Home of the Week: Corktown's industrial vibe rocks this light-filled condo
The 1,145-square-foot space features high ceilings, hefty pillars and exposed pipes
Home of the Week: 90 Sumach St., unit 319, Toronto. Asking price: $619,000. The 1,145-square-foot suite inside the Corktown building known as Lofts at 90 Sumach was created in the late 1990s from the conversion of a 1950s warehouse. For decades, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. used the building for studios, rehearsal space and storing props. Ninety Sumach today reflects that Corktown heritage with its massive pillars, exposed pipes and slightly industrial hallways.
Daniel Langer-Hack, who purchased unit 319 in 2009, works in advertising. His fiancée, Karen Cleveland, is a writer. Real estate agent Tiffany Sly of Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd. says the building is one of the few true hard-loft conversions in Corktown. Mr. Langer-Hack wanted to create more defined spaces in the loft, which was almost entirely open-concept when he bought it. He created a bedroom by raising it a half-level higher than the main floor and enclosing it with half-walls. The change also allowed him to create an entryway and add lots of storage, he says.
The floors throughout the loft are polished concrete, but Mr. Langer-Hack used oak hardwood for the stairs and bedroom to further break up the space and create warmth underfoot. The main space has windows that take up most of the north-facing wall. The ceiling is 14 feet high.
Mr. Langer-Hack rebuilt the kitchen with new cabinets, an under-counter wine fridge, a breakfast bar and granite countertops. Mr. Langer-Hack and Ms. Cleveland both like to cook, he says, so the improved layout and counterspace make it much easier for them to work together. The combined kitchen, dining area and living room is flooded with light during the day and offers a great open layout for entertaining in the evening, he says.
The common rooftop terrace gives residents access to the outdoors and views toward downtown Toronto. Ms. Sly points out that the surrounding area is rapidly being transformed, with Regent Park, the Distillery District, Leslieville, River City, West Don Lands and St. Lawrence Market all nearby. ‘You’re in the middle of all those areas. It’s amazing.'