New Life Brought to Empty Nest in North Toronto
When one’s grown children have moved on, there’s a choice to make – move on yourself or stay put. In the case of a North Toronto couple who felt rooted in their neighbourhood, they opted for the latter. But at the same time, they wanted to embark on a new chapter themselves, so they called on ASQUITH to help them determine what that might look like.
Located in a leafy, well-established neighbourhood, the 2-storey Edwardian-styled home sat on a generously-sized lot. A simple addition seemed like the logical thing to do. But with the relatively small scale of the home, they soon realized that a full renovation made much more sense – especially with the kitchen located in the middle of the home. It bled back to front, so in order to avoid a jarring juxtaposition of materials and eras, one continuous space was renovated in the name of cohesion and overall functionality.
Along the way, the project was met with a few challenging constraints from weaving old infrastructure with new. But according principal architect, Heather Asquith, “Constraints often bring out the best of our creativity. In this case, were able to achieve a bright open space spanning front to back, and used carefully-placed bookshelves and display cases to disguise pipe chases and duct runs.”
Because the new addition was quite different from existing exterior materials, it was decided that a full contrast would be better than attempting to mimic the brick. In the end, a dark cladding was chosen for its complementary effect alongside the wood components of the design.
An interior palate of white oak and Carrara marble lends light and muted warmth throughout. The existing brick fireplace on the main floor was re-clad with custom concrete panels giving it a refreshing modern look, and a new master suite and balcony provides the owners with an inviting refuge to unwind in.
The changes as a whole represent the modern evolution of a home that is rich with personal history and ready for its next phase of life.
