City Homes
A 110-Year-Old Toronto Duplex Is Reinvigorated For A Young Couple
Updated on September 23, 2024
Aidan Grove-White grew up in this 110-year-old Toronto duplex with his parents. In 2018, he and his partner, Chad Story, decided to buy the top two floors, splitting the ownership roughly 50-50 with his father and stepmother, who live on the main and lower levels. “When Aidan proposed it, I was skeptical about the arrangement,” says Chad. “I had a more traditional idea of home ownership, but many of our friends are making similar moves to get into the housing market.”
Aidan and Chad were impressed by the work of local designer Emilia Wisniewski of Studio 1NINE1 and sought her guidance. “They wanted to set up a self-sufficient, separate unit,” says Emilia. “Their apartment has its own electrical, HVAC and plumbing; it’s like a new house above an existing house and offers a great example of multigenerational living in the heart of the city.”
Homeowners Chad Story and Aidan Grove-White (seated) with designer Emilia Wisniewski. The project took more than a year to renovate and decorate. “When people talk about smaller spaces, it sounds like a compromise, but we don’t feel like we’re compromising at all,” adds Aidan. “We live in a fantastic neighborhood, and no condo near us can compete with the space, finishes or the design.”
The most complex undertaking was moving the central staircase to the side to open up the layout, and what was once a bedroom is now the living room. “It’s such a transformation,” says Aidan. The new staircase gets a heritage look from black baseball spindles. A cat door to the litter box for their tabby, Edith, is tucked under the stairs.
The second floor now fits the kitchen, dining area, living room, den and guest bathroom.
The TV is offset instead of being directly above the fireplace, which breaks up the long expanse of panelling and makes it feel less traditional.
An island didn’t make sense in the compact kitchen so, instead, Emilia proposed a custom dining table. She set up cardboard boxes to test out the proportions before commissioning the fabrication. “The dining table has the functionality of an island, but if they want to throw a dance party, they just move the table,” says Emilia.
The second-storey den functions as a guest room or home office. The slim desk doesn’t take up a lot of floor space.
The third storey has the principal bedroom with new ensuite, laundry room– bar, plus upgraded glass doors to the rooftop terrace. “It feels like you’re walking into a stacked townhouse,” says Emilia. “You almost forget that you had to go upstairs to get here.”
A built-in medicine cabinet in the ensuite adds storage above the sink.
A glass enclosure and large-format wall tile make the compact shower feel more expansive.
The third-floor laundry room, located steps from the terrace, incorporates a bar area. “Laundry is the worst chore, so why not have some fun?” says Emilia.
Valerie Wilcox
House & Home
Emilia Wisniewski