CONDO INTERIOR DESIGN - REDESIGNING A SMALL SPACE
Original condo layout
by KALLI GEORGE
Small condos are a great way to get a foot on the property ladder. However, more often than not, their interiors leave on scratching their head. It's either a confounding condo design from the developer or an owner redesign. Either way, there is hope for these ‘almost’ adorable small spaces.
Case and point - this cute little Toronto condo. It is a grand total of 395 ft² with quite the utilitarian layout. A small couch facing a wall with a TV and a desk facing a wall. Did you notice you're facing a lot of walls? Not very inspirational, is it? You might be a social butterfly, but you will still need to spend some time at home. Despair will set in. It's a bleak interior layout. Small spaces need more than a desk and a couch to make them functional. After all - it's home.
SMALLL CONDO DESIGN IDEAS GONE WRONG
This small condo interior needs a grown-up makeover. What's the first thing you notice? For me, it is the lack of storage.
This unit might come with a storage locker, but I am not including it here. You don't live in the locker. Usually, in the recesses of the bottom floors, they are dusty, dark and dreary. They are reserved for items you don’t regularly use. Tires. Luggage. Golf clubs. Not meant to store your clothes or anything else you might need daily.
That small closet in the hallway will hold your coat/jacket and shoes. No matter, how well organized, it will not hold everything. Before long, your stuff will spill over into your living space. No matter how many cute rattan boxes you buy, they will never be enough. It will be a fine line between your home looking like a home or looking like a storage facility.
The idea of sleeping on the couch is pervasive in new condo developments. Small condo? Not a problem. Add a pull-out couch, and call it a day. That's just lazy small condo design. Sleeping on the couch while visiting friends and family - sure. Sleeping on the couch every night in your own home? No.
Final thoughts on the couch. Have you thought of the extra work? You spend your days either pulling out or pushing in a mattress. You wake up to go to work, and you push the mattress back in. You return after a long day, pull out the mattress, make the bed and go to sleep.
Kalli George Interiors reimagined condo layout
Nobody got time for that. Your time is far too precious.
SMALL CONDO DESIGN IDEAS
I am all for a desk, but not here. You need the storage. Getting rid of the desk creates a better small space design flow. So, dump the desk! Do your work on the kitchen table. Add a wall of storage. It’s a 10’0” wall! That is storage for your clothes, bed sheets, duvet covers..... You know everyday living essentials. These small condo interior design ideas will keep the space as neat as possible.
A good-looking daybed will double as a couch. By ditching the desk and using the whole room, you have a living room that doubles as a bedroom. This unit is now a more grown-up space. You've got storage and the ability to keep it tidy. That's grown-up living!
Here's what else we propose:
Remove that TV wall. Create a division between the kitchen and bedroom/living room with something less bulky.
Take advantage of that gap between the cabinetry and the wall. Add a floor-to-ceiling pantry to hide your gadgets and electronics. No need to stare at your clutter all day. They tend to take over a space. In a small-footprint home, storage matters.
These small condo units are a great way to enter the property ladder. They are affordable for first-time buyers and a great way to build equity. The downside is their limited space makes them a challenge to decorate.
If this sounds like you, grab a discovery call with me and let’s talk about it →
Kalli George is the founder and lead designer with Kalli George Interiors’ award-winning interior design team. For more than a decade they have managed the design, build and décor of residential projects across the GTA including, Mississauga, Etobicoke and Brampton.