Summerhill Church Conversion
August 27th, 2008Life under vaulted ceilings in a former church
By Sydnia Yu - Globe and Mail
This loft has two bedrooms, three bathrooms, living and dining rooms and an upper-level office and family room.
The main floor - with 10-foot ceilings - features a dining room with built-in cabinetry, an oval staircase and a living room with a gas fireplace and two sets of French doors. They open to a 180-square-foot terrace.
Oak hardwood flooring in the living and dining rooms gives way to marble floors in the kitchen. The latter includes granite countertops, a glass-mosaic backsplash, breakfast bar, wine fridge and upscale appliances. A powder room completes the level.
Upstairs, the master suite has a wall-to-wall closet, glass-block windows and a private bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The second bedroom and three-piece bathroom are also on this level.
A third-floor media/family room has a wood-burning fireplace and 26-foot cathedral ceiling. It is pre-wired for a home theatre system. French doors open to an office with heated limestone floors, a vaulted ceiling, built-in bookcases and heat-blocking windows.
A laundry room is located on the lower level, which provides access to a garage with two parking spots and a locker.
The large third floor requires its own furnace, air-conditioning unit, air cleaner and humidifier, so there are two of each system in the home. The top floor also has an auxiliary AC system.
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In the heart of the Toronto’s Summerhill community, this century-old, former Baptist church on Macpherson Avenue is revered by the handful of residents who live there.
“[The developer] took a large church and converted it into only five units … as opposed to trying to cram in as many one-level condos as possible,” Susan Bandler says of the converted structure near Avenue and Davenport roads. “It gets a ton of interest because it’s so unique.”
There is a unit there for sale right now, and it happens to be the loft mentioned above. “The only reason [the owners are] moving out is because they want to be closer to their daughter, who is having their first grandchild,” she explains.
Ms. Bandler believes this building is one of the most coveted church conversions in Toronto, saying it’s quite unlike anything else she’s seen. She cites its spacious suite sizes, multiple levels of living space, and unique floor plans that preserve the brick building’s grand architectural features.
“[The conversion] maintained the integrity of the original church, and used only the finest of materials,” which is not typical for newly built projects,” she explains.
It’s believed that the congregation of the Century Baptist Church began meeting in members’ homes on nearby Birch Street in 1888. The group was formally organized in 1901 and decided to build a church that could accommodate 500, and a basement that could hold 400 Sunday school attendees.
The structure was built in the early 1900s, and was expanded and renovated over the years until the parishioners left in 1970. It was sold a decade after that to a group practising theosophy.
After a devastating fire in 1986, the building was sold to a developer, who renovated and restored it to its present state. The structure was ideal for a loft conversion project: The walls between units are solid concrete and completely sound proof.
This unit features arched windows and 26-foot vaulted ceilings with exposed roof trusses on the top floor.
“It’s very, very special,” Ms. Bandler says. “You go in and your jaw drops.”
Similar to other suites, it has a three-level plan measuring about 2,600 square feet. Windows face east and west and residents have direct access to the street and garage.
“It’s perfect for people downsizing, for example, from Rosedale or Forest Hill,” Ms. Bandler states. “It still feels like a home, yet you’re in a smaller, more unique space in an amazing location.”
Unlike most conventional homes, however, the third level was dedicated to an office and media/family room rather than sleeping quarters.
“This was the most logical place for a media room because it has a big stone fireplace and there is no bathroom,” Ms. Bandler says.
“With the ceilings being so high, I don’t think that’s conducive for a bedroom.”
The owners prior to the present one hired local design firm Powell and Bonnell to remodel the interiors. Several projects were carried out between 2000 and 2005, one of which was updating the third floor.
Improvements made in the family room included a new fireplace surround, cabinetry, lighting and herringbone-patterned oak hardwood flooring.
An artist hand-painted the walls so that they get gradually darker as they approach the ceiling, an effect meant to de-emphasize the unit’s narrow and vertical dimensions and create a more intimate atmosphere. It took nearly a month to create the effect, which mimics an old European building lit by candles and its fireplace.
On the main floor, the designers remodelled the kitchen around existing appliances; created special wall panelling, cornice mouldings and lighting fixtures for the foyer, living and dining rooms; added a storage unit beneath the circular staircase; and spruced up the powder room.
Recently, the present owner put up glass mosaic backsplashes in the kitchen; installed new shower heads in the second-floor bathrooms and installed an auxiliary air conditioner for the third floor.
Interior designer Linda Schwartz was brought in to, among other things, select furniture and paint colours.
For entertaining outdoors, there is a private space with an interlocking patio, a gas hookup, new landscape lighting in the rock garden and antique brass and glass terrace dividers.
Gargoyles and water fountains provide interesting focal points, and wild pear trees and boxwoods in planters soften the edges.
The grounds surrounding the building are well maintained, complete with heated walkways and driveways and lush greenery, Ms. Bandler says.
The condo board has replaced the roof and put about $350,000 into landscaping,” she adds, noting that the work on the grounds was done by Janet Rosenberg and Associates.
“The second you step off the sidewalk of MacPherson, you can tell it’s a unique, high-end and very well-cared-for condo.”
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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information - 416-388-1960
