Microsize Me

A condo that makes the most of 289 square feet

By Jean Grant | April 30, 2019

Smart House is a 25-storey condo building at Queen and University with units as small as 289 square feet. The firm behind the design, ArchitectsAlliance, made the most of the cramped spaces by adding features like Murphy beds that turn into compartmentalized cabinets.

Small Wonders

Space-saving furniture for tiny living

A three-in-one chair-lounger-bed from Modern Sensibility

Two stylish containers that become coffee tables when covered, from Hollis and Morris

Modern Sensibility nesting ottoman that turns into five chairs, from BLVD Interiors

A coffee table from Italian brand Artigianmobili that expands to comfortably accommodate 14. Available at Skaut Design

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Seven Ways to Hack the Market

Part 1: The Skinny Dippers
Three buyers who scored narrow plots of prime real estate and found a way to make it work

Part 2: The Co-owners
These couples couldn’t afford much individually, so they pooled their resources and nabbed a gem in the Annex

Part 3: The First-Timers
Two young professionals needed a bit of help to buy a condo. Then they found Options for Homes, a non-profit that provides no-interest loans

Part 4: Microsize Me
A condo building that offers tiny living without the claustrophobia

Part 5: Young at Heart
Empty nesters who need help around the house; cash-strapped college kids who need cheap lodging. The solution: HomeShare

Part 6: The Year of Living Nomadically
My relationship had gone to ashes, my apartment to my ex, and I was broke. My salvation? Serial house-sitting