I know I’m not alone when I say that it has been a wild year. So many moments of learning, growing, understanding, grieving, coping, and accepting. I found myself stripped of my freedom and forced to put all of my energy in a 600 sq ft box that was my San Francisco apartment.
Taking a step back, I’m able to realize that I was merely just living - getting by, moment by moment, day by day. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t experience the peace and happiness I had felt before going into lockdown. I had a pretty defining moment after moving my belongings out of my apartment, where I woke up at 5 AM, couldn’t sleep, and went to the beach. Tears poured out of my eyes in that deep, powerful way where you feel like you almost can’t breathe. It was nine months of pain and control escaping my body.
I took this realization as an opportunity to truly evaluate what being happy means to me. I wrote down words such as: balance, space, ocean, warmth, community, and freedom. I knew that if I didn’t make a change, I was going to continue to bring this negative energy with me, and in turn, let it continue to damage my relationships, work, communication, and so much more.
I booked an Airbnb in San Clemente, California, just a few minutes south of Laguna Beach. I knew that I needed to be in the sun, with a ton of space, an ocean in walking distance, and family around the corner. In the short three weeks I stayed, I realized that this pace and space is what I truly needed. I had gotten back into a morning routine - one that I looked forward to - of waking up at 6 AM, going on a run or walk by the beach, setting intentions, and ultimately, being excited about my days. I spent a few days in Laguna after and even though I only knew my cousin and close friend in the area, knew that I needed to make the move for myself.
Fast forward to two months later, I found a cute place and an awesome human to call my roommate. Given normal times, I would probably have chosen a one-bedroom but realized how isolating that would be given the times. I figured I would take it month by month, so in doing that, I realized renting furniture would be my safest bet. A way to make my space feel cozy, like my own, without shelling out thousands of dollars with so much uncertainty about my future. One of my best friends recommended I look into Feather Home, which I did, and fell immediately in love with their style and choices. They make it so easy for you by offering curated style packages, like this one for living rooms, and even have a style quiz to help give you some direction on which pieces would be best for you. They offer different types of leases, giving you the flexibility to figure things out on your own time, which was the perfect fit for me.
Now, the fun part - decorating my space. For my bedroom, I needed everything. I had an awesome plant bookshelf in my SF apartment and wanted to replicate that in my new one as well. The room I moved into came with some wallpaper that originally caught me off-guard, but has grown on me now that I have the furniture to complement it. Truthfully, it made it a bit easier on me decorating-wise, so that I didn’t have to put together a new gallery wall. As for our living room, my roommate had some furniture, but ultimately, really needed to spruce up the place and make it feel a bit more sophisticated and cozy. Below is a peek into the bare apartment.
Now, after three months of being here, I have come to the realization that this is where I am meant to live. Maybe it’s not forever, but it’s for now. I no longer feel anxious, suffocated, or uncertain. I feel at peace, calm, and so grateful to have found this cozy little beach house tucked away off of the PCH. A place where my plant obsession continues to grow. A place where I wake up excited to go on my morning walk by the ocean, excited to explore and take new photos, and ultimately, excited to come back and hang in this cozy space. I owe a lot of this to Feather. At a time when all felt so uncertain, they’ve given me comfort, flexibility, and pieces that make this place feel like home. I’m excited to share that I will be here for the foreseeable future, and cannot wait to see where this new path takes me.
As for the breakdown of the pieces I rented, please see below:
BEDROOM
LIVING ROOM
The process was so easy, and the Feather team was incredible to work with. They assembled the furniture, helped move things around, and were extremely safe and respectful given this tricky time. I cannot recommend them more. While my partnership has come to an end, I will be personally continuing my lease to buy plan with them since I’ve had such an amazing experience with them. They’ve been so sweet and given me a coupon code for $200 off for you: RIGHTFOOTCREATIVE.
*This post is in partnership with Live Feather. All of these opinions, images, and feelings are my own.