/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Real Estate News

How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

By Iris Benaroia| Photography by Derek Shapton
Copy link
How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

Who: Bryan Kerr, the 33-year-old co-founder of Every, a banking app; Iris Kerr, a 35-year-old art director; and their kids, ­Violet, one, and Quentin, three. Where: The Junction

When Iris and Bryan bought their house in 2012, their least favourite area was the attic. The already cramped space had been awkwardly split into two tiny bedrooms with a closet between them. The entire floor wasn’t good for much beyond storage.

A renovation seemed like the best cure, so Bryan recruited a friend to help gut the space. Then a contractor adjusted the pitch of the roof to create more headroom and finished the interior, turning the formerly neglected third floor into a welcoming, 345-square-foot master retreat with space for a large bed and plenty of ­storage.

A year and a half later, Iris and Bryan hired another contractor to build a corrugated steel rear addition, and its flat roof now serves as the attic’s walk-out deck. Inside, the attic has new windows, including a round one reminiscent of a boat’s porthole. Solid ash floors, a whitewashed pine ceiling and two banks of knotty American hickory closets give the space a warm, cocooning effect. One panel in the closet system hides a compact Japanese toilet with a sink on the tank. A steel, glass and wood staircase makes for a stylish entry. “It feels so good in the space now,” Iris says. “Like you’re outside.”

Here’s the exterior. The round window replaced a small, square one:

Advertisement
How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

 

Here’s how the window looks from the inside:

How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

 

They added the staircase in 2015. The original stairs weren’t up to code:

How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

 

Advertisement

The barrel is from Gilson’s Point Farm, on Lake Scugog in Little Britain, Ontario. Iris grew up there:

How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

 

A compact toilet with a sink built into its tank saves space:

How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

 

A door leads to the deck:

Advertisement
How a couple turned their claustrophobic attic into a spacious master suite

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Iris Benaroia is a contributing writer to Toronto Life with a focus on interior design and lifestyle. Her stories also appear in House & Home, Style at Home, the National Post, Maclean’s, Elle Gourmet and HGTV.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Big Stories

Dancing Queens: Patrons, staff and performers share their wildest memories of Crews and Tangos, Toronto’s most storied drag bar

Dancing Queens: Patrons, staff and performers share their wildest memories of Crews and Tangos, Toronto’s most storied drag bar

Inside the Latest Issue

Inside the Latest Issue

The April issue of Toronto Life features the anatomy of a Bay Street fiasco at RBC. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.