07/11/2026
KGI Design Studies | 230 Square Feet in Toronto
This Toronto rental was just 230 square feet in total.
A compact kitchen. A three-piece bathroom. And a main room measuring only 112 square feet. Smaller than many hotel rooms asked to function as a living room, dining room, bedroom, workspace, and additional storage.
The property owner originally hired us to guide the renovation finishes, but what stayed with us was the question of how much life that one room needed to hold.
The default solution in a small space like this is often a Murphy bed.
For a rental, though, a permanent built-in can be an expensive investment that stays behind when the tenant moves on. More importantly, a living space still needs to feel like somewhere to live.
So, we looked for another way.
A full bank of cabinetry created much-needed storage. A table and chairs provided a place to eat and work. Instead of allowing a bed to take over the room, we proposed a raised platform with a twin mattress; comfortable enough for sleeping, but styled as a sofa during the day with layered pillows and cushions.
The result was not more square footage. It was a room that could support a fuller life within the space it already had.
Small-space design is not about squeezing in more. It is about making each square foot work harder without making the room feel smaller.
Planning to remodel or redecorate a compact condo or small home? Thoughtful space planning can change what your home is capable of. Visit the link in bio to book a complimentary discovery call.
This project is part of our KGI Design Studies series. Projects where the ideas and design thinking continue to inspire, even when professional photography was never captured.