realty round up: san francisco, ca

Today's edition of realty round up is a little different in that I have a client! The client aka my friend is moving to the San Francisco in April and is looking to rent (ideally) a 2 bedroom apartment. I volunteered to help her in her search and of course feature my findings here. So instead of doing homes for sale across four price categories, I have found four apartments that are potential candidates for them to rent. Their criteria is as follows:

- $2500 - $3500/month with parking included
- 2 bedrooms although a 1 bedroom isn't necessarily a deal breaker
- A dishwasher
- Laundry in the unit or in the building
- Located either in Nob HIll, Cow Hollow, the Mission District or Hayes Valley

House #1: $2,950/month

information and images via Zillow

This one bedroom - one bath apartment is not so appealing from the outside but it has garage parking, is in the budget and has laundry in the building. I selected it mainly because the spaces seem bright and open and the kitchen has space for a small table. 

House #2: $3,500

information and images via Zillow

This house seems too good to be true. It has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms! Plus a roof top deck! Oh and parking! Downside is that it is at the top of the budget...

House #3: $3,325

information and images via Pinnacle

I am not generally one for new construction or big complexes but I think it could make a lot of sense for my friends. They are going to be new to the city so having a sort of built in community could be really nice. Also the building features such amenities as a fitness center, concierge services, garage parking as well as a more professional rental situation (maintenance, management etc.). 

House #4: price unknown

information and images via The Marlow

This is a brand new building with occupancy starting at the beginning of April. There are no actual pictures (just renderings)  and the price is not disclosed. However, judging by the comparables I am going to guess that the units will be at the top of their budget. I like this building for much of the same reasons as the last. The extra bonus with this one is that most units have their own balconies. 

Have a good weekend everyone! Happy Mardi Gras!

the homies

The Homies by Apartment Therapy

Tomorrow the winners of the 2014 Homies will be announced. What are the Homies you ask? Well they are the awards for best home blogs given out by Apartment Therapy. There are two categories - Home Design and Home Cooking. In the Home Design section, three awards are given out while in the Home Cooking five are awarded. I am not that familiar with the awards but it is a great means to find new and inspirational blogs to follow. After scrolling through the nominees and the major contenders I have compiled a short list of old favorites and new finds that I thought I would share. 

Old Favorites
- Style by Emily Henderson - I love Emily Henderson. Her style is very boho, a little ironic and very California. Her blog features lots of inspirational rooms and ideas and I like her style of writing. She also is a great person to follow on Pinterest.

- Hooked on Houses - I sort of forgot about this blog for a while but its well worth a look/read. Written by Julia Sweeten, the blog features fun categories like bad MLS photos and celeb houses. I also really like the tv/movie house category. 

New Finds
- Bluebird - My first reaction to Bluebird is that it is beautifully designed. I didn't have a ton of time to explore but it looks like a great blog to visit to see a daily dose of lovely things and people.

- SF girl by the bay - A somewhat new find - I follow Victoria (the SF girl) on Pinterest and so know that she has a good eye. 

blush

I can be sort of picky when it comes to color. I tend to stick to blues, greens and neutrals and then experiment with textures. However, one color that is outside of my comfort zone that I am pretty obsessed with is - blush. The softest, lightest version of pink - I just love it. I like it because Its romantic yet when used correctly sort of unexpected. Here are a few favorites. 

1. Blush bathroom via Design Files  2. Kelly Wearstler edo pillow cover in opal via Etsy  3. Editorial by Clive Tompsett  4. Living room via Solrum  5. Sea Urchin fabric in shell/cream by Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks  6. design by Lisa Sherry - photo by Patrick Cline via Lonny 7. Cameron Diaz's Manhattan apartment designed by Kelly Wearstler via Elle Decor