How One Edmonton Couple Reclaimed Their Condo's Hidden Space

Richard and Sharon, a retired Edmonton couple living at the Galleria condo building, an architectural gem close to the river valley, transformed their two-bedroom condo by installing a Wallbeds-etc queen size murphy bed in their second bedroom and a custom under-stairs pantry.

Downsizing to a condo doesn't mean giving up the space you need to live fully. Between Richard's writing and Sharon’s passion for hand crafts and canning preserves and the occasional overnight guest, their compact space had to work overtime. Their solution came from an unexpected place: the space beneath their staircase, and a spare bedroom that hadn't been pulling its weight.

This is their story, told through their own words and experiences, about how a wall bed and a custom pantry from Wallbeds-etc improved the way they live in their home. If as a condo owner you love your urban lifestyle but feel boxed in by your square footage, their experience offers a practical, real-world look at what's possible.

Life in a Car-Free, Back-to-Nature Filled Condo

Richard and Sharon aren't your typical retirees. Richard is an author, while Sharon brings decades of experience as a university librarian to her volunteer work with Project Adult Literacy. Together, they've built a lifestyle defined by necessity and their individual passions.

Since 1998, the couple has lived without a car. They're avid walkers, and Edmonton's pathway system has become part of their daily routine. Gardening, crafting, and preserving fruits and vegetables fill their home with jars of homemade preserves and the kind of hands-on hobbies that need space to support them.

It's a full life, packed into a condo that wasn't necessarily designed with all of that in mind. For Richard and Sharon, the challenge was never about wanting more space, it was about making smarter use of what they already had.

Our Home and the Challenges: When Storage & Functionality Meet

Every condo has its quirks, and for Richard and Sharon, one of theirs was the area under their staircase.  Ideal for storage, its existing shelving didn’t make optimal use of the space

Their second bedroom presented a different puzzle. It needed to function as Richard's writing study during the day but also transform into a guest room when family came to stay. A permanent bed would have taken over the room entirely. A futon felt like a compromise neither of them wanted.

These weren't dramatic problems. They were the everyday friction points that add up over time in a smaller home. For Richard and Sharon, "eventually" arrived when they decided it was time to find a real solution.

Why Wallbeds-etc?

Like many homeowners researching a big project, Richard and Sharon started with a simple Google search. Locally owned and operated, Wallbeds-etc appealed to them almost immediately, a Murphy-style bed meant they could keep Richard's study fully functional day-to-day while still offering guests a proper night's sleep. But choosing the right Wallbed, finishes, options and accessories was only half the equation. Choosing the right installer mattered just as much.

Neighbour referrals sealed the deal. Hearing from people in their own building who'd worked with Wallbeds-etc gave them confidence that this was a company that delivered in real condo units, concrete walls and all.

That confidence was tested and confirmed once Lyle, Wallbeds-etc Managing Partner & Lead Designer, got involved. Concrete exterior walls are common in condo buildings, and they can seriously limit what's structurally possible. Rather than treating this as a dealbreaker, Lyle approached it as a design puzzle to solve. "He didn't just install something off a shelf," Richard explained. "He actually looked at our space, understood what we were working with, and figured out a way to make it work."

That same problem-solving mindset extended to the pantry. When the couple mentioned their under-stairs storage frustrations, Lyle saw an opportunity to tackle both projects with the same custom approach.

Our Custom Designed Pantry Changed the Way We Lived

The under-stairs pantry Lyle designed didn't just solve a storage problem it changed how Richard and Sharon interact with their home every single day.

Its most striking feature is its discreetness. A mirror-door design conceals the pantry entirely, blending into the home's aesthetic rather than announcing itself as an afterthought. "You'd never know it was there unless we showed you," Sharon said. For a couple who values clean, uncluttered living, that matters as much as the function behind the door.

Inside, the transformation is even more dramatic. Instead of crawling into a dark, disorganized void, Sharon now has consolidated, visible shelving purpose-built for her preserves and spices. Everything has a place, and more importantly, everything is visible. That visibility has had a real impact on inventory control. No more forgotten jars. No more duplicate spice purchases because the original was buried somewhere unreachable. "Now I can actually see what we have," Sharon said. "It sounds simple, but it's changed how I shop and how I cook."

For a couple whose hobbies revolve around growing, preserving, and creating, that kind of functional clarity isn't a small convenience. It's core to how they live. The pantry didn't just recover wasted square footage. It gave Richard and Sharon back control over a part of their home that had been working against them for years.

Small Changes, Big Impact for Condo Living

Richard and Sharon's story isn't about a dramatic renovation or a complete overhaul of their condo. It's about identifying the specific ways their home wasn't quite serving their lifestyle and finding a partner willing to solve those problems creatively.

Their new Murphy bed from Wallbeds-ect gave them a room that is multifunctional. Their custom under-the-stairs pantry turned a poorly used, triangular space into fully functional, visible storage. Together, these two projects illustrate something important for anyone living in an urban condo: the square footage you already have often has more potential than it first appears.

If you're facing similar challenges in your own condo, whether it's an awkward staircase, a spare room that can't decide what it wants to be, or storage that never quite works the way you need it to, consider what's actually possible with the right design approach. Reach out to Lyle at Wallbeds-etc for a FREE consultation, and see how a thoughtful, customized solution could transform the way you live in your own home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wall bed, and how does it work in a small condo?
A wall bed, often called a Murphy bed, folds vertically into a cabinet when not in use, freeing up floor space for other purposes — like a home office — while still offering a full-sized bed for guests when needed.

Can under-stairs storage be customized in condos with concrete walls?
Yes. An experienced designer can work around concrete exterior walls to create custom storage solutions tailored to your condo's specific layout.

Who should consider a multi-functional room like a study/guest room combo?
Anyone in a condo or smaller home who needs a dedicated workspace but doesn't have room for a permanent guest bedroom is a strong candidate

Let’s Get Started

If you're ready to explore what a custom-designed Wallbed can do for your home, contact the team at Wallbeds-etc today. Let our experts help you design a space-saving solution that’s perfect for your lifestyle.

Wallbeds-etc offer so much to choose from, fold down single, double or queen size beds, a space that converts to a study area, with desk or workstation. Side towers and overhead storage for keeping things organized to a wardrobe for your clothes.

You pick the materials and finish to match your home décor, then lighting, plugins, and USBC ports that bring it to life.

Have a question about Walbeds-etc or Murphy bed, contact Wallbeds-etc today at 780-468-7088 or visit their showroom to find how to turn your spare room or empty space into best usable space possible. Wallbeds-etc is the space solution experts in Edmonton and surrounding areas. Don’t just take our word for it, check out