By Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

Just in time for Thanksgiving entertaining, Ferm Living is offering their 'falling leaves' wall stickers for $40 (they normally retail for $64). The wall stickers come in a packet of 12 and in a variety of sizes. You can attach the decals to walls, tables, mirrors, windows and vases for a simple (and non permanent) seasonal decoration. Don't they look beautiful applied to the white wall? It seems as though they just fell out of the tree!

The leaves come in black, silver or gold. It would be fun to mix gold and silver for a more dressed up feel.

Just type 'THANKS" in the notes section at check out between 11/4 and 11/21 - your discount will be processed as a refund within 48 hours of placing your order. Then sit back and wait for the compliments to roll in. Tres chic AND easy! How very Sunset.

by Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer (image of Tumbleweed house on freeway from story)

Being a San Francisco young adult renter, an eco-enthusiast, and not independently wealthy, I've been obsessed with the idea of small, sustainable, minimalist homes for sometime now and just adored this New York Times article yesterday: The next little thing?

In this piece about a surge of interest in tiny dwellings as a reaction to the intense real estate market (and a boom in popularity of the greener life), author Steven Kurutz defines the "small house movement" as "minimizing one’s footprint—structural as well as carbon—by living in spaces that are smaller than 1,000 square feet and, in some cases, smaller than 100."

The story introduced me to the blog Small House Style, which I kind of can't believe I haven't known about. For the first time in a long time I have renewed hope in the idea of one day being a homeowner. 

Though I beg for a home larger than 100 square feet.

by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

I have always had a secret fascination with the Murphy Bed. The idea of storing ones bed in a closet or closet during the day seems very James Bond to me for some reason. So covert! Another James, this one also from across the pond, has made the dining room equivalent of the Murphy Bed and it is genius.

Believe it or not, that table and those benches came out of a closet with a depth of 6.6 inches (or 17 centimeters, if you from the UK like designer James Plant).

You can tell in the photo below, sort of. The benches and table are on a hinge and they fold flat when put upright.

Perhaps the best way to get a sense of how it works is to watch the video on James's web site. It is pretty amazing and I can see how it would transform studio living. You can serve dinner and then store the table and chairs away for an all night dance party! That is surely what Mr. Plant, James Plant, had in mind when he designed it.

by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

For the last several months I've been driving by this cool looking building in downtown San Francisco and wondering what it was.

I'm so glad to learn that it not only looks great but there's a great idea behind it. In a city where space is at a premium and home prices remain staggeringly high, Cubix offers small, space-maximizing units (about 250-350 square feet) at a price that more closely aligns with the national median (around $200,000). Other major cities like New York and Hong Kong have long offered tiny but stylish multi-family options; it's an idea whose time has come here in San Francisco.

Designed by Hauser Architects, Cubix takes a lesson from Jane Jacobs and promotes walkability. Apart from the small and efficient square footage of its units (because after all, shouldn't we be out enjoying the world outside our door a little more), the building is in easy walking distance of downtown (and of all of the city's major public transit systems).

You'd do just fine here without a car (and if you needed one, you could just pop on over and get a Zip Car for the afternoon. There's a Whole Foods down the street, the amazing Ferry Plaza Farmers Market just blocks away, and countless amazing restaurants like Fringale, Coco500, and South Park Cafe nearby.

Perfect for first-time homebuyers or empty nesters. Ideal for the environment. I'd love to see more of this forward-thinking city planning happening here in San Francisco and elsewhere throughout the country.

by Miranda Jones, Sunset's style editor

If you are like me, and I know you are, you love all things Home Design. Which means you've probably already read Apartment Therapy.  The good people at AT never fail to bring the best of online home tours, sources and inspritation from NY, Chicago, LA and San Francisco. They profile people like you and me, and make the point again and again that good design doesn't have to mean big budget. Which makes them kind of like Sunset.

I was thrilled to see that they loved our Small Garden Solution in September '08. If you haven't already picked up your issue, read it here!

By Jennie Nunn, Sunset associate editor

Add a hint of glamour to the playroom with Kartell's new Lou Lou Ghost chair. Designed for children, the modern chair with classic lines is available in six colors including crystal, yellow, rose, violet, blue, and green.

$133; Available September 13th at allmodern.com.

by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

Long for a garden but don't have the space? Daniel Schipper, a young designer in Amsterdam, heard your plea and has created a prototype greenhouse that is lightweight, flexible and perfectly suited to small-space living. The collapsable container is small enough to fit on a balcony but large enough to have a little garden.

The greenhouse doesn't have a frame, which allows it to be folded flat when not in use. You could store it in your closet or even out on your balcony when you aren't busy cultivated your newest crop of cilantro. The greenhouse is made from polypropylene plastic and living hinges (which are used on high volume application containers like tackle boxes or CD cases) , and you don't need any extra hardware to make sure it keeps it shape.

The only things stopping me from running out and buying one  is that Daniel doesn't have any way to put this puppy into production yet. He is still searching for a design firm or a partner. I  hope someone steps up soon and makes this greenhouse available. It is perfectly poised to ride the Slow Food wave.....Good luck Daniel! Keep us posted. We think it is only a matter of thyme until we see these available in every city. Forgive me Daniel.....I have a weakness for silly puns. 

By Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home & design writer

I'm a self-admitted target customer for die-hard plants, and also a total softie for home & garden gift shops, especially those with organic-modern aesthetic. I was therefore over-the-top thrilled to find out about the Life + Limb store while doing some work in Portland, OR a few months ago. A visit to this lovely and unique urban succulent and modern design haven lead to some container cameos in a recent home story photo shoot, which appears in this month’s issue, pages 57-62. Unfortunately we didn’t have room to focus on these lovely arrangements, so an extra-big shout out (and adoration!) to Life + Limb (and talented owner Molly Quan) right here!

Tabletop arrangements pictured above: Haworthia Fasciata in containers, $60/arrangement ($6/plant, 4 in each pot; $28/container; $8/potting)

Tabletop arrangements pictured above:
Right and left: Ferocactus chrysacanthus in Adam Ceramic pot, $27 ($8/plant, $15/pot, $4/potting-service)
Middle: Opuntia in Adam Ceramic pot, $29 ($10/plant, $15/pot, $4/potting-service)

And below are some pics of my visit to the shop back in March, when it was a mere 5 months old. I was like a kid in a candy store, awe-ing at the gorgeous architectural indoor plants and the well-edited selection of accessories and home accents—a must shop for gifts! I loved watching the in-store potting service in action as a young couple chose a plant, a container, and mulch and had it all assembled right there—likely on their way to a housewarming.

More pics here.

Life + Limb, which specializes in indoor plants (namely succulents) offers rotating monthly art shows, gift registry, complimentary gift wrapping, in-home consultation—and potentially online shopping soon!

Visit: Life + Limb; 1716 E. Burnside, Portland, OR; 503/233-4738 or lifeandlimb.net
 

by Miranda Jones, Sunset style editor

Few things make me as happy as peonies. The only downside to this most beautiful of flowers is that the season is so darn short.

June makes me think of my parent's yard in Missoula, MT and of all the peony bushes, full of heavy headed blossoms. My mother always put a bouquet of them next to my bed and it felt so decadent. The smell alone would make me love them but to watch them open and open some more amazes me every time. Today when I saw them for sale at Trader Joe's, I could not pass them up. They dress up my desk and make me just a little bit homesick.

We love this idea from Oakland designer Cynthia Warren: Hang valentines (photos, cards, and other inspiring finds) from hooks on a picture rail. Your mini art installation can easily change with the season and your mood.

It helps to first paint your wall a romantic lipstick red. See more of Warren's secrets for decorating with your favorite things.

My apartment faces a busy street in the heart of San Francisco. Busy street means dirty windows. And lots of dust. My dustbuster gets more use than my stovetop.

I've been curious about air purifiers for a while now, but living in a tight urban apartment (and on a tight urban budget) never made the idea of those big expensive air cleaning machines possible. Until now.

Meet the Air Pod—a cute (stylish, actually) little gift-from-green-heaven that I found at Spring (415.673.2065), an eco home store in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. It’s incredibly small (only 13” high), super quiet, and affordable ($99). It "delivers cleaner air at a rate of 45 cubic feet per minute.” Is that faster than a speeding bullet? Check out the three super chic patterns available.

Not only is it ideal for small spaces (office, bedroom, dorm room?), it’s made for small spaces, fits in the palm of your hand, and is even said to travel well. Perhaps opening your New York hotel room window isn’t a pipedream after all. — Jess Chamberlain, Sunset home writer