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Name: Lauren Park, partner Kevin, and cat siblings, Brutus and Malvolio
Location: Cabbagetown — Toronto, Canada
Type of Home: Second floor + attic studio
Size: 700 square feet
Years lived in: 1 year, renting
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Lauren and her partner, Kevin, lucked out big time during their apartment search last year, scoring this cozy nook of an apartment in Toronto’s Cabbagetown, a neighborhood characterized by Edwardian-style century homes that are often very narrow. Lauren works in publishing, and her love of books is seen throughout the space. She has managed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere using candles, lamps, textured textiles, and trinkets. When you are there, it is the kind of space that makes you want to brew a nice cup of tea, grab a book, and curl up on the sofa with the cats, Brutus and Malvolio.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: Whimsical, romantic, side-of-the-road chic
Inspiration: I work in book publishing and am happiest in the thrall of an offbeat, inviting story — our home, to me, is an extension of that feeling. Fairy tales, period dramas, and fantasy novels have all lent imagination to this space. I feel inspired among rich jewel tones like emerald green and plum, and have put up a fairy light canopy in every place I’ve lived — I like to make my inner child happy!
Favorite Element: My favorite thing about our apartment is that the vast majority of it is secondhand — mostly from Facebook Marketplace, plus thrift stores and the curb. One of our neighbors likes to leave out classical art for the taking, and we scored a massive framed print of Piero di Cosimo’s “Perseus Freeing Andromeda,” a little worse for wear but a huge conversation starter. My all-time luckiest score would have to be our Lenox Spice Village from the ’80s! Looking around at our home often brings back that rush of wonder and surprise at a good find.
Biggest Challenge: I bring the vision and thrift finds, and Kevin is the plant dad, DIY expert, and logistical mastermind. Together we’ve creatively dealt with challenges — in this case, I was set on a vintage sofa, but the entrances to our unit were too narrow to fit bulky furniture through. We ended up securing it with rope, grabbing a couple friends, and hoisting it up to our second-floor balcony!
Since our apartment is all open-concept, our current greatest challenge is how to keep screaming cats out of the bedroom while we sleep. Any tips welcome!
Proudest DIY: Kevin can take all the credit for this one — he built me this reading nook by the bedroom window as an anniversary present. His parents upholstered the foam cushion, which is now our cats’ nap spot of choice. And since bedroom space is quite limited, the nook doubles as a bench for his piano keyboard, which is hidden inside!
Favorite Budget Hack: I’m always singing the praises of Facebook Marketplace, but picking up large furniture might not seem feasible for city dwellers who don’t drive. Taskrabbit to the rescue for small hourly jobs! We found our headboard and couch online for nearly free, at opposite ends of the suburbs, but had no way of picking them up ourselves. For a fraction of the cost of buying new or renting our own moving van, a freelance mover made both pickup stops and brought them to our door.
I also follow Stooping Toronto, an Instagram account that reposts locations of free curb finds for people to go grab!
Is there something unique about your home or the way you use it? Our bathroom might be the most unique part of the apartment — between the stone walls, slanted ceiling, and mirrors opening up the space, I feel like I’m in an enchanted cottage. And the blue lightbulb is always a hit at house parties!
We’ve also turned our attic balcony into a movie theatre, with a pull-down projector screen and lots of twinkling lights, and Kevin DIYed a retractable pergola canopy so we can hang out there rain or shine!
Please describe any helpful, inspiring, brilliant, or just plain useful small space maximizing and/or organizing tips you have: Storage can be as beautiful and inspiring as it is functional! Our place is open concept and short on storage space, so minimizing clutter was a challenge. We covered up open shelving with a curtain and styled an eye-catching Art Deco dresser as the focal point of the living room. White woven baskets in the living room help us keep cables and cat toys out of the way, and for organizing paper odds and ends, I have decorative boxes disguised as books. Also, under-bed wheelie containers are game-changers.
Finally, what’s your absolute best home secret or decorating advice? Don’t let renting stop you from investing emotionally in your space! You deserve to feel warm, cozy, and peaceful in your home, so figure out what brings you joy and fill ever corner with it to whatever extent you can. Soft ambient lighting, plants, and lots of pillows to sink into totally transform the mood of a room without leaving a trace. Ceiling medallions and stick-on moulding are budget-friendly ways to achieve vintage charm and can be easily removed. For gallery walls, I like to mix a lot of shapes and textures and bring in the unexpected in the form of something living. Above all, sentimental objects should be enjoyed, so put out the nice tableware, light the candles, and don’t wait until tomorrow to use your lovely things!
