Living Big in Small Spaces, presented by IKEA and hosted in the Concord CityPlace presentation centre in Downtown Toronto was a swanky cocktail party held last Thursday night. Concord Adex brought in lots of yummy treats to wet our appetite and an open bar to loosen everyone up. A team of designers were brought in to present us with options on how to live in the new norm that has become condo living in the city. 

So many of us strive to live in a community where you know your neighbours, where there are events to meet new people in your community, where you can find people to play a game of basketball with. Concord Adex is attempting to do this for the residents who live in their CityPlace condo buildings downtown. 

The presentation centre was transformed into an open space conducive to talking to one another. There were many chairs for seating and a “round table” in the middle which made it easy for residents to introduce themselves and chat with one another.

Inside the CityPlace Sales Office, image by Edward Skira

Brian Fong, Senior Manager of Project Marketing at Concord Adex started the evening by telling us their vision of creating a community with events where you can meet and befriend your neighbours. He went on to tell us that Concord is planning more events to bring residents together, such as the Farmers Market held in the park every Tuesday from now until October from 3:30 to 7:00 pm.

Brian Fong, Senior Manager of Project Marketing at Concord Adex, image by Edward Skira

The event brought CityPlace residents together providing tips on how to make the most of your small condo by using creative solutions with furniture and maximizing storage solutions. Condos are getting smaller and smaller, thinking outside the box and creating spaces in which you can use your furniture for more than one purpose was the focus. One example is using furniture on castors. Having the ability to move furniture around easily makes it useable for more than one function. 

Interior Designer Agnes Telfer and Visual Merchandiser Lesleah Weber spoke about the need for storage through shelving, cabinets and bookshelves. They showed us little tricks to help maximize our closets. One great tip was mounting a toilet roll holder to the wall in your closet to use as a jewellery holder.  

Interior Designer Agnes Telfer and Visual Merchandiser Lesleah Weber Discussing Furniture Options, image by Edward Skira

Another great product shown was a mirror that can be mounted on the wall with hinges. Once you pull the mirror out, voila you have some storage space behind it. The most informative slides showed layouts of actual CityPlace floor plans with furniture placement and ideas on how to maximize the space.

The takeaway from this event was that with the city growing as fast as it is, condos are going to keep getting smaller. We were shown many great options on how to maximize the interior space of your condo through storage solutions and furniture that can be used in multi-purpose ways.