The Finder’s Keepers

Victoria Smith pens SF Girl By Bay, a design blog devoted to a style she calls “bohemian modern.”

One year ago, L.A. transplant Victoria Smith didn’t even know what a blog was, until a friend introduced her to the small-spaces design website ApartmentTherapy.com. “One night I just took a ton of pictures of my place and didn’t know quite what to do with them,” explains the 47-year old Pacific Heights resident. “So I thought I’d just post them on a blog.” By day, Smith remains the director of creative services at Heat, a local advertising agency, but now, by night, she pens SF Girl By Bay, a design blog uniquely devoted to a style she has christened “bohemian modern.” An expert at hunting down rare finds at flea markets and vintage stores, Smith claims she’s been collecting furniture and home accessories since she was five years old. Here she recalls her top discoveries, found everywhere from cyberspace to street curb.   

“I have some chairs that I am sure are knockoffs of Mies van der Rohe’s Cantilever chairs. I got the whole set for $35 off Craigslist. I just recently saw the real things on a vintage-furniture website for $2,500 for the set.”

“I have a really nice Danish modern end table that I got for $65 at The Apartment (3469 18th St., 415-255-1100). It’s teak and has tapered legs and a cute little drawer, but I liked it because of its lower tier—I have tons of books, so I’m always looking for something that has a little extra storage.”

“I found a metal Granny Goose potato-chip rack on the street outside a convenience store at Union and Hyde. It’s now a cookbook/wine rack in my kitchen.”

“I use a stainless-steel medical table in my bathroom for hair stuff. It’s just like hospital furniture. I got it for $20 at the Alemany Flea Market.” Sundays, 5 a.m. – 5 p.m. (100 Alemany Blvd., 415-647-2043)

“I’ve found a lot of interesting things at Timeless Treasures (2176 Sutter St., 415-775-8366). The owner has got all these great vintage alphabet letters made from ’50s and ’60s metal signage. I bought some that spell out ‘I love my dog.’ How crazy is that?”

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