{"id":244489,"date":"2024-12-04T16:38:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T21:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=244489"},"modified":"2024-12-20T15:51:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T20:51:27","slug":"behold-this-century-old-edwardian-townhouse-reno-in-toronto","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/behold-this-century-old-edwardian-townhouse-reno-in-toronto\/","title":{"rendered":"Behold This Century-Old Edwardian Townhouse Reno In Toronto"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"view
Rowat\u2019s mesmerizing print of Gaud\u00ed’s Basilica adorns the dining area, where Alain van Havre\u2019s extendable Bok table is lit by a bubbly Bocci chandelier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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December 4, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Lisa Di Venuta<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Andrew Rowat<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Behold This Century-Old Edwardian Townhouse Reno In Toronto<\/h1>\n\n\n

Toronto\u2019s Roncesvalles neighborhood is home to art galleries, Polish eateries, a farmer\u2019s market, and verdant parks. It\u2019s also where photographer Andrew Rowat<\/a>, whose award-winning work has appeared in Bon Appetit<\/em> and Vanity Fair, <\/em>now resides. After stints working in Shanghai and New York, the global denizen returned to the city with his wife and newborn son looking to purchase a home in 2019. \u201cIt was a year of firsts,\u201d recalls Rowat, who settled on a quaint, century-old Edwardian townhouse in the hip enclave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowat had no intention of making major changes to the two-story home, other than a simple appliance upgrade in the kitchen. The layout proved challenging, however, so Rowat sought help from his former officemate and longtime friend, architect Delnaz Yekrangian<\/a>. \u201cLike most Toronto semi-detached homes on relatively deep lots, daylight had to be \u2018dragged\u2019 inside,\u201d recalls the architect, who suggested opening the main floor for maximum sight lines and adding skylights, among other features. \u201cIn the software business, it\u2019s called \u2018scope creep\u2019,\u201d laughs Rowat, who tapped another colleague, Hong Kong-based designer Daniel Fintzi<\/a>, to collaborate for the grueling facelift. \u201cFortunately, all three of us are very detailed-oriented,\u201d notes Rowat. \u201cAs a photographer adept in leveraging natural light, he was the perfect client,\u201d concurs Yekrangian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"front
Dror Studio\u2019s sinuous Peacock armchair makes a statement in the open living area where timber beams delineate the entryway and homeowner Andrew Rowat\u2019s photography is mounted upon the custom coat closet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The trio worked asynchronously, aiming to marry form and function wherever possible while maintaining the home\u2019s 2,000-square-foot envelope and historic character. Old Canadian houses lack closet space, Rowat explained, hence a slew of built-ins: cubbies, drawers, benches and nooks for optimal storage, and uprights meant to mimic two-by-four beams delineating the entryway. A wall-hung toilet allows for additional counterspace in the powder room. Upstairs, Fintzi designed a spacious full bath with heated large-format porcelain tile flooring and marble countertops, specifically cut so the veins flow continuously from backsplash to counter to overhang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the formerly cramped kitchen, expansive Corian countertops host a bevy of custom features like an integrated knife strip, induction mobile charging, and discrete cutting boards. A tabletop extends from a lower drawer that can be folded away after use, and an 8-foot louvered ceiling diffuses atmospheric light while concealing the Bluestar range\u2019s exhaust pipe. \u201cThe ceiling is often an overlooked canvas for creativity and function,\u201d concurs Rowat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"kitchen
Original brick peaks through the kitchen, where sleek timber cabinets are painted white and light flooring complements Corian countertops and a Bluestar range.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fond of Japanese and Scandinavian design principles, the homeowner embraced a wabi-sabi <\/em>approach through a reductive palette of white-painted walls and pale millwork with Canadian maple flooring, complementing the dwelling\u2019s original brickwork. Rowat debated repointing the latter but ended up keeping it as-is. \u201cCracks and missing mortar all tell a story of sorts,\u201d he muses. \u201cI enjoy looking at my photographs hanging from this brick that was made more than a century ago.\u201d A large-format print of Kazakhstan\u2019s former Hotel Aral adorns the coat closet, another, of Gaud\u00ed’s Basilica of the Sagrada Fam\u00edlia in Barcelona, adds drama to the dining area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowat\u2019s 20-year career is evident elsewhere, with furnishings and fixtures curated by fellow artists and industry connections. He discovered Vancouver-based lighting studio Bocci after an assignment shooting the co-founder Omer Arbel for T Magazine<\/em>. Arbel\u2019s pearlescent ovoid chandelier and globular table lamp adorn the dining room, opaque red and yellow orbs appear near the entryway. \u201cAlmost every piece or decision in the house comes from some sort of a personal connection,\u201d reflects Rowat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In total, the renovation took eight months, give or take a few straggling pieces. Rowat, for his part, is pleased. \u201cI have often thought of the home as a palimpsest, where each subsequent owner adds a layer of their own to the underlying manuscript,\u201d opines the photographer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peruse Andrew Rowat\u2019s Toronto Transformation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"bedroom
The main suite\u2019s slew of storage includes Canadian woodworker Kate Duncan\u2019s wormy maple blanket box, while Ethnicraft\u2019s Nordic II oak bed grounds the space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"view
Rowat\u2019s mesmerizing print of Gaud\u00ed’s Basilica adorns the dining area, where Alain van Havre\u2019s extendable Bok table is lit by a bubbly Bocci chandelier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"closeup
A folding table augments counterspace, and integrated functionality, like a knife-strip, conceals clutter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"full
Upstairs, the full bath\u2019s veiny marble countertops continuously cascade, large-format Anatolia porcelain tiled floor is heated and pristine Duravit fixtures complete the modern scheme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"closeup
A grid-like bookshelf, refinished and painted white, forms a striking feature wall and showcases mementos from Rowat\u2019s travels, with recessed tri-color LEDs overhead. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n