This Designer Built Vertically to Get More From Her 375-Square-Foot Studio
Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Justice Darragh
Justice DarraghHouse Tour Photographer
I’m a Toronto Brand Photographer who started my photography career shooting House Tours for Apartment Therapy back when I was in college.With a background as a professional performer + over a decade of directing people on camera, I guide without pressure, pose without stiffness, and create content for businesses & solopreneurs that feels confident and natural.
published now

This Designer Built Vertically to Get More From Her 375-Square-Foot Studio

Adrienne Breaux
Adrienne BreauxHouse Tour Director
For more than 10 years, I've led Apartment Therapy's real home content, producing thousands of house tours from around the world. Currently, I live in my maximalist dream home in New Orleans, Louisiana, with my partner, a perfect dog, and a cute cat.
Justice Darragh
Justice DarraghHouse Tour Photographer
I’m a Toronto Brand Photographer who started my photography career shooting House Tours for Apartment Therapy back when I was in college.With a background as a professional performer + over a decade of directing people on camera, I guide without pressure, pose without stiffness, and create content for businesses & solopreneurs that feels confident and natural.
published now
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About this tour
Explore More House Tours
Home Type

Studio Apartment

Location

Toronto, Canada

Style

Colorful

Contemporary

Bedrooms

0

Square feet

375

Sq ft

375

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Lifelong designer and artist Shanna Flodstrom, owner of Flodstrom Interiors, describes her 375-square-foot Toronto studio apartment as the “perfect representation” of who she is and what she loves.

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Credit: Justice Darragh

“I need to be surrounded by things that make me happy,” she explains of the space she’s rented for a year and a half.

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Credit: Justice Darragh
Shanna's sofa is the Matra Sofa from CB2, but that's discontinued. The Henson 89.5-inch Velvet Square Arm Sofa from Wayfair is similar. Shanna bought the Roly Poly Chair from Eternity Modern, but it's also available from 2Modern. The Wassily chair was thrifted but you can purchase one from Design Within Reach.  The coffee table was a vintage find; you might be able to find a similar one on Chairish.

“I have a lot of art that I have collected over the years, and all of my furniture has been carefully selected whether new or secondhand. I won’t buy something unless it gives me the feeling that I can’t possibly walk away from it.”

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Credit: Justice Darragh
The spotlight pendant is a custom color from AND Lighting. The Guney dining table is from Wayfair but discontinued. This dining table from Wayfair is similar. Shanna bought the Marni Chair dining chair from Nuevo Living but is discontinued there. You can purchase a similar one from Sportique.

Despite the home’s tiny footprint, it offers 11-foot ceilings and large windows, so Shanna explains that it doesn’t feel small to her. The fact that the building is 115 years old and used to be a toy factory has added a lot character to the small home, as well.

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Credit: Justice Darragh
The wavy cabinet pulls were purchased on Etsy.

“It is a true hard loft but the ceilings are wood and the walls are brick so it feels a lot warmer and cozier than a concrete factory loft,” she writes. “The bones of this place are stunning so it was always beautiful. I just added a whole lot of colour and personality to it.”

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Credit: Justice Darragh

Shanna is being a bit modest — she’s added a lot more than just color and personality to the tiny space. One of her biggest challenges was making the most of just 375 square feet, something she tackled by hiring a contractor to help her build vertically with an (incredible) loft bed/closet/extra room.

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Credit: Justice Darragh
The "Handsy" wallpaper is from flodström wallpaper.

“I wanted more space for my closet so we built a mini room with a staircase up the side of it and I sleep on the platform top of it,” explains Shanna, who says the project gave her so much space she was able to fit a sewing room under the bed loft.

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Credit: Justice Darragh

“It was a lot of work but the outcome is so worth it. Building up when you have high ceilings is the key to making the best use of space,” she advises.

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Credit: Justice Darragh

Shanna, who shares her home with her 10-year-old dog, Juniper, describes her home’s style as a mix of “vintage meets Memphis design,” but it feels like so much more than just that. Her use of color, shapes and patterns is energetic and bold, and despite it being so small, the place is packed with neat details without feeling cluttered.

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.
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