Inner Sanctum: a converted church condo in Little Italy worth a seven-year wait
By Peter Saltsman | Photographs by Derek Shapton
The red brick Romanesque Revival at College and Palmerston has lived a few lives in its 126 years. In the early days of the city it was a Baptist church. By the mid-20th century it was serving Portuguese Seventh Day Adventists. Finally, in 2006, the dwindling congregation sold up to a group of investors, led by the developer Matthew Kosoy, so it could be turned into luxury condos. One of the investors, Joel Prussky, a capital markets trader at BMO, came in with his eye on a smaller unit—the former rectory, a mere 5,500 square feet spread over three storeys. He liked the idea of preserving a piece of the city’s history and thought it would be a fun investment. But it would be seven years before the space was habitable—the building’s heritage designation slowed development. In the interim, Prussky met and fell in love with his wife, Janice Nathanson, had a daughter, Kate, bought a house in Casa Loma and raised an Aussiedoodle named Coco. As construction rolled along, the family got excited about the idea of moving downtown and having Kensington’s shops and College’s restaurant row at their doorstep. To prepare for move-in, Prussky and Nathanson worked closely with two interior designers, Mazen El-Abdullah and Lisa Lev, to finish the space to their tastes. They added a gracious central staircase, a roof deck with 360-degree views of the city and an elevator to bypass the long hike (they have wet bars on every floor for the same reason). In 2013, they finally moved in, and they’ve been loving it ever since.
308400 The former Baptist sanctuary in Little Italy has been converted into mammoth, light-soaked condos. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-00-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-00.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-00.jpg 800 1200 [] https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-00/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-00 0 0
308365 The <strong>velvet sofas</strong> are Montauk and were special-ordered in purple. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-01-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-01.jpg 800 1200 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-01/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-01 0 0
308366 The <strong>custom fireplace</strong> is cast stone. They wanted something ornate to contrast the decor’s clean, modern lines. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-02-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-02.jpg 1200 800 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-02/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-02 0 0
308367 Nathanson is an avid art collector, but her favourite pieces belonged to her mother—including this one by <strong>Group of Seven painter A. Y. Jackson</strong>. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-03-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-03.jpg 624 416 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-03/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-03 0 0
308374 They put in <strong>floor-to-ceiling windows</strong> on the west wall—the only non-heritage part of the building. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-10-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-10.jpg 1200 800 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-10/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-10 0 0
308373 Nathanson bought the <strong>inlaid table</strong> while backpacking in Burma. She lugged it around for a month. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-09-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-09.jpg 800 1200 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-09/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-09 0 0
308371 The couple love to entertain—16 can sit at the <strong>dining table</strong>. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-07-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-07.jpg 800 1200 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-07/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-07 0 0
308370 The antique-bronze and crystal <strong>Starburst fixture</strong> is from Elte. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-06-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-06.jpg 416 624 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-06/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-06 0 0
308368 The staircase’s <strong>three-storey chandelier</strong> has 36 glass orbs. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-04-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-04.jpg 521 817 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-04/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-04 0 0
308369 Mazen El-Abdullah designed the <strong>walnut vanity</strong>. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-05-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-05.jpg 800 1200 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-05/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-05 0 0
308372 Kate’s pink decor was a perfect match for two <strong>Warhol screen prints</strong>. “What eight-year-old doesn’t need Warhols?” says Nathanson. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-08-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-08.jpg 485 735 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/inner-sanctum-great-spaces/slide/inner-sanctum-great-spaces-08/ inner-sanctum-great-spaces-08 0 0
Lovely home.