52 m² One-Bedroom Apartment, Vancouver, Canada

14.6 linear metres of storage in 52 m² — the equivalent of gaining a 6 m² storage room.

Project Snapshot

The Brief

A young couple in a 1990s apartment: 2.5 m ceilings, 2.2 m under the beams, and a closed kitchen that could not take two people. Their priority was not aesthetics — it was “everything has to fit.”

Three Real Problems

1. Not enough storage. 4.2 linear metres of cabinetry for two people: cookware, cleaning supplies, suitcases and off-season clothing all sat in the open.
2. Low ceilings plus beams. Full-height runs could not be one uniform height, and the beam line left an awkward gap.
3. Services could not move. The old risers sat in the kitchen corner; boxing them in would eat 400 mm.

Our Solution

• Kitchen — Wall removed for an open plan, L-shape plus a 900 mm peninsula. The boxed riser is not a dead cabinet: 350 mm pull-out spice racks and a side-access door turn the corner into usable space. Full-height above the hob with the extractor housed inside the cabinetry.
• Entry — 200 mm tilt-out shoe cabinet (12 pairs of everyday shoes), full-height wardrobe for coats, suitcases and the vacuum, and a bench. Only 350 mm deep, so the door still swings.
• Bedroom — Full-height hinged wardrobe at 2.2 m under the beam, closed with a 200 mm matching filler so it reads flush to the ceiling. Interior in four zones: long hang, short hang, drawers, seasonal top.
• Vanity — Wall-hung with an undermount basin, U-shaped drawer around the P-trap, mirror cabinet to ceiling with three internal levels and a socket on the bottom shelf for toothbrushes.
• Laundry — Washer-dryer integrated into a balcony cabinet, 400 mm wall cabinet above for supplies, 150 mm pull-out ironing board at the side.
• Window desk — 1.8 m desk under the window, three drawers below, 250 mm shallow shelf above.

Key Detail

At 2.5 m ceiling height, no door exceeds 2.2 m — the run is closed with a colour-matched filler panel, which avoids over-tall doors going out of shape while still reading as full height. All filler panels under the beams were measured on site and ordered in a second batch, held to 3 mm.

Results

Storage went from 4.2 to 14.6 linear metres and every surface item found a home. The owners’ note: “first time 52 m² has felt like enough.”

Client Feedback

“We measured 14.6 linear metres of storage in a 52 m² flat. Our previous place had 4.2 and we were drowning.”