281 MUTUAL ST. PENTHOUSE NO. 1
WHAT: An extensively customized, two-storey penthouse loft in a downtown complex.
SIZE: approximately 1,900 square feet
ASKING PRICE: $1,189,000
The kitchen was gutted and opened up to the principal room. Laminate floors were replaced by hardwood. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOSLEY REAL ESTATE LTD.)
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TAXES: $5,242 (2007)
AGENTS: David Rose and Penny Brown, Bosley Real Estate Ltd.
AMENITIES: This nearly 1,900-square-foot, two-storey suite is located on the 29th and 30th floors, and has two balconies and a 563-square-foot terrace on the 31st level.
The corner unit contains two bedrooms, three bathrooms and an open den off the living and dining area.
The kitchen has an island with twin sinks and a breakfast bar that seats four, full-height cabinetry and built-in appliances, including a gas range.
The sleeping quarters are located on the level below the principal rooms, along with laundry facilities and the main bathroom. The master suite features a four-piece bathroom and two closets, one of which is a walk-in.
The penthouse also comes with two lockers and two parking spaces. Its monthly maintenance fee of $1,044 includes water.
Amenities include a party room, gym, sauna, and concierge.
The contemporary design of the relatively new condominium tower at 281 Mutual St. in downtown Toronto tends to attract design-savvy buyers, including the one who gave this two-storey penthouse a stylish makeover.
But with its panoramic views and expansive living space — indoors and out — it was a pretty impressive home from the start.
"It's about 1,900 square feet, which is the second-largest suite in the building," says listing agent David Rose, who explains the main factors taken into account when setting the price at $1,189,000.
"Secondly, [the owners] spent a couple hundred thousand dollars on upgrades."
Three units were combined to create the suite in the high-rise, which is one of two in the Radio City community at Carlton and Jarvis streets. It also includes townhouses and the National Ballet School.The building has been a popular address since it opened about two years ago on the former site of the CBC's offices and studios, Mr. Rose says. But it contains few two-storey units like this one, much less ones with the amount of outdoor space it has.
The balconies off the kitchen and master suite are each about 75 square feet, while the roof terrace is 563 square feet.
"[Outdoor space] is very important and what really separates [this unit] from the rest of the building," Mr. Rose says. "For many people who are looking at something like this — who may be coming from a home — a small balcony is not enough."
The rooftop terrace boasts a hot tub as well as a glass sculpture built into the floor and lit from underneath.
From there, or anywhere inside, the resident can look to the east over the Victorian homes and mature trees on Jarvis Street, and to the south toward the city's commercial towers.
"When you walk into this penthouse, you … are just overwhelmed by the view," Mr. Rose says. "At night, it almost looks like a painting, it's so beautiful."
There are 10-foot walls of glass, and because of the unit's stepped layout, corner windows in many rooms.
Even the shower stall in the master bathroom has a floor-to-ceiling window.
"You really actually do see the lake from here," Mr. Rose says. "I doubt they'll be able to build another building that high, so I don't think it will ever lose its view."
The owner rejected the builder's finishes, and opened up the principal rooms for a more stylish and functional design, Mr. Rose explains.
"You just have the sense that you are someplace special," Mr. Rose says. "It's a blend of the environment [the owner] has created and also the vistas."
The owner, who has carried out renovation projects at previous residences "has developed a sense of taste and quality materials," Mr. Rose says.
The changes cost more than $200,000, and included new steel and glass accents throughout, such as the custom, stainless-steel railings on the floating staircase and metal details on sliding frosted-glass doors to the bedrooms, a new kitchen cupboard and the front closet.
The latter was extended using matching wall panels made of glass and metal. Similarly, a closet in the den was expanded, and the recessed area now houses an entertainment unit.
Custom automatic blinds were installed throughout, and can be remotely controlled from most parts of the unit.
The most dramatic change was carried out in the kitchen, which was gutted and opened up to the principal room, Mr. Rose points out.
Cabinetry was removed from above the island and laminate floors were replaced with jatoba hardwood flooring, which extend into the other rooms. Glass tile backsplashes enhance the look.
Down at street level, residents are within steps of restaurants, bars and shops, as well as the Yonge subway line.
"It's very urban and very convenient," Mr. Rose says of the location. "Things don't stay on the market for very long in that building."
Special to The Globe and Mail
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