Mini-apartment, maximum comfort! | The Press

Between housing shortages and awareness of green housing, the question of surface area is rarely questioned. However, this is a major challenge! A couple passionate about real estate demonstrate that you can live comfortably in a small space.

From their first meeting, Liv Siv-Ing and David Territo started talking about real estate. “We were very young and the fields were our first topic of conversation! », relates Liv Siv-Ing with a laugh.

A common passion which helped bring them closer together, since they have been a couple for 11 years. She is in the sales sector, he runs the furniture store Casavogue, founded by her parents. They wanted to do a project together. “We always looked at land and one day, we discovered this 1,800 square foot site on which there was a shoebox and an old building,” she continues.

The concept of shoebox inspired their project. They demolished everything to build a total of seven compact housing units (6 mini-apartments, plus the shoebox) in order to demonstrate that comfort does not necessarily depend on the surface area of ​​a home. “There is a unit with an open loft-style room; three units with two small bedrooms; two one-bedroom units and a two-story unit that really replicates the idea of ​​the shoebox », explains David Territo.

Optimize, illuminate, decorate

Liv and David’s other source of inspiration comes from their various boat trips. “It’s impressive to see that the cabins [chambres] inside can be super comfortable, because the space is very well thought out, every corner is used to put a cupboard, a drawer, etc., certifies the young woman. This is what we really wanted to convey in our project by planning everything adequately to maximize the surface area. »

The couple then contacted the architect Luc Denis, taken aback by his unusual request to create mini-housing units. “It’s not in the culture here, since people are used to living in large spaces,” remarks Liv, of Parisian origin.

Guided by the architect and designer Joy Moussa, the owners then worked hard to design apartments that were inviting, functional and breathable despite their reduced size. Several interior doors are sliding; many pieces of furniture have been made to measure, particularly in the bedrooms, in order to integrate drawers under the bed, for tall cupboards or even the mini desk which also serves as a bedside table. In some kitchens, the table is deployed by opening a drawer and European-style household appliances, therefore narrower than our standards, also save space.

In addition to optimizing the layout, other elements promote a feeling of grandeur. “We played a lot with the height of the ceilings [plus de 8 pieds] and the size of the windows was very important to create an airy atmosphere in addition to bringing in lots of light,” explains David Territo. At dusk, recessed lights illuminate the rooms without breaking the height effect. Another advantage: the balconies, true extensions of the interiors, are wide enough to install a table and chairs.

Available in white and light wood, the overall envelope helps to enlarge the rooms, while the decorative choices personalize them. “We stay in very neutral, but warm tones with earth tones, yellows, pinks, so that there is a unique spirit in each apartment,” specifies David, who underlines the importance of adding touches happy and trendy in her apartments.

Living at home and in community

If tenants benefit from a private balcony or a mini garden, they can also access from their apartment to a large community terrace on the roof, where picnic tables are arranged. The owners plan to install a bicycle rack at the rear of the building, which overlooks the alley. “Here, we are a two-minute walk from the metro. There are local shops and a tennis court nearby. It’s a very vibrant new neighborhood between Ville-Marie and Hochelaga,” says Liv.

These ingeniously designed apartments will be rented furnished, and therefore mainly intended for people who need temporary accommodation for one or several months, such as students or new arrivals.