Surreal Estate: $2.2 million to live in a Gothic church in Dovercourt Village with a load-bearing angel

Neighbourhood: Dovercourt Village
Price: $2,250,000 Fees: $1,026 a month Size: 1,800 square feet Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 3 Parking spot: 1 Real estate agent: David Kim-MacKinnon, Premier Matrix Realty

The Place

A two-bedroom, three-bathroom, four-storey townhouse carved out of a Gothic church just north of Bloor and Dovercourt. It comes with 30-foot cathedral ceilings and a covered patio fit for the Old World. It’s within walking distance of Dufferin station, Dufferin Mall and Dovercourt Park. And motorists are a short drive from the Gardiner. Related: $18.9 million for a head-turner in Rosedale with a Hitchcockian stairwell

The History

The property was originally the site of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and Saint Cyprian’s, built in 1914 in the neo-Gothic style. After a century as a place of worship, the church was sold in 2014 to developer George Betak, whose vision was to divide it into 17 unique units. He hired architect Asen Vitko to design the space, asking that he preserve its original façade, interior brick and arches. The project cost $16 million to complete.

The Tour

Aside from the sparkling new windows and landscaped gardens, the church today appears almost exactly as it did in 1914.

Here’s the view of the unit’s open-concept kitchen and living area from the foyer. That striking light fixture is from Restoration Hardware.

This view highlights the accordion glass doors that lead to the indoor-outdoor patio, featuring 30-foot ceilings.

The kitchen is equipped with granite counters, a restaurant-grade gas cooktop, a Sub-Zero fridge, Moen fixtures, a marble backsplash and a wine fridge hidden within the dining island.

The reverse view highlights all the low-key storage lining the home’s walls.

Just off the kitchen is the powder room, with penny-tile walls and a space-saving pedestal sink.

Moving upstairs reveals the office and lounge, which overlook the indoor-outdoor room. Note the geometric moose sculpture.

This space’s coolest feature is the original stone angel corbel—both decorative and structural.

Now for the main bedroom, which is on the third floor. It has exposed wood trusses, more custom storage and a view of the neighbourhood.

A frosted glass wall separates the main bedroom from the ensuite bathroom.

The main ensuite is fitted with a dual vanity and multi-spray shower panels.

It also has a soaker tub, backdropped by a dramatic arch.

The second bedroom is all the way up on the fourth floor.

Its ensuite feels like a Scandinavian spa.

There’s also a laundry closet in this suite.

Here’s that patio again—like living in an English abbey. Along with the jumbo Wolf grill, it comes complete with a church memorial above the back door.

Lastly, here’s a peek inside the underground parking and storage space.

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