A laneway suite so stylish it became the main home

What: Laneway suite
Who: Jeff Wilkinson, a construction manager, and Suzanne Wilkinson, an interior designer Where: Roncesvalles
Size: 2,250 square feet (includes basement)

For Jeff and Suzanne Wilkinson, the city’s updated laneway-suite by-law in 2018 was a long-awaited green light: for years, they had talked about building a laneway home to generate income as part of a property they could share with their three children—Suzanne’s sons, Ayden and Grayson, and Jeff’s son, Archie. Coming from opposite ends of the city, they found a middle ground on Garden Avenue: a three-bedroom detached house on a deep lot backing onto a laneway. In July of 2018, they purchased the property for $1.35 million.

Jeff and Suzanne originally planned to live in the main house and build a backyard suite with two separate one-bedroom rental units. When minor renovations to the main house escalated into a $200,000 overhaul due to mould in the basement and extensive termite damage, the couple decided to recoup some of their costs by moving into the laneway house and renting out the main house. But first they had to redesign the plans for the suite to fit a family of five.

Related: Laneway suites are the smartest solution to the housing crisis in decades

Working with the architecture firm Williamson Williamson, the Wilkinsons embarked on their ambitious vision. The laneway home’s interior reflects the couple’s practical yet imaginative approach. “I always describe it as ‘the upside-down house,’” Suzanne says. There are two storeys plus a basement and a courtyard separating it from the main house. But the living spaces—kitchen, dining room and living room—are located on the second floor, surrounded by windows that provide views of the nearby tree canopy. And the bedrooms and bathrooms are divided between the ground floor and the basement.

The project wrapped up in 2021 at a cost of $1.5 million, and today, the Wilkinsons love their laneway life. And they’ve had no trouble renting out the main house, which has become a temporary home for a string of neighbours undergoing renovations in their own homes nearby. “We’re a blended family,” Suzanne says. “And our laneway home is like the child Jeff and I never had together. We want it to stand the test of time and inspire others in the city to see what’s possible with laneway homes.”