflowing with excitement about moving into the city and closer to all the action, even if socially-distanced.

For those not as familiar with the Bay area, I initially moved to Burlingame because it was halfway between Palo Alto (where my previous day job was located, further down the peninsula in the Silicon Valley) and San Francisco a.k.a. “The City” (where I’d have a much better social life, or so I thought LOL). Burlingame was sweet, quiet and quaint, but this country girl was craving a real city life, so when I switched employers to one located in SF’s Financial District, I was anxious to move into a neighborhood that would put me within walking distance of my new office. Once I started my new role and decided on a new lease, COVID hit and the world as we knew it changed dramatically. I’ve been working remotely for my new company since starting in mid-March, but whenever our office opens back up (likely 2021), I’ll be within a mile walk to return home for lunch and take Ralph on a walk if I so desire.

My new neighborhood is Russian Hill, one of San Francisco’s 44 hills and one of the original “Seven Hills” of the city. Russian Hill is one of the most cinematic neighborhoods in San Francisco with numerous pictorial views, a hip and urban vibe and convenient location in the middle of it all. It’s filled with charming restaurants, bars and boutiques, a mini French quarter and pocketed between Chinatown and Little Italy. Literally every view from Russian Hill is gorgeous. Depending on which street I turn down when leaving my apartment, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz or the Bay Bridge at different directions and I’m just walking distance way from the beach. Russian Hill is also famous for Lombard Street, the one-way, tight-winding hill between Hyde and Leavenworth streets. Lombard is known as “the crookedest street in the world” and has a beautiful view of Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill from its hilltop. I’m so in love with my new hood and even more obsessed with my new space.

Like many SF residents, I found my apartment on Craigslist. Haha that’s right, I couldn’t believe this was a thing either. After sifting through scams and sketchy real estate for weeks, I met my real estate agent and this newly listed apartment he posted. The entire experience was truly like finding a diamond in the ruff! My new place isn’t much larger than my previous studio apartment a.k.a. Bungalow by the Bay, but has some amazing perks that I simply couldn’t resist. In addition to the incredible location, it’s completely remodeled, equipped with brand new finishes and appliances including a commercial size washer and dryer (another feature that’s few and far between), has two private entrances, a back patio and did I mention location, location, location!? On top of all of that, I was able to negotiate a great deal on the rent from my sweet, new landlord based on the renters’ market COVID has turned the city into. Now I know what you’re thinking… “It can’t be perfect, it would cost a million dollars. What’s the catch?” Well, there were a few tradeoffs. As mentioned, it’s still tiny, sitting at less than 500 square feet. Though technically a junior one bedroom, the bedroom space is VERY tiny, and barely fits my queen size bed (we had to remove the door just to get it in there!). I have a lot less storage in the kitchen with half the amount of cabinets, minimal counter space and no pantry. I also had to have the landlord build some IKEA wardrobes for me in the entryway as there were ZERO closets in the space. Also, since the apartment is on the basement floor, I have a lot less natural light than I did in my old space (on top of being in a foggy and less warm region of the Bay area) and I can hear my neighbors’ footsteps above me (something I didn’t deal with before since I was on the top floor). BUT, the private back patio more than makes up for that and is honestly completely unheard of in the city for an affordable price.

I hired movers to help me move everything into my new space 20 miles up Hwy 101. We got everything done within 3 hours and I went right to work unpacking and decorating over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Though I’d be reusing all of my furniture from the Burlingame studio apartment, I purchased a few things to make my work and home life easy in in my new place…

First, I needed a place to eat and prep food when cooking. I’d lost my kitchen peninsula and counter space, so I purchased something pretty similar that would be functional and still accommodate my beautiful rose and gold counter height stools. This marble and wood table from CB2 arrived quickly and was easy to assemble (warning though, it’s SOOOO heavy)! The marble top is beyond gorgeous (photos really don’t do it justice) and I was very impressed with how perfectly the gray washed wood matched my new kitchen cabinetry. It looks like it was made just for the space!

Second, working from home may sound fun, but spending eight plus hours a day hunched over a desk for non-stop Zoom calls and desk work is hardly comfortable! After a few weeks, I quickly realized that if I continue to use my writing desk as a workstation, my neck and back wouldn’t survive the pandemic. So, I began researching stand up desks and invested in this beautiful electric one from Uplift Desk! It’s sleek, modern and ergonomically heaven sent! I can work and take Zoom calls sitting or standing, keeping me up and active and saving my back, neck and shoulders from fatigue and achy pain. I was a little anxious about the laboring assembly, but the folks at Uplift Desk made it easy. This was definitely my best purchase of 2020!

Lastly, a month before moving, I began purchasing outdoor furniture for my new back patio. Anticipating that outdoor furniture would likely go on sale over the summer and sell out quickly with everyone stuck at home, I purchased a mid-century modern Adirondack chair, ottoman and loveseat from Target’s Project 62 collection during one of their outdoor sales. I envisioned creating a boho-modern outdoor oasis that was cozy and comfortable for me to enjoy day and night, year-round! My favorite part of the outdoor space took the longest to arrive, but was well worth the wait. My Modway egg swing chair from All Modern was on backorder for 6 to 8 weeks, but completed the patio space with the perfect place to lounge.

I’ll share more details on my “backyard” and bedroom spaces in future blog posts, but for now, here’s a look at my entire apartment in San Francisco’s Russian Hill! After living here for a month, I’m completely obsessed! I’m not sure if I’ll ever leave… <3

Though I could have fled back to the east coast to shelter-in-place more affordably, there’s truly no place I’d rather be right now than SF. San Francisco is still as dreamy, whimsical and picturesque as the first time I laid eyes on her years ago during my first visit. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to live out my dreams doing what I love and living in a city that makes me grin wider than the beautiful San Francisco Bay itself. How’s the song go? “Don’t wake me….I’m dreaming!” :-D

Thank you Elvis Shaw of Elvisions for this amazing Home Tour video!

For more photos of my new apartment, check out my Portfolio and #BungalowintheCity on Instagram.

Be Blessed,

ACG

Design Deets:

Sofa - Joybird

Floral Rug – West Elm

Bookshelves - Cui Liu Designs, HomeGoods

Accent Chair – West Elm

Media Cabinet – TJ Maxx

Floor Lamp - Target

Stand-up Desk – Uplift Desk