House of the week: $2.25 million for a designer original in Little Portugal
House of the week: $2.25 million for a designer original in Little Portugal
By Fraser Abe | September 30, 2010
By Fraser Abe | 09/30/2010
6A Brockton Ave. (Images: Right at Home Realty)
ADDRESS: 6A Brockton Ave.
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Little Portugal
AGENT: Paul Johnston , Right at Home Realty Inc., Brokerage
PRICE: $2,250,000
THE PLACE: Interior designer Elaine Cecconi is selling her house near the rapidly gentrifying Dundas West strip. The four-storey home could be dubbed 2001: A Space Odyssey Home Edition (note the monolith)— it’s all clean lines and geometric shapes. Spillers beware: the place is awash in white and comes complete with a futuristic gas fireplace, an industrial kitchen and an LED-lit bathtub that gives new meaning to the term “mood lighting.” The 800-square-foot rooftop, which can be accessed by elevator, provides great entertainment space or just a vantage point from which to witness the local hipster population’s weekend walks of shame.
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Cecconi designed this place herself. She represents one half of Cecconi Simone, the superstar design duo that is gradually leaving its sleek mark on Toronto.
BIG SELLING POINT: Steps away from Queen West and decorated by a design superstar, this spot is the perfect way to impress someone you just met at The Beaconsfield.
POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: The guilt that comes from being yet another one of Little Portugal’s agents of gentrification.
BY THE NUMBERS:
• 4,000 square feet
• 4 washrooms
• 4 parking spaces
• 3 storeys
• 3 bedrooms
• 1 elevator
• 1 gas fireplace
42398 Exterior of home 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-EX.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-EX.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-EX.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-ex/ brockton-6a-ex 0 0
Exterior of home
42412 Living room with monolith, fireplace and TV 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Living-Room1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Living-Room1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Living-Room1.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/living-room-3/ living-room-3 0 0
Living room with monolith, fireplace and TV
42399 Shower stall 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bath.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bath.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bath.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/bath/ bath 0 0
Shower stall
42400 Living room 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-1.jpg 467 442 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-1/ brockton-6a-1 0 0
Living room
42401 Living room 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-2.jpg 627 413 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-2/ brockton-6a-2 0 0
Living room
42402 Entry hall 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-3.jpg 627 440 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-3/ brockton-6a-3 0 0
Entry hall
42403 Rooftop terrace 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-4.jpg 625 443 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-4/ brockton-6a-4 0 0
Rooftop terrace
42404 Washroom, with LED-lit bath 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-6.jpg 495 442 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-6/ brockton-6a-6 0 0
Washroom, with LED-lit bath
42405 Bedroom, with storage units 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-7.jpg 629 439 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-7/ brockton-6a-7 0 0
Bedroom, with storage units
42406 Dining room 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-8.jpg 627 438 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-8/ brockton-6a-8 0 0
Dining room
42407 Dining room 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A-9.jpg 628 435 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a-9/ brockton-6a-9 0 0
Dining room
42408 Kitchen, with wine fridge 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Brockton-6A.jpg 627 441 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/brockton-6a/ brockton-6a 0 0
Kitchen, with wine fridge
42409 Dining Room 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DiningROom.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DiningROom.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DiningROom.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/diningroom-3/ diningroom-3 0 0
Dining Room
42410 Kitchen 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen2.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/kitchen-10/ kitchen-10 0 0
Kitchen
42411 Kitchen bar with stools 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen21.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen21.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Kitchen21.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/kitchen2/ kitchen2 0 0
Kitchen bar with stools
42413 Rooftop terrace 6A Brockton Ave. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Terrace.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Terrace.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Terrace.jpg 630 420 [] https://torontolife.com/real-estate/house-of-the-week-2-25-million-for-a-designer-original-in-little-portugal/slide/terrace/ terrace 0 0
Rooftop terrace
Rapidly gentrifying indeed. Soon the entire inner city will be one whitewashed blandville of shoe boutiques and overpriced houses for 30-something Caucasian homeowners. Toronto is starting to suck.
Same thing that happened in Willowdale and now the Beach. We recently lost a magnificent house because the new owners wanted something that was a)in keeping with their lifestyle and b)something that was handicapped accessible….that’s right folks, let’s buy a property that has 20 or more steep steps leading up to it and will require significant alterations in order to accomplish it. Once they got the go ahead, the house was pulled down immediately to prevent further objections…I understand the desire to live in an established neighbourhood however… If you don’t want a traditional Beach house, then don’t buy here.
i’ve read this article a few times now – and i’m almost 100% sure that this home is nowhere near the Beach!
Baciandrio – your ranting is mean-spirited and simple minded. What is “happening” is finally Torontonians are building elegant modern homes. If you don’t want one, don’t buy one!
Simple stuff.
Cool space but none of the warmth of a true home.
I love the outside of this house but I find the inside too minimal and cold for my liking. I understand those of you who appear to be arguing in favor of keeping the integrity and history of structures, but all hail creativity and individuality, if you can afford to build the house of your dreams more power to you. Who knows what this house looked like before.
Baciandrio, you really have no clue what you’re talking about.
A) The house your talking about (204 Beech) wasn’t magnificent. The previous owners sold it because it was uninhabitable. Additionally, none of it was original. The house had been badly renovated a dozen times – even the President of the ACO recognized the hack nature of it.
B) The house will be fully accessible, though not from the front. It’s situated one house south of corner and has level rear access. It’s also where the car port will be. The rear entry is fully accessible to the road.
C) The house is designed to suit the needs of the owner, not you – not sure what’s wrong with that. It’s been done well within the confines of the bylaws which means (for better or worse) you don’t get a say. You also (thankfully) don’t get to tell anyone where they should or shouldn’t buy.
Good thoughts downtowner…not sure what Baciandrio talking about.. I think when we comment on these homes, we should keep our thoughts to the design not be vicious, bitchy & personal to the owners…gee!
Now this house is awesome.. owned by a great designer but reality is that you are paying 2.2mil for the designers name, not the house as this neighbourhood does not command 2.2mil..come on!! Show me another house in that area for anything close to that. Whoever buys, gotta be sure it will be your hone for life.. good luck!
You all missed the point. The house in question was on Beech, it was well loved and known. It was in keeping with the character of the area. Who knows what the new one will be like. Long term Beachers are not keen to see their neighbourhood altered: no matter what outsiders think. I can only conclude that the ‘mean spirited’ response was either made by the new owners, friends of same or a non-Beach resident.
As for the house shown above, it’s lovely however it isn’t my taste and knowing the area, I’m pretty darn sure it isn’t in keeping with that neighbourhood’s character. That was the point!
Baciandrio – Then your POINT is the issue: why on earth do homes have to mimic a neighbourhood’s character? Especially when the architecture is largely insignificant, like for example Brockton Village or much of the Beach. Sure, there are some lovely homes in both areas, but to suggest that either area is stagnant and can’t evolve with “the times” is ridiculous.
Toronto desperately needs to catch up with the times, and thank goodness there are people who agree!
I love modern, and I hate this house.
But my opinion is irrelevant, because IT IS NOT MY PROPERTY, so the owner could paint it purple for all I care.
It’s amazing how people in Toronto get all f’d up and angry (see 204 whatever in the beaches) when they know NOTHING AT ALL about architecture. The rest of that street was a hodge podge of poorly executed Home Depot renos and hack fixes that destroyed the architectural and historical integrity of the street long long before the couple in question showed up and wanted to tear down one of those awful hack jobs and put up something they liked and fit their needs.
Beaches people are morons. Bring your own homes up to historical snuff before sticking your ignorant faces in anyone else’s.
Take a street like Palmerston north of College. Most would say oh my what a lovely Victorian street. Well, it ain’t. It’s a hodge podge. The HOUSES DO NOT MATCH. THEY WERE BUILT OVER A 100+ YEAR PERIOD. But most of the jerks living on that street would probably go apesh*t f someone wanted to build something modern. Idiots.
i thought it was a commercial building