Small Space Solutions from a Designer's Toronto Home
Metropolitan Home

This beautiful space featured in Met Home is not tiny, but since it is the home of Elaine Cecconi, a talented designer, it incorporates many smart, space saving ideas worth stealing for your own smaller space. Jump below for a closer look:

Floors, walls, furniture, lighting, sheer window treatments - it's all done all in bright white-on-white color scheme - and when taken all the way as Cecconi has done here, it naturally expands any space.

The main exception to all the white is the amazing floating black Corian fireplace. It becomes even more powerful as a room divider and strong focal point against the light colored backdrop of the room, grabbing and focusing your attention upwards which makes the space seem even larger by accentuating the ceiling height.

Two great ideas from the kitchen area - the white on white is working here again - making the functional aspects of a working kitchen blend in with the rest of the room - great for one room (aka studio) living. All equipment and utensils are stored away in the pantry and even the outlets are located out of sight. And, when you really want to hide the kitchen from view, that beautiful wooden slatted panel slides over, closing it off and creating a nice counterpoint to all the white walls in the dining area.

Don't feel hemmed in by only what is available for residences. The designer installed a retail shelving system in the kitchen, shown here. It works great for a narrow space, with shallow shelves in clear glass - meaning that it doesn't take up much room physically or visually. The shelves are removable and can be reconfigured as storage and display needs or wants change.

A large headboard such as Cecconi's could function as a room divider in a studio, providing privacy and storage. This one includes storage cupboards, lighting and two beside tables.

Be sure to check out the entire Metropolitan Home article by Lucie Young (and see the rest of the photos by Ted Yarwood) here.

Photos: Ted Yarwood/ Metropolitan Home

Comments (20)

Does anyone know who makes the dining table?

I can tell you from experience of living and looking for apartments in Toronto, that headboard as a room divider, will leave you with around a 4' x 12-15' space of uselessness. Studio's in Toronto are almost always either squares or short rectangles, you either turn them into convertible living rooms or full on bedrooms. Elaine's pad is nice but i'd eat my hat if its worth less than 400,000, but its probably closer to a million.

Although beautiful, I don't feel very inspired by this space. All it does is make me feel bad for having too much stuff. My apartment is 1/2 the size of this, and this doesn't really give me any "small space solutions"... other than get rid of everything and buy all new matching glassware to display. However, saying that - if I owned a place and could retrofit my place to create hidden everything (even outlets), then I would totally go for it!

Love the DR chandeliers. Saw the large one used on Designer Guys, also out of Toronto.

beautiful place. any idea where we can get the chandelier from?

I believe the chandelier is from Moooi, the Random Light.

I adore the black Corian fireplace. I am a fan of Cecconi Simone's work. I appreciate the style of the house, the space planning and the clever details. But if it was my house, the walls would not be white; I prefer colored walls.

Iâ€™m amazed with the floating black Corian fireplace; I hope I also have that craze. The stuffs were nice and the designs, in my opinion it speaks to the look of the house. The designer used different materials, cabinets, lighting, etc. that achieve a sleek, modern look. There are an infinite amount of designs you can have. But overallâ€¦ itâ€™s great! I love itâ€¦

Be still my heart! J'adore!

I dunno, to me this is about as warm and inviting as a hospital.

I love the headboard system. Doesn't work in my space, but I can see where it could be used to great effect.

Toronto AT readers, check out http://www.stylenorth.ca, Canada's own decor blog.

While we're on the topic of Toronto ... any chance of an ATToronto? I'm getting sick of finding stuff I like through AT that's only available in the US. And I'd especially love a Toronto scavenger! Thanks for the tip re. stylenorth.

Oh, I am not wont for this world. I really cannot grasp why so many people are dazzled by this. The fire gadget is kind of cool (what massive flaming room divider wouldn't be), but why are we making our homes looking like sterile, colorless showroom floors? Even piling our personal goods on retail shelves? This space definitely does not say "small space" to me, it says multi-property owned privileged class condo, designer dog on loan. Way to alienate your roughneck readers.

"Way to alienate your roughneck readers."

From what I read, this was about inspiration. Not even the wealthiest person in the world can afford EVERYTHING, so they get inspired (or they have someone else to get inspired from them) and get either an alternative or a suiting replica. i.e. Although the Parisian government probably could staff sixty people to hold basins of water, they'd probably find it a more intelligent use of resources if they had a fountain mimicking that scene, which would still have the same "feel" without the awkwardness and unnecessary expense.

In your case, their use of a "flaming room divider" could translate to allowing one of your decorating features to extend from floor to ceiling to draw the eye vertically, expand the room visually, and if used properly, it will add excessive amounts of storage space. I also think everyone's cups, plates and silverware should match because it's a very inexpensive thing to do, yet it provides a great positive style-reaffirming design punch.

"Small space" is a loosely used term for example, my place couldn't be showcased on the AT Small Apt Contest because it's too big, in Texas 750ft is very small, in NY is FKING huge, etc. And although in Cecconi's case, her beautiful home is particularly big, they disclose at the very beginning, "This beautiful space featured in Met Home is not tiny,... it incorporates many smart, space saving ideas".

Like everything in life, not EVERYTHING is for EVERYONE, and even our highest concept of spirituality has made decisions that not EVERYONE likes. This is just a blog entry, regardless of how much attention it might get, so let's lighten up and just enjoy the hard work these people put out for us to get inspired by.

another vote for toronto scavenger.... i'm getting way too jealous salivating at the great collections of used items people are selling from all over the US.

Damn, todays posts are getting a bit bent out of shape.

Agree i love, cheap and clever over the shopping link aspect.

BUT, i see great ideas here.

My home looks nothing like this but i can still see how that retail shelving would work for my home too. Do you guys know who sells that to the public?

or should i haunt the mall back-cooridors for broken and cast off parts?

i love the kitchen wooden panel,it really makes the kitchen tidy, and hide all the appliance~~

You had me at 'hidden outlets'. And I totally heart the headboard.

Lovely lovely home...I'd live here in a nanosecond.

It's beautiful, but Elaine's office (one block south of my place) is also completely white-on-white. Doesn't she get bored?