The listing: 2045 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Unit 306
Asking price: $750,000
Monthly maintenance fees: $1,390.93
Taxes: $2,864.75 (2015)
Agent: Private sale by owner
The Back Story
In 2013, Men-Chong Luk and Scot Laughton began planning a return to Toronto after a stint in Hong Kong. The couple hired an architectural firm to design an introverted courtyard house for them and their son, Kai. While Ms. Luk returned with young Kai to Toronto to oversee the construction, Mr. Laughton continued teaching courses in industrial design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Their building project ran into opposition from a nearby homeowner in the staid midtown neighbourhood, however, and they decided to drop the plan rather than fight.
With their first plan scuppered, Ms. Luk began looking for a plan B. She thought about how much she loved the couple’s Hong Kong apartment and living on one floor. An architect friend suggested that the couple have a look at Palace Pier on the Toronto waterfront.
The landmark building was Canada’s first luxury condo tower when it was built in 1978 beside the spot where the Humber River meets Lake Ontario. At the time, the 46-storey tower was the tallest residential building in the country.
At first Ms. Luk balked at the idea of living in a building she thought of as outdated. But the architect knew the building from visits to the renowned designer Karim Rashid, who lived there during his time in Toronto. Their friend countered that the building is solid and the units have good layouts and views.
Ms. Luk and Mr. Laughton had a look and agreed that they liked the 1,550 square feet of space and the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows.
“It’s built like a fortress,” she says. “You can’t hear your neighbours.”
They held out for a south-facing vista facing the lake. When a two-bedroom unit in original condition landed on the market a few weeks later, they purchased it immediately and Ms. Luk began planning the renovation.
The Unit Today
Unit 306 had an enclosed kitchen, a solarium, popcorn ceilings and an uneven floor when the couple purchased it. But that was fine with Ms. Luk, who wanted to gut it and bring all of the systems up to contemporary standards.
She kept Mr. Laughton and their architect friend in the loop by creating a Facebook page. With the 12-hour time difference between Toronto and Hong Kong, it was often the easiest way to confer, she says with a laugh.
She opened up the small galley kitchen to the living area and had a large island built. Sleek white cabinets and hidden appliances were installed. She also tracked down a company that specializes in making counters for laboratories and school science classrooms. She had them fabricate a stainless steel countertop with a deep, integrated sink.
The idea was to have a kitchen with an industrial aesthetic and surfaces that are easy to maintain.
“It looks cool and I like it because it’s pure,” she says.
The installation was not without its trials, however. She can laugh now, looking back on how difficult it was to get the 126-inch length of steel in place.
“It literally almost didn’t go into the elevator.”
Ms. Luk opened up the solarium so that the breeze can flow through the unit when the windows are open. The large dining room doubles as a home office for Ms. Luk, who has a career in marketing.
The living room has a wall of windows overlooking the nine-acre private park that is part of the Palace Pier complex.
“The sunsets here are unbelievable,” she says. “I have so many photos. It really is so gorgeous in all four seasons. Even in winter, there’s a beauty.”
Throughout the principal rooms, ceilings were raised and flattened and the original floors were replaced with wide planks of white oak.
Ms. Luk didn’t want to see any wires marring the minimalist decor so she had a wireless system for music and television installed in the central utility closet. That way, speakers are hidden in walls and ceilings throughout the unit.
“I just like a really clean space,” she says.
Ms. Luk was able to keep the original footprint of the main bathroom but she made it contemporary with white tiles and new fixtures.
Both of the bedrooms are facing south, with views over the park and lake.
Ms. Luk enjoys Palace Pier’s amenities, which include a yoga room, gym, variety store, on-site restaurant and an indoor saltwater swimming pool. In the park outside, there’s a tennis court, putting green and barbecue area.
“There are more families moving in so it’s great to see the kids out in the park playing together,” she says.
The building also offers luxury touches such as 24-hour concierge service, valet parking and a private shuttle bus to Union Station.
Just beyond the gates, residents are surrounded by nature, with the Martin Goodman Trail for cycling and running, nearby beaches, parkland and the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat.
“I just love being on the water,” she says. “You’re on the Martin Goodman Trail in two minutes. When I want to go into the city, I just hop in.”
Ms. Luk has decided to have the unit listed on the Multiple Listing Service of the Toronto Real Estate Board, but she’s handling the sale herself.
“I know this place better than anybody,” she says.
The Best Feature
“We loved the traditional Japanese bath houses we visited when were in Japan,” Ms. Luk says.
During the transformation of their new unit, she took down walls in the master suite so that the deep, marble-clad bathroom is open to the bedroom and the views beyond. There’s a glass-enclosed shower area, a high-tech Toto toilet, and radiant heat under the basalt floor tiles.