What: A 2,000-square-foot infill house in the Bayview and Eglinton area designed by a couple who are both architects. The contemporary home sits on a 25- by 100-foot lot once occupied by a bungalow.
Where: 148 Banff Rd.
Amenities: The two-storey brick-and-stucco dwelling has three bedrooms and four bathrooms. Its open-concept main floor contains a combined living and dining space with a gas fireplace, as well as a family room. The kitchen in the back corner anchors the open space, and includes high-end stainless-steel appliances, maple cabinets and a centre island with breakfast bar.
The master bedroom also has a gas fireplace, as well as a walk-in closet, pot lights and coffered ceiling. Its five-piece en suite bathroom includes limestone flooring with a whirlpool tub. The second upstairs bathroom, shared by the second and third bedrooms, has Italian ceramic flooring.
In the rear, a 110-square-foot cedar deck overlooks a fully landscaped yard.
The basement, which includes a bathroom and recreation room, is wired for an entertainment system. It also provides access to a one-car garage.
Asking price: $980,000
Taxes: not yet assessed
Agent: Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. (Esther Osher)
The property: The bungalow that once stood at 148 Banff was more than just a project for architects Titka Safarzadeh and Saied Mahboubi -- it was their first home in Canada.
"I love this neighbourhood," says Ms. Safarzadeh, who arrived with her husband from Iran 3½ years ago. "When we came here, everyone recommended this area. It's a very family oriented neighbourhood, and it's good for kids."
The couple, who have more than 24 years of architectural experience between them, worked for various firms after arriving in the country. They have moved from Banff Road and now run their own firm, but their first home was where they began their business.
In designing the house, Ms. Safarzadeh looked at Canadians' tastes in homes. "I really try to study people's culture and what they like and dislike."
She concluded that people like "cozy, homey [spaces], so we wanted to have a warm, homey place." But, noting that architectural style and lifestyle are two different things, she stresses that this is a contemporary house.
The couple filled the fairly narrow house with fine materials -- maple hardwood floors and stainless-steel handles on all the doors, for instance. But they also paid a lot of attention to design details -- both functional and aesthetic.
The wooden baseboards in the master bedroom are custom designed, and because they match the plaster ceiling mouldings, they unify the space.
The design sets off the family room from the open-concept space to provide a more private family area.
By angling the foyer at a 45-degree angle to the main floor, the couple managed to create a clear distinction between it and the rest of the home, despite space constraints.
They maximized the amount of light in the house by building in large windows at the front and back (where they look out on cedar trees). Skylights have been used throughout, including in the bathrooms and above the main staircase. And an open, floating staircase allows light to filter down into what might have been darker areas.
While they went for architecturally unique effects, such as a seamless window that stretches two floors, they also were concerned with function when it came to materials.
For example, they used rougher ceramic tiles in the upstairs bathroom so that it would be safer for children. "[The master bathroom] is usually used by parents, so [it] is more sophisticated," Ms. Safarzadeh explains, "and the other bathroom is funkier for younger people and guests."
The bottom floor provided another architectural challenge. Because the property sits on a slope, the sightline to the yard was poor. So a space for a glass entryway was cut out of the basement wall, which is partly below the ground, the earth was excavated from in front, and retaining walls were built on each side of the entrance. Part of the yard can now be seen from the basement.
Unlike most architectural projects, this was a very personal one for the couple. "We moved here, lived here, and right now, if I wanted to have a house for myself, for sure I would live here," Ms. Safarzadeh says.
"We put all our efforts into this house, and we believe that it's truly the labour of love."
Cliff Lee