Annex House

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto residential renovation into a contemporary home with retained historic character

Palmerston Boulevard is a well-known romantic residential street situated in Toronto’s downtown core. A young couple with two children approached Altius Architecture to redesign their semi-detached home while keeping the historic exterior. The dwelling contains three bathrooms and three bedrooms, and the clients were looking for an open-plan layout with integrated light, minimal and natural finishes.

Dining room with modern white oak dining set with contemporary metal light fixture and white oak cabinetry
white oak wood slat entryway made with water-jet cut digitally fabricated wood with hidden top lighting
Living room with modern ribbon fireplace and full wall sliding door with white oak frame

The interior of the 2,860 sq. ft. home is all white oak, with white and grey accents, maintaining a very clean Scandinavian style aesthetic. All millwork is custom designed to match the overall appearance. The main feature of the house is the three-panel lift and slide overlooking the rear garden from the main living space, which you can see upon entrance.

Master bedroom with white oak ribbon windows and custom made white oak bed frame and floors

“While standing behind a holistic, collaborative approach to design, the Toronto-based architectural firm was able to bring a whole new level of flow to the interior.”

“A Toronto-Based Firm Breathes New Life Into a Victorian’s Interior”

– Dwell

Master bathroom with marble wall tiling and black accent tile floor. Frameless glass enclosure and freestanding tub with stainless fixtures
Siting room with exposed brick wall, white oak wardrobes and light gray sofa with ottoman

The house has ample daylight coming in through many large windows, with some original stained glass ones as well as new skylights. The ground floor was squared off with an addition to create more living space, and a third-floor dormer was also extended to make a large master suite. The master bedroom features a fireplace, 10 ft. ceilings, and a 4×4 skylight in the central space. There is plenty of concealed storage space along the walls.

Backyard of modern home renovation with large windows and doors with large deck with seamless access to interior

“The owners are thrilled with the results.
Without expanding the footprint of the house,
they [Altius] opened it up and made it feel
larger, more fluid and much more efficient
(with the help of built-in cabinets everywhere)”

– Toronto Life