As someone who prides herself on setting up and shooting a home reveal in record time, I’ll be the first to admit this one was a very slow burner. In the past I’ve rushed to set up a home and take photos before its been really lived in, usually with the help of a professional photographer who can capture the dreamy details in every room, even the ones with tricky lighting. This time around an abrupt move to the other side of the country where I have no photographer pals made me feel hesitant to reveal at all – did I want to share my home when it couldn’t be “perfect”?
The thing is, living alone with a toddler and two pets in a small space isn’t always picture perfect, tidy and styled. This condo is no #HeavenInHighPark, but it’s what works for us right now. No stairs, less square footage and a modern open-concept layout means I can easily keep tabs on Summer, and though it was a battle between my head and heart when apartment shopping, the practicality of something clean and safe beat out my love of older homes that need lots of work (this time around).
With space so much more limited than our last home in Toronto, there was much less in the way of big renovations and much more in the way of meticulous organization in every bit of space. Originally I was planning to wait to shoot and share my reveal until every closet and drawer was a work of organizational art, but I’m not convinced that will ever happen, so here we are!
There were a lot of challenges when it came to setting up this space – because it doesn’t have much room to grow, I knew it would likely be fairly temporary, so I didn’t want to pour myself into big projects or upgrades like I’ve done in the past. I also gained a lot of fresh perspective about “stuff” from living in Vancouver during lockdown with none of my creature comforts. Yes, it was incredibly difficult, but it was also a great lesson on what really matters to us vs. what was just clutter in our closets in Toronto. I made a lot of small practical changes, like swapping out my beloved pink fabric sectional for a faux leather couch that’s much more child-mess friendly, and re-purposing our little CB2 outdoor bistro set as a mini kitchen table instead of spending a bunch on fancy bar stools or an official dining table (let’s be real, we eat sitting on the couch 99% of the time anyway!)
With all of the uncertainty this past year has brought, I’ve learned a lot about finding the beauty in imperfection, and this tour is no different. I don’t know if this space will ever truly feel “done” to me because I don’t plan to stay long-term, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth celebrating the beautiful bits. I was so concerned I couldn’t make a condo feel cozy and colourful, but I’m proud of the way the space came together and how quickly it felt “lived in”. Though you may not be able to see all of the pet hair and cheerio crumbs in these edited shots, I can absolutely assure you this apartment is, more often than not, a bright, beautiful, imperfect mess.
Watch the full video tour on my feed here! Scroll down for still images room by room, and shopping links at the very bottom.
LIVING ROOM //
Chandelier from Make Moves Vintage
Abstract Painting by Veronica Baxter (find her work here)
The BEST Couch by AllModern here
Ikea LACK Shelving here
Rug is old Lulu and Georgia x Claire Zinnecker (similar here or here)
Floor Cushion from Mashi Moosh (similar here)
Coffee Table from Article here
Credenza from CB2 (actually a dresser!) – similar here or here
Planter by Hudson and Oak here
Cactus Silk Throw Pillows from Mashi Moosh (similar here)
Play Structures by Wiwiurka
SUMMER’S ROOM //
Ledge Book shelves by IKEA
River Doll by Wildflower Liberty League
Crib by Babyletto (on sale here!)
Rocker by Nursery Works here
Pouf by Mashi Moosh here
Swing shelf by Winter and Vine here
Change Pad by Bumbo here
Knit Dolls by Cuddle and Kind (similar here)
Mobile by Gisele Blaker Designs (similar here)
MY BEDROOM //
Custom Neon Sign by FUSE Neon
Portal Painting by Rebecca Chaperon (find her work here)
Headboard by Make Moves Vintage here
Linen sheets and bed things by Casper (similar here)
Rug by Mashi Moosh (similar here)
Planter by Hudson and Oak here
Mirror from Alma Home Vintage (similar here or here)
Bedside table by CB2 (similar here)
Ikea LACK Shelving here
Dried florals by Bespoke Blossoms here
Pink Candle by LOHN (sold out RAOP collaboration)
Light fixture from IKEA here
MY BATHROOM //
Compagnie de Provence Marseille Soap here
Perfume tray by CB2 (similar here)
Ledge shelf by IKEA
Shower mat by HomeSense (similar here)
Conch Shell (similar here)
Artifact skin and hair products
Pink Light Botanicals products
POWDER ROOM //
Hand Soap by The Bare Home
Towels by Drye (similar here)
Sunset Candle by PF Candle Co. here
Whale Potty by Coco Village (similar here)
KITCHEN //
Mountain Painting by Johanna Martin (find her work here)
High chair by Stokke (similar here)
Bistro Set by CB2 (chairs here and table here)
Pink Mixer by Kitchenaid here
Pink toaster (similar here)
Kettle by Le Crueset here
Nespresso Machine here
Glassware (similar here and here)
Ceramics by Studio Arhoj and YYY Ceramics
Marble pet bowls here
Tea Towel by Ten & Co. here
PATIO //
IKEA Loveseat here
IKEA indoor/outdoor Rug here
IKEA metal Coffee Table here
IKEA Pink Plant Stand here
IKEA Storage Cupboard here
IKEA Rattan Chair (not for outdoors unless covered completely!) here
Shell Pillows by Miss Garden Glory here
Plant pots (similar options here and here)
HALL CLOSET //
IKEA Peg board here
Palm Tree Scratch Post here
Wall decals by Urbanwalls
CREDITS //
I tried to break down the major items in each room or provide links to similar items for one of a kind / older pieces! If I have missed anything leave me a comment here or send me a DM on Instagram.