Like many young Calgarians, Tanya Puka and Joe Dort forewent the city's sprawling suburbs in favour of compact downtown living. Three years ago, they settled in a historic 1910 building in the city's Mission district. The two-storey brick structure known as The Aberdeen was originally built to house railway workers for CP Rail and was set for demolition a decade ago only to be saved by the city alderman after public opposition. "Given how many historical buildings have been torn down in Calgary, the fact that the space had this original element of brick made it feel special from the outset," says Dort, a former chef and current director of operations at three of the city's prime culinary destinations: Pigeonhole, Model Milk and Model Citizen – all located just a short walk away. Puka also works in the area, dividing her time between Brandsmith, where she acts as a strategic lead, and Fond Boutique, the mobile consignment shop she co-owns.
"We're in love with this neighbourhood and this city," says Puka, "It's thriving for creative industries like ours, and we're thankful for that." But, for her, the move into a 600-square-foot one-bedroom apartment took some convincing. "Joe saw the vision; I saw a serious lack of storage. He's persuasive, to say the least," she says. "When Tanya and I walked into the space for the first time, the walls were painted dark colours, which made the apartment feel small and claustrophobic," Dort explains. But after a consultation with their friend Kelly Ryan, an architect with FRANK Architecture and Interiors, they realized that the place only needed a minor facelift, whitewashing the walls and adding contrasting black doors and window trim. "This opened the space up and gave us a blank canvas to work with. We knew we had to carefully plan to ensure we didn't end up with a cramped feeling," he adds. "Our living room is ground zero for most of our time spent at home."
The couple started with two key pieces, the reclaimed shelving unit and the leather sofa from EQ3, both of which complemented the slightly rugged nature of the historic interior. "Outside of working within the physical limitations of the space we wanted the room to be both warm and welcoming, filled with the things we love that reflect our personalities," says Dort. The couple spent time scouring local spots for unique pieces. They picked up a few decorative items from Kit Interior Objects, including the playful Blockitecture puzzle set by James Paulius and the cheerful Fox cushion by Donna Wilson. Other local favourite shops include the Fieldstudy General Store, Northern American Quality Purveyors and Uncommons. The ever growing collection of greenery is from Plant, the city's hippest gardening store.
The couple's art collection consists of some truly special pieces, from an original Roy Lichtenstein serigraph (Dort's gift to Puka) to Tintin street art from Hong Kong to works by local sculptor Jon Trusch and graphic designer Marc Rimmer. "Most importantly, this is the room that houses our record collection and turntable, which occupies much of our free time," says Dort. Currently on rotation: Nicolas Jaar, William Onyeabor and Guru. The pair often entertains, a time when Dort gets to show off his culinary skills, a hotpot feast being his latest specialty. "It's a great space for chess games, dance parties and impromptu solo yoga as well," adds Puka. For a quick caffeine fix, the city's acclaimed Phil and Sebastian coffee shop is right across the street, and when they don't feel like cooking, the duo makes their way to Suzette Bistro, located directly below their apartment, for delicious French fare. Although the compact living space can be a challenge, life at The Aberdeen comes with many perks that are well worth it.