A Modern Balance of Clean Lines & Character in a Toronto Loft

Tucker, a product manager for Shopify, lives in this bright and open loft apartment in downtown Toronto, filled with a balance of passed down family heirlooms and IKEA essentials. The loft is found in a central location that’s within walking distance to all necessary amenities including his office, the subway, grocery stores, and of course, Starbucks.

Tucker has crafted his apartment to be a comfortable place to enjoy during any time of the year. The large, bright windows allow a ton of light to flow through, lighting his loft bedroom naturally. Tucker was lucky to find such a perfect apartment and says he isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.

My Style: I like to think that my place is minimal and clean, but feels like it’s lived in. I kinda imagine it as a place that, at any moment, could either be a cozy spot in the winter, or an airy and clean place in the summer. I really appreciate finding a balance between clean lines, and warm, homey items with a lot of character or history.

Inspiration: A lot of my inspiration comes from my parents and grandparents. There are a lot of similarities between my apartment and the cottage my family built many years ago. I also gather a lot of inspiration from documentaries and biographies of musicians, artists, and tech founders. I figure if I take pieces of inspiration from successful people, maybe I’ll be successful, too.

Favorite Element: Natural light and high ceilings. Waking up to natural light bouncing off the vaulted ceilings into the loft bedroom space makes waking up everyday an absolute delight.

Biggest Challenge: I love plants, but I’m terrible at taking care of them. Somehow all the plants in my place are alive, but I expect they’ll die soon. That sucks.

What Friends Say: Well, they usually just barge in with their shoes on, make a mess, then say “Nice place man!” So, I don’t know, I guess they like it if they’re so eager to come in.

Biggest Embarrassment: The bathroom! It’s small, and I tried to install a new shower head but failed miserably. It drips everywhere sometimes.

Proudest DIY: I installed the pendant lights above the kitchen table by myself, and somehow didn’t electrocute myself. I think they suit the space quite nicely.

Biggest Indulgence: I love an evening of drinking wine, watching movies, and eating sour patch kids on my couch.

Best Advice: Take your time when buying furniture or goodies for your space. Also, I don’t suggest buying anything online without seeing it in person first. That’s burned me before.

Dream Sources: Reddit/r/amateurroomporn and Apartment Therapy!

ENTRY
Eiffel chair — Structube
PAX wardrobe — IKEA

LIVING ROOM
Emil grey sofa — Article
Lounge chairs — Free from a friend
Afghan rug — Family heirloom
Coffee table — IKEA
BESTA media stand — IKEA
Sonos — Amazon
Artwork — Family heirlooms
Peace hand — Cuba 2011
Shelves — IKEA
Table — IKEA
Tree stump — Found at OCAS University

DINING ROOM
Dinner table — Craigslist
Barstool — IKEA
Liquor stand — Old bathtub liner from great-great grandpa’s farm
Pendant light — IKEA
Rug — Family

KITCHEN
KARLBY countertop — IKEA
ALEX drawer unit — IKEA

BEDROOM
Mattress — Endy Mattress
Bedframe — IKEA

BATHROOM
Shelves – IKEA

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