Laneway Suite of the Week: A two-storey Woodbine Heights property that once housed horses

Laneway Suite of the Week: A two-storey Woodbine Heights property that once housed horses

The 1,500-square-foot home comes with three bedrooms, heated floors, a glass staircase and brilliant space-saving tricks

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: facade

Neighbourhood: Woodbine Heights
Architect: Lanescape
Size: 1,570 square feet
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2.5


The place

A two-storey, three-bed, two-and-a-half-bath laneway suite behind Moberly Avenue in Woodbine Heights. It comes with a front and backyard plus space for three cars to park out front. Residents are within walking distance of Little Ethiopia and Greektown as well as several transit lines and parks.

The history

The owners originally purchased this property, along with their three-bed semi, in 1998. The suite sat on an L-shaped lot with an old garage from the 1900s, which once housed horses for delivering milk.

In 2022, the owners decided to transform the garage into their new home, which would allow their son and his young family to move in to the main house. Construction began that summer and took eight months. The owners have since changed their minds and moved to their cottage full time, so they’re renting out the suite.

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The tour

The façade is marked by faux wood siding, fibre cement panels and sharp black trim.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: laneway entrance

The entrance leads to a central staircase, a powder room and a mechanical room. There’s radiant in-floor heating throughout the ground floor.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: staircase

The staircase has a built-in storage nook as well as glass railings to let in more light.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: staircase close-up

Just beyond the entrance is the open kitchen and living area. There are tall windows as well as two walkouts to the backyard.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: living area

The kitchen has plenty of storage, and its counters are Caesarstone quartz.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: kitchen

Now a closer look at the island, which seats three. It has a double sink with a goose-neck pull-down faucet.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: kitchen island

Moving upstairs reveals a skylight above the second-floor landing.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: skylight

Those double doors open on a laundry station with a folding area.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: laundry area

Here’s a reverse view of the landing, overlooking the laneway. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: landing

The main bedroom has a view of the backyard, a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: main bedroom

The ensuite has a double floating vanity and a walk-in shower.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: ensuite

Here’s the second bedroom, which comes with a deep closet and tall windows.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: second bedroom

The shared bathroom has a tub with sliding glass doors as well as a skylight.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: second bathroom

The space underneath the vanity was designed in case residents needed more room for storage.

Here’s the fully fenced backyard with its wooden deck. The second floor cantilevers, acting as a canopy. That pathway to the front yard lights up at night.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: backyard

Residents can access the main house and Moberly through those fence doors, and they’re just a short stroll to the hustle and bustle of the Danforth.

Toronto, Real Estate, Laneway Suite of the Week, Woodbine Heights: front lot


Are you living the laneway life? Send your story to realestate@torontolife.com.