Contractor's home in the Beaches shows renovation finesse
Home of the Week, 40 Beaufort Rd., Toronto. Asking price: $2,890,000. Owner Greg Cole is a contractor who has worked in the Beaches area for many years. He purchased the home in 2010. ‘It’s always been a very stately home,’ he said. ‘But it was tired.’
One of the biggest changes Mr. Cole made to the home was the rear addition. The addition includes the new kitchen as well as a family room and second fireplace on the main floor.
Mr. Cole also corrected the home’s lack of closet space and too few bathrooms. He added two extra bathrooms to the second floor (making for three on the floor), another two in the basement and on the top floor. The sixth is on the main floor. He reinstated the main-floor closet space by removing a powder room and added new build-ins throughout the house.
‘The accents really finish the space,’ Mr. Cole says. ‘It doesn’t feel like anything’s been forgotten.’ As an example, he pointed to the built-in shelves that frame the fireplace in the family room. Instead of being wood, Mr. Cole decided to make them glass so that light from the LEDs that shine from above can travel all the way through, projecting interesting shadows on the walls behind.
‘This kitchen is just very simple, clean and elegant,’ Mr. Cole says. ‘It doesn’t have to try to wow you, it’s just highly functional and simple.’
The master bath.
Dressing room in the master suite.
Mud room on the main floor.