Airy Loft, Open When Erin first transferred into her attic, it was packed with clunky furniture and had orange walls which made the room feel occupied. In order to earn the space spacious, airy and serene, she came up with clever storage solutions that keep everything nicely organized and clutter free.
Elegant Entrance In seeking a central storage system to use only inside the attic's entryway, Erin fell in love with one piece that serves several purposes. It gives open storage for items like keys and mail, concealed storage for bags and umbrellas, and nooks for books and shoes.
Tall Shelf To take advantage of dead space just off the living room's sliding glass doors that lead out to the attic's small Juliet balcony, Erin and Chris chosen to an 8-foot-tall bookshelf. It houses their significant belongings, such as diplomas and family keepsakes. "Vertical space is something really important to benefit from. You would be astonished how storing things upwards frees up space for other things. A combination of vertical and horizontal storage is key in optimizing square footage," Erin notes.
Clear Console Desk Rather than opting for a typical console table to put behind her sofa, Erin picked a clear glass table with a metal base that doubles as a full size workstation.
Repurposed Shelves Adding personal touches across the loft were significant to Erin. By repurposing wooden wine crates left from her wedding in Baja, she created an area to maintain her favourite fashion magazines within arm's reach of her workstation.
Dining Area Lovers of cooking and baking, Erin and Chris were determined about incorporating a little dining room into the corner of the living space. To do this, Erin chose a table with a pedestal base and a round top that would allow up to six chairs for dining.
Open-Shelf Kitchen The spacious shelving in Erin's kitchen exhibits many of her favorite kitchen items like glasses, plates and a cake rack -- bits which have sentimental value to the design blogger.
Appliance Garage An appliance garage at the kitchen keeps small appliances within arm's reach, yet concealed and clutter free.
Books in the Restroom With no obvious place on the attic's first floor to put away her massive collection of design books, Erin turned into a 6-foot wall at the first-floor toilet. She notes, "I had about 10 inches of depth and also a wall perpendicular to the glass-enclosed shower. To put it to great use, I set up a readymade wall system made of a chrome base and glass shelves. Now what was unusable space is maxed out with all of my favourite stuff."
Polish on Screen Erin considers her set of vibrant nail polish bottles nearly like sculpture or artwork. To do them justice she keeps them on screen in a mirrored tray over the commode. The blogger notes "It might be cliché to say this, but everything looks better in a tray. Once contained, pieces instantly take in an orderly appearance."
Polaroid Snaps Being newlyweds, images from the couple's wedding are a main source of art across the attic. In addition to framed professional images, Erin employs a classic library catalogue to show Polaroids taken by wedding guests.
Wedding Photographs Erin's wedding inspiration also graces dead room just off the entry wall into the upstairs bathroom. The stylista blogger notes, "While I've designated lots of areas to more practical usage, it was crucial that you make the most of dead area for just decorative reasons. I place my favorite art pieces -- pictures from our poolside deck wedding in Baja -- to good use in an area which could not be obstructed by furniture as a result of heating vent. The vantage point is ideal since I can see it straight while laying in bed" The three framed images include: a vignette of seashells and palm fronds, a pair of burros her wedding photographer stumbled upon to the beach, and a rowboat perched underneath a hut.
The Bedroom When Erin first moved in, the accent wall behind the bed has been painted a muted orange tone, the previous renter's homage to the San Francisco Giants that play only across the road at AT&T Park. To keep the space open and airy, she and Chris painted the walls a classic white (Benjamin Moore 01), then picked a palette of light grays, muted blues and creams. To add an individual touch in keeping with all the airy aesthetic of the space, Erin added photos with special meaning for her and her husband, Chris. "I don't like having photographs of people everywhere. I like photos which are more landscape or locale-based, but hold personal significance," Erin describes. "The picture print of Outer Banks, North Carolina means much to Chris and me since that's where we met, in a friend's wedding. I gave it to him for our first anniversary. I think it's the ideal inspiration bit for creating a bedroom that's calm, serene and about Chris and me personally"
Beautiful Bedside With limited space in her upstairs bedroom, it had been important Erin maintain her furniture simple, low profile and minimal. A white platform bed out of West Elm was ideal for many reasons: nightstands are integrated into the headboard for a seamless appearance, the white end keeps the space feeling open and airy, and the very low profile does not detract from the gorgeous view of AT&T Park just outside the bedroom windows.
Swing-Arm Lamp To free up surface area on the nightstands, Erin selected streamlined, thin, flexible swing-arm lamps which keep the surface lit from above, letting breathing space for much-needed bedside things like jewelry, books and eyeglasses.
When Inspiration Strikes Since Erin often blogs from bed or while lounging on the couch, having a place to store her iPad and notepads nearby ensures she can jot down thoughts and bookmark web pages as they come to her.
Handy Laptop Tray Erin prefers to site from the most comfy spots in the attic. The author writes the majority of her posts while sprawled out in bed although her living room desk has its fair share of use. By investing in a laptop, the blogger immediately adds a desk-like surface where she can type away while lounging comfortably.
Beneath the Bed Determined to optimize every square foot of the attic's bedroom, Erin's bed is packed with concealed storage just below the mattress. The drawers house everyday clothing for lounging around the house, such as cotton T, athletic wear and cotton button-ups.
Chic Storage The upstairs bedroom is the only place in the loft that has closets. In order to take full benefit of the interiors, Erin outfitted the backs of their doors with full-length shoe storage. This frees up precious cupboard space for bags and sweaters.
Door Decal To dress up the drab walls of closet doors which are the focal point from the bed, Erin adorned them with vinyl decals depicting palm trees. "Although we're leasing, I truly wanted the loft to feel like a permanent place," Erin comments. "By simply dressing up random items such as cupboard doors, I have packed personality into regions that otherwise could be deemed dead room."
Inspiration Board The interior of Erin's cupboard doors also doubles as inspiration boards for blogging. Erin explains, "People may think it's weird to start out my cupboard and find inspiration boards hanging on the back of a doorway; however, it is really the ideal place. Because I blog about fashion a good deal, it is a good way for me to put outfits together according to tearsheets I am motivated by. It pushes me to think beyond the box and make ensembles I would not have thought would work well together."
Laundry Nook Having a laundry nook right smack in the middle of the bedroom, Erin and Chris chose to conceal it with a simple drapery panel that easily slides open to get instant access. Erin notes, "While staring in a washer and dryer is not perfect for a design enthusiast like me, I actually could not complain since having a washer and drier at a San Francisco leasing is a total luxury. So we worked with it!"
Industrial Cabinet In order for your upstairs bedroom to house all Erin's daily requirements, such as cosmetics, cologne, jewelry and linens, the couple picked up an industrial fashion, free-standing cabinet that Chris assembled.
