Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house
Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house
By Matthew Hague | March 6, 2014
By Matthew Hague | 03/06/2014
By Matthew Hague | Photographs by Derek Shapton | Styling by Annie McDonald
Mary Abbott grew up outside of Guelph in an old farmhouse so secluded that her parents didn’t bother with curtains. “The land around us was made up of fields and forests,” she says. “It was extremely private.” Abbott has since left the rural life behind. She’s a corporate lawyer, her husband, Kevin Gormely, is an executive at a printing company, and they live in the middle of the city with their two small boys. Still, she channeled her upbringing when they rebuilt their home last year. The property is ensconced in the tree canopy of the Moore Park ravine, so she opted for giant picture windows with no coverings. Even the master bedroom is drapery-free—Abbott and Gormely enjoy waking up with the sun. The couple, working with architect John O’Connor of Basis Design Build, also kept the interiors spare to better showcase their extensive collection of contemporary Canadian art. Spare, but not spartan: O’Connor incorporated natural materials like soapstone, birch and Douglas fir to add rustic warmth. So even though the house looks modern, the palette is as elemental as the towering trees outside.
263594 (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-01/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-01 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263595 Toronto design duo the <strong>Brothers Dressler</strong> made the chandelier out of discarded offcuts from local mills (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-02.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-02/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-02 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263596 <em>Girl With Long Hair</em> is by the Montreal painter <strong>Janet Werner</strong> (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-03.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-03/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-03 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263597 (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-04.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-04/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-04 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263598 Designer <strong>Rob Southcott</strong> created the airplane installation in the stairwell up to the third floor, where the boys have their bedrooms (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-05.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-05/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-05 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263599 (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-06.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-06/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-06 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263600 The countertop is fashioned from a single slab of soapstone. Abbott and Gormely picked <br />
it out themselves at <br />
a stone warehouse in Concord, Ontario (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-07/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-07 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263601 The hickory floorboards are made from discarded bed frames from a Disney resort in Florida. Abbott wanted hickory for its scratch-proof durability (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-08/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-08 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263602 The headboard in the master bedroom is framed by planks of pine pulled from the bottom of Georgian Bay. The grey patina comes from the residue of organic materials that seeped into the wood over the years (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-09.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-09/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-09 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263603 (Image: Derek Shapton; Sculptures: Ted Yarwood) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-10.jpg 667 1000 {"copyright":"\u00c2\u00a9 Ted Yarwood 2013"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-10/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-10 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton; Sculptures: Ted Yarwood)
263604 Several laser-cut wood sculptures by <strong>Rob Southcott</strong> create a privacy screen between the front door and the living space near the entry (Image: Derek Shapton; Sculptures: Ted Yarwood) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-11.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-11/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-11 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton; Sculptures: Ted Yarwood)
263605 Vancouver-based architect <strong>Omer Arbel</strong> designed the orb-like blown glass lamp (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-12.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-12/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-12 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
263606 Abbott and Gormely own several oil paintings by British Columbia artist <strong>John Macdonald</strong> (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house Great Spaces: see inside a Moore Park home that feels like a family-sized tree house https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-13.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-moore-park-family-sized-tree-house/slide/great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-13/ great-spaces-family-sized-tree-house-13 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
Beautiful home, nicely designed and great art collection!
Thank you, Toronto Life, for posting these examples of affordable starter homes.