It’s no secret that basement apartments in Toronto have a reputation for being dilapidated and unappealing. But a local designer is hoping her recent transformation of a Riverdale apartment will encourage homeowners to rethink their belowground spaces.
Sam Tibshirani, founder of Sam Tibs Studio, was recently recognized with Designlines Magazine’s Best in Design Award (Emerging Talent) for transforming a once crumbling basement unit on Browning Avenue into an aesthetically cozy space.
Built in the 1920s, the brick home’s lower level came with a laundry list of problems when Tibshirani was enlisted to oversee the renovation. The bathroom was rotted out, vinyl flooring and drywall were swelling from water damage and the kitchen wasn’t functional.
In addition to structural concerns, the designer noted the space was too “clinical.” Basic colours like black, white and grey — alongside “cold” fluorescent lighting — made the east-end unit feel uninviting, she said.
Tibshirani, 32, told TorontoToday these common design fallbacks are a reality that plague far too many basement apartments across the city.
“Basement apartments are often an afterthought,” she explained. “From a planning and renovation perspective, they don’t command the love and care that they should. People pay so much in rent that it would be really nice if the units reflected that — especially the lower-grade ones.”
Reviving a lost space
The designer’s initial diagnosis for the Browning Avenue apartment was pretty simple at its core: “Not much of it was salvageable, so we had to rip everything out.”
Working with the homeowner Tracy and her niece Rachael, Tibshirani conceptualized a new layout to optimize the functionality of the 600-square-foot space, while respecting its existing elements and appliances.
Aesthetically, the designer enjoys working with Moroccan-style fixtures, so she implemented those elements in the textiles, brass hardware and tiles throughout the kitchen and bathroom.
Colours that provide warmth and personality were also a must, Tibshirani said. On this project, she went with a vanilla colour on the walls and ceiling, which complimented the lighter backsplash and wooden cabinetry in the kitchen.
“If you’re renovating a basement, painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls helps the room feel taller,” she said. “I avoided the colour black, mostly because it absorbs the limited natural light from the small and narrow windows that basements typically have.”
Layered lighting was arguably the most important change inside the east-end residence, according to Tibshirani. She removed the apartment’s fluorescents and added dimmable, “warmer” lighting wherever she could.
“A lot of basement apartments only have pot lights, and I find that creates that feeling of coldness,” she said. “We put in sconces in the bathroom, and we have LED strips under all the cabinets in the kitchen and tile in the ceiling, which wasn’t expensive or hard to do.”
Most of the design budget went towards adding new millwork in the open kitchen-living space and bathroom. Though the new vinyl flooring was reasonably priced, she said.
“The millwork was a bit of a splurge — but worth it.”
The project, which was Tibshirani’s first major undertaking as a newer designer to the professional scene, took five months to complete.
Cheap basement renovations can be ‘misguided’
Low ceiling heights, immovable utility rooms, and HVAC running amuck are just some examples of what basement apartment tenants might be living with in Toronto these days.
Though the structural aspects to certain units cannot be altered, the space isn’t necessarily a lost cause, Tibshirani said.
Even if homeowners are on tight budgets, she said smaller additions like some of the ones she implemented on Browning Avenue could go a long way.
Tibshirani encourages homeowners to consider warm finishes, wood cabinets and dimmable lighting to bring out the best in their basements. For tenants, hanging some art on the walls and placing fixtures around the unit that compliment the space’s aesthetic can be helpful, she said.
“From a homeowner’s perspective, I understand the norm for these rental units is to spend the least amount of time and money possible in the renovation to create the biggest return,” Tibshirani said.
“But that approach is misguided because these units can get run-down even faster since they were outfitted originally with lower quality fixtures and finishes.”
Tibshirani also argued that decrepit basement apartments aren’t as attractive to prospective tenants, so homeowners may not be able to charge as much rent for the unit — and in the long run, could risk losing more money than if they had upgraded the space.
According to Rentals.ca, most of the one-bedroom basement apartments in downtown Toronto range between $1,400 and $2,100 per month. The average for an aboveground one-bedroom rental in the same area is significantly more expensive at $2,360 per month, as of December 2024.
A furnished, 400-square-foot basement unit in Junction Triangle is going for $1,640 per month, while an unfurnished, 750-square-foot basement apartment near Toronto Metropolitan University is listed for $1,800 per month.
Passion for renovating is personal
As someone who has rented her entire adult life, Tibshirani empathizes with basement tenants who feel like they’re missing out on the charms and chic of everyday living — especially when they’re paying 2025 rental costs.
Several years back, she bought a Hamilton row house that was built in 1899. Facing many of the same problems she encountered on the Browning Avenue project, Tibshirani got to work.
“It’s so hard to upgrade when you have a small budget, and you want to respect the historic elements of the home,” she said. “It was such a fun challenge — I loved it. I restored the original staircases and kept the original brick and all the moldings. I didn’t want to gut it, I just wanted to do a thoughtful reimagining of it.”
“Then it was over, and I was sad it was over. I wanted to do more.”
Despite not going to school for design, Tibshirani managed to get a job in finance and operations at a design studio in Toronto. Two years later, she founded her own design firm in 2023 and has since been advocating for improved living spaces around the city.
“When homeowners and landlords create a warm, inviting space — people living there are going to cherish it,” she said. “They’re going to treat it with more care than when they arrive somewhere and it’s already falling apart.”
