Small Home, Big Style: Lauren's Cleverly Organized Canadian Rental

Hi Everyone!

Happy Friday loves! Oh and today is Valentines Day, isn't it?  Happy day to you if you celebrate it.:)  I'm an anti-Vday kinda gal, but I'm not a "rain on anyone else's parade" person either. Its just not my thing.

It's time for another SHBS feature! Today I'm chatting with Lauren from L'amour Chez Nous.   L'amour Chez Nous is where Lauren dishes about how she organizes, decorates, and makes the most of her small temporary space. I was really happy when Lauren submitted her home for the feature because I loved that she has made the choice to make her rental a comfortable, beautiful space for her and her family. I think sometimes, especially as renters, we say "screw it" and opt not to put very much energy into something that isn't "ours".  While I completely get it, when you think about it, being in a rental for 2 or 3 years really is a long time.  I would hate to spend that much time being in a space I didn't love and feel good in. 

Here's what I have to say to my readers who are renters:  don't look at your rental as just a place to rest your head and protect you from the elements....really embrace it as your home.  Invest in beautiful furniture pieces, hang meaningful art, paint an accent wall. These are all little things you can do that will help your rental house truly feel like home. Imagine coming home from work everyday to a space that's truly a reflection of you.  You'll feel happier and its healthier for you. Here's a peek into Lauren's home and a bit about how she lives and loves in her small space:

 

 

 

 

 Where/What city do you live in?

-I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada

Who do you share your home with?

-I live in an apartment with my fiancé Shaun and our dog Bali. 

 

Do you own or rent?

-We rent

How many sq ft is your home?
 

-It's about 625 sq ft.

What do you love most about small space living?
 

-We live in a great neighbourhood in the city, so small space living comes with the territory. Aside from location, I love having to clean! It forces us to have less clutter, and vacuuming takes me about 15 minutes tops.  

What challenges have you faced?
 

-Storage storage storage. We can only keep what we really truly use. If I buy something new for the house, it generally means something else has to go! We've also had to be creative. We have storage all over: under the bed, on top of the kitchen cabinets, above door frames, even outside on our little patio.

What is your favorite room in your home?

 -Right now it would probably have to be our bedroom. I've worked a lot on it recently (new night stands, an upholstered headboard, an accent wall and then some) and I'm so happy with how far it's come from the little white box we had when we moved in. 

Do you ever wish you had more space?

-Admittedly, yes. Sometimes it just feels too cramped in some areas, especially with all the big dog paraphernalia (like her massive crate!). Our little galley kitchen constantly needs to be tweaked to maximize its potential.

Best piece of small space living advice?

-Be creative. Try to use every bit of space, especially vertically. There is no way our apartment would have been liveable with only two closets: we added a cart to increase counter space, hung shelves in almost every room in the house, and invested in a few great pieces to keep the clutter at bay. The extra effort was absolutely worth it!


Oh yeah! I love that she really maximizes every inch of space.  The shelf above the bathroom door is genius and the baskets above the cabinets is super clever.  I also really love that she carved out a great little outdoor space as well. She's really making her temporary space a comfortable home. Thank you so much for sharing your home with us Lauren. Make sure you pop by her blog and say hi and! 

Happy weekend friends.  Until next time....

Xo-Shavonda

All images courtesy of L'amour Chez Nous