Home design tips: Making the most out of a little space

National Post

5 days ago

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During the pandemic, I relocated to the countryside but kept my job in Toronto. Recently, I rented myself a little pied-à-terre in the city's west end to make it easier to come back for meetings and to see friends. It's a 300-square-foot studio that will be used for live-work when I'm here. It has a couple of closet nooks to work around, and rads for heat. Can you help me design a space that will suit both work and overnight stays and includes a bed — Murphy or otherwise — that I can manage the install of without a contractor?
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Hi Uba,
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What an adventure! It looks like the space is long and narrow, with light at one end and a large closet at the other. In your case, the most important thing to consider is the function of the room. We need to divide the space up into a work area that can double as a dining room, and a living area that can double as sleeping quarters. Fortunately, I don't think you need to go back to the futon life of student days to make this work. The key to decorating small spaces is to choose fewer pieces but make them harder-working. Think double duty, simple design, slim lines.
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A well-made pull out sofa is definitely the place to start. The best one I have found on the market is from EQ3 and is called the Reva pullout sleeper. It's incredibly comfortable both as a sofa and a bed, and it comes in a double size, which is not always easy to find. You'll need an ottoman with storage to stash your bedding away in the mornings, ideally something with wheels, like Crate and Barrel's Axis storage ottoman on casters. It can easily slide out of the way when the bed is open. A side table with a lamp on one or both sides can double as a nightstand. A rug under the sofa and ottoman will help tie the space together and make it feel like one cohesive living area. Since it's going to double as a bedroom, situate that area away from the window, towards the back of the room.
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You're lucky to have a closet, although the lack of doors is difficult. Since this is a temporary home, get yourself some nice curtains on a tension rod to close it off. Make sure the curtains can slide open and closed easily. I would choose a heavy velvet, or something with some pattern for fun. Since you're likely just keeping a few pieces of clothing there, outfit the closet with lots of hooks and a small chest of drawers to make tidying up easy.
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You can set up a work/dining area closer to the window to take advantage of the light. Choose a simple dining room table that fits the size of the room, and put it parallel to the window or right under the window, so that it's perpendicular to your 'living room.' The Vincent white oak dining table from Castlery is a great choice. It's just under five feet long and has slim legs that make it feel light and airy. If you think you'll be entertaining, you can buy four chairs and use them as seating in the living area, otherwise a single chair facing the window should do it. West Elm's Boerum chair is a great choice because it's padded, so it's comfortable to sit in for a long time but also looks great as an accent chair if you use it in the living room. You could add a rug under this area as well if you have room. My recommendation would be to buy two of the same, to use in both the living and working zone.