The Mod Couple

WHO:

Susan Torok, a former decor manager for a builder, and her husband, Steve Torok, a former interior design firm owner

WHAT:

A modernist three-bed, three-bath country home on 1.3 acres in Terra Nova

Susan and Steve met on a blind date in 2018 and realized they had just about everything in common, including a desire to retire early and leave city life behind. The following year, they found the perfect place to do it, an hour’s drive from Toronto, and put their properties in the city on the market (a townhouse in Markham for Steve and a detached in Vaughan for Susan).

Steve, who’s pretty handy, took on the repairs: patching up the radiant-heating system and rewiring the electricals so the thermostat, blinds and sound system could be controlled by apps. Susan hired interior designer Michelle Berwick to craft tactile spaces with natural and industrial finishes. They moved in a few months before the onset of the pandemic, and added a pool this spring.

Despite being lifelong city dwellers, Susan and Steve quickly adjusted to the rhythms of country life. Susan has taken up gardening with a vengeance, and Steve, who owns two motorbikes, splits his time between riding through the surrounding Mulmur Hills and working on home improvement projects. He’s currently building a home gym above the garage, and a pool house. “We’ve both worked hard all our lives,” says Susan. “Now we’re finally enjoying ourselves.”