Today we have a lovely reveal for you!
This place is a rental that my friends Caleb and Sharon landed a few months ago. After living in a rundown apartment, they got a lower duplex apartment in Verdun and instantly felt at home! Here are some before pictures, if you’d like to see:
The apartment starts with a long, narrow hallway like so many Montreal apartments! We thought it would be nice to take advantage of the little nook on the right to install a bench and coat hooks, as there is no closet in this hallway.
DOUBLE LIVING ROOM
To the left of the narrow hallway is a double living room that has great architectural elements such as the arch with detailed casing and high ceilings.
Since Caleb & Sharon didn’t want to have a formal dining space, we turned this space into a living room/ den combo.
We made the living room cosy with a pillow-charged sectional, and I suggested this DIY for their coffee table, which I think turned out fantastic!
In order to separate the living room from the den and to add much needed storage, we added an Ikea KALLAX shelf unit in the middle of the two rooms.
All the pillows and throws are from H&M!
The den really became the perfect space for Sharon’s sewing machine and knickknacks! Sharon, who is a fashion graduate, spends a lot of time creating different patterns for her upcoming collection.
KITCHEN
Altough the kitchen had recently been renovated by the landlord, it was completely devoid of character and pizzazz!
A few accessories and a new light fixture from HOMESENSE saved the day!
We created a dining nook in the corner of the kitchen by adding a bench in front of the wall. The table comes with an extension for their future needs!
BEDROOM
Finally, their bedroom was a long, rectangular room with no storage except a tiny, narrow wardrobe! We had to get creative! I suggested a pax unit to store all their belongings, and we separated the room into two distinct areas: A sleeping area and a wardrobe/make-up area… but first, let’s see the before pictures!
The sleeping section:
Wardrobe/make up area:
Since this room was smaller than the living room, I didn’t want to use furniture to divide the spaces. Instead, I came up with a visual eye breaker. I installed a canopy made with sheer fabric on the ceiling, using curtain rods!
Here is the finished product with all the furniture in place:
Even if a place is rented, I think there are great ways to make it feel like home. My suggestions are always to:
- Invest in furniture or accessories for the long term, and that you can take with you
- Make every room functional for you (if you don’t do formal dining, for example, have a den or an office, or even a play room for kids
- Visually reduce the length of hallways with narrow furniture and wall accessories
- Do at least 1 DIY- it will teach you new skills and allow you to boast to friends and family!
Happy apartment living!!
