A bright Toronto loft with lake views and Turkish art

Yasemin and Mert moved into their 1,100 sq ft loft in a historic Toronto building three years ago. They loved the building from the outside and searched a long time for a unit they could afford. Both grew up in Turkey and both work as consultants, and Mert also runs a high-end audio business from home.

Moving in meant merging two households of furniture. They kept what worked and added pieces over time. Two years after moving in, they found their Rosso Levante marble dining table on Facebook Marketplace, and friends helped carry it in. Big windows wrap almost all the way around the loft. Plants that were 30 cm tall in their old homes have grown huge in the light. A small olive tree, a gift from Yasemin to Mert, stands for patience.

In the office, they split a marble coffee table in two. The top sits on IKEA legs as a desk, and the sculptural base now holds a glass top as a coffee table. Mert's speakers fill the room.

The bedroom was the last space they decorated. They swapped all-white walls for colour, added a Turkish rug and covered a long wall with a beach mural. Art by Turkish artists, gifts from friends and ceramics by Mert's mother appear throughout the home.