1
A garage was replaced with a lower-level room that has a separate entrance. There is also a bathroom and a utility room. (PAT HANSON)
Related Articles
Photogallery
- 22 EUCLID AVE.
- ASKING PRICE: $749,000
- TAXES: $3,049.25 (2007)
- AGENT: Re/Max West Realty Inc. (Mario Di Clemente)
- WHAT: A three-bedroom 1960s-era infill property recently transformed into an urbane open-concept house. The house has about 1,800 square feet of living space on a 24-by-74-foot lot.
AMENITIES: The house has been gutted and refurbished, with a new look inside and out. The main floor has an open-plan living room and kitchen with a large window overlooking the street at the front and sliding doors leading to a compact deck at the rear. Upstairs, the house has three bedrooms. The bathroom has a marble-clad tub and countertop and a stand-alone shower enclosed in glass. The lower level has full windows at the front to bring light to the former garage and basement. Outside, the gardens have been landscaped with limestone and black gravel.
Toronto-based architect Pat Hanson has watched people pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into renovating houses in the north end of the city while many neglected properties in the core languish.
"I'd love to see downtown Toronto do better — for the neighbourhoods to be cared for and loved."
She also believes there's a slice of society that likes the metropolis and will forgo a large four-bedroom with main-floor family room for the privilege of living downtown.
"I think the idea of downtown is that it's all about being in the city and investing in the city and being smart about the footprint," she says. "How much space do you need?"
Last year Ms. Hanson purchased a charmless 1960s house near Queen and Euclid. After about eight months of work, the house is back on the market with a new identity.
Ms. Hanson's latest project is a scaled-down version of the transformation of her own Victorian-era house.
Near College and Markham, Ms. Hanson split the large manse into two. On one side she reinstated the baseboards and trim to create the rather traditional type of house that Torontonians often favour. On the other side, she expanded the area to create a modern glass-and-brick box from the façade back. Ms. Hanson currently lives there with her husband and uses the main floor as an office.
Ms. Hanson believes an urban space that allows living and working downtown is appealing to a lot of people. She also sees value in restoring dilapidated houses.
"You can be criticized for gentrifying the neighbourhood, but you co-exist," she says of the range of urbanites — from double-income newcomers to the destitute and disenfranchised.
At 22 Euclid, the walls are painted white and wood floors are stained ebony.
"What's nice is that there's lots of light — and we actually didn't add windows."
Some windows were enlarged, however, to make the house brighter.
Throughout, Ms. Hanson stayed with the simple formula of white walls and dark floors. In the small second-floor bathroom, she kept a clean palette of white fixtures, white marble, stainless steel and glass. The lack of contrast makes a space look larger, she says.
"Minimalist and modern makes sense in this house."
She enlarged the window in the bathroom to bring in light. That, of course, gives the neighbours a clear view into the room, so she installed a sleek white blind which can be pulled up from the bottom of the window for complete privacy.
"Or, if you're feeling comfortable with yourself, you can take a bath and look out the window."
The "very simple and very modern" kitchen has base cabinets only and a marble-topped island. Ms. Hanson avoided using upper cabinets because they make the main floor feel more closed-in and domestic.
"When it's all open, you don't want it to scream 'kitchen,'" she says.
On the lower level, Ms. Hanson replaced a garage with a room that offers a large window and lots of light. A separate entrance means the space could easily be used as an office. There is a bathroom and utility rooms on the same level.
Ms. Hanson believes the house could appeal to a couple, a young family or a single person — as long as they appreciate city living.
Ms. Hanson lives and works near College St. but she considers Queen more interesting, in some respects, for its galleries and boutiques.
"I think Queen St. is such an amazing street. In a way, it's much more tied to the downtown part of Toronto."
Outside, the backyard is small and enclosed by a high fence. Trees add shade in summer and stairs lead down to the patio from a small deck.
"When you're in it, it's quite nice and private with the high fence. I think the higher the fence, the more gracious the outdoor space."
The surface of the courtyard is gravel, which can be left as is or used as a base for patio stones, Ms. Hanson says.
"I think sod in the city is madness and environmentally it's not the best thing to do."
Ms. Hanson believes the change in downtown areas can be gradual and accommodating to people of many different income levels. She would also like to see buildings repaired rather than torn down and replaced.
"They're all leaking — they all need to be taken care of ," she says while gesturing out the window.
"Nobody's investing in them to make sure that they're going to last."
