Summer reading + In case you missed it

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 7 of 13, SS26 * Subscribe free *

Happy Canada Day! It's time to relax into the slower rhythms of the season. This week, let's enjoy some recent design articles from around the web.

A few months ago, Toronto Life did a cover story on what they called the "rent-for-life revolution:"

As a renter-for-life myself, I found the stories instantly relatable. Check out the collection. (If you get the same experience I did, you'll need to sign up for a newsletter to get access to the articles.)

Meanwhile, Montreal recently celebrated its first-ever Design Week. See this roundup from Dezeen with some of the noteworthy exhibits. I'm partial to the shelving made of offcuts from ventilation systems, from the studio Bonus Items.

If you're a hybrid worker like I am, you'll be well aware of how interior space is mutating, with home acquiring attributes of the office, and the office acquiring attributes of home. This Design Milk article spotlights a Toronto law firm's redesigned lounge that exemplifies this evolution:

This Lounge Design Makes the Case for a Better Return to Office

Studio Ha/Wa turns a law firm’s former lunchroom into a hospitality-minded lounge with lessons for making return-to-office more appealing.

Design MilkJoseph Sgambati III

When it's unbearably hot out, uncluttered spaces can have a soothing effect. Wallpaper's tour of a sparsely furnished loft is just what we need on a week like this:

A former candy factory in Toronto is transformed into an elegant loft apartment

The considered space threads function through a historic industrial space

Wallpaper*Jonathan Bell

Your patriotic spirit will get a boost from the Globe and Mail's recent survey of design excellence:

Canada’s best architecture and interiors: A showcase of creativity at home

From a Toronto recording studio to a West Coast cabin-cum-writer’s room, these spaces pay homage to off-duty creative pursuits

The Globe and MailMatthew Hague

Finally, no summer is complete without a touch of the bizarre. Right now, you can get your fix out in Toronto harbour, as the New York Times reports:

The art installation is there until October, so you have a few months to catch it.

In case you missed it...

We've just passed the halfway mark in our 13-week season. If you missed an issue, here's a handy list of what we've explored so far:

1. 3 picks from IKEA's PS 2026 collection
   Find out what caught my eye in this new release.
2. One simple trick to expand your space
   It's easier than you think to make room for more.
3. Twist: micro-decorating move #27
   The latest in our ongoing chronicle of micro moves.
4. Guy with an eye is five!
   Highlights from our first half-decade.
5. Why 400 square feet is better than 4000
   What I've learned from living in a studio apartment.
6. In praise of zig zags
   Why does this motif have such staying power?

Hope you're unwinding on a balcony, a porch, a patio, or a dock. Stay cool this summer!

Thank you for reading.