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The Walls Came Tumbling Down
My friend Rebecca was very excited to show me her latest reno project; after six years in her current house, she and husband Dan had finally removed their eighth (and final?) wall, the one standing between them and their backyard. Instead of having to go out a side door and around to the back, sliding glass doors now provide outside access and abundant light. Like so many young couples in gentrifying cities everywhere, Rebecca and Dan fought their way onto the property then slowly scaled it one rung at a time. Their Victorian semi in Toronto's Palmerston/Little Italy neighbourhood was a duplex when they bought it and so it stayed for the first two years while they adjusted to taxes, a mortgage and all the other joys of home ownership.
Full post and comments...Juste Pour Moi
Monday, July 2, 2012 by Chris
Some of you will probably gag over my new colour scheme but something about my new space has moved me to throw colour caution to the wind. I have no desire to spend money on new stuff so I'm working with I've got, save for a few essential purchases, and it so happens that what I've got hits most of the points on the colour wheel. I recognize that my work should be a calling card for potential clients but in this case, in this space, I'm really decorating solely for myself.
Full post and comments...A Tale of Two Condos
Friday, March 9, 2012 by Chris
Sometimes the best way to revive a flagging relationship is to tear it all down and begin again. That's what Sean Ward and Stephen Fillmore did last year after nearly 20 years together. They sold their terraced house on Toronto's Berkley Street and each bought a place of their own where they could rediscover themselves and each other on fresh footing. For new digs, Stephen chose a modern condo in the sky, a 750-square foot, 1-bedroom plus den on the 39th floor of the spanking new X Condominium, left. As befits his more traditional bent, Sean purchased a 1,300-square foot penthouse in a much older co-op overlooking a leafy park in the city's prim Rosedale neighbourhood.
Full post and comments...Welcome 2012!
Sunday, January 1, 2012 by Chris
How sweet it is to be greeting the new year in my new home. Never mind the chaos of clutter and boxes lurking at the edges of the frame below, I'll get to that soon enough. The important thing is that my move went off with nary a hitch on Friday thanks to the amazing Tome brothers, John and Joe who I've used for my past five moves. Lightning fast, the Tomes and their two young assistants showed up at 7:30 am and were on their way to their next job at 11:15 am. If you're in the Toronto area and you need a mover I cannot recommend these guys more highly -- totally reliable, totally professional (416.802.8266).
Full post and comments...Cleeve Horne House: That Sinking Feeling
Monday, October 3, 2011 by Chris
For the progeny of Cleeve and Jean Horne, this spectacular modernist home in a picturesque valley in Pickering, Ontario, is a seldom-used summer place, an after thought that has been allowed to slide into disrepair, if not disrepute. The house is tucked away behind the main residence and barn on a 200-acre family property and as one of the Horne's adult grandchildren told me yesterday during Doors Open Pickering, it's a challenge to hold onto the place in the face of rising taxes and land values. Seeing the state of the interior, I couldn't help thinking that this architectural gem might be better off in the hands of someone more invested in honouring its uniqueness.
Full post and comments...
Monday, May 6, 2013 by Chris
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