I Can’t Believe How Big a 420-Square-Foot Studio Feels Thanks to All the Light

Adrienne Breaux
·2-min read
White multi-use space with bed and chairs
Rhea describes herself as a "[l]over of books, smart design, plants and greenery, comfort in the solitude and proximity to the ocean," and has been renting this small studio apartment with great views for six months. Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea
White multi-use space with bed and work area
"I found a print at the Chinatown museum of character heritage homes found in the older neighborhoods of the city created by a local artist," Rhea describes of the last thing she bought for her home. Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea
White space with bed and workout equipment
"Dollarama has great organizational pieces and items to help when settling into and organizing your new home," Rhea — who clearly knows a thing or two of maximizing small spaces — advises. Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea
White bathroom with plants
Thanks, Rhea! Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea

ABOUT THIS TOUR

HOME TYPE: Studio Apartment

LOCATION: West End, Vancouver, Canada

STYLE: Bohemian, Traditional

BEDROOMS: 0

SQUARE FEET: 420

Rhea knows a thing or two about maximizing life in a small space. This self-described “single professional” finds “comfort and creativity” in this 420-square-foot studio apartment she’s rented for six months in Vancouver’s Downtown West End area.

White multi-use space with bed and chairs
Rhea added brass and gold pieces to accent the space. She stayed on budget by shopping through IKEA, Structube, Amazon, Temu, and Wayfair. Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea

She describes the space as a “typical urban city dwelling in a city challenged with providing affordable housing,” and pays $2,300 a month in rent. She says words like “cute, boho, traditional, and bright” describe her home’s style.

White kitchen with many plants
Credit: Rhea Credit: Rhea

The apartment’s location in the West End neighborhood of Vancouver, “right along the banks of Sunset Beach” was certainly a selling point to Rhea, as are likely all the big windows in the space that afford views of “English Bay where daily views of the sunset skies, Seawall and the idle cargo ships peppered within the bay never disappoints,” she admits.

White multi-use space with bed and workout equipment

Rhea had been living in a one-bedroom apartment when she moved into this studio apartment, and says she had to get creative in figuring out how to lay out the space. “I found a way to find separation for my work area and resting area while still finding flow and connection with the entire space and furniture,” Rhea writes.

Thanks, Rhea!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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