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Shelter: Upheaval leads to adventure and a cozy Mile End starter home

Having relocated to Montreal from Norway, Tarjei Skaar met Emily Little at McGill and found their first home via Skype and family assistance

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In 2013, Tarjei Skaar was about to start his last year in high school in his native Norway when his father, Knut, was appointed as the representative for the Nordic Delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization. Similar to a diplomatic posting (ICAO is a United Nations agency), Skaar senior’s job required the family to move from Bergen to Montreal for three years — an upheaval for the family (his wife is an air traffic controller), but also something of an adventure.

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Skaar junior was able to transfer into Quebec’s CEGEP system and he ultimately ended up at McGill, where he is in his final year in chemical engineering. When his parents relocated back to Norway, Tarjei remained in Montreal, as did his brother, Ivar, who is also a student.

At McGill, Tarjei met Emma Little, a fellow chemical engineering student from Vancouver. After dating for some time (they are both 22), they moved in together in September 2018.

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Students who met at McGill found space for a desk in their compact 4½.
Students who met at McGill found space for a desk in their compact 4½. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Their 4½, which is on the top floor of a triplex in a building that has seen better days, is very much a starter home with simple furnishings. Nonetheless, the apartment is in an area they both love, Mile End.

Q: You said it was quite a challenge to find this place?

Emma: We were keen to find a rental for the beginning of the school year rather than for July 1, but that proved easier said than done. Tarjei had taken a summer job back in Norway and I was working full time in Vancouver. Luckily, Ivar stayed on in Montreal, so he was a big help.

Tarjei: We would check out apartments on Kijiji, Craigslist, Facebook and so on and my brother would check them out. We communicated by Skype — that was a challenge too because of the time differences — and he’d give us feedback.

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This chest of drawers came courtesy of a family friend.
This chest of drawers came courtesy of a family friend. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Q: So why did you choose this particular apartment?

T: It was one of the best options.

Q: Why?

T: The combination of the area, the price and good access to public transport.

Combined households, combined treasures.
Combined households, combined treasures. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Q: But neither of you had seen the apartment in person until you were back in Montreal?

T: (Laughs.) That’s right.

E: One thing we’re really happy about is the large kitchen. We both enjoy cooking. Shuffling around in a galley kitchen trying not to bump into one another wouldn’t have been fun.

Q: You said you already had most of your furniture?

E: Before we moved in together, I had a place in the Plateau and Tarjei was living in the McGill Ghetto. We’d put all of our stuff in storage.

Q: Where did you get the orange-patterned sectional couch in the living room?

T: That came from my parents. I think it’s an Ikea model circa 1980!

Q: What about the TV and the pine chest of drawers it’s standing on?

T: The chest of drawers came from friends of my parents who were downsizing and I bought the TV from my former roommate when he moved out. I made the little coffee table. I cut the legs off an old one that I didn’t like very much and bought the wood for the top from Home Depot.

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Q: Your Oriental-style rug is very attractive. Did that come from the Middle East?

E: I’m not sure. I got it from my parents. They may have picked it up on their travels. They were both flight attendants for Air Canada.

The couple makes good use of every space, finding room for a family-acquired carpet.
The couple makes good use of every space, finding room for a family-acquired carpet. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Q: It sounds as if you were both lucky to have parents who gave you a lot of useful things to help you furnish your home?

E: Absolutely, but we also bought some things second-hand.

Q: Such as?

E: The desk at the far end of the living room came from Kijiji. The fellow who sold it to us said it had been his son’s work table. It’s solid wood, not veneer.

Making the most of a bright corner in the bedroom.
Making the most of a bright corner in the bedroom. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Q: What about the desk chair?

E: That was a street find.

Q:  I’ve just noticed that you don’t seem to have a dining table.

T: (Laughs.) We’ve yet to figure out where to put one. Right now, we just eat sitting on the couch, but obviously, that’s not the ideal scenario.

A selection of books in the students’ home.
A selection of books in the students’ home. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

Q: It sounds as if your home is still somewhat of a work in progress?

E: Well, we’ve been here only a short while and we had quite a lot to do when we moved in. One of our first jobs was to paint all the walls white.

Q: Were they a colour you couldn’t live with?

E: No. That wasn’t it. For some reason the previous tenants had painted outlines of furniture on the walls! There were “frames” for example, where pictures had obviously been hanging before.

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Q: How odd! Didn’t the landlord object? You said he lived downstairs?

E: Frankly, I don’t think the landlord knew anything about it. We had to paint over the top of all this silly stuff but at least he repaid us for the materials.

Clever shelving and white-painted walls.
Clever shelving and white-painted walls. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette

SHELTER

Shelter is a weekly series featuring a conversation with tenants or condo owners.

Occupants: Tarjei Skaar and Emma Little, both 22

Location: Mile End

Size:

Rental: $1,250

Been there: Since September 2018

The map motif is well earned. Travels have featured prominently in the lives and home decor of Tarjei Skaar and Emma Little.
The map motif is well earned. Travels have featured prominently in the lives and home decor of Tarjei Skaar and Emma Little. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
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