Home of the Week, 43 Hanna Ave., Unit 311, Toy Factory Lofts, Liberty Village, TorontoCaroline Bokar
THE LISTING
43 Hanna Ave., unit 311, Toronto
Asking price: $1.449-million
Maintenance fee: $699.56 a month
Taxes: NA
Agent: Caroline Bokar (Forest Hill Real Estate Inc.)
THE BACK STORY
In 2003, the former home of the Irwin Toy Company was converted to a rather unorthodox blend of lofts that allowed people to live and work in the same building.
The Toy Factory was a pioneering project in an area of brownfield industrial remnants of the Victorian age between King Street and the Gardiner Expressway.
The blending of corporate offices and new residents turned out to be a popular mix at the 215-unit development, which was populated by start-up companies, artists and photographers and the like.
Many residents churned out their work at home, while some worked in the surrounding film production houses and new media companies.
Others hopped the King streetcar to the financial district.
Art galleries, furniture stores, restaurants and a commercial strip filled in some of the spaces between the converted brick warehouses and newly built condominium towers and townhouses. Today there's a florist, a cupcake shop and artisanal coffee, too.
The unit
Unit 311 occupies approximately 2,120 square feet of the southeast corner of the building, on the top floor of the original factory. Three floors above are newly built.
That position in the converted factory gives the unit more authentic industrial elements, such as the rustic wood ceiling, exposed brick walls and steel beams.
Stereo wires are hidden by metal pipes.
Real estate agent Caroline Bokar of Forest Hill Real Estate Inc. points out how the private entrance hallway leads visitors from the front door to a great room with a 13½-foot high ceiling.
"As soon as you're in, it opens up," she says of the great room and its views over the village. "There's a real 'wow' factor."
The great room has distressed hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows and two walk-outs to a wrap-around balcony.
The kitchen portion of the open room has cabinets by Scavolini, a 12-foot-long island with quartz countertop and a built-in refrigerator. A beverage station includes an under-the-counter wine fridge and space for the espresso maker. For chefs, the kitchen offers a fan that vents to the exterior.
"They've really thought of everything," says Ms. Bokar.
The master bedroom includes an ensuite bathroom and walk-in his-and-hers closets.
A second bedroom has an ensuite bathroom while the current owners have turned the home office into a third bedroom.
Ms. Bokar points out that the office is well-positioned for residents who work at home because it's closer to the front door so visitors can go straight into the office without seeing any of the living space.
The building offers a two-level roof terrace with a hot tub and barbecues.
Other amenities in the building include a boardroom that residents can rent and free Wi-Fi in the lobby.
THE BEST FEATURE
The loft provides a modern dwelling with lots of space for a couple with two children and two little dogs, says Ms. Bokar.
"For this family, it works for them and their two girls," she says.
The revitalization of the area now called Liberty Village has brought thousands of people to live in the streets east of Dufferin.
Ms. Bokar says that the people who live there range in age. While lots of young professionals have moved in, there are also downsizers who've given up a bigger house and families with young kids.
"It's thriving," she says. "There's a real feeling of community in Liberty Village."
The current owners of unit 311 work downtown, then have a short trip home to an area where they can shop and head out for some recreation.
You're in the heart of the village," she says. "At the end of the day, they park the car and walk everywhere."
Carolyn Ireland