Design Your Bathroom Like A Pro

(Image courtesy of Kim Piper Werker)

Even in the biggest bathrooms, space can be an issue. There always seems to be a wealth of half-empty shampoo bottles, toothbrushes, hair care products and other essentials hanging around-if you’re not careful things can get tight very quickly.

Though we each have our own particular essentials in every commode, that doesn’t mean that the space can’t be stylish, controlled and organized. These tips courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com will be sure to have your bathroom looking more spacious in no time!

1. Keep only the products you use daily in a small bathroom

What hair and makeup products do you actually need to get ready each morning? Which do you actually use when you shower? If you're lacking in lots of bathroom storage, remove everything you only use occasionally — special hair products, medicine, first aid — and consider finding another spot in your home to keep it. (Yes, if you have a small bathroom you probably have a small home, but maybe there's a titch more storage somewhere else!)

2. Create and disguise new storage

If you absolutely can't get rid of all of the items, assess your storage situation and see where additional or hidden storage can be installed. If you've got under counter storage, maximize it. These under sink storageideas can easily be applied for bathroom storage. Over the door solutions work, but use sparingly since they don't really hide the clutter well. Install small or narrow cabinets with doors in tight spots for a custom, hidden storage look.

3. Collect, corral & beautify

Trays are an old organizing trick that's always in style; use them to turn a pile of unsightly hair and make-up products into something resembling decent. Baskets and boxes work great on open shelves and tucked uniformly on ledges and in corners. In fact you could make your own today! Want to take it up a notch? Transfer beauty products into new or DIY (and labeled) bottles and containers that are all uniform and nicer to look at so your bathroom counter doesn't look like a drug store.

4. One in, two out rule

For every new lipstick you bring into your bathroom, toss or give to a friend two shades that don't work and you'll never wear. Same applies to shampoo, conditioner or whatever products are causing clutter piles in your bathroom.

5. Pick up and put away daily

This is more chore reminder than actual organizing tip, but some people still need to hear it! You can't let even one bottle stay where it's not supposed to be in a small bathroom — it'll look cluttered instantly. Figure out the decluttering and storage methods that work for you, and then stick with it daily until you create a habit.

Get Your Green On

(Image courtesy of Gabrielle)

Spring is here and we’re all given the great pleasure of watching flowers bloom! Though we boast gorgeous open apartments, it can be a little difficult to stretch your green thumb in the middle of Dogpatch.

If you have your heart set on cultivating your own mini-garden we have a few ideas to help you reach your goals. This list, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, contains links to plenty of DIY home-gardening projects that will be sure to give you the green fix that you’re looking for. Keep reading to learn more.

1. How to Plant a Super Easy Tomato Container Garden - If you want to grow tomatoes this summer, now's the time to plant them. Rachel Wray at Re-Nest gives a super simple guide.

2. How to Plant a Terrarium in a Jar - Terrariums are hot right now. Here's how to make your own for pennies.

3. How to Grow a Salad Greens Windowbox Garden - Guest blogger Maria Finn wrote this how-to for an edible indoor garden.

4. How to Re-Pot Your House Plants - Helpful tips on how to move your plants into a bigger pot from Tanya in Boston.

5. How to Make Can Planters - Laure in Los Angeles made these beautiful tins from old tomato cans.

6. How to Make a One-Pot Indoor Herb Garden - This post went up on the Kitchn three years ago and it still keeps resurfacing. A great guide for cooks who want to grow their own herbs.

7. How to Start a Container Garden - Tips for growing lettuce, arugula, tomatoes, and herbs.

Get Your Chopsticks Ready

(Image courtesy of kev-shine)

If you’re like us, every now and then you crave a great sushi roll. But with so many great restaurants in the area it’s tough to know where to go to hit the spot!

Once you’ve found your favorite place, it can be difficult to branch out and try something new. If you’re feeling adventurous, we have a few recommendations that may help. This article from sfist.com outlines some of the best sushi places in the Bay Area. Keep reading to find your next favorite California roll.

Tekka Japanese Restaurant

Definitely one of the most cult-followed sushi spots in the city, Tekka is a place you have to arrive atreally early if you don’t want to be waiting outside for an hour or more. In fact, if you miss the first seating at 7 p.m. (for which people line up around 5), then you’ll be waiting until 9:30 or so, and there are only 11 seat total. But many, many people swear by this cozy Inner Richmond spot and its generous slices of ultra-fresh fish. It's run by a sometimes curt, elderly husband-and-wife team — much like several of our city’s best sushi spots, see also Ino, Kappou Gomi — it is cash only, and the must-orders are the sashimi combo, hamachi kama (grilled yellowtail collar), and/or the full omakase (tasting) menu. (Also, chef Nobu and his wife Yoshimi might not be around forever, so get it while you can.) — Jay Barmann
537 Balboa Street at 7th Avenue

Ryoko's

Yes, this is a birthday place. And kind of a bridge-and-tunnel/tourist place. And it’s been on TV shows like Midnight Munchies because they serve until 1:30 a.m., and it’s been around for over 25 years. On Fridays and Saturdays, there’s a DJ starting at 8 p.m. But for fun, underground, drunken craziness along with some wacky, non-traditional maki rolls (the Kentucky Roll has fried chicken in it, and one house favorite, the Volcano Roll, has fried shrimp, jalapeño, and peanut butter), this is the place. Also, the nigiri and sashimi are usually pretty fresh, since business here is always booming, but this is a place to stick to the basics, drink a lot of shochu, and to try a wacky roll or two. — Jay Barmann
619 Taylor (at Sutter)

Akiko's

For a high-end, contemporary sushi experience on par with Sushi Ran, check out this recently revamped Union Square spot. Under chef Ricky Yap, the 18-year-old restaurant has been getting new life, and Michael Bauer praised it in December as "a sushi classic in the making," giving it three stars. The omakase menu will run you up to $100 per person, but it definitely worth it for sushi devotees. But all the sushi is incredibly fresh, and there is also a nightly changing menu of non-sushi items including pork tonkotsu ramen, and teriyaki. — Jay Barmann
431 Bush (at Claude Lane)

Tsunami Sushi

This cozy neighborhood spot walks the fine line between character and clubbiness that plagues so many sushi spots. The classic California-style rolls fit the bill, with many of them half-off during happy hour. But it's the unique combination rolls like the Mama San with tempura shrimp and spicy tuna or the Magic Mushroom roll with salmon, snow crab and enoki mushrooms that add a bit more of a filling crunch to your sushi dinner. Add on something hot like the "My Girlfriend" fried sweet potatoes to round things out and sample extensively from the sake list cribbed from Corkage — the attached wine and sake bar. —Andrew Dalton
1306 Fulton Street (at Divisadero)

Sister restaurants at Tsunami Mission Bay and Nihon Whiskey Lounge

Sushi Time

Like a Shinjuku dive, Sushi Time's subterranean bubble crams a lot of character into a tiny space. Rolls are a steal, ranging from $5 for basics and veggie rolls to $8 for their own creative takes on Californian sushi like the Barbie Roll (crab, avocado, salmon) and the Astro Boy Roll (spicy scallop, mango, cucumber, tobiko). Go during happy hour, sit at the tiny, low bar and amuse yourself when the waiter lets you pick your own sake glass from their mismatched collection. —Andrew Dalton
2275 Market Street (at 16th Street, downstairs in the quirky shopping center)

Cha-Ya

Those of us who'd rather not eat our finned friends are usually fine at any sushi joint—it's pretty tough to screw up a cucumber or avocado roll (though it's been known to happen). But if you want a totally veggie sushi experience, there's no better place to go than Cha-Ya. Caveats apply: they're cash only, the wait can be long, and the fight to get to the "sign up to wait" clipboard can be arduous. But the food is inventive and delicious and the service is pleasant and capable of dealing with granular vegan/allergy questions. The Cha-Ya Roll (a tempura-battered asparagus, avocado, yam, and carrot roll with their special sauce) is worth the trip, alone. — Eve Batey
762 Valencia between 18th and 19th Streets

Minako Organic Japanese Restaurant

Vegans like SFist contrib Laura Hooper Beck rave about Minako's vegan menu, which includes an animal-product-free tempura (how is this even possible?). Gluten-free people love it, too, as the menu makes abundantly clear what's gf and what isn't, and has a staff willing to propose substitutions. Oh, and if you're for rolls made with brown rice, welcome home. I'm neither vegan nor gf, but I still think about Minako's fried veggie eel when I should be paying attention to work and stuff. And that tempura? Laura's right, it's amazing. (Note: they serve meat, too, so it's great for mixed company.) — Eve Batey
2154 Mission, between 18th and Sycamore Streets

Roka Akor

You won't find sushi in a boat here. But you will find some of the city's freshest sushi presented on magical landscape of salt rocks, ice, bamboo boxes, and light! (Does your sushi plate glow? No? Then your sushi plate is an asshole.) I recommend paying extra for the sushi course on the decadent tasting menu. It's worth the few pennies for the presentation and bevy of fish. Don't let the ostentation presentation deter you or fool you into believing you're not getting the best sushi in the city.

Kappou Gomi

Arguably the best Japanese in the Richmond (in my stellar opinion, anyway), this place is all about sashimi when it comes to sushi. (Even thought they claim not to be a sushi bar!) As SFist's own Jay Barmann (writing for 7x7) notes, "expect some unique and gorgeous sashimi presentations, often involving the whole fish, artfully used as a serving vessel." You dig? — Brock Keeling
5524 Geary Boulevard (at 19th Avenue), 415-221-5353

Ino Sushi

With only a few seats at the bar and a few tables, it's an intimate setting to say the least. You know what's not so intimate? The attitude. You can get yelled at for simply dipping your nigiri rice-side down. And you would deserve it! Check out this hysterical review some dimwit posted after dining at Ino. Ahem: "This was all good and fine until my phone vibrated against the counter. Immediately, again, the sushi chef came over to me. 'No phone!' he shouted at me. I have never felt so embarrassed in my life. Why the attitude? I had been nice the whole time. 'I'm sorry, it was an accident,' I replied back. He then told me to 'turn off the phone or leave' and pointed to a small sign behind me that indicated 'No phones.' " Fool! (The butthurt reviews on Yelp are even better.) This place is the best. — Brock Keeling
22 Peace Plaza #510, 415-922-3121 (I DARE you to call and make a reservation!)

ICHI Sushi + NI Bar

So good, the walls at ICHI tell you how to eat Chef Tim Archuleta's gems of the sea. (Also, it wins awards every year, critics rave, yada yada. You get it.) — Brock Keeling
3282 Mission (at Valencia), 415-525-4750

And because we couldn't resist, do check out this one across the bridge...

Sushi Ran

For many years the accepted wisdom about S.F.’s best sushi has been that you have to go to Sausalito to find it, at this place. Owned since 1986 by the same guy, Yoshi Tome, Sushi Ran offers some top-notch sashimi and nigiri from executive chef Scott Whitman, as well as seasonal vegetable tasting platters, salads, and Vietnamese-style shaking beef. He will also occasionally offer the ultra-high end Pacific bluefin tuna, which can run upwards of $10 a slice, and may just blow your mind. There’s also a lengthy and impressive sake selection, and you’re not going to walk out of here for less than $60 a person. Also, pro tip: If you want nab a seat at the 6-seat sushi bar, you need to get there early. — Jay Barmann
107 Caledonia, Sausalito

Office or Guest Room - Why Not Both?

(Image courtesy of tinymine)

When living in an apartment, often we’re faced with the challenge of creating spaces that fulfill a variety of functions. Regardless of how spacious and open your apartment is, there may come a time when you need to double up your guestroom and your home office. Though these tasks sound disagreeable, they are sometimes necessary.

Just because you have to mix the functions of the spaces in your apartment doesn’t mean that your decor has to be jumbled. There are plenty of efficient ways to blend two different rooms to create an attractive and inviting space. Follow these tips courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com to keep the rooms in your apartment organized and functional, no matter what.

1. Decide on the room's primary function

This is tough (and in some cases, impossible) but important: What is the function that is the most important role a room needs to serve? How often will the room be used in each way? Really take a look at how you will be using the space time-wise. I've seen plenty of homes that have rooms with giant beds for guests, tiny desks for what they really use it for and 70% of the room gets dusty most of the year. If you're a frequent over-night guest host and can drag a laptop anywhere to work, your extra room's primary function should be as a guest room with a small surface for working that also doubles as storage. But if you only have overnight guests once a year but really need a dedicated space where your creativity can flourish — think of yourself first!

2. Disguise the room's secondary function furnishings

Once you've decided your room's primary function, buy or DIY furnishings for your secondary function that are disguisable. Like going for a stylish sleeper sofa ordaybed as seating in an office that can be converted to a comfortable bed when guests arrive. We loved this desk and dresser combination. In the top photo in this post, a tiny secretary desk takes up a corner of the living room area in a studio space, allowing the "office" to be closed up when entertaining.

3. Do you need it?

Sometimes dual-function rooms, extra rooms especially, get the leftover furniture. The furniture you didn't really have a place for so you stuck it in there, using it in a different way than was intended. That can be great and inventive sometimes! But sometimes it makes more sense to sell what you have to make room for what you could use the most. Answer honestly: Do you need every piece of furniture in your dual-function room?

4. Organization is more vital than ever

Having an organized closet and storage is important in every room, all the time. But in rooms where many different functions are taking up space and storage, it's vital. You're going to want to implement as many space maximizing ideas as you can — to invest in lots of shelves and other organizing tricks to get every inch of storage out of not just your closets but also your drawers, cabinets, credenzas and more.

5. Let your focal point set the tone

People think that only living rooms need to really worry about a focal point (TV or fireplace) but that's not true. Any room can benefit from the clarifying effects of a focal point, and a room with multiple purposes is no different. Revisit your primary function again — and choose an appropriate focal point for that function, letting the other furnishings fall in line and complement that item.

Do you have a room in your house that has to pull double-duty? What design tricks have you used to cope? Let us know!