SF Chronicle

It could be a getaway - place to read, nap, catch up on thank-you notes or mail, have a cup of tea in the afternoon," she said.

Starin made the room's awkward angled wall work in her favor by installing a canopy above the daybed. She also overcame the challenges of a small space by, as strange as this may sound, layering in lots of accessories. "After it is filled with interesting objects that delight and intrigue," she said, "one is focused on those things and not the size of the room.