Small Spaces

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

A photo canvas of New York City paired with Eames-style dining chairs lend this dining area a stylish look. Author: Virginia Macdonald

Small Spaces

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

In her light-filled Toronto apartment, Style at Home associate design editor Morgan Lindsay cleverly combines old and new with her own crafty creations.

While most people in their 20s are cobbling together their first apartment from leftover student furnishings and dubious hand-me-downs, Style at Home's associate design editor, Morgan Lindsay, has managed to assemble a sweet and stylish look that would make most 40-somethings envious. And she's done it all on a small decorating budget, with a clever mix of new, thrifted and heirloom pieces, plus a good dose of DIY decor.

The 850-square-foot, two-bedroom Toronto apartment has an enviable uptown location with a distant view of the CN Tower from big south-facing windows. Morgan's brother already lived in the building, so she rented this top-floor unit as soon as it became available. The next step was to successfully woo her friend Lauren Hanna into being her roommate - an easy feat, as they've been tight since meeting in their first year of university. Once the pair moved in, Morgan set to workmaking the basic space into a reflection of their youthful style. "Lauren is not that into decorating, but thankfully she trusts my taste," says Morgan. "She's always happy to help, too!"

The girls' family members pitched in as well. "Lauren's dad is our handyman. He hung all the drapery rods, the heavy vintage mirror above the desk and the shelf in the kitchen," says Morgan. "And my mom sewed most of the toss cushions." This being a rental, major modifications obviously weren't feasible, but clever Morgan found ways around the no-permanent-changes rule. A feature wall just inside the entryway was treated with graphic wallpaper - hung with double-sided tape so it's easy to take down when the time comes. The same paper creates a low-commitment yet dynamic kitchen backsplash. Luckily, the white walls were in line with Morgan's clean and simple aesthetic, so her bedroom was the only room she painted - pale grey, her favourite shade.

In her spare time, Morgan can also be found getting crafty with paint, glue and glitter, making art pieces to frame and add to the galleries above her bed and the sofa. Happily, her friends eschewed the typical bottles of wine for a housewarming gift. After spotting a certain bar cart on Morgan's Pinterest board, her closest pals chipped in and bought it. Now it sits in one corner of the dining area, ready for entertaining her generous friends and family. We're guessing she'll still have it when she's 40-something.
 

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Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Eye-catching entryway

Bold Marimekko wallpaper provides a graphic punch to the entryway wall. The pink bench gets pressed into service as extra seating when friends and family drop in.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Colourful accents

Morgan added colour (in a scheme of course) to her entrance using stacked books, a flower arrangement and a fitting stock card that says "hello".

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Living room divider

The so-out-it’s-in room divider is original to the ’70s-era apartment. The white slipcovered sofa is one of the few brand new items Morgan bought to furnish her first place. Her love of white, grey and pink is evident throughout the space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

DIY wall art

Inspired by a favourite blogger, Morgan crafted this genius gallery wall with a label maker and cardboard.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Toss cushions

Homeowner and Style at Home associate design editor Morgan Lindsay enlisted her mom to sew most of the toss cushions in the space.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Office desk

The open-concept living area included a small office nook, where Morgan gets creative with her DIY projects. She scored the hanging mirror for $20 and transformed its beat-up frame with grey paint.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Craft accessories

Morgan's DIY decor tools are always at an arms-length (and looking pretty!) just in case she's inspired to get crafty.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Dining table

Morgan’s parents bought her the giant photo canvas of New York City. In it you can see Parsons the New School for Design, where Morgan attended a summer program. In this cozy space, Morgan loves her Earnes-style dining chairs.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Grey and white kitchen

It was a happy accident that the kitchen had basic white cabinetry and grey countertops and flooring. Morgan updated things by changing the hardware and using leftover wallpaper from the entryway as a makeshift backsplash.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment

Vintage bedroom decor

Morgan added charm to her bedroom with vintage and heirloom pieces. There's an antique toile-covered sidechair and pine dresser (both passed down from her grandparents) commingle with the clean-lined bed and modern linens. The giant “M” came from the Christie Antique Show, which Morgan attends every year.

Image by: Style at Home By: Jennifer Hughes Source: Virginia Macdonald

 

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Small Spaces

Interior: Stylishly crafted Toronto apartment