A 350 sq ft Ottawa studio styled like a 1970s lounge
Jake has spent a decade shaping his Ottawa studio for hosting, with a restored Malm fireplace, IKEA Stockholm pieces and Marketplace finds.
Jake moved into his building in Ottawa as a student in 2016. After graduating, he took the 350 sq ft studio down the hall as a temporary stop. A decade later, it's home. He built it around hosting and says it looks best at night, with the lights low and music on.
A mirror from his grandmother set the direction. It sat in a closet for years until he decided to design the room around it. A flood from the unit above last fall gave him a fresh start, and he leaned into a darker late-'70s look. He added a brown velvet sofa, a coffee table and other pieces from IKEA's Stockholm 2025 line.
The centrepiece is a mid-century acorn fireplace from a cottage near Kingston. Jake and his stepfather stripped its gold spray paint and refinished it in orange heat-resistant engine paint. An electric insert makes it glow. Jake also built oak corner shelves with his father.
Many finds came secondhand. He found a Frame TV on Kijiji from a man who had won it at work. A teak folding table from Romania hides four chairs inside. He painted a rainbow mural to serve as his headboard.
