Tag Archives: architectural features
Small condo is tricky to furnish
David Ferguson – Yourhome.ca
Q: My husband and I have just purchased our first home, a downtown condo.
Prior to buying the place, we purchased all new living room furniture, but now we are concerned that it won’t fit into our new space.
Among the pieces we have purchased are two love seats, a chair, an ottoman, a coffee table and a TV stand.
We definitely don’t want it to look cluttered but at the same time, we are reluctant to get rid of anything.
We haven’t bought a dining room/kitchen table yet. Do you think a round table or rectangular would be best?
A: Condominium living has much going for it. Condos are generally low maintenance and convenient, they offer high security, and they often are located in dense, urban areas where single-family home ownership is out of the reach of most first-time buyers.
But most newly built condominiums are not renowned for spaciousness or an abundance of walls along which to place furniture.
At first glance, your living area seems large enough to easily accommodate your existing furniture — that is, until a scale drawing is produced with all the openings, architectural features and traffic patterns included.
The main culprits working against an easy layout are two important areas within the plan: a heavy traffic area defined by the front door, kitchen, mechanical room and corridor to the bathroom and bedroom, and a secondary path that leads to the master bedroom.
Few, if any furniture pieces should ever be placed in the main traffic area in order to ease the transition from space to space (with almost no wall space, there is nowhere to put furniture anyway).
Even with a secondary traffic route, few furniture pieces should be placed in its path, although the space between obstructions can be narrower.
Given that you already have the furniture, I have chosen to show you my best effort in a floor plan that incorporates all the pieces you have.
While tight, it is not impossibly cramped and does allow the furniture to be arranged for conversation and for television viewing, all oriented towards the view through the large windows.
The plan basically defines a “living room” by backing one of the love seats onto the dining area. That love seat sits roughly in the centre of the room, anchored with a sofa table behind.
Assuming that the flooring is hardwood, I have drawn an area rug to further define the seating area.
With all this in place, there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of space for a dining area.
My plan has shown a rectangular table, tucked against the wall, with ample room to expand laterally when the need arises.
If, ultimately, you do choose to replace some of the furniture pieces, I would suggest replacing one of the love seats with a large chair or chair-and-a-half just to open the space a bit more.
You could also consider a small housing unit in which to place the television so that the wires and peripheral components are neatly tucked away.
—————————————————————————————————–
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–
Incoming search terms
Related posts:
- Good Things Come in Small Packages in Today’s Condo Market By Pat Baker, Dream Homes and Condos Condominiums have changed...
- Living Large In Small Spaces News has hit the papers that Toronto will soon be...
- A few simple suggestions for small space design If you like the appeal of carefree condo living...
- Seven keys to condo living When it comes to compact spaces like condos, striking the...
- Top 5 ways to make your condo look more expensive When purchasing a condo, most buyers sink the majority of...
Conversion of churches into condos a ‘labour of love’
BUILDING THE FUTURE: In the Junction
InsideToronto.com
City planners hesitate to use the word ‘trend,’ however there seems to be a movement toward breathing new life into historic churches by converting them into residential dwellings in Toronto’s west end.
There are several examples of these turn-of-the-century churches receiving a new lease on life throughout the High Park and Roncesvalles neighbourhoods. In one block of Annette Street alone, there are two places of worship whose interiors have been completely transformed.
The former Annette Street Baptist Church, a single-storey church constructed in 1888 on the northeast corner of Annette Street and High Park Avenue, has been rehabilitated as an eight-unit townhouse. Meanwhile, the former Victoria-Royce Presbyterian Church, a historic building that included a Sunday school on the north west corner of Annette and Medland streets, has been re-purposed as a 34-unit modern loft residence.
Triumphal Developments Inc., whose specialty is converting urban buildings into modern lofts, can take credit for the re-imagination. Triumphal developer and co-owner Fred Dyer said he was struck by the church’s architectural features like its copper-covered spire and brick and limestone facade. Dyer said he saw the potential to create “something really special.”
“The actual physical structure was so impressive,” he said, adding he saw the potential to build a “unique living space.”
Victoria-Royce Presbyterian Church is a “well-designed example” of the Romanesque Revival style, which was popular for both religious and residential buildings in the late 19th century, according to Toronto’s Heritage Preservation Services. It boasts oversized round-arch motifs, rugged surfaces and ornate detailing inspired by the revival style of 11th and 12th centuries’ French and Spanish architecture.
Initially called Victoria Presbyterian Church in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, it was re-christened when the congregation amalgamated with Royce Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1969. Victoria-Royce closed its doors in June of 2006.
Aviva Pelt, an assistant planner for the City of Toronto who worked on both the Victoria-Royce and Annette Street Baptist church projects, says the appeal of transforming an already existing building like a church is that a developer doesn’t have to start from scratch.
“It’s an alternative land use. Instead of building a new building, it’s already there. There isn’t a lot available land for building in the city,” said Pelt.
The city is in favour of such conversions and welcomes developers’ applications, said Pelt.
“We’d rather see something happen instead of a building deteriorating,” she said. “It’s a good use.”
A builder seeking to redevelop a heritage-designated building, such as Victoria-Royce Church, faces far more challenges than when building new. Churches are old and most often not structurally sound enough to withstand the division of a floor plan, said Pelt. Developers must work closely with Heritage Preservation Services to ensure the integrity of the historic features remain while also making way for a new use.
“Each project is assessed independently,” said Pelt, noting that Triumphal built an addition on top of the existing Sunday school.
Despite these two conversions on the same street and others in nearby neighbourhoods, Lou Moretto, director of community planning for the west district, said he “doesn’t perceive” an emerging trend.
Nonetheless, there are developers out there like Triumphal that enjoy the challenges of re-purposing heritage structures.
“It takes a lot more time to do a conversion like this,” said Kari Emond, marketing director for the Presbyterian church conversion now known as the Victoria Lofts. “They had to restore the building. They imported bricks from England because they don’t make them here in Canada. A carpenter copied the original mouldings. It takes a lot of time and specialized craftsman level trades. It’s a labour of love.”
Some examples of church loft conversions:
- Victoria Royce Presbyterian Church, 152 Annette St.
- Annette Street Baptist Church, 200 Annette St.
- The Third Church of Christ, Scientist, 70 High Park Ave.
- Howard Street Pentecostal Church, 384 Sunnyside Ave.
———————————————————————————————————————
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
———————————————————————————————————————
Incoming search terms
Related posts:
- Victoria Church Loft Conversion in High Park The Lofts Introducing Victoria Lofts, a 38-unit loft conversion of an...
- Victoria Lofts on Annette Street Eagerly awaited, the Victoria Lofts at 152 Annette Street will...
- A religious conversion that’s heritage-friendly The original church had a footprint of about 4,000 square...
- Buyers praise heavenly loft conversions Since 1999, when loft conversions went into full swing around...
- Councillors give blessing to church renovation Council approved a developer's application to convert the former Annette...
The Malthouse Loft Towns
George Herczeg of Inaugural Source Homes was one of the first builders to take an interest in revitalizing city neighborhoods in downtown Toronto. He has grown quite a reputation for his ongoing developments in the heart of the city. One of Inaugural Source Homes’ least-known projects is The Malthouse Loft Towns, a converted brewery tucked away on a private laneway.
“This was a very special product because there was basically no such thing on the market in terms of loft-style townhomes,” says Agnes Herczeg.
“You usually either have a loft, or a townhome, but this is a loft-townhome. It’s a three-story home with loft features, which means high ten-foot ceilings on each level, and exposed brick from the original building from 1876.”
The Malthouse Loft Towns are located in Corktown, at Queen and River Street in Toronto’s east end (next to the Queen City Vinegar Lofts). The loft towns offer a quiet living experience with all the perks of a big city.
“These loft-townhomes generally attract young executives and career-oriented people,” says Herczeg. What really makes these loft-townhomes unique is that they are also designated as live-work spaces, so people can even run a business out of them.”
The Malthouse Loft Towns is designated as a heritage building by the city of Toronto, which means that it has many unique features that you just cannot find anywhere else. It is an Italianate-inspired building, designed by Victorian architects Smith & Gemmel. The building’s shell is actually an old restored brewery built in 1876.
The exterior features buff brick pilasters, decorative corner corbelling, rounded arches, and oval cast-iron tie-rod plates. It also includes elements such as exposed red and buff brick walls from the original building, and many other one-of-a-kind architectural features from the Victorian industrial era.
Each loft-townhome includes versatile home office/study areas, soundproofing for optimal privacy, unique trim finishes, and sliding barn doors in bedrooms (excluding master bedroom). Also included in each unit is engineered wood flooring on the main level, sisal-type carpeting on the stairs and two top floors, bathroom vanities, and most lighting fixtures.
Kitchen luxuries include genuine granite countertops, stainless steel double sinks, and brand name upgraded black appliances including stacked front-loading washer and dryers. Some other exclusive features include maintenance-free custom windows, and rooftop decks ideal for outdoor living and entertaining.
Each unit has three floors of living space, plus a walkway up to the roof’s terrace patio. There is also storage space, convenient indoor parking with direct home entry on the lower level, and remote garage door openers.
“We have been in the business for over forty years. Our specialty is the rejuvenation of older neighborhoods,” says Herczeg. “We started out with renovating homes in older parts of the city of Toronto, such as Cabbagetown, and The Annex. But now we are doing in-fill projects in different parts of Toronto.”
———————————————————————————————————————
Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information – 416-388-1960
Laurin & Natalie Jeffrey are Toronto Realtors with Century 21 Regal Realty.
They did not write these articles, they just reproduce them here for people
who are interested in Toronto real estate. They do not work for any builders.
———————————————————————————————————————
Incoming search terms
Related posts:
- The Malthouse Loft Towns Innovative new living space in the heart of Toronto From...
- The Malthouse loft towns A great opportunity realized by Inaugural Source Inaugural Source has...
- Malthouse Loft Towns Maintaining the gorgeous facade allowed the Malthouse Loft Towns to...
- Toronto loft conversions keep their value Risky to build and costly to buy – but nothing...
- Risky to build & costly to buy — loft conversions keep their value They only account for 5% of the overall condominium market,...
