House of the Week: $3.8 million for a kooky semi off Mount Pleasant with a hidden wine rack

Neighbourhood: Rosedale–Moore Park Price: $3,850,000 Size: 3,273 square feet plus a 573-square-foot basement

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Parking spots: 4 Real estate agent: Gillian Oxley, Royal LePage

The Place

A four-bedroom, four-bathroom Edwardian townhouse in one of Toronto’s wealthier corners. It’s a handsome yet odd home for its architectural style, with matching porches and balconies fixed to the sides of the structure, pronounced bays folding along the façade like an accordion, and an attached underground two-car tandem garage (meaning one vehicle must park behind the other). There are also two additional parking spots on a heated driveway. It’s within walking distance of Rosedale station, Ramsden Park and the many restaurants along Yonge. And motorists are a short drive from both the DVP and Vaughan Road.

The History

This house was built in the early 1900s. The current owners have lived here for close to 30 years. Though it comes with contemporary touches, new residents will likely want to upgrade.

Related: $7.7 million for a California-style villa standing over Toronto’s most exclusive golf club

The Tour

Here’s a closer look at the portico entrance standing above the attached garage.

The foyer—designed to be narrow and enclosed as a form of insulation—leads to the front hallway.

The sitting room overlooks the street and is equipped with a classic bay window, a wood-burning fireplace, crown moulding and an original ceiling medallion.

Across the hall is the formal dining room, which comes with a matching wood-burning fireplace. The kitchen sits just beyond those French doors.

This hidden wine rack, which holds more than 100 bottles, is the dining room’s best feature.

Here’s one last look at the dining room, flooded with natural light.

Next is the kitchen, with a central island, a breakfast bar overhang, a four-burner cooktop and a dishwasher.

There’s also a powder room just off the kitchen.

Turn around to take in the family room, crowned with mini cathedral ceilings.

The family room is equipped with another fireplace (gas this time), red terracotta tiles, studio lighting and plenty of space to lounge.

Here’s the second-floor landing. There are two bedrooms up here, each with ensuite bathrooms.

This room is currently used as a library but could easily be converted into a bedroom. It has a decorative fireplace (it would have been fuelled with wood or coal at one point, but the current owners have never used it) and access to the front balcony.

Here’s a peek inside the library’s ensuite, complete with a funky shower stall.

Now for the main suite. That balcony is south-facing and overlooks the backyard.

It’s got plenty of privacy.

The main ensuite is a blast from the past.

Heading to the third floor highlights the stately office, plus two more bedrooms.

Here’s that office, with its own skylight and handsome built-in shelving.

This secondary bedroom is part of a tandem, meaning you have to walk through it to enter its counterpart.

And this is the second half of the tandem bedroom, with a dormer window.

Moving to the basement reveals this laundry and storage room that connects to the garage.

Residents will find a vine-covered backyard just outside the family room.

Fully fenced-in, the backyard is an ideal place to dine alfresco, under the glowing pergola, during summer.

Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to realestate@torontolife.com.