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How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

By Caroline Aksich| Photography by Derek Shapton
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Cheryl Kozoriz, 42; Ross Anicai, 49

Communications manager; retail executive

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet
The floor plan. Illustration by Aleksandar Janicijevic

Where: King West Village How big: 475 square feet How much: $315,000

Cheryl and Ross were living in a 1,300-square-foot Roncesvalles loft with heaps of underutilized space, so they decided to downsize. After viewing a few ho-hum condos, they fell for this two-level unit. Although it was small, the layout was ideal: there was no dead space, and the upstairs bedroom could double as an art studio for Ross, who is a painter. Plus, the main level has a private entrance and a terrace, and the building is next to a rail corridor, so the view will almost certainly never be blocked by development. Cheryl sometimes wishes the condo were wider, but they’re happy with their purchase. Living small allows them to spend money on other priorities, like travel (Bucharest, Vienna and Prague are on the itinerary this fall).

Cheryl thought this was an image of Alain Delon and had it blown up as a gift for Ross. It’s actually Roger Moore, and Ross hates it:

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

 

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Ross designed this Murphy bed. He flips it up and lays down drop sheets when he paints:

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

 

The bed has pull-out side tables:

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

 

Cheryl’s dad built her these bookshelves when she was six years old:

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How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

 

The abstract acrylic paintings are some of Ross’s works:

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

 

Cheryl’s favourite place to kick back is on the stairs, where she reads while basking in natural light:

How a forty-ish couple lives in under 500 square feet

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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.

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