A ‘night and day’ full reno
Update creates loft sanctuary, basement suite in $7M Forest Hill residence
Bright, bathed in light yet intimate and inviting, the top floor is the peak of perfection.
“I love the attic, it’s cosy,” says homeowner Afia Salman. “My daughter, who’s a lawyer now, used to study there.”
During a recent open house at the $6.95-million property, one visitor told co-listing agent Komal Usman: “This is going to be my Zen meditation room.”
The versatile third-floor loft with a pair of skylights is a favourite feature of the Forest Hill house that Salman and her husband Salman Hameed bought when they moved to Canada from Pakistan in 2012. It’s part of the roof-to-basement renovation they did three years later to create a brighter, more open living space for their family of three.
The mid-century residence’s transformation to a contemporary family home was like “night and day,” according to Usman of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.
While the Tudor-style house was in good shape, “all the dark wood” wasn’t to their liking, recalls Hameed. The homeowners also wanted to maximize storage space so they could have a clutter-free “clean-looking house with straight lines.”
After seeing architect and interior designer Dee Dee Taylor Eustace’s work on TV and in magazines, the couple thought she was “doing a pretty good job,” and hired Eustace, founder of Toronto-based Taylor Hannah Architect, said Hameed.
The three of them planned out every room, nook and corner of the couple’s 4,646-square-foot home to create a timeless, elegant space filled with light. At the end of the almost yearlong project, “we were happy,” Hameed says.
It was “very smooth,” adds Afia Salman, who approved everything from chandeliers to colours. In addition to the attic, she favours “my TV room and my bright kitchen.”
The sunken family room also gets the nod from her husband, who says: “It’s easy for everyone to walk in and sit down and chat.”
Adjacent to the kitchen and casual eating area, the family room has a fireplace, high ceiling and walkout to the stone patio and deep backyard. The galley kitchen is warm underfoot with a heated marble floor and has two large dishwashers that have enjoyed a good workout over the years.
The family hosted celebrations for their daughter’s graduation from university and wedding, says Salman. As well, their granddaughter started visiting early on, coming “straight here from the hospital” after her birth last July.
“Everything nice happened here. We’ve been very happy in this home,” says Salman, but adds it’s time to downsize.
Memories of a different sort also abound in colourful artwork acquired overseas.
“It’s a collection of memories of the different places we’ve lived,” explains Hameed, listing Indonesia, Hong Kong and other locales. Komal Usman and co-listing agent Usman Mahmood point out that all the work’s been done for the next family who lives there.
“The reno was done with so much love and attention to detail,” Usman says, noting the preservation of original charm and character.
The living room off the main foyer has views of the “beautiful front garden,” Mahmood says. There’s also a finished basement that includes a nanny suite with ensuite bathroom.