House of the Week: $2.8 million for a Lawrence Park century home built by the man behind Casa Loma

Neighbourhood: Lawrence Park
Agent: Paul Greenberg, The Agency
Price: $2.8 million
Last sold for: $1.48 million
Size: 2,300 square feet
Bedrooms: 4+1
Bathrooms: 3

The place

Located on leafy St. Hilda’s Street in Lawrence Park, this five-bedroom, three-bathroom Scandinavian-inspired century home mixes heritage with contemporary verve. The house is within walking distance of Sherwood Park, Sheridan Nurseries, the restaurants on Yonge and Lawrence station. 

The history

The house was built in 1914 by Herbert Elgie, the contractor behind Casa Loma. He lived two doors down and constructed it for his two children. It underwent a full-scale renovation in 2019, exposing its original brickwork, beams and ornamentation. The owners opened up the main floor and finished the basement, which now includes a rec room, a bathroom and walk-in storage. They also added an ensuite bathroom to the main bedroom and updated the electrical and plumbing throughout. The renovation was completed in 2020.

Related: $2.2 million for a Victorian in the Annex with a basement sauna

The tour

The front comes with a new concrete staircase, a Corten steel planter and a landscaped garden with a mature maple.

The newly opened main level has European white oak floors, exposed brick and loads of natural light.

Here’s the glass-walled staircase—the star of this space—which can be lit up at night for added drama.

Removing walls during the renovation exposed several steel beams running the length of the house.

That’s the original wood-burning fireplace in the living area.

The all-white kitchen has an island, tons of storage, a gas cooktop and an electronic appliance garage.

The countertops are made of Italian sintered stone.

Four of the bedrooms are upstairs. This is the main suite. For a rustic feel, the designers kept the original wooden rafters when they vaulted the ceiling.

Covered for more than 100 years, the exposed bricks highlight the original builders’ craftsmanship.

The ensuite bathroom is equipped with a double floating vanity, heated floors and a curbless shower with two heads.

The tall doors throughout the home are solid wood.

Here’s the walk-in closet, which was previously a bathroom. 

Down the hall is this secondary bedroom, currently set up as a nursery.

Exposed brick, a vaulted wood ceiling and sleek windows make the office a contender for best room.

There’s a shared bathroom upstairs too.

Here’s the loft on the top floor. It has a skylight and a funky nook. 

Moving downstairs shows off the finished basement, which has a rec room, walk-in storage and freshly painted brick walls.

Here’s the basement bathroom.

The backyard has a covered deck—ideal for entertaining.

Beneath the snow is a stone patio, raised garden beds and a gas hook-up for summer dinner parties.

The house is most charming when lit up at night.

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