a new laneway in the neighborhood

Photo via Lanefab

I’ve been watching this laneway take shape over the past few months. The style, which seems to be a signature look for Lanefab, is very West Coast Modern. The angles of the deck add a lot of visual interest to the facade and it probably acts as a privacy screen between the house and the laneway. By orienting it this way, however, they seem to be sacrificing a lot of south facing light. I wonder if that little window is enough to make it warm and sunny up there?

Hello again!

Guess what we got for Christmas? An IKEA Brimnes Bed!

Photo from IKEA

We had been sleeping on a mattress on the ground for about a year because there was no way a box spring was going to fit up the attic stairs when we moved in. Sleeping on a real bed feels pretty luxurious and the Brimnes is great. The drawers are awesome because unlike having a bed with storage containers underneath, the drawers are easier to access and organize and are cleaner, both aesthetically and literally…they keep our stuff safe from the nasty dust/cat hair tumbleweeds that roam our hardwood floors. Hooray!

little eats

See more photos via Scout Magazine

Walking to Chinatown yesterday, I came across this very cute and very little pizzeria on Main street. I can’t wait to try it soon!

ikea thinks little

I’m really excited that IKEA’s 2012 catalogue is all about smart, small space design. Each page is packed with storage ideas and great “foldable, stackable, moveable” furniture. Check it out online here!

storage challenge #1: shoes and coats

 

The attic, stairwell

All shoes from Umeboshi Shoes

In the absence of a traditional coat closet, we’ve had to get creative with how we store our many coats and shoes. This weekend, I almost got rid of this shabby little bookcase, but carrying it down the stairwell I realized it would make a pretty good shoe shelf. It fits almost perfectly on our narrow landing (this space is only 2.5 ft wide and 7 ft long). We bought a shelf organizer which doubles the space for oxfords on the bottom shelf. Scarves, gloves and bags found a new home on top of the bookcase. We keep our keys in that little antique tin on the window sill.

I should point out that these are only our winter shoes–what we are wearing daily right now.  Summer shoes, running shoes and more rain boots are being stored in boxes on shelves behind our (only) clothes closet.

This area is still needing some work because it’s already too full! I’m planning to add some shelving above our front door for bags and add a few more hooks for our bicycle helmets.  Stay tuned!

storage

Adequate storage can be a big challenge in small spaces. When we moved into our little attic, we downsized. A lot. We went from having a walk-in closet/storage room, a huge linen closet and a double bedroom closet to having a small closet without doors in the bedroom, a tiny broom closet and an old, built-in dresser. In this process, we discovered that we had been storing a bunch of stuff we didn’t want or need. After many liberating trips to Value Village, we started figuring out what to store and how to store it. Because things are always coming in and out of our lives, but mostly in, this is an ongoing challenge.

With Christmas and the New Year approaching, I’ve lately had an urge to declutter and re-organize. On the subject, I really like this “How to” article from Apartment Therapy. I love their idea of maintaining a “Golden 10%” of free space to allow newness to come into your life. Very zen–but also practical, because when storage is completely full it ceases to be usable. And when I can no longer put away my clothes, or find my tape or get at my waffle-iron because the drawer is too full or too cluttered I get really frustrated, actually, I get pretty damn angry. Very not zen.

I’ll be sharing some of our organization projects as they develop. For now, here’s a peek at one of our storage options, the built-in dresser, which is currently displaying our Christmas ornaments.

And for any music nerds, here’s a look at what’s inside!

a tour of burns’ block

Photos via The Province

See a great video tour of another Micro-loft here!

Vancouver got an inside tour of the Burns’ Block Micro-lofts today. As the smallest rental units in Canada, these suites range from 226-291 sq ft. They look smartly designed and very liveable. Liveable, that is, for one person who earns at least double minimum wage, because they are now rented for 850$, not 650-700$ as planned in 2010. Protesters also visited Burns’ Block today, angered by the City’s efforts to sell the project as an “affordable housing” strategy. I’d like to see the City being more upfront about their target market for the Burns’ Block, which seems to me to be young, entry to mid-level professionals. These little spaces are definitely pressing on a major social issue in Vancouver!

another cool garage conversion

Photos via The New York Times

This 250 sq ft garage in Seattle, Washington was converted into a small home by artist Michelle de la Vega. The project, which cleverly re-used many salvaged industrial materials, cost only $32,000. Read more about the garage here and learn how to steal the look of this minimal “camp style” kitchen at Remodelista.

inside outside

Accessory Building by McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture in North Vancouver, BC.

The relationship between interior and exterior space is important in small space design.  This 269 sq ft accessory building by McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture received the 2009 AIA Small Project Awards and demonstrates a complex interplay between outside and inside space. The AIA jury commented:

“This project is a jewel that creates excellent space outside of the building. It defines the yard between the carport, the existing house and this new accessory building. While the entrance from the side makes it appear that the building is turning its back on the main street; this is understandable because the yard space it creates on the other side is the livable space. The decking system acts as a thread that ties each of the different structures together. Additionally, there is a precision to the detailing that is appealing. The little patch of turf in the back is a nice green carpet to what might be considered an outdoor room. The way that the design integrates, yet separates, the home from the office, as well as creates a play space for young children is really well treated.”

quote via archinovations

Here is another example of how an architect created a functional relationship between inside and outside in a challenging and unlikely space–a garage in Bordeaux, France.*

*You might notice that I’ve already posted some photos of the bed/storage cube, but the video gives a more detailed tour of these impressive storage features.

An interview with Smallworks’ Jake Fry and a tour of the Smallworks and SFU West House.

Those solar panels are pretty sexy, right?