Home Improvement

Son, we have a knack for selecting apartments that do not have the most attractive exteriors. We are currently on our third unattractive apartment. The good news, however, is that although they may not look like much on the outside, each place has been wonderful on the inside and each quickly became a beautiful and comfortable home for us.
Our first apartment was in NOPA (north of the Panhandle), an up and coming neighborhood which gave us quick access to the Haight when we felt like it but also the peace and quiet that comes with being separated from the Haight by the Panhandle Park. Although the building was a Victorian, at some point it had had some ugly, permanent siding put on it and was painted all one color. A new paint job was all that kept it from fulfilling it's potential for Victorian beauty!
Our second apartment was just blocks from our first (what can we say, we love the neighborhood!) but, this time, it was on the Haight side. Yes, we lived in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. This building also had some style but, again, the paint job undermined any charm it attempted to exude. Still, this building was much, much better maintained than our first.
Now, we live in a box. Our current flat is perhaps, from the outside, the most uninspiring of the three. However, as you know, it's beautiful and spacious on the inside and its location near the Ocean and Park is hard to beat! Oh, and did I mention those sunsets from from deck?
Well, as you can see, we are lucky to have one full side wall exposed in the new place. This is a rare privilege in a city where most homes are built wall to wall. I've been thinking a lot about how this current home can be made to look better from the outside so that our streak of 3 ugly exteriors can be cut down to 2. My inspiration came from a building we saw back in the old neighborhood when we went to the Haight on Father's Day.
Check out the graffiti art mural on that building! Looks great, right? Now, imagine that bare side wall of our home with something similar on it! Great idea, no? Yes, I'm full of good ideas. Actually, we could emulate that building in the Haight identically putting our own 'RAI Care Center' sign up top just like theirs...
Our great landlord who lives in the flat above us didn't want us to paint the interior walls when we moved in. Still, I'm sure he'll be onboard for this exterior beautification project!
Whatever happens, no matter how ugly the facade, our home will always be a home on the inside and thanks to you, it is now an even more beautiful and welcoming place!