Small Apartment Tour - Life in a Beautiful 470 ft² Perfectly Sized Space
Summary
TLDRThe video offers a tour of a 470 square feet condo in Toronto, where the resident, accustomed to Hong Kong's dense living, finds the space ample. They highlight the condo's efficient use of space, including a narrow shoe cabinet, a kitchen island with ample storage, and a living area that feels cozy despite its size. The resident, who works from home, has creatively arranged their bedroom to include a desk and piano, maximizing storage with built-in closets. They also discuss the benefits of living centrally and the challenges of storage in a small space, considering a potential upgrade to a one-bedroom plus den for a separate workspace.
Takeaways
- 🏠 The condo is 470 square feet and located in Toronto, where the resident has been living for two years.
- 🌐 Coming from Hong Kong, the resident is accustomed to dense living spaces and doesn't feel the need for a larger place.
- 🚪 The condo features a hallway and an entrance way, providing privacy and preventing a clear view of the interior.
- 👠 A narrow shoe cabinet is used to maximize space in the narrow entryway without causing clutter.
- 👕 The closet has double doors and is well-lit, with a stacked laundry unit including a washer and dryer, saving space and convenience.
- 🍳 The kitchen includes a floating island with a sink, storage, and a unique stove top placement that the resident has grown to enjoy.
- 📚 The living room is made cozy with a feature wall, bookshelves, and a velvet couch, despite its small size.
- 🖼 The resident has utilized walls for storage and display, including art pieces and a mounted TV to keep wires hidden.
- 🛏️ The bedroom, at about 110 square feet, is arranged to include a desk and piano, optimizing the use of space for a work-from-home setup.
- 🚿 The ensuite bathroom, though small, offers good storage solutions and a shower nook for convenience.
- 🚲 Living centrally in a smaller space is advantageous for the resident who bikes and walks everywhere, valuing the ease of city access.
- 📦 Storage is a key challenge, but the resident mitigates this with a storage unit in the building for seasonal and infrequently used items.
- 🏡 The resident is a freelancer and has set up a workspace in the bedroom, with plans to possibly upgrade to a den for a separate work area in the future.
Q & A
How long has the speaker been living in their Toronto condo?
-The speaker has been living in their Toronto condo for about two years.
What is the size of the condo the speaker lives in?
-The condo is approximately 470 square feet.
How does the speaker's upbringing in Hong Kong influence their perspective on living space?
-The speaker grew up in Hong Kong, where spaces are super dense, so they are accustomed to living in smaller spaces like a condo-sized unit.
Why does the speaker appreciate the hallway in their condo?
-The speaker likes the hallway because it doesn't give away everything they have inside, providing a sense of privacy.
What is the configuration of the laundry area in the condo?
-The laundry area includes a stacked washer and dryer, which is convenient for the speaker as it saves them from having to go to a laundromat.
What is unique about the kitchen island in the speaker's condo?
-The kitchen island has a floating stove top, which the speaker found surprising but has grown to enjoy, especially with the presence of a TV for entertainment while cooking.
How does the speaker address storage challenges in their condo?
-The speaker addresses storage challenges by utilizing high cabinets, under-counter spaces, and creative wall storage solutions.
What is the speaker's opinion about the seating arrangement under the kitchen counter?
-The speaker finds the seating arrangement under the kitchen counter comfortable and not a common feature, which they appreciate.
What feature does the speaker have in their bedroom that aids in work-life balance?
-The speaker has a door to their bedroom, which helps separate their work area in the bedroom from the living space.
What is the speaker's profession, and how does their condo setup accommodate it?
-The speaker is a freelancer who does design and occasionally lifestyle content. They have a desk in their bedroom that serves as a workspace, allowing them to separate work and leisure.
What future plans does the speaker have regarding their living space?
-The speaker does not have immediate plans to upgrade to a larger space but mentions the possibility of getting a one-bedroom plus den if they continue to work from home long-term for a proper workspace separate from their bedroom.
Outlines
🏠 Efficient Living in a 470 Sq. Ft. Toronto Condo
The speaker, who grew up in Hong Kong, is accustomed to living in small spaces and has been residing in a 470 square feet condo in Toronto for two years. They appreciate the hallway entrance for privacy and have strategically used a narrow shoe cabinet to avoid clutter. The closet is well-lit and houses a stacked laundry unit, which is convenient for the small space. The kitchen features a floating island with ample storage, a high pantry, and a unique stove top placement that initially felt foreign but has become enjoyable with the addition of a TV for entertainment. Despite the abundance of storage, reaching the top shelves is a challenge for the 5'4 speaker, who uses a ladder or enlists help. The kitchen counter space is ample, and there's a comfortable seating area underneath the counter. The living area, though small, is cozy with a feature wall for book display and a velvet couch for comfort. The TV is mounted to keep wires hidden, and a media console holds a turntable and speakers, reflecting the speaker's love for music.
🛋️ Maximizing Space in a Small Urban Home
The living room is adjacent to the kitchen and features a coffee table with storage, which is essential for a small space. The bedroom, at approximately 110 square feet, is spacious due to the strategic arrangement of a double-sized bed, a desk instead of nightstands, and efficient use of wall space for storage. The speaker, who works from home, has a separate desk area in the bedroom, which helps separate work and leisure. Two closets provide clothing storage, although the speaker notes that the center of the closets is less accessible due to the door mechanism. The ensuite bathroom, despite its small size, offers good storage solutions, including a built-in mirror cabinet and a shower nook for hair products. The speaker values the central location of the condo for easy access to transportation and mentions the challenges of living in a small space, such as storage limitations, but also the benefits of having a separate workspace within the home. There are no immediate plans to upgrade to a larger space, but the speaker considers the possibility of a den for a dedicated workspace in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Condo
💡Square Footage
💡Storage Space
💡Laundry
💡Kitchen Island
💡Living Room
💡Feature Wall
💡Balcony
💡Ensuite Bathroom
💡Workspace
💡Central Location
Highlights
Living in a 470 square feet condo in Toronto for two years.
Adaptability to small spaces due to upbringing in Hong Kong.
Preference for a hallway as an entrance feature.
Use of a narrow shoe cabinet to avoid clutter in a narrow space.
Inclusion of a washer and dryer within the small condo for convenience.
Kitchen features a floating island with sink and storage.
Storage space extends high up for ample pantry storage.
Challenge of reaching top storage due to height for someone who is 5'4.
Kitchen counter space is ample for various activities.
Stove top's floating design initially felt foreign but grew on the resident.
Living room made cozy with a feature wall and book storage.
Velvet couch chosen for comfort over leather.
TV mounted on the wall for a cleaner look and more surface space.
Media console and coffee table chosen for their space-saving designs.
Bedroom at 110 square feet feels spacious due to smart arrangement.
Desk with storage used in the bedroom for work-from-home setup.
Two closets in the bedroom for clothing storage, but with a challenge of accessing the center.
Ensuite bathroom with good storage solutions and a shower nook.
Central location of the condo benefits non-drivers with easy access to transportation.
Challenges of storage in a small space, mitigated by a storage unit in the building.
Work-life balance in a small space, with a separate bedroom for work.
No current plans to upgrade to a larger space, but considering a den for a separate workspace.
Transcripts
foreign
I live in Toronto and the condo that I
live in is about
470 square feet
I've been living here for about two
years
for me I would say space wasn't too big
of an issue I didn't grow up here I
actually grew up in Hong Kong and the
spaces there are like this it's super
dense so I'm used to living in like a
condo sized unit I've never really
thought of you know upgrading to a place
with a larger square footage
I love having a hallway at like an
entrance way into the place because it
doesn't I guess give away everything
that I have inside yet
um and it's nice that I was able to find
a really narrow shoe cabinet because I
didn't want anything to clutter up this
already kind of narrow space so making
sure that the space is used wisely it
was was really important so this is my
closet and I have like the two double
doors going on since there's winter here
in Toronto I have a lot of winter
jackets and boots and shoes and stuff
what's nice is that there's the light in
here so it's easier to see and on the
other side I have this stacked laundry I
have both the washer and the dryer super
convenient since it is a small space
it's it's nice that I have this so I
don't have to go to the laundromat
so after you come through from the
entryway the first space that you'll see
is the kitchen I have a bit of a kitchen
island like a floating island here and I
have like the sink and storage behind me
um the storage is something that I
really liked because of the way the
cabinet doors open up
um I love that it goes so high up so
there's actually a lot of storage space
to use so a lot of my pantry items I can
keep on one side while as the other side
I can keep my plates and cups so my
fridge is up top and my freezers at the
bottom
uh we also have the dishwasher some more
storage space I would say the counter
space is pretty uh ample like there's
enough room to do a lot of things I
think one of the biggest surprising
things that I saw when I came in was
actually the stove top because it being
floating and at the edge of the island
always felt very foreign but I've gotten
so used to it now especially because I
have a TV to watch while I'm cooking it
makes this so much more entertaining
than if I were to cook here and face a
wall so this was a surprise that I
didn't think I'd like a lot but I've
grown to really really enjoy that
um so that's something I have an oven
here as well as the microwave so all the
appliances you would expect to have in a
kitchen are here one thing that I do
have a bit of a complaint about probably
is just although I have a lot of storage
space up top I'm 5'4 so me having to
reach all the things at the top are a
little bit difficult I'll either get my
boyfriend to do it for me so I save the
time or of course I have my ladder out
front in the storage in my closet
there's space underneath the counter
where a person can sit across from each
other without there being any issues and
it's kind of comfortable yeah I don't
think this is very common I guess but
it's it's definitely a feature I really
like
uh and then coming off of the kitchen of
course there's the living area uh
despite it not being the largest living
room I think I I managed to make it feel
very homey and cozy I wanted to have a
feature wall that was very bright and I
had a lot of books during my move and I
knew that I wanted to one be able to
display them but second you know making
it functional in its storage so using my
walls was going to be one way to do that
probably not my best choice to do
exposed shelves because of the whole
dusting thing
you know if as long as people don't look
too closely it's never that big of a
problem I have some art pieces up some
are prints that I got during my travels
and some are like pieces of work from
artists I was very excited to get this
couch because I've never had a velvet
couch in my life I knew I wanted
something very cozy and comfy and
leather wasn't going to do it for me so
I've managed to find this really nice
deep blue couch from article so I was
very very excited to get this
something that I really wanted to do was
get my TV mounted on the wall because I
just love the fact that there's no wires
showing huge plus and it this way I get
to put things on the media console so in
this case I have my turntable I have
some speakers and I have
um some of my vinyls so having this was
essential for me because I just have
music playing throughout my place all
the time I found a media console table
that fit well with the space and wasn't
very large because I found that that was
something that was a little bit harder
to find since my access to the balcony
door would get in the way if I had a
long one
what's nice about this coffee table is
that there's some storage beneath so I'm
able to store like I said a lot of the
books that I had with a space so small I
think it's always really beneficial to
find creative ways to be able to put
more stuff away so this worked out
really nicely
and to the left of the living room would
be my bedroom this is probably about
110 square feet it's pretty spacious I
think by the look of it at a glance but
I do think a big part of that would be
the way I arranged my bed in the into
space and the size of my bed is a double
size I think it's really common normally
to put your bed in the middle and then
have two nightstands but since I work
from home I'd rather have a desk I'd
want to be able to put in my piano and
in terms of storage I made sure to find
a desk that had some storage built on
top of it that way I'm not wasting any
space whatsoever and then in terms of
clothing storage I have two closets on
either side of the entrance to my
bathroom I have the one by my desk here
and the one right behind the door
so at a glance it was really great that
from the floor plans that there were two
closets in here but because of how they
have to open one by one anything in the
middle is just in the abyss now I've
never touched anything that is right in
the center of my closet so everything
that I use constantly I have to put on
the sides
I wanted an ensuite bathroom so I'm
really glad I was able to find that and
it's actually an extra thing is the door
actually connects back to the kitchen
the space itself in the bathroom isn't
the largest but there's still enough
room for me to move around uh they
thought of some really good Storage off
of the side which is nice it's kind of
things that I use every day there's also
a built-in mirror cabinet where I'm able
to keep a lot of extra stuff and I
needed more storage because who doesn't
need more storage so once again I
utilized the walls and tried to put most
of my hair products on it and of course
there's some storage below the sink as
well I have a shower I don't have a
bathtub although that was something that
was a consideration for me but one thing
that I really liked was the little
shower Nook that I'm able to hold all of
my hair products so it's nice that it's
built in
thank you
I think living Central but in a smaller
space is advantageous because then you
have flexibility to go anywhere pretty
easily especially as a person who
doesn't drive I bike everywhere I walk
everywhere I take the subway so being
Central in a city is great for that
I would say that challenges are
definitely present with living in a
space like this storage is always going
to be the number one issue I'm lucky
here that I have a storage unit in the
building so I have a lot of my more
seasonal items there or larger items
that I don't use often to store there
and in terms of my work life since I
work from home it was important that I
needed to have a space for me to feel
like I can separate work and living and
a big help too is that I have a door to
my bedroom so I kind of use my desk in
my bedroom as a workspace and everything
else would be more leisure
I am a freelancer
design a lot of it is
covers occasionally I have lifestyle
content on it
I don't think I have any real plans of
you know upgrading the space to get like
a two bedroom of any sort but if I
really work from home for the long term
then perhaps maybe like a one bed plus
Den like just a den to have a proper
workspace that's even separate from my
bedroom but you know it with with prices
and things like that like I that's not
in my mind right now foreign
[Music]
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thanks for watching
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