It's never finished

My last post was about the coffee table I had custom made by an artist on Etsy. The final piece of furniture to complete my home. Done. Nothing else to get. I was so excited. It arrived on February 18th. On February 19th, I found out that my apartment needs to be combined with the apartment next door in order to comply with city codes, so I will have to move out at the end of my lease.

Seriously? Ugh. The story is like this. My building is a bunch of live/work lofts. These were approved by the city back when they were built in 2003. The original configuration of units in the building showed large lofts that could be used for both live and work space. My unit is 600 square feet. Perfect for a woman and her dog. Not ideal to run a full blown business and house a woman and her dog. (Although, to be perfectly honest, depending on what your business is, it could definitely be accomplished). The size isn't really the issue, though. The issue is that my 600 square foot unit was never approved by the city. The official plans were approved, and the building owner took it upon himself to divide some of the units into two in order to increase his profits (you can get more rent money from two smaller units than one larger units). Fast forward 9+ years, and the building was sold last December to a large company, Essex Property Trust. They learned of the discrepancy between the approved configurations and the actual configuration and tried to have the city approve the actual units that are in place. Since 2003, apparently a moratorium on new live/work spaces was placed in the neighborhood. So approving the current configuration would be like approving 35 new live/work spaces despite the moratorium. According to Essex, the city said its hands were tied. Now, the city did not say, "Essex, you must return the units to the approved configuration." The city only acts on zoning violations if someone submits a complaint. And in 9+ years with a lot of happy tenants, no one has complained. So Essex COULD keep the current configuration that is not in compliance and hope that this pattern continues, with no complaints. However, being a large company that fears litigation, apparently, they are choosing to put the units back into their originally approved formation. This means, my unit and my next door neighbor's unit will be combined into one unit of 1296 square feet. We each have the option to move back into the combined unit, but it will be at market rent, which means about double what I pay now. No thank you. (I also have been confused about how we can BOTH have the option to move back into the combined space. Seems like we'd have to do a little roshambo or something...)

The housing market in San Francisco sucks. I direct you to this post about last year's apartment search. It seems that fewer units are available in March than in June/July, but fewer people seem to be looking for them, too. That is good, but the pet issue still remains. And even worse than last year is the cost. Rents seem to have increased even more in the last year. The cheapest places I have found in my neighborhood are smaller than mine and cost about $600 more per month. It's absurd.

In addition to the annoyance of house hunting, the cost of moving is not something I had anticipated so soon. I intended to be here indefinitely. Obviously, there is always the chance that something could come up after your lease term expires, but had I known that my unit was essentially not in existence according to the city, I might have thought a little harder about whether I would have signed my lease last year.

And now I have the additional hassle of making my furniture fit into a new space. And/or finding new pieces to make a new space work. All over again.

So to the sketchy building owners who made this all happen, thanks. As if I didn't already have enough to do...

Coffee Table Part 1

Part 1 because I ordered it, but it's being created and won't be here for a few weeks. After months and months of searching and debating and hesitating and wishing I had unlimited funds, I had pretty much set my heart on a Vladimir Kagan sculptural coffee table. Then I saw some Adrian Pearsall tables, and thought maybe that was what I wanted instead. It didn't really matter because both are rare and cost over $1,000. Then I decided that I had a functional frustration with those tables anyway (yes, functional frustration...I just made that up). I liked how my old coffee table had a shelf underneath to stash magazines or coffee table books. The sculptural base tables were just wood with a piece of glass on top. I still love the look, but I wasn't in love enough to justify the cost.

So back to square one, I started some random searches online. My friend Kristen suggested that I talk to artists who make furniture about the style that I like and my desire for a shelf. Perhaps I could just have something made. So I decided to check out Etsy, and I came across a woman in LA who makes industrial style furniture out of salvaged steel. And suddenly the idea of the soft wooden sculptural look was gone. I'm still going glass, but I'm getting a shelf. And I'm getting a completely unique look with a salvaged steel base. Here is the basic idea of the table, but she's customizing it for me so that it will have glass on both top and bottom. It should be here at the end of the month/beginning of next month. I'm so excited! I'll post pictures of the room after it arrives.

For a look at what sorts of tables I had been considering over the last few months, you can see my Living Room Pinterest board.

Fulfilling

My first anorexia patient during internship at UCLA had to be fed via NG tube because of persistent food refusal. She asked for a clinical review to be released from the hospital because she didn't want to be there. She sat silent through our first 3-4 weeks of therapy in effort to derail treatment and just maintain her eating disorder. Her peers on the inpatient unit tried to throw her a 16th birthday party because she was in the hospital. They laughed and danced, and she sat in the corner reading with her hair covering her face.

Yesterday, 3.5 years after I first met her, she sent me a link to her Pinterest page. She is posting recipes for FOOD and awesome inspirational/motivational quotes. And other things that healthy teenage girls do.

I love my job.

Politics

Apologies in advance to those of you who were hoping to see more pictures of my apartment or some story about a concert I saw recently. I did buy a washer and dryer finally, and my most recent purchase was new pillows, sheets, and towels, which is really exciting (and the degree of my excitement definitely makes me feel old).

Instead this post is more in line with the election season. I recently read this quote from Doug Wright, author of Grey Gardens and Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner:

I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, “My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood.”

It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you “disagree” with your candidate on these issues.

It really resonated with me, but I felt there was more to be said. I have the echos of many Republican relatives in my head, noting that the economy may very well be more important than civil rights because if our economy collapses, it doesn't matter who is married or not if they cannot afford to live. I could challenge that one directly (civil rights in the face of an ailing economy may be even more important...), but I don't think I even need to. You see, the economy is such a large unknown. So complex and multi-faceted. The way it all plays out is this complicated Rube Goldberg machine with so many pieces to place. The difference is that we can plan out a Rube Goldberg machine to ensure that it flows just right, but there are too many unknowns and uncertainties with the economy. If there was one clear and sure-fire plan, then the best economists in our country would be able to come to an agreement about what is going to get us out of this enormous deficit. That hasn't happened. Some studies say this. Some studies say that. There is no consensus.

That is my problem with putting the economy above civil rights. A Romney presidency would certainly support DOMA and other anti-equality legislature. He has said as much. We know the consequences of this. It means many of my friends will continue to struggle with acceptance of their relationships in our society and will continue to be denied the legal rights to function as a family just as our heterosexual friends do. So we know what the outcome for this basic human right will be if Romney is elected, and it's not good.

The economy, though, is an unknown. I've heard some people say it's going to be bad no matter who wins. I have heard some say it will be better with Romney. I have heard some say it will be better with Obama. The truth is that economic recovery is going to be slow regardless, and there are many paths that may get us there. So if you say you're voting for Romney because of economics and despite his position on gay rights...well, it's even more of a slap in the face than Doug Wright notes. It's not just choosing the economy over the rights and well-being of an entire subset of our population. It's choosing the POSSIBILITY of a better economy over the CERTAINTY of poorer outcome for the rights and well-being of an entire subset of our population.

For me, this is a no-brainer.

San Francisco Apartment - Bedroom & Bathroom

The bedroom and bathroom are probably the most unlike my old apartment. I had been transitioning out of the old traditional hand-me-down furniture that my mom gave me 8 years ago when I graduated from college, but the bedroom set was a tough one to bite the bullet on and sell. It was nice furniture, but just not my style. In the end, I decided that I didn't want it to make the move to San Francisco, and a friend of mine in LA is quite happy about that (since she got the furniture when I left).

I had wanted a canopy bed for quite a while, previously loving a basic black wood frame from Crate & Barrel. But a month or so before I moved, I saw this iron one from Room & Board (Architecture Bed). It was perfect - very straight, basic lines. I bought the bedding a while ago in anticipation of the more modern look. It's all IKEA, so it will probably be updated at some point, but it works for now.

For nightstands, I wanted something unique. I love seeing the varied things that people do to the IKEA Rast dresser, and I wanted to give it a shot. I wouldn't be able to fit one on each side, though, so I focused on one, and then found another table to go on the other side. I didn't want to put too much money into it, so I went with paint, an overlay for some texture, and new knobs. I actually prefer the look of the dresser without knobs at all, but since the Rast drawers are pretty difficult to open without knobs, that wasn't a very functional solution. The other nightstand is a metal table from Urban Outfitters. The price and the size were perfect. The overall feel of the table is just so-so, but it will do for now!

As for the bathroom, I went from a bathroom with tons of cabinet space underneath a long vanity with double sinks to this small cabinet under the sink and no vanity space at all. My mom suggested getting a small IKEA Expedit for extra storage and counter space, and it was a great idea. I still do not have a washer/dryer unit, but I'm on the hunt! I'm also hoping to buy white towels at some point soon! Other than that, the bathroom is done!

IKEA Rast hack next to the bed

With limited closet space, hooks for scarves seemed like the best use of this blank space between the bathroom and sliding doors.

Urban Outfitters metal table on the other side of the bed. And Ava's dog bed.

Shower curtain and rugs from West Elm

San Francisco Apartment - Kitchen

There are two main additions to the kitchen that I'm pretty proud of. First, the IKEA island. I went back and forth about what size and style of island to get, but ended up getting the unfinished Groland island from IKEA. The initial plan was to stain the legs a shade of walnut, but the wood didn't take the stain very well. My mom worked all day on it, and neither of us were happy with the end result. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't like it after she spent so much time and work on it, but by the end of the night, she suggested that we start over and paint the legs instead. So she bought black paint and painted over what she had stained. The final product was a perfect complement to the maple cabinets and black appliances that came with the apartment.

I had sold my old table and chairs before the move, knowing that they were too big for this smaller apartment. But I was happy to realize that a smaller round table and chairs would fit. I found this set on Craigslist for only $200! It's all Room & Board that usually sells for well over $500. She only had 3 chairs, but they are almost identical to the chair I have at my desk, which I will just add to the table if I have more than 2 people over.

San Francisco Apartment - Entry and Living Room

These rooms were just completely finished yesterday and today with some final touches. First, the entry. I knew I wanted to somehow separate the space to make it feel more useful than one large open area. I have seen desks along the backs of sofas before, and it appealed to me for a number of reasons. First, it would allow me to have my desk without taking up wall space. Second, I have always grumbled about not being able to see the TV while I'm on the computer. I multi-task all the time, so having a movie or something on in the background while I am working is nice. I also knew I wanted the IKEA Expedit shelving for this space. I'd been wanting it for a while because I think it's a little easier to style the shelving in the squares than a traditional bookcase. I also knew I would need a little extra storage for files, so the boxes that fit right into the squares were definitely of interest. Finally, the other main piece of furniture in the entry is my dresser. My bedroom is too small for the dresser to fit, and it was originally built by my great-grandfather, so there is no way I was getting rid of it. I did change out the pulls, though, to let it fit a bit better with my overall style. My mom painted an old mirror that I had, I bought the Z Gallerie lamp that I had been loving via Pinterest, and added an old coat rack in the corner that I found on Craigslist. Closet space is not abundant in this apartment, so the coat rack was a needed alternative. The nook by the front door that had been used as storage is still used that way. I replaced the curtains with something darker.

The living room is basically the same as in my old West Hollywood apartment, minus the coffee table, which I had sold prior to the move. And my old (but recently reupholstered) chair and ottoman from my old study has been added to the group. The other major thing about this area (and the entry) is that most of the long wall of the apartment is textured concrete. My landlord does not allow drilling into the concrete, so hanging pictures was a challenge. After experimenting with the adhesive hangers that supposedly hang heavy pictures on concrete (but don't work on texture), I finally came up with a solution. I bought 1x4 and 1x6 pieces of wood, painted them brown, and leaned them against the concrete wall. They make me a little nervous, but at least my pictures are up. I think I might invest in some sandbags or something for the base to secure them a bit more.