Working in Toronto but living in Waterloo, Ont., meant a commute of nearly 15 hours a week for Style at Home’s style and food editor, Tara Ballantyne. “It just wasn’t practical,” she says. So Tara decided to rent a condo in downtown Toronto to offset the craziness. Four days a week, she stays at the condo; three days a week, she’s at home in Waterloo with her husband, Paul.

The plan worked but not without a little ingenuity. A tiny 600-square-foot condo would need to function as a test kitchen, design studio, storage area, prop house and all around comfy home.

Test kitchen
The open concept layout of the condo includes an efficient kitchen design, ideal for recipe testing.
Double duty dining
The dining table doubles as an kitchen island for meal prep and takes centre stage in the open-concept kitchen, living and dining area. The Mid-Century Modern dining chairs were a splurge; the West Elm settee wasn’t.
Storage solutions
A metal locker serves as storage for styling props. On its top, Tara created a layered display with artwork, books and decorative objects. “I brought the striped vase all the way from Denmark on my lap. Nothing ever fits in my carry-on.”
Entryway
The narrow entryway is a catch-all for Tara’s things.
Home office
Flanked by a storage unit and a basic bookshelf is a floating shelf that acts as Tara’s desk. The stool below belonged to her grandpa.
Colourful accents
The fresh desk display includes a mix of pretty pastels, creative artwork and a cute table lamp. Homeowner Tara Ballantyne made the pinwheels and showcased them in an open frame.
Low-cost embellishments
Creative genius is at work in the bedroom decor. From toss cushions fashioned out of fabric remnants to a flashlight-turned-pendant-light, Tara embellished low-cost items to achieve one-of-a-kind results.
Bedding details
White bedding is accented with graphic throws and toss cushions. Tara customized the shadow box backings with paint colours to match the condo’s palette.