Live-Work-Play: a laneway house in Carleton Village with an amazing courtyard centrepiece
By Lucy Dusko and Peter Saltsman | Photographs by Derek Shapton
The People: Peter Tan, 44, and Christine Ho Ping Kong, 47, the husband-and-wife team behind the custom woodworking and design shop Studio Junction.
The Place: A courtyard house in Carleton Village, near St. Clair and Old Weston Road.
As an architecture student at U of T, Tan wrote his thesis on laneway houses. He and Ho Ping Kong wanted to design their own and found the perfect lot in 2001, behind a Davenport Road house. They stayed in their Junction apartment on the other side of the tracks while they built their new home over six years. The centrepiece is the courtyard, flanked by floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. They use the space as often as weather allows—for client meetings, art shows, to host parties of up to 300 guests—and sometimes even when weather doesn’t: as their kids, Abbe and Ian, can attest, designers make the best snow forts.
297073 <b>Peter Tan</b> and <b>Christine Ho Ping Kong’</b>s laneway house near St. Clair and Old Weston Road. (Image: Juliana Sohn) Live-Work-Play: a courtyard house in Carleton Village, near St. Clair and Old Weston Road https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-12-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-12.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-12/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-12 0 0
(Image: Juliana Sohn)
296953 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-01/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-01 0 0
296954 The pâte de verre chandelier is by the Junction artist <b>John Wilcox.</b> (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-02-e1414601760885-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-02/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-02 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296955 The vintage teak gate-leg dining table seats 14 when fully extended. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-03-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-03/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-03 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296956 Glass counters in the bathroom allow light to flow in from the upstairs terrace to the kitchen below. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-04.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-04/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-04 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296957 (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-05-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-05.jpg 666 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-05/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-05 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296958 The artwork, by <b>Scott Eunson,</b> is called “Burned End-Grain Hemlock” from his <em>Wood on Wood</em> series. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-06-e1414601779114-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-06.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-06/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-06 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296959 (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-07-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-07.jpg 662 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-07/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-07 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296960 A glass and Douglas fir panel separates the master bedroom from the kids’ room. When Abbe and Ian were babies, Ho Ping Kong could slide open the panel for middle-of-the-night nursing. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-08-e1414601796559-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-08.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-08/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-08 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296961 The interior walls are cabinets made of teak plywood. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-09-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-09.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-09/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-09 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296962 (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-10.jpg 1000 667 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-10/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-10 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
296963 Toronto furniture designer <b>Lubo Brezina</b> custom-made the courtyard’s wooden stools from reclaimed yellow pine. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-11-e1414601816118-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-11.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/laneway-houses-carleton-village-courtyard-st-clair-old-weston-road/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-11/ great-spaces-lane-change-live-work-play-11 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
the photos don’t really do it justice. Visited a few years ago for Doors Open; it’s a remarkable space. Love the kitchen and courtyard!