Sorauren Avenue is a special street in Toronto’s west-end Roncesvalles neighbourhood; it’s uniqueness is due to the fact that both businesses and family homes co-exists along the same strip of pavement. Sama Studio is one of these businesses. Located on the ground floor of a beautifully renovated home featured in Design Lines, the studio has a warm, modern, minimalist look – one blink and you might miss the clean white decal name on the window. “I almost missed it myself,” recalls Tanya Chiu, founder and owner of Sama Studio. “One day my husband and I were driving along this street and my instinct said, ‘Look left,’ so I did, and there it was, the freshly renovated space ready to be rented. I knew immediately that this was going to be my studio space.”
In 2010, after years of working in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and yoga teacher, hopping from studio to corporate to private classes, Tanya was looking to settle into a space of her own, and she found the perfect fit. Away from the busy Queen Street noise and nestled in the heart of Roncesvalles, Sama Studio is much more than a space – it is a home. And not only for Tanya but for the community of neighbours she has drawn to her. “It’s a special community space here,” she explains, “where my students aren’t just a number or a body on the mat. Everyone is remembered and has a special role in the Sama community.”
