The Quarters

The Quarters is a home designed for a group of four people, such as students or traveling professionals, who want a fully furnished place to live but don’t want to waste money on space and features they don’t need.

To promote harmony between four people who are sharing a small living space with each other (and up to two cats), everything that is shared is designed to be split in half, then half again, and the bedrooms are designed to be as equal as possible.

The bedrooms are small, highly engineered spaces, and their usability and comfort are greatly enhanced by the custom convertible desk/beds, which provide incredible utility while taking up little room.

Traditional Features

Overview

• Four bedrooms, two bathrooms—one with a tub; one with a shower.
  • Two bedrooms and one bathroom were fully remodeled in 2023: Brand new floors, ceilings, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, windows, fixtures, lighting, and paint throughout.
  • The other two bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen were newly built in 2023.
  • Brand new kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances, including two refrigerators.
• Modular housing options that let you expand the home to 8 bedrooms.
• Several special features that make living with cats easier and more enjoyable for everyone.
• Excellent location with plentiful street parking.
• Includes water, gas, and trash service. You pay only for electricity, which is greatly offset by a large solar panel system.
• Also includes free access to the fastest internet service in the area: Gigablast from Cox.

Furnishings

The Quarters is a fully furnished home.

Each bedroom includes:

• Solid wood custom convertible desk/bed
• Premium queen-sized mattress with new mattress cover
• Rolling chair with upgraded wheels
• 55” television (The Frame by Samsung with art display mode)
• Recessed TV connection box with HDMI, USB, and ethernet ports
• Additional wired ethernet port for desk
• Individual high-efficiency heating/air conditioning system
• Closet with high-capacity, modular storage system
• Full-length mirror
• Shelves
• Dim-to-warm recessed LED lights
• LED desk lamp with advanced features

Kitchen features:

• Two stainless steel refrigerators w/ automatic ice makers
• Stainless steel gas range
• Stainless steel microwave
• Stainless steel dishwasher
• Stainless steel air fryer
• Premium Miele washer and dryer

At your option, the kitchen can also be fully furnished, including dinnerware, flatware, cutlery, cookware, etc.

Energy Savings

• Large solar panel system gives free power throughout the day.
• Brand new double-paned windows provide great insulation.
• Brand new HVAC systems are incredibly efficient.
• LED lighting throughout home consumes very little power.
• Tankless water heater only operates when you need it.

Comfort & Health

• Individual HVAC systems in each bedroom let everyone be comfortable without wasting energy.
• Lighting throughout the home is recessed and dimmable.
• Dim-to-warm lights in bedrooms: These lights automatically turn from cool white to warm yellow light as you dim them, which feels more comfortable and doesn’t interfere with sleep like regular LED lights.
• For noise reduction, security, and privacy, all doors are solid wood and each bedroom door has a heavy-duty deadbolt.
• Luxury vinyl flooring throughout the home is beautiful and durable.
• All materials used throughout home are easy to clean.
• Tankless water heater never runs out of hot water.
• Premium whole house water filter and salt-free softener ensure high water quality. (To be added in 2024.)
• Easy access to shared 1,250 sq. ft. raised patio with 600 sq. ft. covered outdoor living area.
• Sitewide noise restrictions enforced by on-site management ensure the quiet enjoyment of your home.

Convenience

• Incredibly convenient location.
• Premium washer and dryer in unit.
• Large closets in every bedroom, plus abundant common storage space.
• On-site management to address any problems.

Special Furnishings

Convertible Desk/Bed

Video: Convertible Desk/Bed

The cornerstone in spaces built for one, this serves as four major pieces of furniture: A desk, bed, chaise longue, and dining table. (Also four minor pieces: The interior shelf serves as a bedside table, the integrated light serves as a bedside lamp, the sides serve as coat racks, and the top serves as a storage shelf or cat retreat.)

This effectively turns one room into multiple rooms. When in desk mode, you’re in an office—a more professional environment with limited distractions that helps you focus on the task at hand. Then, when it’s time to relax or go to sleep, you’re in a dedicated bedroom. All your work can be hidden away, so it’s not causing you stress when you’re trying to unwind.

With only one moving part, switching between modes takes less than five seconds. You don’t have to make your bed to change to desk mode, and you don’t even have to clear off the desk to change back to bed mode—you can leave a laptop or a full-size monitor on the desk and it will be right where you left it when you need it again.

Please watch the video to see this remarkable piece of furniture in use and to learn about more advantages of its design.

Get the best of both worlds.

Like in an Arthurian legend, with normal beds you must choose between sacrificing your happiness during the day or the night. Either you must constantly work around a big bed during the day, or else you don’t have enough room at night—or both, since even small beds take up an enormous portion of the room.

This convertible piece of furniture allows you to have the best of both worlds—you can have a spacious queen-size bed when you need it, and the rest of your room back when you don’t. If you want to use the room for another activity, like working out or yoga, you’ll always have this space available, but even if you don’t, you’ll spend most of your time in a more open, less cramped space.

This is quality custom furniture.

Photo: Desk mode, in staged room

It is worth emphasizing that these are not the kind of cheap Murphy beds that proliferated in the 1970s, with their rickety structure and infamously uncomfortable mattresses.

This beautiful furniture is custom-built in the USA with all hardwood construction—no particle board. They feature premium quality, comfortable mattresses that are designed to be stored on their side while retaining perfect structure and density. Plus, a new mattress cover is installed for each tenant.

Furthermore, each piece has been extensively customized to provide additional features:

• The desk surface and top shelf have been covered in a waterproof, scratch-resistant coating to prevent damage.
• Decorative rope pulls have been hand-crafted to make opening the bed easier for smaller people.
• Industrial shock absorbers have been added to dampen impact, making closing the bed easier and quieter.
• Outlets have been added to the wall behind the desk/bed at four different heights for specific purposes.
• Light switches have been added to the same wall to allow control of overhead lights from the bed.
• A lightrail and LED fixture have been added to provide indirect, dimmable lighting.
• Mattress straps have been moved to outer corners for comfort.
• Hooks have been added to side walls to provide additional storage.

The bed is comfortable by design.

Even if you have used a modern convertible bed before, chances are you haven’t ever used one like this, because very few are made this way. While most convertible beds fold up vertically, these fold horizontally, which brings numerous advantages.

First, the bed is much easier to open and close, as the handle is lower, plus the weight inside travels a shorter distance and is distributed more lengthwise rather than concentrated at the end of a long lever.

Photo: Bed mode, in staged room

Furthermore, rotating along the shorter dimension allows the bed to be fully cantilevered, which removes the need for auxiliary support legs on the outer corners. These legs are a major weakness of almost every other convertible bed design—they’re spindly and don’t provide the stability of a broadly supported cantilevered platform. The legs are also a trip hazard and can damage floors, and worst of all, if the legs are not in the right position, the bed can break when weight is put on it.

With this fully cantilevered design, there’s only one moving part. Pull it down to open; lift it up to close; no legs to worry about. The area underneath is totally clear—no tripping, no stubbed toes, no damage to feet or the floor—and it’s more stable than any regular bed.

As the bed is positioned with the shorter dimension coming away from a wall, simply adding a support pillow allows it to function as a chaise lounge for reading or relaxing while watching television. (We highly recommend the Kind Bed Support Pillow System by Avana, which is perfect for this.)

The desk is incredible.

Photo: Desk mode, detailed view

When closed, this furniture transforms into not just a desk, but a remarkably good desk—in fact, quite possibly the best desk you’ve ever used.

The horizontal design compounds the usefulness of the longest dimension by creating a massive desk area—which is 2-3 times the size of desks typically used in small rooms. There are no legs to bang your knees or chair into—all legroom is clear under the entire desk, which is especially nice in a small space. Yet even with no legs, the desk is rock solid because it is part of the larger structure, which is in turn bolted to the wall studs. Plus, the top of the frame can be used for storage that is easily within reach when working at the desk.

Finally, the most enjoyable feature of the desk: You don’t have to clear it off to access the bed. Simply leave everything on it and pull the bed open—the desktop will rotate under the bed with plenty of room for objects you’d normally have on a desk, even a full-size monitor.

Washer & Dryer

In Cloud Nine Studios and The Quarters, the washer and dryer are made by Miele, a German manufacturer with one of the best brand reputations worldwide, and this product line has been called “the laundry world’s equivalent of a Rolls Royce fleet.”

The washer and dryer are much smaller than typical machines, yet still have a normal capacity. They also have several unique energy-saving features. The washer has a 1,600 rpm motor, which removes more water than other machines, dramatically reducing the drying time. The dryer uses a heat pump, which makes it better than just about any other dryer, not just because it dries faster while using less than half the electricity of other ventless dryers, but most notably because it does not release moisture into your home while operating.

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  Photo: Washer and dryer

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  Video: Washer features

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  Video: Dryer features

Highgate and The Quarters are two connected homes that can be rented separately. However, they were designed to complement each other and can be joined or divided in several different ways.

When rented together, these two homes come with a significant rate discount and three layout options:

• Layout #1: One home with 8 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and two kitchens.

• Layout #2: Two homes, one with 6 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, and one with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.

• Layout #3: Two homes, one with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, and one with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

In layouts #2 and #3, both homes have their own full kitchens and entry doors.

Furthermore, you can change this configuration while you are still living there. This is especially useful for groups of people, such as travel nurses or international students attending SDSU, who wish to share housing with others they do not know well. Everyone might get along splendidly, like the first tenants who ever lived here. However, some people's schedules or personalities might conflict with others. If, after living together for a while, you decide it would be preferable to split into two groups, this allows you to change your living arrangements without having to find a new home.

Special Features for Cats

In additional to the Free Benefits for Cats available to all residents of Lion Canyon, The Quarters include two rooms with several features designed to make you and your cats happier and healthier.

Litter Closets

Video: Litter Closet at The Quarters

It’s hard to imagine having many cats in a large home or even just one cat in a small home without feeling like you’re living in a litter box, but it’s possible with a litter closet.

These tiny bathrooms for cats can be constantly ventilated to create negative air pressure, which means absolutely no air or odor escapes. This is accomplished using a hyper-efficient fan that costs less than a penny a day to operate in California. (A penny-and-a-half in San Diego.)

With a litter closet, the only time you will ever smell or even see your litter box is when you clean it. With an automated litter box (which we can provide), a single litter closet can usually be used by multiple cats—even ones that haven’t liked to share before.

Learn about litter closets to find out more about how they work to eliminate litter box odor in your home.

Scratch Stations

Video: Scratch Station at The Quarters

Cats have an instinctual need to scratch—it is necessary to maintain the health of their claws, plus scratching relieves anxiety and boredom.

Scratch stations provide a consistent, safe place your cats can rely on to take care of this need whenever the urge arises. Each station has a universal scratch pad holder that works with any size of pad and holds them at the ideal position for most cats to get the most out of scratching.

The scratch stations are located inside the litter closets, which lets cats clean their claws immediately after using the litter box rather than track dirty paws around the house. This location also keeps ugly scratch pads out of sight, plus it will keep shredded cardboard and catnip flakes contained to further help keep your home tidy.

Cat Lofts

Video: Cat Lofts at The Quarters

Cat lofts are finished alcoves over closets that provide extra storage and are also the perfect height and location for a quiet living space for cats. Your cats can access these lofts via strategically placed shelves and platforms, which provide a path that integrates naturally into your home.

Cats have an instinctual drive to seek out high perches from which they can observe their surroundings. Also, to feel safe, cats need a secure, reliable place to which they can retreat when they feel threatened. Cats experience anxiety when they lack either of these basic needs, which are especially difficult to provide in a small home, but a cat loft satisfies both.

Interestingly enough, research suggests that the overall size of an indoor living space does not matter much to cats, but having access to higher elevations within that space matters deeply. In short, cats experience significantly less anxiety in tiny rooms with accessible high platforms than in large rooms where they are stuck on the floor.

By providing a secure retreat for your cat with a cat loft, you will enjoy the benefits of living with a cat with less anxiety. If you want to spoil your cats rotten, you could turn the entire loft into a luxury feline apartment, which you can decorate and fill with toys and cat-sized furniture. However, you don’t need to use the entire space for cats. You can provide a generous living area for multiple cats and still have plenty of room left over for storage.

Cat Tunnels with Brushes

Photo: Cat Tunnels with Brushes

Each litter closet is accessed via a decoratively trimmed tunnel that is lined with a stiff brush, so your cats automatically groom themselves every time they go in and out.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much this brush reduces the amount of loose cat hair in the home. With multiple cats in the household, you’ll see a big difference immediately.

Cat-Friendly Policies

Several policies help maximize the health and happiness of your cats. First, no pet dogs are allowed. Sitewide noise restrictions are enforced to ensure neither you nor your cats experience any unnecessary anxiety. Also prohibited are smoking, candles, incense burners, and anything that produces smoke or vapor other than steam, to reduce fire danger as well as to protect the health and comfort of cats.

Photo Gallery

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  Video: The Quarters home walkthrough

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  Photo: Exterior front view

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  Photo: Kitchen

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  Photo: Kitchen

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  Photo: Kitchen

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  Photo: Laundry center

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  Photo: Bedroom #5

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  Photo: Bedroom #5

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  Photo: Bedroom #6

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  Photo: Bedroom #6

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  Photo: Bathroom #4

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  Photo: Bathroom #4

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  Photo: Bedroom #7

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  Photo: Bedroom #7

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  Photo: Bedroom #8

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  Photo: Bedroom #8

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  Photo: Bathroom #5

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  Photo: Bathroom #5

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  Photo: Litter closet (Bedroom #7)

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  Photo: Wardrove (Bedroom #7)

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  Photo: Cat Loft (Bedroom #7)

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  Photo: Litter closet (Bedroom #8)

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  Photo: Wardrove (Bedroom #8)

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  Photo: Cat Loft (Bedroom #8)

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  Photo: Exterior rear view

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  Photo: Raised patio

More Information

Make sure to read about the location and the free benefits for cat owners.