Condo of the Week: $2.2 million for a penthouse in an Annex church that was developed by a filmmaker

Neighbourhood: The Annex
Price: $2,245,000 Fees: $368 per month Size: 1,396 square feet Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1+1 Parking spots: 2 (on the street) Real estate agent: Paul Johnston, Unique Urban Homes

The Place

A brand-new one-bedroom, one-plus-one-bathroom penthouse on the third and fourth floors of an Annex heritage structure on Brunswick. One of seven two-storey residences in the building, the unit comes with soundproofing, a private patio, smart-home technology and white oak everything. It’s roughly equidistant from both Bloor and Harbord—residents are within walking distance of half a dozen parks and transit routes, and motorists are a short drive from Davenport and the Gardiner.

Related: $760,000 for a Yorkville unit sandwiched between a legendary music venue and a famous library

The History

The 125-year-old building has been many things: a church, a synagogue, the Toronto School of Art and, most recently, an office building. Then, last year, filmmaker and developer Jeff Kopas started converting the space into boutique homes. He finished the project this past October. “I basically built them for myself,” he says. “I didn’t want to live in a traditional condo, and I didn’t want the hassle of a house because I travel so much.”

The Tour

All of the exterior walls were maintained or refurbished. The design team also added new windows, a dramatic rooftop addition, and roughly $20,000 of greenery and landscaping.

Each unit comes with a private entrance from the street. In the penthouse, the heritage foyer leads to the open-concept kitchen and living area, where a large waterfall island takes centre stage.

Recessed smart lighting illuminates the white-oak beams, which extend throughout.

Marble counters and backsplashes are complemented by white-oak cabinets and sparkling Miele appliances, including a wine fridge and a gas cooktop. That angular hood vent is a nice touch.

The view from the island includes the modern dining set-up, storage under the staircase and the powder room.

Two of these floor-to-ceiling windows open up to Juliet balconies.

Inspired by the original church, Kopas commissioned a staircase dressed in white-oak slats that unify the living area with the loft above.

Here’s an overhead view of the main floor, draped in natural light.

This is the main suite. (Who needs an alarm when you have an automated skylight over your bed?) Kopas and his team decided not to squeeze in a second bedroom for the sake of preserving the home’s cathedral ceilings.

Finally, here’s the ensuite bathroom, fully loaded with a double vanity, a soaker tub, more marble and another skylight over the rainfall shower.

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