A colourful 650 sq ft Brooklyn apartment built for guests

Carla grew up in Saskatchewan and has lived in Toronto, Mexico City and Uganda. She now shares a 650 sq ft one-bedroom plus den in Brooklyn with her husband and their cat. Friends from Canada visit often. A sofa bed in the living room and a daybed in the den have slept up to six people at once.

The apartment has one small closet, so Carla gets creative. Magnetic hooks hold coats by the door. Benches in the dining nook hide cleaning supplies. An IKEA buffet behind the sofa stores the cat's things and separates the living and dining areas.

Her art is personal. She framed the licence plate from her childhood car and a drawing her dad made. Polaroids from her early days with her husband hang near a photo of her mom cooking in Lebanon. Mirrors from Uganda hang near mirrors from Mexico.

Some pieces took effort. Carla haggled for a Mario Marenco coffee table from Italy and paid about a fifth of its market price. She carried a 1970s lamp home from a London, Ontario, vintage shop as her personal item on the flight. The bathroom leans traditional with brass details, and she leaned into it rather than fight it.