Living small can be a challenge in Metro Vancouver. Here are some tips and tricks.As part of the GVHBA Spring Home Renovation Seminar, Laurel, director and principal designer at Novell, conducted a presentation on living small and how to thoughtfully design a small space. We've dissected our presentation and compiled some of the juicy details for your perusing pleasure. You can view the entire Prezi presentation here. For more information on the projects featured, click on the thumbnails.
Create a beautiful path to a beautiful home
A shipping container becomes an eye-catching home that demonstrates excellent landscape design. Source: Architizer
Organize your desired experiences
Colour is used to delineate the entryway and storage spaces in this home in Mexico. This design characteristic also separates the living and dining areas from the bedrooms. Source: Dezeen.
The floor plan of this 581sf home cleverly separates areas meant for entertaining and dining from private spaces. Source: Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects.
This home's design creates a psychological separation between areas used to entertain company and areas private to the homeowner. The plan also segregates the kitchen so as so facilitate undisturbed preparation of meals. Source: Slade Architects.
Design with flexibility
A 420sf apartment makes the most of its available space using convertible features and flexible living solutions. Source: Architizer
Using tracks, the far wall of this apartment slides to reveal extra sleeping space. A murphy bed in the living area adds a third sleeping area. Source: Architizer
Convertible space allows this small home to accommodate large parties, so entertaining is a breeze. Source: Architizer
When you think of convertible features, outdoor spaces might not immediately come to mind. In this photo, a home in Australia uses a movable roof to create additional living space. Source: ArchDaily
Be clever with storage
A staircase is a great way to put unused space to work. In this 600sf London home, the space underneath the stairs acts as its main storage space. Source: Dwell
This London home is a great example of how a small space doesn't mean compromising on lifestyle. The owners' bikes are neatly stored beneath the stairs. Source: Dwell
Hide what you don't want to see
Believe it or not, this is a fully equipped kitchen. But what's missing here? Source: Contemporist
Built-ins are a clever way to hide visual clutter. In this photo, movable panels hide shelves and appliances and instantly convert this minimal space into a functional kitchen. Source: Contemporist
Use height for more storage solutions
In this small apartment, vertical space as well as a staircase is doing double duty as storage space. Source: Architizer
Our very own laneway house uses a 12-foot tall space as storage for our clients CD collection.
Go big or go home
Less space means your dollar goes further. Have fun with your home using bold accents and fixtures. Source: Dwell
A smaller kitchen means choosing high quality finishes like marble won't break the bank. Source: Canadian House and Home
Top tips for building a suite for adult kids or in-laws
With rampant inflation in cost of living and astronomical home prices many people are looking at adding a suite for adult children or in-laws. Here are our top tips for building a suite for adult children or in-laws.
Why Now is a Smart Time to Build in Metro Vancouver
It’s November 2025 and the past six months have been relatively flat when it comes to construction costs in our experience. Trades are hungry, lumber is steady, and quotes from earlier this year are holding. It’s a good time to build. If you’re considering building a new home, laneway, or small multi-unit/multiplex in Metro Vancouver, there are several current market advantages that are worth taking seriously:
As part of the Vancouver Plan, the city has identified 25 future Villages across the city of Vancouver. These villages are small neighbourhood centres made up of local shops, services, and housing. They are located using a 400-metre (5-minute) walking/rolling radius around existing small commercial nodes.
