Filled with family heirlooms, vintage treasures, and local finds, you’d never know Kate Davison’s home was a shotgun style one-bedroom apartment in the Mission. Davison, who balances her day job at local startup Mashery with personal home design projects, has gained quite the social media following due to her minimalist apartment design and distinctive personal style. 

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, her style certainly exudes a quality of slow southern living.Transplanting from Atlanta to San Francisco was not easy task, though. Moving from her 3-bedroom home with a yard into a small apartment in the city forced her to recognize what was most meaningful in her life. “Starting my life over in a brand new city over 2000 miles from home was a blessing in disguise because now I'm surrounded with the items that are most precious and inspiring to me. I wouldn't have it any other way," says Davison.

Sauntering from one room to the next, her space holds her great grandmother’s trunks and hand-me-down antiques, thrifted gems and newly acquired pieces from living in California.  Her south-facing windows have her chasing the light when she works from home, sometimes whisking her away to the garden on sun-drenched days. Crafted to project a creative and convivial ambiance, she loves entertaining and hosting small parties.

“It must be the Southerner in me. My decor isn't imposing or overbearing, therefore it tends to make people feel more at home when they visit,” she says.

Photos: Colin Price