House of the Week: $5.3 million for a Trinity Bellwoods semi with a zigzag staircase and its own laneway suite

House of the Week: $5.3 million for a Trinity Bellwoods semi with a zigzag staircase and its own laneway suite

The curvy 3,200-square-foot standout also comes with a midnight-black kitchen, a bar and coffee station in the main suite, and a separate basement unit

Neighbourhood: Trinity Bellwoods
Price: $5,295,000
Size: 3,261 square feet, with a 1,058-square-foot laneway suite
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 8
Parking spaces: 1
Real estate agent: Cailey Heaps and Collin Brown, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Heaps Estrin Team


The place

A five-bedroom, eight-bathroom, never-lived-in home with a landscaped backyard containing a bunker-style laneway suite. The place is located on a quiet street just west of the Ossington strip and is walking distance from the many bars and restaurants on Dundas. It also has access to half a dozen streetcar lines and bus routes.

The history

Just completed, the semi was designed by JA Architecture Studio, which conceived of it as the Toronto home of tomorrow: a luxury build that enhances the neighbourhood and can be divided into three distinct residences for added density.

Related: $2.1 million for a postmodern Pickering cabin with a multi-level deck overlooking the Rouge River

The tour

The façade’s rounded window and zinc roof—fire resistant, insect proof and long lasting—are impossible to miss from the street.

The home's unique facade, by JA Architects.

Inside, a minimalist wall kitchen and curved staircase flank the main living area. That’s the laneway suite in the background (more on that later).

The curved staircase defines the living area.

The living area is illuminated by wall-to-wall sliding doors and a cute skylight above the couch.

The picture doors and skylight illuminate the space.

A reverse angle showcases the front of the home and the staircase.

A look back at the front of the home.

The kitchen, meanwhile, is contained inside a custom mantle by Scavolini with fully integrated Gaggenau appliances.

The midnight-black kitchen is sleek.

Here’s a closer look at the dining area, with a sleek wine fridge on the right.

The dining room overlooks the neighbourhood.

Here’s a view of the zigzagging staircase from the second-floor landing.

The staircase keeps zig-zagging at the second-floor landing.

And here’s one of the secondary bedrooms, equipped with custom closets and floor-to-ceiling windows.

One of the secondary bedrooms.

The third floor is dedicated to the tricked-out main suite. It has an arched ceiling, a private balcony and a full row of bespoke closets.

The main suite is an architectural wonder.

Opposite the bed is a wet bar that comes with a coffee machine and an electric cooktop. The suite even has its own living area overlooking the front yard.

The bedroom even has a coffee station.

Around the corner is this spa-style ensuite bathroom, with a double vanity, a soaker tub and more arches. Squint and you can see Liberty Village in the distance.

There's yet another arched window in the ensuite bathroom.

Now the balcony, with a view of the CN Tower beyond the trees.

A view of downtown in the distance.

Moving downstairs reveals the basement unit. It has a separate door leading to the street and comes with heated floors, two bathrooms and its own kitchen.

The basement can be rented out as a separate unit

Down the hall is the living area.

The basement also has this living area.

This is what the house looks like from the landscaped backyard.

There's elegant landscaping in the backyard.

The curved motif continues with the one-bedroom laneway suite—a junior version of the main home.

One more look at the front of the laneway.

Builders layered concrete atop the original garage structure for the bedroom.

The laneway suite was built on top of the property's original garage.

Finally, a view of the suite’s foyer, which doubles as an office.

A peek inside the laneway suite.


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