Condo of the Week: $1.7 million for a family-sized downtown penthouse with a customized interior

Address: 44 St. Joseph Street, Penthouse 5 Neighbourhood: University Agents: Lamis Dantas and David B. Rodgers, HomeLife Realty One Ltd., Brokerage Price: $1,688,888 Previously sold for: $475,000, in 1999

The place

A three-bedroom condo on the 25th and 26th floors of a 1987 building.

The history

The sellers, an artist and a banker, bought this unit in 2000. They gradually personalized the space, adding antique wooden doors from Nepal in the third bedroom, a custom marble countertop in the kitchen and a Zen-like master bathroom. Now they’re downsizing so they don’t have as many stairs to climb.

There’s a 25-foot atrium with a skylight by the entrance:

The powder room is pretty sleek:

Here’s the kitchen, with that custom marble countertop:

The dining area has a custom banquette and ceiling fixture:

The living room is very ‘90s, but in a good way:

There are three bedrooms on the upper floor:

Here’s one of them:

The master bedroom has some columns going on:

And a little sitting area:

You knew there was going to be a bonsai tree in the master bathroom, didn’t you? We all saw this coming:

Big selling point

The layout is more like a traditional two-storey house than a typical condo, with a closed off dining room, separate kitchen and bedrooms on the second floor. This place might appeal to a family looking to cut down on commute time to the core.

Possible deal breaker

The owners closed in the balcony to create a sunny room for their pet birds. Changing it back may require some professional help, as well as permission from the condo board.

By the numbers

• $1,688,888 • 2,400 square feet (approximately) • $2,021 in monthly maintenance fees • 3 bedrooms • 3 bathrooms • 1 enclosed balcony • 1 parking space • 1 locker • 1 skylight