Look no farther than this Canadian gut job for inspiration to kick off your week. Having a presence in Toronto ourselves, we have walked up this street many a time and for those who have yet to visit the city we’ll tell you Hazelton Ave is a gem of old world charm – even in the dead of winter!
Hazelton Avenue, Toronto, Canada
Back in the early 1800s Yorkville was home to those who were interested in living in the cleaner air outside of the former Toronto called York. Full of Victorian-style homes, quiet residential street and picturesque gardens, that character survived amalgamation, bohemian culture when Yorkville became the Canadian capital of the hippie movement in the 1960s and today the most exclusive Canadian shopping district surrounded with Mink Mile’s high-end retail, galleries, boutiques and eateries. Many smaller buildings were demolished and office and hotels built in the 1970s, with high priced condominium developments continuing to be built one after the next around it, but Hazelton Ave (and a few select streets around it) continues to charm the world
Yorkville, Toronto
We start this week with another fabulous makeover and one incredible gut job. This Toronto based client had a long wishlist but when designer Alicia Sass of Carey Mudford Interior Design saw what she would be dealing with, she could already see the potential this small and dated 5 story split level Yorkville property had.
Hazelton Exterior – Before
While it doesn’t look that bad on the outside wait for it
The Entry – Before
…it started to look a little choppy once inside
The Dining Area – Before
Was this the living room upstairs?
Upper Level Living – Before
Or this it right below?
Lower Level Living Before
Either way, too tiny and whats with these short flights of stairs to reach rooms up and down to the next room?! Fear not it would all make sense once they reached the kitchen.
While White & Functional This Kitchen Leaves A lot To Be Desired – Before!
White, neutral enclosed box. Functional for whoever lived here previously, as was the worlds most appealing place to do laundry!
The Ever So Appealing Laundry Area Before
With the wheels turning it was apparent Alicia would need to call in the troops – no other than the building team of Ripple Projects who would help make sense of the inside of this property – in just 6 months! So what was on the clients wishlist?
#1. Double story windows at the back of the house.
Back of House Before
They certainly had their challenge extending floors and it absolutely took a full team to do the drawings and make sure it was structurally sound but Ripple and CMID pulled it off with a few tweaks just how the client envisioned it would be.
Exterior – After
The former upper & lower living rooms – AFTER
Taking the ceiling as high as it could be allowed for maximum light which floods into the family room, not to mention allows for an equally grand view of the back yard from inside!
Living Area – After
#2. Add a main floor powder room.
To facilitate that it was evident that the main level would need “un-splitting” and since the double windows were already on the list, the house was extended on all three levels. Goodbye 5 split levels; hello 3 full ones. The first audios was to the mini flights of stairs from room to room.
Staircase After
With full staircases to each level above functional reigned over everything else.
Another Proper Staircase from Level 2 to 3 – After
Here is the powder room they snuck in
The New Powder Room
It’s always fun to attempt to shoot tiny little rooms. Lets take a look at the rest of the before/after jobs on the other bathrooms which saw a contemporary transformation all around. The first a more standard but gorgeous update;
Bathroom – Before
Bathroom – After
The other, however, a total overhaul.
The Powderoom – Before
Isn’t it gorgeous?!
Bathroom 2 – After
#3. Do something about the master bathroom!
The last request on the clients list –this one apparently didn’t cut it.
Master Bath – Before
Leave it to Alicia & crew, who managed to fit in a stunning feature wall behind the freestanding tub, as well as a larger shower
Master Bath – After
…and a double vanity! The results are beautiful.
Master Vanity – After
We had to ask if she could only pick one feature that she was so pleased with, what would it be? The kitchen.
Recall the Kitchen Before
Uh…HELLO!
Kitchen – After
“I love everything about it. It’s crisp but warm. I took a chance with a wood backsplash everywhere except behind the range and I love the warmth it gives to the kitchen.”
Our mouths are wide open, gasping for words. The wood is crazy and amazing, the millwork and counters spectacular and the flow SO much more logical (note the green grass on the street outside the window – yes this is the former dining are we showed you!)
Main Floor – After
Lighting is becoming such a huge part of designing a space; she had the Hudson Valley fixtures picked out before she started designing the rest of the house.
Main Floor – After
Without a spectacular light fixture the room can be pretty drab so she convinced her client to up the lighting budget; it absolutely paid off!
The Entry & Dining Area – After
Her favourite piece is the over sized light fixture in the guest bedroom.
Guest Room Before
A panicked call upon installation was no surprise; the client worried that the bold, in your face light wouldn’t work with the tall unsymmetrical ceiling; Alicia however just KNEW this CB2 light was just perfect!
Guest Room – After
The rest of the bedrooms also benefitted from new flooring, paint, windows, lighting and decor.
Guest Bed 2- Before
Guest Bed 2 – After
Master Bed – Before
Master Bed – After
Given the client spent oodles on the renovating the bones of the house, they stuck with their existing decor as well as a few pieces from the likes of Homesense, Ikea and CB2 but really who can blame them and moreover who cares?!
The Laundry Room – After
Even the laundry area is a place we would like to hang out in! They have an absolutely gorgeous space and one certainly worthy of its street history.
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