Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper that’s been custom-outfitted for fun
Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper that’s been custom-outfitted for fun
By Simone Olivero | May 26, 2014
By Simone Olivero | 05/26/2014
By Simone Olivero | Photographs by Derek Shapton
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Alister Campbell and Colleen Mahoney like to host dinner parties. Lots of them. It’s not unheard-of for them to have friends or extended family over one night, colleagues the next. Campbell, who runs a private insurance firm, and Mahoney, who sits on the board of the non-profit Action Against Hunger Canada, also have two teenage boys, Dugald and Declan, and two boisterous labradoodles, Poppy and Prudence. In short, it’s a madhouse—but a happy madhouse custom-designed to suit their needs. When they bought the rundown Tudor-style place in North Toronto two years ago, they hired the design firm Nivek Remas to bring in an elegant, modern aesthetic that would accommodate their special brand of contained chaos. The end result includes a living room that’s formal enough for cocktails with colleagues but that also has cushy couches for watching CFL games. The Hans Wegner table in the dining room expands to seat 18—perfect for when family members from Ottawa or Saskatchewan are in town. And when Mahoney wants to get away from the hubbub, she retreats with her laptop to the airy new master ensuite, which has an extra-long vanity overlooking the trees in the backyard.
274748 The deep turquoise rug was designed by <strong>Kevin Chan</strong> and <strong>Samer Shaath</strong> of <strong>Nivek Remas,</strong> the firm that oversaw the reno (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-01/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-01 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274749 <em>Jelen</em> is by the Canadian photographer <strong>Zoë Jaremus</strong> (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-02-e1400592090234-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-02/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-02 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274750 Campbell inherited the 1921 Heintzman baby grand from his mother. Dugald and Declan attend St. Michael’s Choir School and use it all the time for their music homework (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-03-e1400592108984-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-03.jpg 1000 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-03/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-03 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274751 Campbell bought the painting of the Damascus Gate during a trip to Israel before he and Mahoney were married. He gave it to her for Christmas (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-04-e1400592124992-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-04.jpg 624 416 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-04/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-04 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274752 This reading chair also belonged to Campbell’s mother. The modern accent table is from <strong>Studio B</strong> (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-05-e1400592154841-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-05.jpg 416 624 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-05/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-05 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274760 Mahoney had seen the <strong>Jonathan Adler</strong> rug in a magazine and liked its bold geometric design. She was delighted that it was among those that Chan and Shaath suggested for the hallway (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-06.jpg 667 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-06/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-06 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274754 The couple loved the original leaded glass windows, but they were drafty. The solution: double-glazed panels that were fitted overtop (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-07-e1400592263958-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-07.jpg 667 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-07/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-07 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
274755 The master ensuite was formerly a tired sunroom. Even with the blinds raised, there’s plenty of privacy—it’s 300 feet across the treed yards to the nearest house (Image: Derek Shapton) Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun Great Spaces: Inside a North Toronto fixer-upper custom outfitted for fun https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-08-e1400592284746-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-08.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-north-toronto-fixer-upper/slide/great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-08/ great-spaces-north-york-fixer-upper-08 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
Where is the awesome red stool from? By the dressing table? Lovely house!