Canadian Houzz: Vancouver Renter Makes The Most Of Temporary Digs
Renting need not mean sacrificing on style – this studio shows just how good a short-term home can look
Vanessa Brunner
15 August 2014
Houzz Contributor
Even though Megan Close didn’t plan to stay in this studio for long (she was on the hunt for an apartment to buy), she wanted to make the most of her space. That meant no crummy furniture, no living out of boxes and no sad little rental studios. But since this was a temporary living situation, she also had to avoid any permanent changes.
Without remodelling or refinishing, Close, a designer at The Cross, turned this basic 1950s-era studio into a cosy and chic home for one. With a smart layout – including one very well-placed dresser – a fresh colour palette and pops of DIY style, she gave the studio a brand-new look without painting a single wall.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Megan Close
Location: West End, Vancouver
Size: 42 square-metres
Photography by Janis Nicolay
Without remodelling or refinishing, Close, a designer at The Cross, turned this basic 1950s-era studio into a cosy and chic home for one. With a smart layout – including one very well-placed dresser – a fresh colour palette and pops of DIY style, she gave the studio a brand-new look without painting a single wall.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Megan Close
Location: West End, Vancouver
Size: 42 square-metres
Photography by Janis Nicolay
Close loves to entertain, so she needed as much open space as her 42-square-metre studio could offer. But she also didn’t want to feel like she was living in a gigantic bedroom. “You couldn’t hide the fact that my bed is there, but I didn’t want to feel like people were constantly in the room where I sleep,” she says.
A gallery wall at the end of the hallway is a mix of assorted vintage and new finds; it distracts the eye from Close’s cosy bedroom around the corner.
“La Lune” poster: Keep Calm Gallery; dip-dye pillow: The Cross
A gallery wall at the end of the hallway is a mix of assorted vintage and new finds; it distracts the eye from Close’s cosy bedroom around the corner.
“La Lune” poster: Keep Calm Gallery; dip-dye pillow: The Cross
Close used an IKEA chest of drawers she already owned to visually divide the two spaces. The dark wood didn’t quite work with her apartment’s fresh look, so she painted it white and added crystal knobs for sparkle.
Decorative pillows: The Cross
Decorative pillows: The Cross
Close used most of her existing furniture and decor to cut costs. The IKEA sofa was one of the few items she purchased new, since she needed something compact to slide into the living room corner.
Sofa: IKEA; Moroccan grinder stool, macaw lamp: The Cross
Sofa: IKEA; Moroccan grinder stool, macaw lamp: The Cross
This vintage folding mirror transformed a chest of drawers into a dresser and final prep spot before Cross heads out the door.
Mirror: vintage
Mirror: vintage
Close turned a pallet used for concrete into a headboard for her bed. After sanding it to smooth the wood and get the concrete off, she primed it and used two coats of a grey stain for a bleached, rustic look.
“It’s a talking point,” says Close. “When people walk in, they won’t just notice the bedroom. They’ll say, ‘Wow, what a cool headboard.’”
Hanging lamp: Country Furniture; headboard lamp: West Elm; nightstand, bedding: The Cross
“It’s a talking point,” says Close. “When people walk in, they won’t just notice the bedroom. They’ll say, ‘Wow, what a cool headboard.’”
Hanging lamp: Country Furniture; headboard lamp: West Elm; nightstand, bedding: The Cross
A custom ottoman serves as additional seating and stands in as a coffee table when topped with a tray. Close found the stunning Mid-century wall art at a second-hand market and gave it a spot above the sofa for instant visual impact.
The kitchen had hardly any countertop space, so Close (shown here) took advantage of an awkward opening between it and the living room by installing a ledge cut from a piece of MDF. The clever fix gives Close a spot for serving food and drinks and eating casual meals, all without any serious remodelling.
An extra piece of MDF above the bar top stores seldom-used serving dishes. This whole setup allows Close to forgo a dining room and eat here instead.
Side table, bar stools: The Cross
Side table, bar stools: The Cross
This vintage armoire stored clothes in Close's previous apartment, but its convenient spot next to the kitchen makes it a great fit for dishes now.
The blue chair is a hand-me-down from Close’s grandmother. It was once covered in white velvet, but Close splurged to have it re-covered. “No one wanted to sit on white velvet,” she says. “There’s no point in having a chair people are too nervous to sit on.”
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i love this space on so many levels, and would like to see how she worked out closets and bath.
Using an old pallet for a headboard is a terrific idea! Love the idea of turning junk into treasure. I believe I see a curtain that separates the sleeping area from the living room. A folding screen also would have worked. What doesn't work for me is using a vanity mirror on the dresser as it defeats the intention of separating the spaces by putting a bedroom item in the LR. Without a low seat the low mirror has no function.
The added counter top is great. I would have used stools with backs however as they are so much more comfortable when eating than hunching over a counter.
When a small apartment has such a great picture window to give light and a view it's a godsend. Re the comment about that view, when you're in a city it makes sense the view is urban! Beats looking at a wall and gives breathing space. I once had a 500sq ft apartment in Cambridge with a picture window in the LR and double windows in the bdrm with an unimpeded sky view. Loved it.
Seems odd to me having the chest facing the living area with personal jewelry, etc. Diminishes the idea of separate functioning areas. Not a fan.