Behold This Century-Old Edwardian Townhouse Reno In Toronto

Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighborhood is home to art galleries, Polish eateries, a farmer’s market, and verdant parks. It’s also where photographer Andrew Rowat, whose award-winning work has appeared in Bon Appetit and Vanity Fair, 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. “It was a year of firsts,” recalls Rowat, who settled on a quaint, century-old Edwardian townhouse in the hip enclave.

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. “Like most Toronto semi-detached homes on relatively deep lots, daylight had to be ‘dragged’ inside,” recalls the architect, who suggested opening the main floor for maximum sight lines and adding skylights, among other features. “In the software business, it’s called ‘scope creep’,” laughs Rowat, who tapped another colleague, Hong Kong-based designer Daniel Fintzi, to collaborate for the grueling facelift. “Fortunately, all three of us are very detailed-oriented,” notes Rowat. “As a photographer adept in leveraging natural light, he was the perfect client,” concurs Yekrangian.

The trio worked asynchronously, aiming to marry form and function wherever possible while maintaining the home’s 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.

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’s exhaust pipe. “The ceiling is often an overlooked canvas for creativity and function,” concurs Rowat.

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

Rowat’s 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. Arbel’s pearlescent ovoid chandelier and globular table lamp adorn the dining room, opaque red and yellow orbs appear near the entryway. “Almost every piece or decision in the house comes from some sort of a personal connection,” reflects Rowat.

In total, the renovation took eight months, give or take a few straggling pieces. Rowat, for his part, is pleased. “I have often thought of the home as a palimpsest, where each subsequent owner adds a layer of their own to the underlying manuscript,” opines the photographer.

Peruse Andrew Rowat’s Toronto Transformation

5 Homes Around the Globe That Nod to Their Surroundings

The strikingly diverse shapes of these five residences from around the globe are in direct response to their specific locales—physical and cultural.

HW Studio Arquitectos

Morelia, Mexico

Half buried under a grassy hillock, this 2,700-square-foot bunkerlike house—all concrete, wood floors excepted—is accessed by a narrow high-walled pathway that expands slightly to accommodate a tree. The bedrooms in the back look onto an equally narrow walled courtyard, while the large, vaulted living space in the front is completely open to the wooded ravine, thanks to an entire wall of glass.

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Imogen Pullar Architecture

Walkerville, Australia

At a mere 475 square feet, this seaside family retreat is a tiny house that doesn’t feel that way at all, thanks to lofty pitched ceilings, a mezzanine level, built-in furniture and storage, and expansive views of mountains, forests, or bay wherever you look. The exterior is clad in non-combustible fiber cement—the area is prone to bushfires—which a team of local artists has covered with colorful murals, making the little structure a delightful sight in its own right.

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HGX Design

Hudson, New York

Despite its size—more than 6,000 square feet in all, including a basement media room and gym—this elegant weekend house sits lightly on a grassy ridge, its clean form and silvery cedar cladding echoing the simple rural buildings in the area. Inside, a limited color and materials palette—walnut planks, also silvery, on floors and some walls; other surfaces painted a single, unifying hue—and soaring 13-foot-high ceilings create serene, light-filled spaces as hospitable to people as they are to the homeowner’s art collection.

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MCXA Group

Malinalco, Mexico

Nature and pre-Hispanic culture guided the design of this 2,900-square-foot house, which is surrounded by trees and located near Aztec ruins. Comprising a series of flexible volumes interwoven with courtyards of varying size, the residence is a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces that take full advantage of the leafy canopy overhead while referencing ancient materials (chukum, a Mayan stucco) and structures (wood blocks that echo the steps of the region’s iconic pyramids).

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Nicole Blair

Austin, Texas

Like a bird, this 660-square-foot addition perches on four steel columns a couple of feet above the existing bungalow’s roofline. It’s shop-built steel frame was craned into position in a single day and then clad in low-maintenance oxidized-steel siding that chimes with other site elements. The split-level interior offers flexible space for family living, hobbies, and, during the pandemic, a hairstyling station.

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This Mass Timber Apartment Building in Colorado is Designed to Reduce Carbon

A 12-story mass timber apartment building, Return to Form, is planned for Denver after being recognized for its sustainable properties, as announced at the AIA Conference on Architecture. The building is one of six proposals selected for the Softwood Lumber Board and USDA Forest Service’s Building to Net-Zero Carbon competition. Winning projects were awarded based on their ability to demonstrate mass timber’s role in reducing the built environment’s carbon footprint. 

Local development group Katz Development was recognized for their efforts to reduce carbon—and awarded a $250,000 grant—for the development. “We have assembled a world-class team including some of the leading mass timber experts in the country to execute the vision,” founder and principal Andrew Katz says. 

The architects and designers of the project are Denver-based studio Tres Birds. “It’s modern and exciting to be reimagining buildings, especially tall ones, in mass timber wood,” principal Michael M. Moore adds. “Working with regional wood on this scale allows us to create high impact design with minimal fossil fuel usage in the construction process.” 

The building is inspired by local Denver structures, including brick-and-timber lofts in the area. The team aims to modernize these buildings while creating an environment surrounded by wood harvested from U.S. forests. Once completed, it will be the tallest mass timber structure in Colorado, and one of the tallest in the United States. 

This São Paulo Apartment by Architects Office and Triptyque Architecture is Elegant and Functional

For a 2-story apartment in São Paulo, Architects Office and Triptyque Architecture were responsible for a complete renovation to meet the needs of the client. The firms worked together to meld function and form—for example, a custom marble desk sits in the living area. They also included curtains, collapsible doors, and retractable partitions for privacy when needed. 

Throughout the space, iconic design mixes with luxe custom elements. Leather, stone, and brass comingle. “The project brought the great challenge of finding harmony between iconic pieces of Brazilian and worldwide design,” notes Architects Office’s Juliana Carvalho. Brazilian design and art take center stage, including pieces from Estúdio Rain and Jorge Zalszupin. International furnishings were also integrated, including by Patricia Urquiola and Michael Anastassiades. The designers also made use of the existing elements, including views of São Paulo. “The visuals of the city on all sides were prioritized in all environments,” Architects Office’s Raphaell Valença notes. 

Lichelle Silvestry Transforms a Haussmann Apartment into a Parisian Oasis

Lichelle Silvestry, founder and principal of her Paris-based studio, tackled the challenge of a complete renovation, decoration and turnkey project for a couple in their early 30s. The homeowners—a storytelling consultant from the U.S. and a French native who runs a fintech company—enlisted Silvestry’s help for a historic, 19th-century apartment.

The couple, who splits their time between France and their ranch house near Lake Michigan, asked Silvestry to create a functional yet cozy refuge in the city’s ninth arrondissement. “We reorganized the layout to create an open plan in the common areas by incorporating a kitchen near the living room, and getting modern comforts such as air conditioning, plenty of storage, walk-in closets, and a spacious bathroom ensuite,” says the interior designer. 

To bring some warmth and brightness to the 1,615-square-foot space, Silvestry introduced a light color palette combined with earthy accent tones as well as creamy and stone natural textures. “For example, we installed an Ananbo panoramic wallpaper in sepia tones with an oasis-like motif in the master bedroom,” says Silvestry. 

For this apartment nestled in an elegant Haussmann building, one of the other main objectives consisted in respecting the architecture from the past characterized by an old fireplace, cornices and moldings. The newly created arches and the low elongated sofa in the living area—among other elements—complement the welcoming atmosphere where materials such as natural oak, plaster, terrazzo, travertine marble and brass result in a balanced and peaceful home in the heart of Paris. 

Take a Deep Dive into This Contemporary Kitchen by Bilotta Kitchen & Home and Dufner Heighes

Some house-hunters have a wine cellar or infinity-edge pool at the top of their lust list; others covet a four-car garage or a double-sided fireplace. Erica Holborn dreamt of one day owning a house with a butler’s pantry. The Sandow Design Group CEO finally got her wish two years ago when she and her husband, Andrew, purchased a historic property in Pelham, New York, with a generously sized scullery tucked between the kitchen, dining room, and entry hall. So when the couple embarked on a renovation of the kitchen proper, they naturally intended to keep the pantry separate. 

But as the Holborns’s interior designers, Daniel Heighes Wismer and Greg Dufner of Dufner Heighes, started hashing out the new scheme with cabinetry specialist Bilotta Kitchen & Home, it quickly become apparent that something had to give. “We were working on a plan maintaining the original footprint,” Heighes Wismer explains. “But the main kitchen space had an unusual and problematic shape and was quite small; Andrew cooks a lot and felt that it just was too snug.” Plus, the designer adds, the center island was underscaled and awkward—conducive neither to cooking nor eating. “It only sat two people and was weirdly square.” The configuration just wasn’t proving functional for heavy-duty family use. 

Collaborator Sarah Witkin of Bilotta Architecture suggested rethinking the option of tearing down the structural wall between the butler’s pantry and kitchen and combining the two zones. Such a move would not only open up the floor plan, freeing up enough square footage to design around how the family really lives, but it would also maximize natural light, since the contemporary kitchen would gain one more window in the process. Although merging the spaces would certainly entail a more comprehensive renovation—new structural steel, rerouting plumbing and electrical, etc.—the team ultimately decided it made the most sense. “My dream has always been to have a butler’s pantry,” says Holborn, “and then I finally get one—and go, ‘tear it out!’” Luckily, she and her family gained much in the process. Here’s how the space came together—and a close-up of its key features.

custom cabinetry ties together old and new

Cabinets were specified in Dove White paint, which disguises the classical detailing somewhat to assert a more modern vibe. That same reasoning informed the choice of square-top trim (rather than crown molding) along the ceiling. “That way, it doesn’t distract from the more classical original woodwork of the door frames,” Bilotta says. “We were very conscious of the abundant detail in the rest of the house.” Brass hardware plays surprisingly nicely with the brushed stainless-steel finish of the exposed appliances (only the refrigerator is hidden behind panels). “The mix of gold and silver tones works really well here, especially with the overall gray-and-black palette,” Bilotta says. Adds Witkin, “It’s a classic white kitchen but the finishes and furnishings make it playful and extraordinarily unique.”

stone topped the wishlist for the contemporary kitchen backsplash and countertop

a playful pattern defines this tile floor

an airy dining nook completes the contemporary kitchen

The stone wall below the breakfast nook windows is a holdover from when the space was an outdoor porch. Dufner Heighes designed a built-in wraparound banquette to maximize space and create more room for circulation than a traditional table/chairs setup would allow. The stone did make for tricky millwork installation, Bilotta recalls. “We had to fool around a lot with the paneling to get the bench just right, but the result is amazing.” The Wishbone chairs are by Hans Wegner.

the mudroom serves as an extension of the contemporary kitchen

When the Holborns purchased the property, the zone adjacent to the kitchen served as a small family room. The homeowners decided to convert the space, which connects to the back entrance, into a mudroom. “The shape of the little den wasn’t really conducive to hanging out, and the space is right off the driveway, so the conversion made sense,” Holborn explains. (A newly added second door now leads to the backyard, making it more accessible.) The design team specified the same cabinetry and flooring that was used in the kitchen proper, so the two spaces read as continuous. The mudroom functions as a hardworking hub for hanging coats, donning shoes, and storing kitchen gadgets; plus, the addition of window seats and a central table suits it to use as a breakfast nook, too. 

Cabinetry is increasingly being specified in locations beyond the kitchen and bath—from bars to libraries to TV rooms, Bilotta notes. “Our business really focuses on whatever room can have cabinetry in it, and as open-plan and one-room living have boomed, we’re doing more in those types of spaces than ever before.” 

bespoke accent tables add a touch of whimsy throughout

The kitchen and mudroom are not the only areas of the house that showcase stunning stones. Dufner Heighes specified the material for decorative touches in other rooms, too, including bespoke accent tables. In the sunroom, a multi-height Iacoli & McAllister coffee table sports a custom top in Turkish rainbow onyx from Artistic Tile; intriguingly, the veining runs in a different direction on each level. “That’s one of my favorite pieces in the entire house,” Holborn notes. “Everyone who comes over comments on that table. It makes the room.”

And in the family room, pinky Cosmopolitan quartzite tops a Fly cocktail table designed by Space Copenhagen. The Brazilian stone floats atop the table base rather than wrap around it—an effect at once grounded and elevated. “The table comes standard with a white-stone top and we thought, ooh, let’s put something more interesting on that,” Dufner recalls. “Using bold, traditional marbles on really simple modern pieces creates such a nice dynamic.” The use of slabs for small accent tables is great way to play around with a more exuberantly veined or patterned variety, Levinson agrees notes. “Both the Rainbow onyx and the Cosmopolitan are pretty intense when you see the full slabs on display in our Secaucus slab gallery, but fabricated and put in place, they’re definitely not overpowering.”

Artistic Tile: Flooring, Counters

bilotta: Cabinetry

CARL HANSEN & SØN: chairs, stools

e15 through stillfried wien: table

Louis Poulsen: Pendants

bilotta: Cabinetry

seungjin yang through the future perfect: pink stool

In a Quito Studio, Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones Find the Right Place for Everything

As a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Ecuadorian capital city of Quito boasts many ancient architectural delights. Modern endeavors include Moshe Safdie and Uribe Schwarzkopf’s stacked and staggered Qorner building and, inside that, a 300-square-foot studio with seriously big ideas.

“The design emerges from the void between furniture and architecture, which shapes space through objects,” explains Juan Alberto Andrade, who cofounded JAG Studio along with María José Váscones. “Space that condenses living activities, such as: sleeping, working, cooking, eating, and storing.” The condensing arrives courtesy of a horizontal axis of laminated MDF boards across an otherwise open space. Behind the boards, the team arranged everything else, including a kitchen, laundry, closet, library, and a dining table-cum-office desk tucked in front of the bed.

“The bed-desk-table module is a favorite because of its multiple spatial configurations under constructive solutions,” says Andrade. “Each module solves one, or even multiple needs.” The result? A flexible, small home designed to maximize every inch of space—and its potential.

Soothing Neutrals and Organic Textures Define This West Village Home

The team of SISSY+MARLEY Interiors—led by Chelsea Reale and Diana Rice—transformed this 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment into a calming refuge for a young family who wanted to escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City without leaving town. 

“The client approached us, inspired by our past projects and attracted to our aesthetic and nonuse of color in welcoming spaces,” remember Reale and Rice. “She gave us full creative control.” 

A restrained palette prevails makes the apartment feel larger, bright and crisp, while reflecting a relaxing vibe. The homeowner—who has a demanding schedule and was searching for a peaceful and cozy atmosphere—asked SISSY+MARLEY Interiors to recreate the sensation of a dreamy boutique hotel. 

“Since the palette of the home was neutral, it was important to introduce interest through the materials we used — such as leather, shearling, and brass,” says Reale. “These additions give a very luxe feel to the home.” Shades of white, organic textiles, and warm finishes contribute to the timeless look and feel that pervades in every nook. 

“We always say each project is our baby and finishing it is like giving birth,” confesses Reale. “Our beautiful client learned she was pregnant early on in the design phase and gave birth a few weeks after completion of this space. We love being part of these special moments.” Visually balanced, this home is a true retreat in the heart of the Big Apple.