Great Spaces: transforming an East York bungalow into a series of welcoming cubes

An actor and a TV writer create a dramatic turning point for their mid-century bungalow

By Bert Archer | Photographs by Kristin Sjaarda

Before Yannick and Shantelle Bisson moved into their three-bedroom East York bungalow in 2007, Shantelle was a freelance writer, and Yannick was a gigging actor booking the occasional movie of the week. With three daughters to support, Yannick would often turn to contracting to help pay the bills. The ­couple’s luck changed that year when ­Yannick landed the lead role on CBC’s popular detective series Murdoch ­Mysteries. A few years later, feeling squeezed for space (and a little more flush), the Bissons went hunting for a bigger house, setting their sights on Rosedale. But the more they looked, the more they realized how much they loved their little cul-de-sac overlooking the Taylor Creek ravine and wanted to stay put. They hired the architect ­Gordon Ridgely who, along with Upside Developments, transformed their ­bungalow into a series of interlocking cubes. ­Yannick pitched in, too: he crafted the fireside bench out of pine beams salvaged from a 200-year-old barn used on his show. In more ways than one, this is the house that Murdoch built.