Tag Archives: Decor

Real life and reel life small apartments in New York

Posted on November 16, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

Who hasn’t dreamed of moving to New York, at least for a couple of years? Pretty much everyone, which is why living space is at such a premium in that city. And when people pay such a lot for such a little space, they get pretty creative with how they use their limited living area.

A recent discovery of mine, YouTube program SPACEStv brings us this super sleek space-age apartment — completely finished in recycled materials. Watch this and learn more about it:

Incredible that this space was built by just one guy! It looks like something from 2001 (the movie, not the year).

And from Inhabitat we see a similar space but a completely different take. The HBO series Girls features a very home-made looking space-saving studio suite built by and for the character Charlie. As in real life, this apartment uses every square inch for living.

Whereas the first apartment had everything — even the kitchen stove — hidden behind slick plastic and stainless steel, this suite has everything right out in the open. But it feels warm and welcoming.

The space was designed by production designer Laura Ballinger

Surprisingly, I could see myself living in the fictional home before I would feel comfortable in the actual home. There’s something about the “Tron” apartment that looks a little toooooooo white and clean. But since the builder/occupant is an environmentalist it was important for him to get away from the dirt and the garbage he deals with every day.

Which would you choose?

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Posted in Cities, Decorating, Small House and tagged Decor, Laneway House, Neighbourhoods, Small Style, tiny apartment. Bookmark the permalink.

Bedroom Talk

Posted on November 10, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

Yesterday our day’s tasks centred on our future bedroom. I think I’ve said this before, it’s really a “bed” room. There is just room for the bed, a small occasional chair, and a fan. No dresser or closet, all our clothes will be stored in the closet system in our hallway.

And no room for few-faws and knick-knacks. No shelves, no other horizontal surface besides our bedside shelves.

We measured the wall behind the bed. 81 inches, side to side. I’m using that measurement to make roman blinds for the window in this fabric:

Lively, isn’t it?

We will also use that measurement to find shelves to act as bedside tables. 81 inches across the wall, less 60 inches for our queen bed/headboard, leaves a grand total of 10 inches each side. So the little shelves should be 10 inches deep at the most (we will mount them on the walls running parallel to the bed, not on the wall beside the headboard.) That 10-inch clearance is also why we couldn’t get a storage bed with drawers that opened on the side. We’ve ordered and received a lift-and-store bed with a hinged lid that lifts from the end of the bed. We’ll assemble that in a couple of weeks and tell you how it goes.

We zipped down to the legendary Dressew to get the thread and notions, plus some novelty fabric to cover some sofa cushions for Christmas. Then up to Winners for some plain white sheets. After the turquoise of the headboard and the blind, and the excitement in the blind and our sputnik lamp, we think a plain white duvet and sheets will be just the ticket.

The little chair is at the upholsters, having its orange loopy fabric changed out to black and white.

We thought long and hard about how we want our bedroom to look. We also rejected the idea of installing a TV there. The hook-up is ready if we ever change our minds, but right now that will be covered by our vintage black and white picture. We just needed a place to sleep and relax, so we could keep it very small. But we still wanted a bit of pizzazz (thus the turquoise colour, the lamp, and the blind).

How do other people save room in their small houses while still getting a nice bedroom? Apartment Therapy found 5 Cool Hidden Beds to add a sleeping space to a small home. My favourite is this one:

Suspended in a wrought iron cage above the main floor of the loft. Although I wouldn’t want to lounge in that nice Eames chair with it hanging above me. And I don’t think I’d enjoy a bath in that tub right beneath the window. That reminds me of those old tub-in-the-kitchen tenements.

This queen size bed tucks right away when it’s not in use. The 409-square foot apartment is home to a family of 3.

People are always coming up with great ways to get the most out of small spaces. I think we’re getting exactly the bedroom we want and need.

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Posted in Housing, Laneway House, Small House and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, Small Style. Bookmark the permalink.

Use it up or throw it out!

Posted on October 30, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

We are packing again, getting ready to move to the laneway house. I look around me and see shelves of goods, and I just don’t know where it all will go.

Well, of course, a lot of it will go …. out.

garbage

What will we throw out? In this article on Wise Bread, there are tons of things to toss. Lots of the suggestions we have already rid ourselves of:

2. Old Paint

We all have those cans of paint in the garage or basement. They’re great for touching up walls when they get chipped or scratched up.

We got rid of all our old paint by taking it to the local recycler.

11. Magazines

There’s a better place for those old magazines than gathering dust in your garage, basement, or attic

I tossed piles of magazines. And when I get a new magazine I give the old issue away, so I only keep one issue at a time.

16. Old Underwear, Socks, and Bras

Alas, sometimes we stretch out the time between washes a little longer than we should, and why? Because we see five pairs of undies or socks left in the drawer and know we’re OK.

I can’t bring myself to give away my older…”lingerie”( to call my skivvies by a fancy French name). But I can’t believe how much I have, and I won’t have to visit the panty counter for a long, long time.

17. Dated Technology, Including Old Cell Phones

It was shocking to see how many old computer components and cell phones we had when we moved the first time. Luckily we could wipe the hard drives and pass them along.

What am I ridding myself of? We have lots to throw away.

9. Linens

Old, dated, worn, mismatched linens that no longer have a use other than “what if?”

Or shred

4. Dated Receipts, Paychecks, and Bills

Do you really need a filing cabinet full of old bills, paychecks, and receipts? If they are no longer needed, dump them

We’re digitising as much as we can of our paper records.

7. Cups and Mugs

We’ve got lots of old dishes that will go. There are boxes of “good” dishes in the storage locker, no need to hold onto chipped and mis-matched crockery.

And what can I NOT give away?

23. Jewelry

Pendants with broken chains. Old rings. Old bracelets. Dated brooches. Dated anything, actually.

I am not a jewellery fan. I have been given lovely chains, bracelets, earrings, pins. But I wear the same silver chain and the same silver hoop earrings almost every day. I know I should sell or give away a lot of the jewellery I have. But I just can’t. It’s the shocking victory of sentiment over practicality, but I can’t get rid of my old jewellery. Oh sure, cheap plastic items have been passed along. But not the good stuff.

So we continue with the process. Shedding our carapace of belongings. Like moulting a skin. But just a bit more painful.

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Posted in Laneway House, Minimalism, Small House and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House. Bookmark the permalink.

Downsizing. Again!

Posted on October 26, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

We have been living in our small rental for nearly six months now, and although we downsized a lot when we moved here, we realize that we have been enjoying a luxury of space that will not be available in the laneway home.

For instance, even though the kitchen is tucked into a corner of the main living room, the rest of the room is large enough to hold a small dining table and two chairs, a sofa and armchair, a coffee table, set of shelves, and TV cabinet, plus several large plants.

Our new home will have less than half the room. The kitchen will be larger, with more built-ins and counter space. But we will lose the table and chairs and will eat at the counter with these stools (except in white)

DH picked them up yesterday and they are ready to go.

The kitchen counter will have to be kept spotless and clutter-free. That’ll be easier with the built-in microwave and the appliance garage, like this one:

Note the electrical outlet within the garage — we’ll have that as well.

Plus the garbage, compost and recycling will be tucked out of sight in a pull-out drawer under the sink.

And we are thinking a lot about how to get every square centimeter of use out of the kitchen.

Back in our old kitchen, I stored spices on two turntables in an upper cupboard. Although in principle it was a good idea, when you needed a spice it was always in the centre of the circular turntable, which meant moving spice bottles around a lot, and some would fall off onto the counter, and some would fall off into the back of the cupboard and stop the turntable from moving. It was not an ideal situation, and it drove DH nuts as little bottles would cascade out of the cupboard onto his cooking projects.

So we asked for, and got, a nice pull-out drawer with shelves that fits in right beside the stove. Something like this:

With adjustable shelves. We would store the spices on the shelves, but we wanted a method to store the spices in uniform containers that we could identify from above, as we would be seeing them from above when we pulled out the drawer.

So I got a bit crafty. We buy our martini olives in short, cylindrical jars. When we empty the jars, instead of putting them in the recycle bin, I recycle them as spice jars. Some chalkboard paint on the side makes a label that I write the name on with a white pen. And a dab of the same paint on the lid allows me to write the name there, too.

Problem solved inexpensively and while saving the planet from more glass.

Now on to the next dilemna. Do we need that container of ladles, spoons, etc. beside the stove? Or should they be stored in a drawer?

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Posted in Decorating, Laneway House, Small House and tagged Decor, Lane house, Laneway House, Small House, Small Style. Bookmark the permalink.

Packing style into 500 square feet

Posted on October 23, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

We are coming down to the final weeks of our project, and we are just picking up a few things we’ll need for the laneway house decor. Like a sofa, a bed, a rug, a closet.

We are keeping things pretty simple upstairs, with mid-century modern and just one or two accent colours against the neutral background. The big pieces of furniture will be the same grey/brown as the floor. We like to keep it simple to keep it serene.

But not everyone feels like that. This family from LA likes to stir it up with a lot of colour and texture — and still manages to fit it into 500 square feet.

Here the Barcelona chair — usually covered in plain fabric or leather, gets a bright floral makeover. The stack of books reflects the books on the shelf over the window. The traditional rug pattern adds more movement to the design.

Here’s more colour and texture tucked into the main bedroom (can you believe a family of four fits into this small space?).

The bookshelf holds lots of different shapes for more interest.

And see how the stripes in the bedroom have different scales?

Altogether a lovely home. Get the whole look at Houzz.

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We’re a house! With a living roof!

Posted on October 13, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

I went out of town for a few days, and came back to see a HUGE difference in the laneway house.

Inside, the drywall has been put up and mudded.

Looking south in the upper storey:

Looking due south

See the rolled steel cladding on the outside deck?

The north wall of the kitchen

And although the outside still has not received the final siding, there have been many changes

Yesterday the living roof was installed.

Today you can see how far the hardscaping has come:

Rebar and framing ready for the concrete.

The power still has not been connected to the laneway. All the electricity to run the dryers and de-humidifiers that ready the drywall for painting have to be run with extension cords plugged in to different circuits in the main house (so they don’t overload each circuit and trip the breaker).

The great push will ensure that the Vancouver Heritage Foundation‘s laneway tour will see our little house in good form. Have you bought your tickets yet? It’s a great way to see the most laneway houses in the least expense of time.

Remember, there’s still a lot to be done in a short amount of time (losing a day on Monday for Thanksgiving Day). The interior has to be painted and the flooring and tiling completed, the kitchen cupboards must be installed and the exterior siding must be put on. The lights have to be connected, too. So everyone is putting in extra hours to make it all come together.

The front door is open, but just give us a chance to straighten up the place inside.

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Posted in Laneway House and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, living roof, Small House, Vancouver Heritage Foundation Laneway House Tour. Bookmark the permalink.

Cute and little house in the woods.

Posted on October 12, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

Trying to fit as much living space — and style — into 500 square feet can be a real challenge. You can see how that challenge is being met on the Vancouver Heritage Foundation Laneway House Tour on Saturday, October 19. Get your tickets now for a great afternoon of discovering all the ways designers meet the constraints of building a home in a tightly restricted size limitation. Our place and one other are the smallest homes at 500 square feet. Some of the others go up to nearly 1000. But in every one you will find lots of great decorating and renovating ideas.

Be listening to the Home Discovery Show Sunday morning, October 13, for a chance to win tickets to the tour!

Far away from Vancouver’s urban densification, homeowners outside of Golden, Colarado found themselves with a similar dilemna. They wanted to build a studio/guest house close to their main dwelling, up in the Rocky Mountains. But they were restricted by building codes to build in the footprint of a recently-demolished shack — to just 500 square feet. And they wanted the new structure to fit in with the rustic style of their existing residence.

As this story in Houzz shows, the answer was a delightful little “Hobbit House” seemingly growing out of the granite of the hills.

Rustic Exterior by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

From the quaint rounded front door to the slate roof, every detail was carefully planned and executed. Guests can make themselves at home in a loft bed

Rustic Bedroom by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

Or a Murphy bed

Rustic Bedroom by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

And the “kitchen” is actually a studio for the owner, a jewellery designer

Rustic Living Room by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

There’s a modern bathroom that still fits the quaint esthetic (a custom concrete sink keeps the theme going).

Rustic Powder Room by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

And the fireplace and open beams are a perfect way to incorporate “Hobbit” charm. The mullioned windows along one side are actually doors that slide open to the deck.

Rustic Living Room by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

Once again we see that good design can overcome site difficulties. Who wouldn’t want to make their way to this guest house after a day of hiking or skiing?

Rustic Exterior by Golden Architects & Designers TKP Architects pc

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Posted in Decorating, Housing, Small House, Uncategorized and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, Small House, Small Style, The Home Discovery Show, Vancouver Heritage Foundation Laneway House Tour. Bookmark the permalink.

It’s a laneway house world!

Posted on October 5, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

It’s that magical time of year again! It’s time to get your tickets for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Laneway House Tour!! We always support this effort to expose everyone to the best of laneway living. But this year (and for the only time!) we are part of it!!! No wonder I’m going crazy with the exclamation marks!!!!

The city is bragging about how many laneway houses are being built. It’s a movement that is taking hold.

The Huff Po is asking people to rent laneway houses.

And Global TV pointed out where laneway houses work for the increase of affordable housing in Vancouver — and where they don’t work.

And the Vancouver Sun mentioned our project (and my name!!!!!)

Maybe it’s the time of year (or as Joni says, maybe it’s the time of man) but the focus right now is on laneway homes.

We are SO PROUD to be part of this movement.

Shelley Fralic pointed out the one problem with laneway homes

Laneways are a good idea, especially as a means of increasing urban density and affordable housing while discouraging demolition. They provide rental income, and accommodation for university students or family members who don’t want to leave a cherished neighbourhood and their local support systems.

But here’s the problem with laneway houses.

They are built on lanes. Right on lanes. Which means, not to put too gritty a point on it, that when you live in a laneway house, you become a resident of a back alley, which is not always the most savoury of locales in which to spend your golden years.

True dat, Shelley, we will definitely be looking at the alley. But, unlike our alley-facing condo where we lived (happily) for 13 years, we will have a south-facing laneway view — sunnier than where we lived before. And as the TV story said, having eyes on the laneway will increase the security for the whole neighbourhood.

Are laneway houses the answer for affordable housing in Vancouver? Of course not. But they are part of the answer. Co-op housing. low-rise condos, high-rise apartments, rentals, basement suites, are all part of the solution.

We are part of the solution. And it just feels right.

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Posted in Cities, Laneway House and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, Vancouver, Vancouver Heritage Foundation Laneway House Tour. Bookmark the permalink.

Closest to the closet we want

Posted on September 24, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

One of the things you must talk about when hiring a builder is where the money is going to go. And you should be putting your money where it makes the most sense — to you.

Take a look at your budget and see where you want to spend more — and where you will be more frugal. Only you can decide how your budget will be allocated. Of course, certain line items are going to cost what they cost — the foundation, walls, and roof for instance. But you can have quite a say about what goes inside the foundation, walls, and roof.

We wanted a custom kitchen — and we got it. It will be gorgeous (actually it already is gorgeous, the cabinets are nearly ready to be installed). But in the bathroom and the clothes closet we are falling back on the standard — IKEA.

At the time we were first conferring with Laurel, our designer, about the design of the laneway house we weren’t sure what kind of clothes closet we wanted. We had been spoiled by having a custom closet system installed in our condo, and we thought we might want the same in the laneway. So Laurel gave us a space that would fit any closet system that fits into a 200 cm width. And we left the item off the builder’s budget.

But after living in the rental for a while and sharing a closet, we realized that we could design our own clothing storage system ourselves, and why spend more? Go with PAX by IKEA.

Surprisingly, pretty close to what we want except for the dress — not my style.

On an unscheduled trip out to IKEA last week (long, boring story) we saw that the PAX system was on sale for 15% off until the end of September. So now we had a deadline. And thanks to the Main House, we had a space to store the flat-pack boxes until the system could be installed. So I pulled out the graph paper and we started to put together a closet that works for us.

Driving out to the IKEA on Saturday I had that tightening around the temples that means “I am not looking forward to this”. I love IKEA and used to love strolling around and finding things that I didn’t know I wanted, and putting them into those handy big bags and then taking them home and putting them away never to be seen or used. But this time we had to buy exactly what we needed. We had to have it delivered. And I was not looking forward to stalking the warehouse to find the right products and then wrangling them onto those airport luggage carts and manoeuvring through the check-out (I have terrible check-out karma) and then standing in line for the delivery desk. It’s a big deal.

BUT when we got there and realized that part of our plan would have to be abandoned because we could see it wouldn’t work, I started to go into full anxiety-mode.

We wound our way to the bedroom section and DH found an angel of mercy in a yellow shirt, Nancy, who held my hand and walked us through the process. First she drew up what we wanted on a computer that showed everything in a nice realistic rendering. She printed off a list of everything we had asked for and entered the numbers into another computer that showed whether or not they had it in stock (spoiler alert! — they did) then spoke those magic words that made all the difference. IKEA will not only deliver for a fee, but for another (perfectly reasonable) fee they will pull the items off the shelves for you. I could feel the relief radiating off DH, who was sure he would drag the wrong box off the shelf and we would have it delivered and then we would have to take it back and then there would be a lot of hassle…..and no, that was not going to happen. Nor would a grandmother-aged little old lady (me) have to lug huge boxes full of Hasvik doors onto those tiny carts.

That is how a trip to IKEA that we thought would take all afternoon left us enough time to go to IDSWest.

We still had a bother getting through the check-out (not IKEA’s fault — it’s my karma to get in the wrong line up and then have the cashier have to change the tape just when I get to the front) but….the items were all delivered the following afternoon.

We are looking forward to seeing our new closet in place. And we are happy that we got it for the lowest price we could. We have other places to put that money.

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Posted in Housing, Laneway House, Uncategorized and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, Small House, Small Style. Bookmark the permalink.

A showhouse laneway!

Posted on September 21, 2013 by ladywholivesdownthelane

I’m sure you’ve seen lots of model houses — all tricked out and decorated to the last cornice. But I hadn’t seen any laneway houses like that — until today!

DH and I skipped off to the IDSWest show at the new(er) convention centre. It’s always nice to wander around and see the beautiful finishings and furnishings, but the real reason I wanted to go was to tour the Homes & Living Laneway Feature Home. The home has been auctioned off in support of Alzheimers research — and it was chock full of great style and features.

It was set up in the convention center, here’s a shot of the place while it was being assembled:

you get the idea of the home, even though you can’t see the finished exterior (dark wood) or some of the walls (sleek white). The auction winner will have to provide a pad and heating system, plus a bunch of other stuff (permits, engineers report, lot to put the home on, etc.) but should get quite a lovely place out of it. Unsurprisingly, I could not take any pictures, but the home had some pretty sweet features:

ten-foot ceilings
an overhang and sliding glass walls that open up for outdoor entertaining
completely built in kitchen so the dishwasher, fridge and freezer are behind cupboard doors
a hefty wooden counter top that slides over the stove and sink to completely hide them away
state of the art sound system that can be run from an iPad
beautiful furniture (natch)
floor-to-ceiling doors so it looks like the wall slides away or opens up
the Nest thermostat, pretty impressive and affordable, too

The roof is flat and the new owner must put on the torchon to finish it. I asked twice, and no, there won’t be a living roof on the house. You could put one on, I guess, but that’s something for an engineer and the designer to confirm.

There’s a big takeaway — this is a real design experiment. That’s great, love to see so much talent and time going into the design of a laneway home, but just one caveat. If you are a decorating junky like I am, you know how “theoretical” designers can always come up with something really spectacular. Of course! They are not restricted by civic building codes, lot sizes, lot shapes, lot slopes, budgets. Put that place anywhere you want — Narnia, Wonderland, just outside Hogwarts. When you start with a completely clean slate you can do anything you want. All they had to worry about was the size. A big deal, sure, but it’s just the start of a lot of big deals.

I love looking at other laneway designs, and (IMHO) the best way to do that is with the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Laneway Tour. We took the tour last year and loved it! Lots of great ideas! But this year we won’t be able to go around — because our house is part of it! There will be more on that to come.

What else did I like about IDSWest? It’s a very nice to see all those lovely examples of finishes and accessories. And we actually saw Tommy Smythe in person!

My heart be still.

PS: The winning big was $230,000. The winner will still have to pay at least $73,000 to have the home installed on their lot. Good news for the Alzheimer’s Society!

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Posted in Cities, Laneway House and tagged Decor, Lane Home, Lane house, Laneway House, Vancouver Heritage Foundation Laneway House Tour. Bookmark the permalink.

The Lady Who Lives Down the Lane

Tag Archives: Decor

Real life and reel life small apartments in New York

Bedroom Talk

Use it up or throw it out!

2. Old Paint

11. Magazines

16. Old Underwear, Socks, and Bras

17. Dated Technology, Including Old Cell Phones

9. Linens

4. Dated Receipts, Paychecks, and Bills

7. Cups and Mugs

23. Jewelry

Downsizing. Again!

Packing style into 500 square feet

We’re a house! With a living roof!

Cute and little house in the woods.

It’s a laneway house world!

Closest to the closet we want

A showhouse laneway!

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Tag Archives: Decor

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2. Old Paint

11. Magazines

16. Old Underwear, Socks, and Bras

17. Dated Technology, Including Old Cell Phones

9. Linens

4. Dated Receipts, Paychecks, and Bills

7. Cups and Mugs

23. Jewelry

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