Our big life in a 240 square foot studio in San Francisco
Images in this post by @gwilliamz.
From 2015 to 2018 I lived in downtown San Francisco with my husband, Ryan, in a tiny 240-square-foot apartment. It was cozy but it's the best place we've ever lived. With such a small, low maintenance home, our time and money were freed up to put towards things we truly want: early retirement and lots of adventures.
From 750 to 240 square feet
When we first got married in 2008, we looked at some small spaces that I vetoed. I was specifically caught up on the kitchen situation. I loved cooking and thought I needed a full size oven and fridge. Looking back, I think we could have made some of them work. Now one of my pet peeves is how big refrigerators are and I can’t remember the last time I used all four stove burners at once.
Features that make a small space work
Wall bed
This wall bed fits a standard queen size mattress with sheets and a thin quilt. Each morning we tuck our side in, clip the belt, and put the bed up. The pillows go up top when the bed is stowed. I have no problem lifting the bed up and down with both hands.
Everything there is to know about wall beds
Streamlined kitchenette
The unit manages to squeeze in:
Mini fridge
Dishwasher
Combination convection/microwave oven
Two-burner glass stove top
Although the refrigerator may seem tiny, I prefer it. It helps me to keep my food choices edited, and encourages me to shop frequently to eat more fresh food. The “freezer” however, can only fit an ice cube tray or a small pizza, not both. This is solved by eating the entire pint of ice cream in one sitting.
Smart storage in the bathroom
Functional entryway
Floor to ceiling storage
When floor space is short, the only place to go is up. Getting as much as possible up off the floor makes the space feel less cluttered and is easier to keep clean. I had to let go of my preconceived notions about where things go. Dogmas like "books go in the living room" doesn't last long when there's only room in the kitchen cabinets.
The “living room”
Double duty couch + coffee table
We could only have two pieces of furniture so I needed them to be functional and high quality while fitting perfectly in our limited space. The couch and pop-up coffee table were perfect for relaxing, eating dinner, and playing games!
Ditto II Sectional Sofa from CB2
Industrial Storage Pop-up Coffee Table from West Elm
We added the wheels on ourselves to make the space even more flexible.
Gallery wall
Although we don’t have much wall space I opted for a gallery wall to hang up some personal pieces. Using the rose gold colored clips makes it easy to swap things out and keeping everything contained to one wall kept the look of clutter down.
Musical hobbies
My husband Ryan plays guitar (he must have been playing it when I took this photo because it usually lives on the wall). I’m learning to play keyboard and I was not entirely sure it would fit when the wall bed was down but thankfully it has a couple of inches to spare!
P.S. Our we’ve since moved to New York City and our studio is a bit bigger and my keyboard is always set up and ready to play!
Patio + natural light
Natural light is the most effective way to make a small space feel bigger. When we first moved in, there were heavy dark curtains. We removed them and invested in high quality, custom wood blinds.
Roof deck
Having access to shared outdoor space let's you not just survive a small space, but thrive. We have a tray we use to carry things up to the roof and often do yoga, sip coffee, grill dinner, and entertain guests.
Crucial building amenities
BICYCLE STORAGE
When I lived in 360 square feet, that included storing two bikes in the unit. Now the bikes, helmets, and air pump are in the shared and easy to access bike storage.
STORAGE UNIT
A 12 square foot storage unit in the basement definitely takes the edge off. It mostly serves as a rotation for seasonal clothes and a place for our climbing/camping gear.
LAUNDRY AND WASTE
Having laundry and waste disposal facilities on the same floor makes life a lot easier. Because they are so close by, it's easy to avoid things piling up.
Convenient things to have nearby
PARKS
Yerba Buena Gardens and South Park are each a block away. I have a blanket, basket, and thermos ready to go when I need a bigger living room.
COFFEE & BITES
A few nearby coffee shops make it easy to slip out in the morning and get cranking if the other person is still asleep.
GROCERY STORE
Having a high quality grocery store nearby is important. We live on the same block as a Whole Foods and it is sooo convenient. We only buy what we're going to eat that day or the next. It has cut down on food waste and makes up for the fact that our kitchen storage is limited.
MUSEUMS
I have an annual membership to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and I treat it like a second space. It costs $150/year and includes the ability to bring four guests. I invite friends to meet me there for a coffee or I bring some work. It's a beautiful atmosphere to relax away from the elements and much cheaper than paying for a bigger apartment.
As seen in Apartment Therapy
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