Doing more with less – that seems to be the overarching real estate trend for the GTA in 2024. And it deepened this month, when an uptick in inflation prompted market watchers to question whether the overnight rate would be lowered when the Bank of Canada meets on July 24. For anyone waiting for lower rates before trading up for a bigger home, it’s a good time to look at their existing rooms with fresh eyes to get maximum mileage from every square inch of them.
For some architects, designers and builders, “multi-use spaces” are a no-brainer. According to Martha Franco, owner of Martha Franco Architecture and Design, “people no longer want spaces reserved for just a single activity.” Franco sees opportunities to maximize usability in most homes, but with a caveat: “Every detail should be planned ahead.
The key to creating a multifunctional space is carefully thinking everything through.” Creating an effective “flex room,” as these double duty spaces are often called, is an exercise in jigsawing and concealment. Take the home office-guest room, the most common flex room, says Franco.
Making it work can mean hiding the room’s secondary purpose while the first activity is taking place. “Trying to hide an office is not practical,” says Franco. But concealing a bedroom with a bed that disappears into the wall is definitely doable.
Murphy beds witnessed a resurgence during the pandemic, and the trend has not dissipated. The hide-away solution has come a lon.
