{"id":420861,"date":"2026-08-01T14:44:39","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/420861\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T14:44:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:44:39","slug":"a-hidden-murphy-bed-makes-the-most-of-the-space-in-this-tiny-san-francisco-apartment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/420861\/","title":{"rendered":"A Hidden Murphy Bed Makes the Most of the Space in This Tiny San Francisco Apartment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated4 min read<\/p>\n

This one-bedroom apartment has a lot of things going for it. It\u2019s in San Francisco\u2019s Bellaire Tower, the iconic Art Deco skyscraper that\u2019s also known as the Superman building. That building is set in the very desirable Russian Hill neighborhood, which you may know for Lombard Street, the cable car line, and its incomparable views. However, it was a little short on space for a couple who wanted to use it as their pied-\u00e1-terre.<\/p>\n

Designer Caitlin Jones Ghajar\u2019s<\/a> solution? One of the best Murphy beds we\u2019ve ever seen. \u201cA Murphy bed in a dining room is a new one for me!\u201d Jones Ghajar says, laughing.<\/p>\n

Be brave and go for it [when it comes to color] because what you end up with is something that feels vibrant and happy. <\/p>\n

Jones Ghajar also delivered on her clients\u2019 desire for a colorful aesthetic she describes as \u201caccidentally Wes Anderson,\u201d drawing on vintage items and a rainbow palette. \u201cI encourage people to be brave and really go for it [when it comes to color] because what you end up with is something that feels vibrant and happy,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd isn\u2019t that what we all want to live in?\u201d<\/p>\n

FAST FACTS<\/p>\n

DESIGNER: Caitlin Jones Ghajar of Caitlin Jones Design<\/a><\/p>\n

LOCATION: San Francisco, California<\/p>\n

THE SPACE: A one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with historic bones<\/p>\n

EXTERIORThe apartment\u2019s historic character outweighed its petite size. \"entryway\"Bess Friday<\/p>\n

The entrance to Bellaire Tower, a historic Art Deco building completed in 1930.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey considered some larger units in newer buildings and decided to prioritize the character and the charm of this building,\u201d Jones Ghajar says of her clients\u2019 decision to choose the Bellaire Tower, a historic Art Deco building completed in 1930.<\/p>\n

ENTRYWAYA creative new layout is much more functional.\"hallway\"Bess Friday<\/p>\n

Ceiling light: Vaughan. Runner: vintage, Driscoll Robbins. Gallery wall framing: Painters\u2019 Place. Console: Darren Ransdell Design. Chair: Soane, in Fortuny fabric.<\/p>\n

To maximize space, Jones Ghajar spent time perfecting the flow of the unit. She reoriented the entryway, which originally led to a weird, underutilized closet, which allowed her to squeeze in a library nook (high on the client\u2019s wish list!) and create a seamless flow into the living room. \u201cI joke a lot of times that I have a special gift for sticking a 10-pound house in a five-pound bag,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The vintage brass table is the first of many brass touches throughout the apartment. The gallery wall displays pieces from the 1920s to the present day, in \u201ca nod to all the lives this apartment has lived.\u201d<\/p>\n

DINING NOOKA Murphy bed makes this space multifunctional.\"diningBess Friday<\/p>\n

Murphy bed: fabricated by Thomas Diedrich Cabinets. Paint: Au Contraire, C2 Paint. Pulls: Nanz Hardware. Glasses: Sue Fisher King.<\/p>\n

The owners are a married couple with four grown boys, and they wanted their kids to be able to use the apartment, too. This meant that the unit needed to sleep more people. Enter: the Murphy bed.<\/p>\n

Jones Ghajar and her team concealed the bed behind new custom paneling. \u201cIt feels more like it has always been there,\u201d she says. Art Deco\u2013inspired cabinet pulls \u201cadd some welcome sparkle.\u201d<\/p>\n

LIVING ROOMIt\u2019s filled with vintage furniture, revived in new fabrics.\"living<\/p>\n

Bess Friday<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really important to the client that we use a lot of vintage items to reduce the footprint of the project,\u201d Jones Ghajar says. \u201cWe invested in high-quality pieces and gave them a second life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A vintage George Smith sofa that was re-covered in cobalt blue velvet ties back to the high-gloss cabinetry of the library. The furniture is in a range of colors, but she ensured \u201cthey have a similar level of saturation so the room still feels very balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"livingBess Friday<\/p>\n

Rug: vintage. Floor lamp: Soane. Cocktail table: Maison Ramsay.<\/p>\n

\"armchairBess Friday<\/p>\n

Drapery hardware: Tuell and Reynolds from DeSousa Hughes.<\/p>\n

The other notable feature is the lighting, says Jones Ghajar, who says finding interesting fixtures is one of her passions. She pulled a handful of vintage pieces and newer options from brands like The Urban Electric Co. \u201cThey all feel like jewelry in the space,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"livingBess Friday<\/p>\n

Chandelier: The Urban Electric Co.<\/p>\n

KITCHENHigh-gloss finishes add to the glamour.\"kitchen\"Bess Friday<\/p>\n

Paint: Calypso Green, Benjamin Moore. Hardware: Waterworks. Hanging shelves: Amuneal. Refrigerator: Miele. Wood panels: custom, Light Wave Laser. Ceiling lights: The Urban Electric Co.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a fully functioning kitchen with a cooktop and all of that,\u201d Jones Ghajar says, \u201cbut it was really about having tea in the afternoon and a cocktail before you go out for dinner.\u201d To give it the upscale feel of a fancy hotel bar, the designer lacquered the cabinets in an opulent emerald green. The fan motif refrigerator panel and tile reference the building\u2019s Art Deco design.<\/p>\n

BEDROOMThe view called for an equally show-stopping wallpaper.\"bedroom\"<\/p>\n

Bess Friday<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing is more \u2018accidentally Wes Anderson\u2019 than this trim and wallpaper combination,\u201d Jones Ghajar says. \u201cWe knew we wanted a hand-painted wallpaper and just fell in love with this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gracie design is completely customizable, and Jones Ghajar and her team picked every single color in it. \u201cThis particular kind of blue lends itself really well to the vistas that are beyond, so you get some Bay view looks,\u201d she adds. \u201cAnd having a little bit of that green undertone in the blue paper really lends itself well to translating to those views. You can see the Golden Gate Bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"credenza\"Bess Friday<\/p>\n

Wallpaper: Gracie. Trim paint: Ella, C2 Paint. Cabinet: Chairish.<\/p>\n

\"sittingBess Friday<\/p>\n

Lamp: The Future Perfect. Drapery: custom, in Scalamandre fabric and trim. Chair: upholstered in Zoffany fabric.<\/p>\n

The old walls had recesses that made wallpapering a challenge. \u201cWe had to be meticulous with the measuring and execution,\u201d the designer says. \u201cWe created detailed elevations of every wall to ensure the birds and other elements were perfectly placed.\u201d<\/p>\n

BATHROOMThey wanted to keep the original character intact.\"bathroom\"Bess Friday<\/p>\n

Plumbing: Waterworks. Roman shade: custom, in Timorous Beasties fabric. Mirror: custom, by Painters\u2019 Place, in Farrow & Ball Brassica.<\/p>\n

Preserving the original bathroom tile\u2014and making it work in a modern scheme\u2014was another challenge. \u201cWe wanted to tie it in beautifully to everything that\u2019s happening elsewhere in the apartment,\u201d Jones Ghajar says. It took some legwork to find the exact right color tile to replace original ones that had cracked.<\/p>\n

To balance the green, she reached for an unexpected choice: lilac. She drenched the walls and ceiling in it and even had a mirror made to match. It works: The purple balances out the green and picks up colors in the bedroom, the rest of the apartment, and beyond, in the city.<\/p>\n

About the Designer<\/p>\n

Caitlin Jones Ghajar is founder and principal designer of Caitlin Jones Design<\/a>, which is based in Marin, California, and Seattle, Washington. She founded the design studio in 1999 and works across the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n

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