Designer Kelly Deck shares a space-saving trick that works magic in a 600-square-foot Vancouver suite.

We love open-concept spaces, but particularly in a smaller home, it can be a trick to balance the myriad purposes the living area requires: how does one room play host to both cozy Netflix marathons and dinner parties without overstuffing the space with furniture?As designer Kelly Deck demonstrates with this chic Main Street suite, it’s more than possible when you think outside the box. While some might have designated separate living and dining areas by setting up a media unit as a divider or by placing the sofa with its back to the kitchen, she instead kept the space open and airy by facing the sofa towards the dining table…where a television is secretly mounted on the wall behind custom panelling.

“The whole idea is that the spaces could work together or separately,” explains Deck. By day, this big black rectangle is hidden from site, but come wind-down time, the panels open up to reveal the screen to the viewers seated cozily on the sofa across the room. It’s a smart solution, and one that opens up a world of possibilities for a humble 600-foot condo.

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