Jockie Loomer-Kruger has everything she needs in about 300 square feet.
“This to me is just clean, simple, basic,” she says.
It’s part of Micro Boutique Living, providing high-end design in a small footprint.
“It’s close to eating places, it’s close to shopping, it’s close to the post office for mailing postcards,” says Loomer-Kruger.
The fully furnished suites with multi-use appliances and furniture maximize every inch of space. The owners say it’s all about a different way of life and getting away from the idea of bigger being better.
The first micro suites were built in Antigonish in 2011. There are now 35 suitesin total. The owners expanded to Wolfville with another 60 suites. They’re now starting construction in St. John’s, where 124 suites will be built.
Jamie Smye, the head chef and co-owner of a restaurant down the street from the micro lofts in Wolfville, says whenever the population is concentrated near a business, it will help.
“It being used as a hotel or short stay kind of thing would definitely help us,” he says. “I mean, we do have a lot of people walking up and down the main street, and come to our business as a result of that.”
The boutiques offer year-round leases, as well as academic leases from September until April or May. There are also units that can be booked, similar to a hotel, daily or monthly.
While many are one-bedroom, there are a number of two-bedroom suites, as well.
The Wolfville location, however, has drawn some unwanted attention. The owner and town are before the courts over whether the building meets building code, but the owners indicate they have all the approvals.
Loomer-Kruger, however, is sold on the idea.
“I thought it was compact, so livable,” she says. “I thought I could actually live here, not just visit.”
Loomer-Kruger says she will live in another micro suite when she returns from Ontario.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jacqueline Foster.
